The rusted steel golem squashed another one of the Krakens’ front liners. Its sensors detected the fluctuations of energy coming from the corner of the cave. Cold gales converged on ColdHand. Sensing the incoming danger, the steel golem ran toward him, determined to interrupt the devastating skill.

Electrifying Backstab!

-143

-10

-10

-10

DavyJones, the number one rogue of the Krakens, drove his dagger in the cracks of the golem’s armor and discharged a powerful surge of energy, frying the golem’s circuits and stunning it for a second. But the robot had high resilience, and despite the many debuffs stacked on it by Kraken, it recovered quickly and resumed its stampede.

The Eagle Has Landed!

-314!

Goldie turned into a streak of light, which hit the golem’s kneecap, sending it crashing down. The golem tried to get up, but Kraken hit it with another debuff.

Song of Rust!

-2

-2

-2

-2

The target’s movement speed decreases by 50% for 10 seconds.

The legs of the level 62 elite golem creaked and groaned but stayed stuck. ColdHand finally finished channeling his skill. “Stay clear,” he said calmly, giving time to DavyJones and Mel to get out of the way.

Ice Age!

-103,413

The golem wreaking havoc on the frontlines turned into an ice cube, and light enveloped every hunting party member. With this, they had gained one more level and had come one step closer to reaching the bottom floor of the Core Tower.

“Everyone. Take a break!” Mel heard Kraken say. She kept her eyes glued to her guild leader, trying to discern where he’d go.

As was his custom, the hooded leader of the Krakens walked past the guild’s forces, congratulating or giving hints to players as needed. “You did well, DavyJones,”

“Thanks, sir.”

“Greedster, you used [Shield Meteor] too soon. Ensure you wait for bosses to use a dangerous skill before interrupting it next time.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kraken.”

Seeing him walk toward her, Mel’s heart raced. She had been waiting for the right moment to tell him, and it seemed this was it.

“Good job, Mel! You tripped him at the best possible moment. You saved ColdHand back there,” Kraken praised.

“Thanks, boss.” Just as Kraken was about to resume his march, she stepped forward. “C-can I have a word with you?”

Kraken nodded and gestured for her to follow him. They moved to an empty spot, which happened to be the fallen corpse of the metal boss. Kraken sat on the golem’s head and studied Mel from the hood's shadow.

“What is it, Mel? Is everything OK?”

“Yes, sir. I just need to tell you something.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I-I’m dating someone. He’s a player from another guild.”

“Oh? Who’s the lucky fellow?”

“Roth Taylor, sir.”

Kraken remained silent for a few moments. “I didn’t see that one coming. You did well to tell me, especially now that he’s with the Ogres. This was very professional of you,”

“Will this be a problem, sir?”

Kraken shook his head. “I trust you, Mel. Just remember to keep things separate. I wouldn’t tolerate breaches in information, not even from you,” he said with a warning edge.

Mel shrugged, relaxed. Now that she’d gotten it off her chest, she felt lighter and happier. She wasn’t planning on betraying the guild, so the warning didn’t scare her.

“Roth Taylor… he’s quite a character, isn’t he?”

Mel nodded.

“The first to Antioch. Wielder of a strange class and race. The one who’s led the top guilds against Loki and is now one of the top 100 in the ranks. I have to say that I’m a little jealous of the Ogres for snatching him.”

“He’s quite special,” she agreed.

“Tell me something, Mel. Is it true what they say? Does he have three pets?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kraken paused. “It shouldn’t be possible.”

Mel was about to explain how but stopped herself and smiled instead.

“What about the lion? How on earth did he meet that NPC?”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ve been told to keep my professional and personal lives separate.”

Kraken chuckled. “Touché. All the best for you and Roth, Mel. Make sure you’re ready in 20. The Griffins are already on the 89th floor, and I want to beat them.”

The guild leader of the Krakens stood up and left. Mel followed him with her eyes. He circled back toward DavyJones, exchanged some word with him and pointed at Mel. The Kraken's chief of intelligence was already walking toward her, doubtlessly to remind her of company policy and what she could not discuss with her boyfriend.

She sighed. It was a hassle, but for Roth, it was worth it.

*

Jaw-Long stood still, arms down, eyes closed. This cave was deep into the Crystal Heart, an indestructible geological formation. His back was against the wall, and his flanks were well-protected by the narrow tunnel. He furrowed his brow in concentration, tuning his ears to every sound, feeling the vibrations under his bare feet. He had failed to prevent the previous heist. Not today, though. Not today.

He’d swallowed his pride and brought the whole Dragons guild into the operation this time. The finest players in the game hid in the shadows from the end of the cave to its mouth. All of them were the cream of the crop. Among them were reigning champions of martial arts competitions, old special forces and fierce mercs. That cat would not succeed today. He wouldn’t let it.

Regret surfaced. Cursed was the day he’d gotten into the crosshairs of this annoying little pest. Was this Nexus Co.’s way of keeping him in check? Of delaying his meteoric ascension? Or was this punishment for his past sins?

Or worse… was this the cat’s vendetta for him throwing Roth's pet into peril? The latter scared him the most. He could understand if this was a measure designed to keep him in check, but if it was a rogue NPC’s feud, it was unproportional to what he’d done.

It wasn’t because of how valuable the items it stole were. In the guild’s bank, he had several sets of equipment unmatched by anything else the game had to offer. It was the sheer humiliation this trial was subjecting him to. They went against two cornerstones of his way of life. He had two rules that he valued over everything else: 'be the best, no matter the cost,' and 'no enemy is undefeatable.'

This was just another moment in which he would embody these two principles and emerge victorious. If there was an emotion in Jaw-Long’s soul that was greater than regret or trepidation for the upcoming encounter, it was excitement. Here was a worthy challenge and a formidable foe.

