Chapter 13 – Guild Master

The sounds of a quill scratching against parchment are the only thing that disturbs the still evening air. The guild master of the Dark Pegasus guild is making the final adjustments on their plans for turning Drenerys into the richest city in the Emperia Empire, and even the entire continent as a whole. It isn’t the largest city, but its prime location is what makes it ripe for a long term investment.

Aria prides herself on her strategic capabilities, and it’s what made her able to climb the corporate ladder even though she has barely reached her mid-thirties. Being on the board of a large pharmaceutical company, her life has already been set for a century to come. It’s not good enough for her though. What good are power and money if you can’t enjoy what you’re doing? Why settle for something good, when the best is within reach?

That’s why Aria decided to change her pastures, so to speak. When Ascendance Unlimited was first revealed, she didn’t think much of it. Not until her younger sister Anna showed up unannounced in her office one day and started blabbering about them needing to spend some quality time together. While she has always had a soft spot for her little sister, she was about to throw her out when something Anna said caught her attention.

When she heard Ascendance Unlimited was funded by several of the most influential technology companies in the world, she knew she had to investigate. Increased automatisation and digitalisation have rendered several professions obsolete during the last two decades, which has caused the unemployment rate to skyrocket. Society needed to adapt, and that called for a need to find alternative ways to keep the obsolete parts of the workforce occupied. 

No one knows who came up with the idea to create a self-sustaining economy in a virtual world, but it doesn’t matter anymore. The virtual economy of Ascendance Unlimited may not target the poorer members of society, but if the rich and adventurous find something more fun to do, it opens up opportunities for the rest. Society always finds a way to adapt and balance itself after all. Like Aria, powerful companies around the world have flocked to the game, investing millions of euros to take control over this virtual economy. 

It’s kind of amusing, really. The rich and powerful will always flock around any and all economic avenues that have the potential to make money. Even something as surrealistic as an economy based on a virtual game. Everything must be controlled. Some people wonder if things are going too far when politics and money can corrupt something as simple as a video game. No matter the reason, it will still happen. It’s the natural order of human society. People will do anything to get an edge, and Aria isn’t denying she’s one of them. She just needs to do it better than everyone else.

Which is why she has spent three months fortifying herself in Drenerys. She has over a thousand guild members at her command, and she has a large administrative supporting structure to manage and build the local economy and infrastructure. She has invested hundreds of thousands into this game, and everything needs to be perfect. She won’t settle for anything less.

So why then, is there an alarm bell going off in the middle of the night?

She shifts in her seat as she gazes through her office window. Something doesn’t feel right. “Benjamin, get in here.” She calls for her aide.

Her office door opens as a small human male with a potbelly enters. He has short black hair, brown eyes, and a plump face. He may look harmless, but he is a very attentive and intelligent man. Some may wonder why anyone would bother creating a character that looks so… less than average, but that’s Benjamin for you. Benjamin has been Aria’s aide since she attained a middle-management position at the pharmaceutical company. There is no one she trusts more. Benjamin has never been much of a gamer, which is why his character is still stuck at level one. His character’s appearance is near identical to his real-life appearance. Why he would even want that is because he feels comfortable with his own looks. Yeah, he’s kinda weird that way.

“You called, madam?” He asks, his face showing no hints of emotion. That is something Aria has always respected about him.

“Why is there an alarm going off in the noob district? Are we under attack?” She asks sternly, trying to imitate Benjamin’s emotionless tone.

Benjamin’s eyes go blank for a moment as his hands move around in the air in front of his face, no doubt checking the guild chat log. “The night shift at the gate reports that a Thief Lord has been spotted. There are two witnesses, both of them are being escorted here as we speak, post-haste. They should be here within ten minutes.”

Aria’s fists clench. Thief Lord. She can’t stand that annoying class. The general population may not have realised the power that accursed class holds, but she is painfully aware. The individual power, the high stealth capabilities, and the ability to cause major damage to a booming economy may be the greatest threat to her new trade empire. She cannot let those pests run loose in her city which is why she has ordered a quarantine of all the nearby spawn points. Both Drenerys, Karlrys, and three lesser towns are all being guarded by Perception-specced players under her employ. 

“Have every guild member in the city with a Perception attribute of at least thirty gather at the gate of the noob district.” She says through gritted teeth.

“Everyone? I don’t think our members will appreciate taking time off leveling their characters to look for a freshly spawned Thief Lord.” Benjamin says calmly.

