In the days and weeks that follow, Koll gets to know the players of the Trade Union better.

The players are eager to work with the legendary hero character and hold no enmity for his former alignment.

Many of the new players take advantage of the open teleportation arrays and jump straight to Lain to learn engraving and enchanting from Koll. Other crafting classes are more difficult for players to find. And, there is a certain romance to the idea of being an enchanter.

As time passes, other faction players come from across the sea in hopes of participating in the quest lines that Koll is creating.

This is particularly true for Red Sect members who already have an affinity for Koll.

For his part, Koll makes several new quests for the players who come to him. Particularly those who decide to study craftsmanship under him.

[Quest Name: Basic Inscription Practice]

[Description: Successfully craft 10 basic scrolls using dragonfly ink.]

[Rewards: 100,000 XP, +100 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 Intermediate Inscription Blueprint]

[Quest Name: Intermediate Inscription Practice]

[Description: Successfully craft 10 intermediate scrolls using blood ink.]

[Rewards: 200,000 XP, +200 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 Advanced Inscription Blueprint]

As he does with the engraving class quests he does with the enchanting quests.

These daily repeatable quests keep many craftsmen coming back to him.

As for the players who prefer combat to crafting, Koll sets bounties on the beasts in the forest beyond Lain.

He doesn't necessarily need the monsters dead. But, it gives the players something to do. And, he gets a portion of the experience given to the players upon completion of the quests.

More and more, Koll is becoming a boss-level NPC. He's even drawing close to advancing his evolutionary rank from E to D.

As far as the players are concerned he is an unaffiliated faction boss. Not bound by any worldly faction and meant to be a guide character who leads the players in the right direction.

That's not to say that all the players following him have good intentions. He's privy to the forums where certain guilds have put a bounty on his head. Whether they hold a grudge against him for manipulating the faction wars or they just want to stir up trouble, some players are looking for an opportunity to strike.

Fortunately, Koll is rapidly growing more powerful. And, most of the players covet his quest-giver status.

One day, Koll busies himself in the market, optimizing his inventory.

Wu Lan approaches him casually and starts a conversation.

"What's the next step, Koll? You said that coming here was the path off world. But, all you do every day is sell Immortals your goods. I mean, I know there's a dungeon. But, why come here rather than anywhere else?"

Koll observes her with an odd look.

"What separates the Trade Union from any of the other factions?"

She shrugs, "Trade, I guess. Commerce."

Koll nods, "The things bought and sold in the Union can be so rare in the rest of the world as to be nonexistent."

"So," she reasons. "You're trying to buy something. Which is why you need money."

"Yep," Koll says casually.

"So you're just using us Immortals as free labor."

Koll laughs, "Isn't that how it's always been?"

The fairy smiles knowingly. "It's a good thing there aren't many NPCs like you Koll. Otherwise, the Immortals would never be free."

Koll shrugs, "Do you have anything better to do than help me?"

She smiles, "Not yet."

With that said, Wu Lan walks off to attend to her own business.

The only other player to overhear his plan is Jake, and the boy is largely indifferent.

Jake Snow has grown remarkably in his craft since Koll had taken him as a student. He'd even begun selling his finished works at a discount to the many players who came to Koll's shop.

Koll has no issue with the boy's entrepreneurship. And, never concerns himself with the free mats he provides his student. They might as well be free for him anyway.

But, for all his growth, the boy doesn't spend much of his time out in the field. The only quests he takes on are the daily repeatable crafting quests.

Koll thinks he must be reaching the upper threshold of the engraving class and should be ready for a class advancement soon.

"Jake," he says.

"Mm, yes teacher."

"Have you decided on the class you will advance to?"

The boy doesn't flinch as he answers, "Enchanting."

Koll nods, it is to be expected. The boy's following his career path.

"Okay. Go back to your work."

"Mhm," the boy hums.

Koll is still a significant way off from mastering the enchanter class. And, the next class he wants can't even be found on planet Ruun. So there is no immediate change to his course.

The best news for Koll is that he is starting to see several finished works at the epic rating.

Were he to put the epic gear on the market, there would be brawls breaking out between players trying to get their hands on the items.

There are still several months left before the players enter the final stretch of the base game. And, epic items are simply too rare in this vanilla experience.

But, Koll keeps crafting in hopes of getting just one more epic item into his hands. And, the failures are often of the rare category.