Meow!

The cute, seemingly harmless sound bounced off the cave's crystal walls, letting every one of the Dragons hear it. Jaw-Long assumed a fighting position and messaged everyone in the chat. “It’s coming.”

“I’m coming! Is everyone ready? It’s the ring this time. The ring.”

Jaw-Long pushed down his anger and humiliation. The voice was a high-pitched squeak, something one would expect from a small toddler. Jaw-Long couldn’t help but shake, though. The little rascal dared remind him that it was almost here, just to mess up with him. It would see. After what he had prepared for it, it would never dare take him lightly again.

For a few moments, nothing happened. There was a deep, unsettling quiet: the deep breath before the plunge. Jaw-Long ignored the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and made himself maintain battle readiness. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the one opening of the dead-end tunnel he’d boxed himself in and took deep breaths.

He left himself with no way out, but there was only one way in. The thief had to come through here. Jaw-Long blinked, and suddenly, a cat appeared in front of him in the tunnel.

This was the first time Jaw-Long saw the beast. It looked like an ordinary cat. Its fur was white and gray, and its eyes were amber. It looked at Jaw-Long with an intense gaze, half-annoyance, half-amusement. Whatever Roth Taylor’s kitten meant to it, this was personal.

Jaw-Long didn’t dare delay this any longer. This burglar had made the mistake of revealing itself, and he would make sure it would pay for it with its life.

Gravitational Pull!

All the air in the tunnel was sucked in toward Jaw-Long, and with it, rubble, pebbles, and rocks. He frowned as he observed his empty hand. He had managed to drag whales in with this skill, but the focus of his skill, the cat, kept observing stoically as if Jaw-Long had never used a skill.

Jaw-Long gulped. He grabbed a golden bottle decorated with silver leaves and drank it.

You’ve drunk [Forever Kingly Aloe].

+50 to all stats for two minutes.

He wasn’t done yet. He activated a legendary skill he only dared use against the most difficult of bosses.

Self-Implosion!

Sacrifice half your stats for an hour in exchange for doubling them for 60 seconds.

“Let’s see you dodge this now!”

Meteor Smash!

Jaw-Long’s body flashed as he converged all the energy of his attack in one single point. He felt the hit connect and the whole mountain shaking. Something was wrong, though. Jaw-Long stared terrified at the little cat. It had raised one paw and stopped Jaw-Long’s momentum with one finger.

“No, it can’t be possible.”

“What did I say I would take from you today?” the cat said, yawning. “Right. I think it was your ring.”

Oli, the Cat Burglar, has used You Look So Stupid After I Steal Your Stuff Secret Skill on you.

He steals the [Ruby Marrow Ring].

“Good item, too. Who did you take it from? The Gemstone King? Good for you.”

The cat turned his back toward Jaw-Long and walked away leisurely. Jaw-Long couldn’t move. He had no memory of ever feeling so powerless. It was as if he was trying to fight against a nuclear bomb using a pocket knife. “W-why are you doing this to me? Why torture me like this?”

“Because you forget your place. Trying to attack me goes on to show that. I’m coming for your necklace next. Same time next week?”

“SHUT THE TUNNEL,” he messaged in the chat.

Oli looked left and right, curious, his tail rocking back and forth in interest. “Oh my. Four quintessential barriers from here to the entrance. That’s impressive.”

Jaw-Long sneered. One of these had been enough to trap Loki while he was level 80. Four should be plenty to trap this thief. “Maybe I’m not the only one who tends to forget his place,” he said, feeling the pleasure of finally making a snarky comeback on this obnoxious NPC. “Now, you’re going to return to me both pieces of the Dragon Set, plus that ring. Admit defeat, or my whole guild will grind you into a paste.”

The cat yawned and disappeared. Jaw-Long stood without a reaction for several moments. Where did it go? He stretched his senses as much as he could but couldn’t feel anything except a slight breeze. Worried that the barriers had been breached, he immediately messaged his son.

“Wei-Liang, status report!”

“All barriers are intact, sir.”

He must still be here, then. But where is the breeze coming from? Jaw-Long moved slowly, trying to make the most of his boosted attributes. Everything had happened so fast. He was still under the combined effect of [Forever Kingly Aloe] and [Self-Implosion]. As he walked, he equipped another ring like the one the cat had just stolen.

If he didn’t find the cat within the next thirty seconds, he would face a massive backlash from [Self-Implosion], and his best chance of trapping the cat would be out the window. He couldn’t let impatience get the better of him, though. He took each step carefully, searching every inch of the tunnel. As he came around the corner, he squinted. A beam of light was coming in from outside. There was a cat-shaped hole in the wall.

“No. No. No.” Jaw-Long told himself.

“Sir? Any news?” his son finally asked.

Jaw-Long was left staring at the hole in what should have been an indestructible mountain. How was he supposed to fight this beast? He had used everything he had. He was the number 1 player in the game. If he couldn’t deal with this cat, what could he do? Should he just apologize?

“Deactivate the barrier,” he sent.

All the Dragons came running down the tunnel. “Are you alright, sir?” Wei-Liang asked.

Jaw-Long nodded. “It looks like I was still not strong enough to pin him down. Let’s go to the Limestone Casuar dungeon next. We need to become stronger if we ever want to have any hopes of dealing with that thief.”

The group of 50 players that made up the strongest guild in AstroTerra left through the tunnel of Crystal Heart and headed down the ridge toward one of the level 70 dungeons in Core. At Crystal Heart’s entrance, an unassuming ivy grew up the walls of the mountain. After the entourage passed, a satellite dish-shaped flower bloomed. The plant moved, readjusting the direction the flower was pointing. Once it pointed at Duke Dandelion’s castle in Nimbus City, the flower stopped and transmitted the report.