Instead of ignoring the growing interest, Jay decided to jump in first. “Yeah, I’m the Monster Hunter.” He saw Ken rolling his eyes in response. Jay couldn’t read his mind, but he imagined it would have said something like: Of course, you would be the one to get attention from random strangers.
“Have you heard of our guild?” Kylar asked. Jay summoned the player information and saw the guild was labeled above the Scoundrel’s class. The guild was: Red Player’s Society. Their gear had been upgraded from the lower equipment tier. He wasn’t sure how good it was since he couldn’t inspect gear directly.
“Red Player’s Society? To be honest, no. I’m a new player in Tumultua Online. I haven’t heard of any guilds.”
“No worries, man. We can explain, but Lurian is better at that stuff.” He answered with a seemingly easygoing smile, nodding towards the Gunslinger.
“For sure,” Lurian said, joining the conversation. “Each country has been—kind of—developing around major guilds. The players have taken to calling them the Pillar Guilds. They exist across all factions. Each Pillar Guild absorbs many players and, therefore, many resources. They hold a lot of the power right now.”
Lurian paused. Jay figured he was offering an opportunity to ask questions, but Jay didn’t have any. “Red Player’s Society is one of these Pillar Guilds for the Elves,” Lurian continued. “The other one is called the Elvish Alliance. They have less strict requirements than we do and are a slightly larger guild. We’re running a bit more like a business, so players must reach level twenty and pay dues to join us. Since we have the infrastructure, everyone gets a set of gear when they join.”
“That’s interesting,” Jay said. He paused as he considered his response. “I like the idea. Their players would be better equipped since people were paying to join. It also keeps the crafters working, ensuring they have something to do. It seems efficient. People will start to level soon, and the crafters will get more work to pay for their materials.”
“Tell you what,” Kylar said. As he spoke, an indicator popped into view over his shoulder, identifying him as inside game menus. “Our guild leader has been looking for whoever got the Monster Hunter class. Rumors are going on everywhere since there’s only one.”
“I’m the only Monster Hunter? How could you know that?” They would know Jay was a Monster Hunter. He needed to hide from monsters, not players, so he could not conceal his class like the Assassin T.
Lurian was the one to answer this prompt again. “There are non-player information brokers. When you purchase from them, they sell you random information from facts about the game. It forms the backbone of the information trade. The guild leader has an uncanny knack for finding cool information.”
“Whoa, that’s so cool,” Jay said. He was always curious to know more about the games he played. The instinct was in overdrive since he would spend so much time in Tumultua Online. “Where can I find an information broker?”
“Would you mind coming to speak to our guild leader first? Afterward, I can introduce you to Vinchio, a friend and the first info broker I met.” Kylar chimed in. They were good at knowing who would answer each question. There was something so smooth about Kylar. He added with a charming smile, “It’s no problem.”
Jay looked at the others in his party, realizing the timing was fortuitous. He probably should have introduced them already, but the other players didn’t seem interested in his friends. Everyone in his party started getting bored with being left out of the conversation. No one wanted to be the one to cut in and look rude, either. He could change that.
“Sure,” Jay said. “Are you guys good with that?” The move pulled them into the conversation.
Before the others could speak up, Lurian responded apologetically, “Actually, we want to keep this initial meeting small. Apologies. It’s already going to be a busy meeting.”
Jay saw the opportunity to display some loyalty, so he shot back: “I’m not joining any guild without the others. I don’t know if any offer will be on the table, but that’s how it is.” Jay matched his body language to his tone.
It wasn’t a selfless action. Jenny was a good healer, and he wanted to keep her on his side. Taylor Lynn was an old friend. Ken also was here, but at least the other player was warming slowly. Taylor Lynn smiled, obviously excited by the possibility.
She was the one to speak up. “I have some stuff I need to take care of in the real world. Jay, I’ll text you.” There wasn’t much the guild could do to hurt him in the middle of the city. Even if they did, the worst he could get was a lost level and a hike back to town. Jay could already sense the forming questions Taylor Lynn would bury him in.
“We were going to take care of something in the real world, too,” Jenny said.
Ken’s face looked utterly puzzled as he said, “I’m trying-” His words were cut off by the elbow his sister threw into his ribs. He looked at her, the hurt all over his face, but gave the rest of the group a thumbs up. The other characters disappeared from the game. Jay was surprised they logged out and figured they might return to do something else in-game later.
“So where to?” Jay asked.
“Follow me,” Lurian replied.
Jay was mildly surprised their journey skirted through the same neighborhood he and Taylor Lynn ran into Jenny and Ken. Nora wasn’t sitting outside her shop. The still unnamed “fireball magic shop,” as he declared it in his head, was very busy. All of the players inside were above level 15.
As they continued, the streets were busy, too. It was nighttime in the game, but in the real world, everyone was off of school or work to play. Jay smiled as he strolled through the different players. Various classes were milling about, but the one who stood out the most was a player with a class called “Cat Sith.” He was able to hide his name from his player information. Jay wondered if such things stood out to other players, but no one else paid the player any mind.