With the thousands of rare armor pieces he's handed out for dungeon quests and the like, Ruun planet has the most over geared players in all of Cosmos.

The dissent on Koll's role as a hero character is growing in the far-flung corners of the galaxy. Players of other beginner worlds watch the antics of the Ruun planet forums with envious and hostile eyes.

Where was their hero character? Where were their uncommon and rare pieces of equipment? Why did a planet with less than 10% of the game's population get 100% exclusive rights to the only NPC worth a damn?

Koll opens the forums and looks around.

[The game needs to be patched. Either give our planet's hero characters or delete Koll Luna.]

[Agreed. Multiplayer games are supposed to be balanced. One player faction isn't meant to get all the advantages while the rest of us wallow in common gear.]

[Oh boohoo,] a Ruun player comments. [Koll isn't just 1 faction's NPC. He belongs to all of us. I wouldn't be shocked if he left Ruun one day to travel the galaxy. I'm sure you'll be glad he wasn't patched out when you get to use him.]

Several posts agree with the last post.

Everyone knows that the scope of Cosmos is galactic. The players don't know when. But, they do know that they'll escape the beginner planets.

Koll closes the forums and looks up to see an attractive blonde man standing in front of him.

Dancing Dagger looks at Koll with a peculiar light in his eye.

"What's up?" Koll asks.

The player pulls out a flyer, "The players have received permission from the city to create a dueling arena in a derelict building on the outskirts. I thought you might be interested in checking it out."

Koll stares at the flyer blankly. This wasn't in his expectations.

While player gladiatorial events were a staple in Cosmos, he didn't know of any dueling arenas popping up in Lain in his last life.

He thinks for a moment. Considering the Mecca for players Lain has become as a result of his presence, it does make some amount of sense.

"Yeah," Koll says. "That does sound interesting."

A glimmer comes over Dancing Dagger's eyes, "Great. I'll be back at dusk for when you close shop. I'll take you to the arena then."

Koll nods and goes about his usual business.

When the sky takes on an orange hue, Dancing Dagger returns.

Together, they walk to a rather run-down part of the city. And, the building Dancing Dagger leads him to is downright decrepit.

"This is where the city said it was okay to do this?" Koll questions skeptically.

The blonde man smiles ruefully, "It's out of sight and mind for the good people of Lain City. Plus, we had to buy the building."

Koll raises an eyebrow, "We?"

Dancing Dagger smiles conspiratorily, "Come on, the event should be starting soon."

Koll is led through a doorway and down a flight of stairs. Everywhere he looks, the walls and floors are broken and crumbling. Mold can be found in every corner.

As they descend into the bowels of the ancient building, a raucous noise builds. The sounds of many people gathered for an event.

Koll is finally led into an open space. The space is an upper floor overlooking a lower floor. The upper floor has a square gap with railing on all 4 sides. It looks like the space on the lower floor has a ring at its center where the fighters can be viewed easily from above. And, there is plenty of space for spectators on the bottom floor as well.

The players are standing around chatting with each other, waiting for the event.

Dancing Dagger leads Koll around the top floor before descending to the bottom floor.

Players are drinking alcohol and happily chatting about the fighters competing tonight.

After concluding the tour, Dancing Dagger leads Koll to a player who is accepting bets. The amounts being bet aren't large. But, it's enough to add some spending cash to the wallet of whoever wins.

Koll has no interest in betting. But, he has a feeling that he will have to make a wager of his own before the end of this.

Koll looks at Dancing Dagger with a piercing stare.

"So, you bought a dueling arena."

The blonde man nods, "Not just me. But, yeah, I have a share in this venture."

Koll looks at him blankly.

"What do you want?"

"Money," Dancing Dagger says bluntly. "We were able to buy the venue. But, it bankrupted us. We already have the license. But, as you might have noticed, the facility is in a state of severe disrepair.

"We'll make some token profit as the arena gains attention. But, few will see our arena as anything more than a cheap place to watch a couple of Immortals fight to the death."

Koll takes a deep breath. "So you want an investor."

Dancing Dagger scratches the back of his head. "Yep."

Koll thinks about it for some time. There are risks involved and there are rewards if the plan is executed properly.

Koll had seen many such arenas succeed and bring in staggering amounts of money. But, he'd also heard of many that failed outright.

He considers the player population. Many are already in Lain, following him. But, many more are content to explore elsewhere. The advent of a renown worthy dueling arena could draw many more players to the region.