Aria frowns. She knows it’s not the most efficient use of her resources, but she hates loose ends. “Tell them we pay them twenty gold per hour. That should mollify them for a bit.”

“Twenty?” Benjamin raises his eyebrows. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

She frowns. “Just do it. We need to make an example of what happens to Villains in our territory. Now, go find those witnesses.”

Benjamin nods once before he turns around and exits the room, closing the door carefully behind him. As the door slides shut, she releases a deep breath. Those damn Villains. The worst thing about this game. Just yesterday, a level thirty-eight Necromancer was killed right outside the city walls. It was a small miracle that Paul’s team managed to kill him before he razed an entire village. She dreads to think about what would happen if the attack had succeeded. How many more of those vermins are scattered about? What if a level thirty-eight Thief Lord is scurrying around right under her nose? Cursed beings. She will root them all out.

She starts pacing around the room. Pacing around aimlessly is a bad habit of hers when she receives bad news. It helps her think, but it also makes her appear weak to her peers. There is nothing she despises more than weakness. She comes to a stop next to the large office window, and she lets her gaze linger at the noob district peninsula in the distance. After a short few minutes, there’s a knock on the door.

“Enter.” She says calmly, but loud enough to be heard. Still staring out the window.

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Benjamin opens the door and enters. Two low-level players follow him, a human and a dwarf; both paladins. The two lowbies look nervous as they both shift their weight from one foot to another. “These two gentlemen are nicknamed Gregorious Ironguard and Kenwin Smiteman; both level three paladins who just started playing Ascendance Unlimited.” Benjamin introduces the two players.

Aria turns around, giving the two players an ice-cold glare.

“Uhm… P-pleasure to meet you, guild master. You can call me Kevin.” The human male stutters while bowing.

“Oh… Pleased to meet you, miss. Just call me Greg.” The dwarf follows suit.

Aria sighs. She doesn’t like it when people suck up to her. She doesn’t want them to act informally though, but if they could just grow a spine and some balls, that’d be great. “Tell me about the Thief Lord. Leave no details out.” She says sharply. 

The two players hesitate for a moment until Greg speaks up.

“Uhm, I didn’t see the Thief Lord. That was Kevin. All I can say is that he used some sort of spell, and he had at least three minions at level two. They were well geared in basic armor, and I believe their weapons were enchanted too.” The dwarf says.

“How do you know their gear was upgraded if you just started playing the game today?” Benjamin cuts in. 

Flustered, Greg’s cheeks redden. “Uhm… I have watched a lot of videos online before I could afford to buy the game…” He mutters.

Aria frowns. Basic armor and enchanted weapons for three level two minions? That’s impossible for a Thief Lord at that level. Nothing in the noob district can generate that amount of money. At least not if the Thief Lord is only level two, possibly three. There is also no way they would have access to that amount of gold without visiting the exchange office in the market district in the main city. There is no feasible way for a Thief Lord to get out there, get that sort of money, and then come back again. Not without having a secure entrance and exit point or outside help. She already knows there are no exits she hasn’t covered. She made damn sure to map out every single possibility of leaving the noob district.

Is this an infiltration attempt from a rival guild? Is it sabotage? Treason? She can’t know. What she does know though, is that rooting out this Thief Lord as fast as possible just became a top priority.

She noted one thing though. “Are you certain you saw a spell? What kind?”

“Yes. We were on an escort quest, and just as we dropped the NPC off at her home, she started screaming. When I followed her into her home, I noticed someone cast a spell on her. I’m not sure what kind of spell it was, but the NPC immediately stopped screaming. It might have been a silence spell of some sort. I immediately pulled her out, and that was when the minions swarmed us.” Greg says. His back standing straighter. Good. At least this guy isn’t completely incompetent.

The Thief Lord must be a mage type then. It’s not a common choice since it’s not the stealthiest option for the class, but it’s not unheard of. Since none of the Thief Lord underlings can use spells, then it must have been the Thief Lord himself who cast them. That’s good though, as a focus on spells means they will not have the ability to specialize in stealth skills. This might not be a smart Thief Lord after all. Still, she refuses to underestimate her opponent. “Kevin. Tell me about the Thief Lord.” She says through gritted teeth. “Leave no details out.”

With his body trembling, Kevin swallows once. “Uhm. I-I didn’t get a too good look at h-her…” He stammers, visibly uncomfortable with talking to her. Aria sighs. What a spineless wimp.