Jay recognized the class name. Cat Sith was a fairy cat creature from mythology. The player wasn’t a cat but sported claws and slit-shaped pupils. Those details made the character stand out in the crowd, but as Jay watched, the player vanished from sight. He wondered if the player could go invisible or if they logged out of the game. Once again, no one else seemed to notice.
“That’s where the information broker is,” Lurian said, directing Jay’s attention to a medium-sized office called Layman’s Acquisition Services. “We’ll stop by here after our meeting.”
Jay nodded. As their journey continued, he noticed his new companions were catching a lot of looks. He assumed the crowd was reacting to their guild affiliation. Jay relished the opportunity to meet with their guild leader if the guild was that established in the game after a few days.
Ten minutes later, having walked several blocks of the town, they stopped in front of a building made of the same Birken wood Jay had seen in the forest a few days previous. The building was fortified, which was strange for inside the city. The walls were more than one plank thick, though Jay couldn’t see how the layers connected, and the glass windows were opaque. It wasn’t possible to see inside.
“Why are there no guards?” Jay asked.
“This is our home base. It was purchased from the Mayor of Ilra,” Kylar said. “It’s defended by the city guard as much as any other building. Expensive but worth it. We do all of our guild business here. The city has enchantments to prevent a lot of spying abilities.”
It no longer surprised Jay to hear about new mechanics within the game. “How were you even able to get access to purchase this? Even if you could afford it, wouldn’t you need a long quest chain or something?”
“The game isn’t straightforward about it,” Kylar explained. “Reputation is an internal function of the characters. I don’t even know what my status is with the Mayor, but our guild leader gained skill in politics using money he got from a Founder's Pack. After that, we just needed to pool one hundred thousand gold Prints to buy the place. Taxes and stuff come later.”
“That’s a pretty strong skill for a guild leader,” Jay said, realizing how much possibility the social aspects of the game held if players could become friends with the Mayor of a town. However, he was daunted by a career in politics courtesy of the hefty price tag. “And a lot of money,” he added. Also, Jay would rather kill monsters.
“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss the game later. In we go,” Lurian interjected, interrupting Jay’s internal calculations. “I have word Lester is waiting.” Jay assumed Lester was the guild leader.
They stepped into the building, which the game labeled Red Player’s Society Headquarters. Inside, people were sitting around in conversation with each other. The conversation slowly died down as everyone locked onto Jay. Everyone stared at him for a few moments, but the crowd’s roar resurged soon enough. Jay appreciated that.
The main sitting area featured many tables and chairs with a rustic feel. Animal pelts and monster heads were hanging throughout the hall. There was even a weapon on display like a piece of art, although this one was rare item quality and could cut people. The area struck Jay as a fantasy hunting lodge, which he immediately deemed remarkable. Moving through the area, the group walked past a hallway with several adjoining rooms before Lurian knocked on a door at the back of the building.
“Come in,” a voice called from inside.
“This is where we leave you,” Lurian said with another winning smile. “Have a good time! I’ll be waiting in the main area.” With that, Lurian and Kylar both took their leave, heading back to the main room to hang out with their guild. Jay, a little nervous, pushed into the room alone.
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The inside looked more like a tribal meeting hall. The only pelt in the room was a large rug underneath the table in the center of the room. The table was large, like a conference table, but was carved from a single piece of wood. The tree was an impressive size before it became a table. The room even smelled like freshly cut plants.
Three people sat around the room instead of staring him down from the opposite side of the table. Jay found the most symmetrical place to sit, standing by the chair. He could already tell who led the guild. He was only level ten, but his name was Lester. Beyond that, he wore obvious Founder Pack's gear. Jay looked like a cowboy, but this man looked like a heavy metal gladiator. Lester’s sword was lying in front of him on the table.
“Not meant to intimidate you,” Lester joked, gesturing to the weapon. “It just doesn’t fit properly when sitting down. Feel free to sit.”
“I get it,” Jay said, sitting down. “I’m not sure I could pick it up with my Strength score.”
“These are my primary officers: Lucille and Ichabod.” Lester laughed. Jay wasn’t sure if the man found it funny or if he was being polite for political reasons. Jay wondered if in-game skills could influence player perception.
The Guild Leader stopped, allowing Jay to nod politely to the other players. Lucille was a Lotus Warden class, and Ichabod was the same Cat Sith class Jay had seen ten minutes previously. The room fell silent. Jay allowed the silence to sit for a few moments, unsure if he should mention seeing another Cat Sith to Ichabod.
“So, Jay. Not only are you the only Monster Hunter, but it sounds like you also had a run-in with a notorious player group targeting Elves. They use some method to create fake quests. My whole guild finds the idea disturbing. Obviously.”