If that happens, Koll will be able to exploit them even if he doesn't reap any rewards from the arena. But, the investment to get the building operational will be in the thousands of gold.

He honestly isn't sure if it's worth his time and money. He could probably achieve his goals at his current rate of growth. But, investing in this business would set him back significantly.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"How much do you want?"

Dancing Dagger smiles ruefully, "The more the better."

Koll rolls his eyes. He has a little more than 3,000 gold after all the effort he's put in over the last few months. And, almost all of it would be necessary to fix the building up to any sort of standard.

"Who else is involved in this venture?"

Dancing Dagger shows a pained smile, "Gol D was the one who thought up this plan. He... He thought it better that I be the one to speak to you on the subject of investment."

Koll sighs. Of course that greedy bastard would think to do this.

"Other than him," Dancing Dagger continues. "We mostly sourced Red Sect players. Though, a few Union players jumped on the bandwagon."

Koll listens to the man list several names, mostly familiar.

"Where's Gol D?"

Dancing Dagger leads him to a room that should be an office.

Opening the door, Koll sees a few figures.

The players look up to see their mascot NPC and the worried expressions on their faces immediately lighten.

Gol D is also present, seated behind a crummy desk. He also has a somewhat pained expression on his face until he sees Koll.

"Koll, my friend," the giant says familiarly as he stands up.

"Don't my friend me, you bastard."

Gol D shows a genuine smile.

"Okay. Okay. I'm sure you've heard it all from Dancing Dagger. I won't stand on ceremony. What's your answer?"

Koll gives him an incredulous look. "You think it's as simple as a yes or no?"

Gol D shrugs, "Well, not really. I know you're gonna want proper compensation. You'll want the principle back with interest. Or you'll want a share in the ownership of the facility. Honestly, Koll, we need you for this. Set your terms and we'll do what we can to meet them."

The truth is, Koll has no idea what a business model for such an endeavor would involve. But, simply giving them a loan would be a wasted opportunity and hardly worth his time.

Koll looks at the giant. Despite his brutish nature, the barbarian was even greedier than he is. This sort of business somehow suits Gol D.

Koll sighs, "I'll give you 3,000 gold for a 30% stake in the business."

Gol D nods, "We can do that. I promise you, you'll make more than any of us."

"I'll draw up a contract," Koll says as he deftly uses his inscription abilities to write a soul contract. If Gol D runs off with his money, the contract would cripple his experience gain.

The man himself is a little alarmed by the magical nature of the contract. But, signs it all the same.

Koll feels bitter in his heart when he transfers the gold.

"Well," he looks to Dancing Dagger. "When does the fighting begin?"

The blonde man smiles and leads Koll out of the office. "Should be any minute now."

Koll hopes that watching some bloodsports will fix his mood.

In the ruins of the large building, hundreds of players gather to watch other players fight to the death. Death being a temporary state for the Immortals.

An announcer shares the stat values and specializations of the competing players. By all rights, the players are evenly matched.

The betting players aren't particularly rich. But, they have a lot of energy.

As the players grow throughout the game, the money they'll have to spend frivolously will grow. And, this arena being the only one of its kind, or at least the only one with a high roller to invest, the traffic through the arena should be unparalleled.

Before Koll takes his trip off the planet, he might make a profit. And, even off the planet, he'll still have his stake in the business.

Now that Koll thought about it, he needs to find a bank to funnel his profits into.

But, he's getting ahead of himself. The arena has a long way to go before he earns anything.

Below him, the battle has started.

One player wields a spear while the other carries a sword and buckler.

One has range, the other defense.

The pair test each other's defenses. Koll can tell that the gladiators aren't used to player vs player.

Several players cheer on their favored champion. While others outright curse the opposing champion.

Koll, for his part, is sort of bored. There are no flashy moves. The competitors are timid. And, mostly, Koll is still discontent with his decision to invest in this business.

He puts it out of his mind and continues observing.

The spear wielder narrowly claims victory, with shouts of scorn and exultation in equal measure.

The surviving player leaves the stage and a new pair takes their turn in the arena.

Koll's uncertain if Gol D has implemented incentives or if the players just fight for the glory.

As the fights continue, Dancing Dagger offers Koll a specialty drink, the arena put together. Likely, they simply mixed a few different beverages and called it a specialty. Regardless, it's good.