“Her? Are you certain it’s a her?” She asks.

“Oh, uhm… positive.” His cheeks redden. “Her face was covered by a mask, but I know a female dwarf character when I see one. It’s definitely a her.” He says a bit more confidently.

A dwarf Thief Lord? Really? That makes no sense. The dwarves gain bonuses to Endurance skills, as well as earth and holy magic. None of those skills are applicable for a Thief Lord mage. Is this a ruse?

“Are you sure it wasn’t a Halfling or a Fey?” She asks the dimwit-... Kevin. 

“Positive.” He nods eagerly. “One hundred percent! I have always prided myself in my good eyesight.” He grins.

“Do you have a recording that can verify this?” She asks, not quite trusting the guy. Keeping the ingame recording feature of your gameplay on at all times is a necessity for all serious gamers, as you never know when you need to get some sort of proof of your claims, a video to analyze and learn from a mistake or tough fight, or a video of a great battle to post online to gain fame and money. 

“Err…” He hesitates. “No, sorry. I didn’t think to turn it on yet.” His smile falters, looking slightly ashamed.

Aria sighs. This incompetent fool. A dwarf Thief Lord with a mage speciality? Really? It’s a terrible match. Horrible, in fact. No sane player would ever play it like this. Assuming it’s a sane player. Who knows? It might be a terrible noob, or maybe it’s a player that is too clever for her own good. Playing something stupid as a dwarf Thief Lord with a mage specialization is so ridiculous, no one would suspect you of being one. Could it be so stupid it’s actually genius?

“What about you?” She directs her attention towards the dwarf.

The dwarf perks up. “I have the footage. I didn’t get a look at the Thief Lord, but you can clearly see the minions I fought.” He says. Good. At least there is some small hope for these idiots.

“Thank you. Benjamin will give you an email address where you can send your recording. Is that all?” She asks the two players.

“That’s all, we think.” The dwarf answers.

“Good.” She closes her eyes to collect herself. “Now, what do you want as rewards? Gold? Gear?”

This time, Kevin doesn’t hesitate to answer. “We would like to join your guild!” He blurts out, his face turning beet red. “If you would be so kind, miss.” His gaze moves to the ground in front of her feet. “Please…” He adds, weakly.

Joining her guild? These two muppets? Granted, the dwarf looks semi-competent… but Kevin? She already despises him.

“Our guild has a minimum level set at level twenty.” Benjamin says curtly, coming to her aid. She appreciates it, but she needs to look at the bigger picture here.

“It’s fine.” She says. “I reward loyalty. You may join, but we have certain demands of you in return. Benjamin will inform you of the specifics afterwards. Please go down and wait in the lobby. I must speak to Benjamin in private.”

“Thank you.” The duo bows and hurries out the doors, not even bothering to close it behind them. Aria’s lips curl into a sneer.

“Revolting.” She snorts as she steps back to her desk, leaning against it.

Benjamin hurries to close the door shut before he turns back to Aria. “What are your orders?”

She frowns. “Are the Perception players in position?”

“They will be shortly. One moment, please.” Benjamin says as his eyes once more go blank. “We have gathered sixty players, all with a Perception attribute above thirty. Your sister and her team are also present.”

“Good. Have them start a purge of the noob district. Have them double check any female dwarven players, and knock on the door of every NPC residence to find out where they are hiding. Have some of our rogues break into some of them if they suspect them of hiding there.” She says. “Oh, and also keep an eye out for any halfling or fey player.” She adds as an afterthought, not quite trusting Kevin’s eyesight.

“It will be done.” He nods. “What about the sewers?”

The sewers, huh. They probably should be checked too, but only as a last resort. She doesn’t want the sewers to become common knowledge just yet as it holds great strategic value. Only her upper leadership, as well as her sister and her group, know about it as of yet, and she trusts them all completely. She doubts the Thief Lord could have found her way into it, as the entrances are very inconspicuous and well hidden, but you never know. Her countermeasures aren’t fully completed down there yet, but it should be enough on the off-chance the Thief Lord stumbled upon it. “Hold off on checking the sewers until the sweep of the noob district is complete. If you don’t find anything, have Anna’s team head down there and clear it.”

“As you will, madam.” Benjamin says as he turns around to exit. He halts in his steps. “What if we can’t find the Thief Lord?” He asks.

Aria frowns, letting her gaze move towards the window, looking towards the noob district in the distance. “Then you look again.”