Koll doen't spend much time in the arena.

He needs rest. It feels like an empty hole in his soul has formed after he parted with his gold.

The following day, Koll returns to his place in the market.

After a night's sleep, he recovered a bit and Koll manages to sell some goods to the players who seek him out.

The other NPCs continue to glare at him, jealous of the attention the Immortals show for him. But, there isn't anything they can do. The items they sell are too mundane to stir up much attention from the Immortals.

Of course, Koll has uses for the other merchants. The armor sold by blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and tailors is of a higher quality than what he could get in the Red Sect. And so, Koll can make even higher quality equipment to reward the players with.

It might not boost the tier. But, the base stats will be higher.

Winter Storm finds him with his usual excitement.

"I heard about the arena," the player says. "Is it true that you're part owner in the business?"

Koll looks away, "I am."

"Awesome."

Winter Storm hesitates. "Are you... Are you investing in other business ventures?"

Koll feels ice in his soul, "Don't tell me you're gonna ask for money too."

Winter Storm grows quiet.

"I... Not really. I was just thinking it would be cool to own a business."

Koll's gaze softens.

"It's not as easy to start a business as you might think."

Winter Storm nods, "You're right."

The pair continue talking for a while before the player moves on to do some quests.

Over the next few days, there's no end to the players pitching their business ideas.

Koll at least hears them out before shooting them down. Usually citing the lack of funds resulting from his investment in the arena.

Eventually, the majority give up on asking him for money.

Koll recoups some of his losses as the days progress.

A month later, Koll is invited back to the arena to check on the progress.

Immediately, he notices the cleaned-up exterior. Parts that had crumbled were replaced and a new silver sheen covers the building touched with dull gray. The hallways were replastered and painted. The floors are perfectly level.

The stairways were fixed. And, in the depths of the building, several light fixtures illuminate the low-light ambiance of the arena. Comfortable couches allow the many players to relax between matches.

The office where Gol D and his people work is functional and neat.

"Koll," the giant says enthusiastically. "I'm glad you're here."

Koll nods. He isn't as bitter as he'd been a month prior.

"It looks nice. How's the business?"

Gol D smiles comfortably. "We have a steady clientele. The bets are growing and we reinvest our cut of that into the facility. We're starting to think of ways to publicize and incentivize participation."

Koll feels a sense of dread.

"Koll," the barbarian says more sheepishly than he'd ever been before. "Do you think you could help us out?"

Silence hangs in the air as Gol D's question lingers.

"What do you want?"

Koll had thought of several ways he could be roped into assisting the fledgling business.

Gol D coughs. "Well, we're thinking of holding an event. A competition. But, all the prizes we can use to draw in gladiators are rather... mundane."

"So you want gear."

Gol D's eyes gleam.

Koll thinks it over and decides it's time to show his hidden cards.

"I can provide an epic weapon as the reward for whoever places first in your competition."

Gol D stares at him blankly for a moment. He hadn't even conceived of an epic weapon being on the list of rewards.

"And," Koll continued. "I'll provide a number of rare pieces of equipment for the runners-up."

Dancing Dagger, who had accompanied Koll, is as stunned at hearing about the epic weapons available to the winner as Gol D.

"You have epic weapons now?"

Koll nods.

Gol D recovers and smiles from ear to ear.

"Koll, my friend. You're a godsend."

Koll just rolls his eyes. He knows that the administrators have just become competitors. With an epic weapon on the line, they couldn't afford to watch from the sidelines.

"We'll begin advertising the competition immediately. 2 weeks should be sufficient time to garner the necessary attention. And, we'll clear out the area around the facility to be used as competition grounds."

Gol D turns to his office workers and starts ordering them around.

Dancing Dagger accompanies Koll out to watch a couple of players fight.

The blonde-haired man looks at Koll for a while before speaking.

"Koll," he says. "You're not a GM are you?"

GM or rather a Game Moderator holds significant power over the servers. They can alter the game's code and deal with issues gamers have.

Koll looks at the man for a long moment before saying, "No."

Dancing Dagger thinks for a moment.

"And, you're not a player."

Again, Koll says, "No."

The blonde man thinks, "Are you human?"

Koll hesitates, "I'm not sure."

Dancing Dagger is caught up in thought.

Koll has long seen theories on the forums debating Koll's NPC status. But, none of those posters had spent much time with him. Dancing Dagger had long been observing him. And, Koll had observed him in turn.

It was obvious this conversation would happen eventually.

Dancing Dagger looks around as if lost. And then, settles into silence.

The rest of the evening is spent in silent observation of the arena and those who populate it.

The following 2 weeks see an explosion of activity in Lain and on the Ruun forums.

[An epic weapon? Do those even exist?] one poster comments.

[The weapon's made by Koll. It exists.]

[Where are all those players who wanted to kill our boy Koll now? No doubt they're quietly making their way to Lain right now.]

[Damn, though. The Trade Union became the player capital of Ruun. My Arclight faction just can't catch a break.]

Of course, word of the planned event spreads across the worlds. None of them have anything comparable happening among their player base.

[When's this Koll coming to my world?] a player asks. [The NPCs I've met can't stitch a rare shirt, let alone an epic weapon.]

Koll observes the comments. Thinking about the future, Koll wants to expand his player base.

The thousands of players he's been used to have become tens of thousands. But, if he can reach the space station, Juniper Station, he'll be able to grow his tens of thousands into hundreds when the 2nd expansion launches.

One advantage of all his work is that he's grown incredibly fast with his crafting.

Inscriptions can be printed out in less than a minute and enchanting takes only a bit longer.

The many thousands of players running quests for him are automatically awarded gear that suits them. So, the level of attention Koll has to demonstrate is negligible.

His stock of materials remains inexhaustible despite his high workload.

His enchanter class has elevated to a high level and he's pretty much mastered it. The only problem is that he can't advance his class on Ruun. So, he's stuck at a bottleneck.

But, his problems are light.

He looks behind his shop and sees Jake Snow diligently studying the Intermediate Laws of Engraving tome. The boy should be ready to advance even without a master's tome.

Mary Susan has come to him many times for advice and has started asking for such a master's tome. The woman can't compare to the boy in terms of engraving skills. But, she's probably the second-best engraver among the players.

Koll tends his shop as the sun dies.

After a night's sleep, the gladiatorial competition will officially begin. And, from what Koll understands, the turnout is gonna be massive.

As the night passes, the first day of the competition begins.

Koll ventures out to the outskirts and sees a mass of people already gathered.

The fields around the arena facility have been cleared, with hundreds of spaces outlined as competition zones. The players gather by the thousands around the facility and look up.

On a balcony stands a giant of a man. Gol D has waited for this moment. And, as the density of players grows, he begins to speak.

"Greetings, fellow players of Ruun. It is good to see you all this fine day.

"You all know why we are here. The first official competition of our Everlast Gladiatorial Arena begins today.

"Of course, with the prizes on the line, we understand the mass appeal of this competition. And, the facility is just not capable of containing all you fine players.

"That's why we will be having the preliminary matches outside. Those who advance will have the opportunity to fight in our renowned arena.

"Of course, we will be broadcasting the elite duels for all to witness."

Even from a distance, Koll can see the greed in Gol D's eyes.

"I should say that if you think you're going to get our coveted epic weapon, you'll have to face my axe first."

Avarice fills the crowd. The vast majority know they have no chance of climbing the ranks to place first. But, they can fantasize at least.

"Now," Gol D continues. "Gather at your designated arenas. We have a lot of blood to spill. And, good luck."

Koll watches the players move like ants to the hundreds of mini-arenas prepared throughout the area.

The staff of the Everlast Arena stands ready to record the victors and push the players up the ranking.

While not every player jumps into the ring, the majority of the tens of thousands gathered do.

Koll observes several matches. But, he isn't that interested.

Bets are tallied by the establishment and odds are calculated.

Koll doesn't understand the workings of gambling. But, he recognizes that the profits Everlast will receive would probably put to shame the 3,000 gold he invested in the operation.

Gol D has a better mind for business than Koll had figured.

The first day of competition eliminates many thousands. But, the battles continue into the second day.

The players have identified the favorites.

Koll notes the success of the enigmatic Shadowmaster. He deftly cuts down his opponents with ruthless efficiency.

Gol D also rises as a strong and brutal competitor.

Dancing Dagger notably doesn't participate in the competition.

Other familiar figures rise and fall.

Before the second day is over, 32 of the best fighters have been identified.

Many have suffered the humiliation of defeat. But everyone celebrates this unique event.

Gol D announces the roster for the following day's competition within the Everlast facility.

Special magitech cameras will record the elimination inside. And, screens are to be placed around the building.

If that's not enough, the players have built-in recorders that they can use to share the competition on the forums.

Many have already shared videos on the Ruun planet forum, eliciting significant interest from players all across Cosmos.

Koll returns the following day and enters the Everlast building. Everyone knows he's a VIP.

Inside, Koll finds Dancing Dagger. The man is looking around earnestly until he sees Koll.

"Good, you're here."

Koll is a critical figure for the whole event as he will give out the prizes.

He had to personalize each reward and he wouldn't trust any player with every variant of epic weapon so that they could distribute in his stead.

"So," Koll says. "When does this start?"

Dancing Dagger looks down at the arena and sees Gol D take center stage.

"Now, I think."

Gol D begins to speak to the hundreds of high rollers who'd bought their way into the facility.

"Greetings again, my friends. Today is the final day of the competition.

"32 have triumphed in the gauntlet of the last 2 days. Thousands tried. But, only a few have come so far. We have prizes for the top 16 players.

"That said, not all prizes are equal. 1 will stand high above the rest. The first recorded epic weapon in Cosmos history will be bestowed upon the ultimate victor.

"Of course, I intend for that individual to be me. Good luck taking first place. You'll need it."

Throughout the facility and its vicinity players are watching with fascination as the first pair of players take center stage.

Koll observes and sees the players showcase their skills.

As players are eliminated, Koll hears the cheer of victory and the scorn of defeat. Many of the high rollers bet all their money on a player only to lose it.

Others profit incredibly. But, the house always gets paid. For the first time, Koll feels good about investing in the business.

He should be getting a dividend after this is all over.

As the day approaches its end, the final contest is decided.

Gol D had fought 2 enemies successfully. But, he'd been defeated in his third round.

The final bout to decide who received the epic weapon saw one of Koll's regulars face off against another familiar figure.

Shadowmaster had surprisingly cut down every enemy he faced.

The man wielded a short sword and carried one of the null-element crystals Koll had augmented in his offhand.

Shadowmaster's opponent was incredibly skilled. So much so that Koll was surprised by what the familiar face could achieve.

But, a combination of the magically charged crystal and elegant swordsmanship won the day for Shadowmaster.

The man displayed a synergistic combination of magic and melee skill that few others were even trying. But, Koll knew that after his demonstration many players would take inspiration from Shadowmaster's display.

In conclusion of the event, Koll is called down to the arena floor.

16 players stand proudly while Gol D performs the closing ceremony.

Koll comes to stand before each player from lowest rank to highest.

For the lowest 8, Koll gives them a standard rare after evaluating their armor. Each player gets a useful upgrade.

The next 7 get advanced rares that make many in the audience salivate uncontrollably.

But, it is Shadowmaster's reward that interests everyone.

Koll had worked hard to create an epic weapon in each variant. He has epic axes and bows, hammers, and spears. And, of course, swords.

One short sword in particular has found its way into his inventory.

Koll isn't in a habit of naming his weapons. But, he felt that the weapon rank and the special occasion merited naming the epic weapons.

This one is named [Fallen Light].

The short sword had more augment slots than a rare item. It had enhanced durability, self-sharpening, bloodletting, silence, mana burn, sunder armor, +7 strength, and +7 dexterity.

Silence falls throughout the facility and beyond.

When the players see the numerous enchantments and the exceptionally high attribute boosts, it sort of breaks them. How can such a weapon exist?

Gol D who had been somewhat satisfied with his above-average rare item can't process [Fallen Light's] value. Shadowmaster had suddenly become the most powerful player in Cosmos.

It's one thing for him to be skilled over the rest. But, this epic weapon creates a true monster.

Shadowmaster, for his part, accepts the blade and bows to Koll.

A few moments later, the players all cry out their longing.

Why hadn't they tried harder? They knew an epic weapon was on the line. But, they hadn't realized what epic even meant. And now, they had lost this most precious opportunity.

Koll knows he'd created a mess for himself. But, he's also created opportunities he can take advantage of.

For now, though, he needs to escape.

Among the utility scrolls he'd created, one is a scroll of town portal that will teleport him from anywhere to the town center identified within the scroll.

The Lain town portal appeared out of nowhere. And, Koll wastes no time in walking through it.

Feeling a headache coming on, Koll goes to his inn and lies down in exhaustion.

It might be a good idea to keep a low profile for a while.