“It explains the weirdness of the quest. We were told to look for a wedding ring in the woods.” Jay muttered. Many games issued strange quests, so they would need to create something weird to raise too many flags. If a player could develop quests to the degree of a game master, there would be trouble. Hopefully, there were limitations to their method.
“Agreed. Can you provide us with any information on these individuals?”
“Sure, I can write down their names, levels, and classes. But you might already have that. It was valid as of a few hours ago.”
“We actually don't have it. That would be a great help. Anything else you can think of?” Lester looked pleased with Jay’s ready cooperation. Jay drummed his fingers on the table as he thought. The first thing to strike him was the Plague Knight class. It packed a punch but could be counteracted with abilities to resist or remove debuffs.
“Yeah,” Jay said, “Actually. The leader of that party—his name is Seth—had a class called Plague Knight. He hit me with about three different debuffs. They were nasty, but resistance to Disease and Plague magic would counter him pretty hard.”
Jay saw that Ichabod and Lucille seemed to be taking notes, whereas Lester was paying rapt attention to him. Jay already appreciated the sincerity and efficiency of this group.
“Thank you for that information, Jay,” Lester said. “I’m sending a large raiding party to look for them. I’ll ensure we outnumber them, and we’ll see if the guild can hunt them down. Unfortunately, I don’t expect it to be easy.” Lester continued, “How are you liking the Monster Hunter class?”
“It’s interesting,” Jay said. “There seems to be an exploration element to the class. The class is well-suited to visiting far-off areas, maybe even other territories, and cataloging the monsters and creatures found there. I haven’t fully figured out the Bestiary system yet, but I started adding the monsters I fight.”
“Do you mind if I am upfront with you about what I’m interested in?”
“Sure.” Tactic or not, the transparency was refreshing.
“Great,” Lester said. “As you can see, my class is well-suited to being a front-line fighter. That’s convenient for me because your party seems to be missing exactly such a member. We’re even the same level, and I can’t ignore that. I believe we can solve your Bestiary problem, test your party’s fit in this guild, and test our teamwork all at once. Are you interested?”
“Will we still need to be level 20 to join?” Jay asked, side-stepping the question for a moment.
“Not as members of my party. There are special considerations for your class.”
Jay considered the words. He knew the party was missing a member capable of soaking up damage. Things were converging in a meaningful way. Jay appreciated the guild leader's efficiency, reminding him of the old days. The only problem was Taylor Lynn’s words echoing around his head from earlier that day: Sounds a little extremely convenient.
The guild leader would be busy running the ship. Somehow, he still wanted to join a party of people who weren’t even in the guild. Jay decided to push him on it. “Where does your interest in me come from? My class, of course. But why?” He couldn’t see a reason to avoid being straightforward. If that was the way, Lester preferred things, all the better for Jay.
“A good question,” Lester admitted. “First, I’m interested in the class because it is an opportunity to make history. There’s only one until you finish your job. You’re guaranteed a unique experience. Second, I think the Bestiary system has promise. I think there’s much more to the system than cataloging monsters. I want to know what else the system can offer.”
Jay nodded, but he wasn’t going to move forward without hearing the rest. Lester was leading the conversation somewhere. “Okay. And what’s the main reason?” Jay prompted.
Lester smiled. “Good catch. I was building to the main reason. I think you will be involved in the main action of Tumultua Online. For example, this weird guild from the Demon faction that ambushed you. It’s a story about a unique situation, and I want to be directly involved. Selfish, isn’t it?”
Jay thought it was selfish, but it was also selfishness he understood. Taylor Lynn’s perspective on games was built similarly. In reality, many people would be interested in the same thing. Jay enjoyed the battles. He wanted the execution of a well-made plan. He enjoyed destroying dungeons and winning raids. He didn't want to create and lead a guild.
He did a double-take and said, “You think the Demon faction was after me? The quest came from some friends of mine. I was only involved incidentally.”
At this, Lester glanced at Lucille and indicated she should take over.
“We believe so,” she said. “I’ve been tracking their movements with whatever information I could find since the game started. The beta made it clear their faction is being postured as the direct opposition to the Elvish faction. As Elves, it makes sense for us to be aware of their plans and try to foil them.”
“What do you mean by being postured as direct opposition?”
“Most of the relationships started at neutral,” Lester interjected himself back into the discussion. “But the Demon faction seems to have quests that put them at odds with the Elves. We think they may even have quests pushing them to be at odds with us.”
The room was starting to get a little fidgety. Jay could tell the people in the room wanted to return to other things. Sensing the free sharing of information was coming to a close, Jay quickly jumped to the social niceties part. “Thanks for the information. I hope we can talk more if I join your guild.”
Lester and his officers were being polite to him. He figured there was no harm in being polite right back. Besides, even if Jay decided not to join, maintaining cordial relationships within the Elvish faction significantly benefited his goals. On the other hand, he kept the information about the Demon party’s quest to kill Elves to himself. He wanted to be the one to solve the puzzle.
“We can,” Lester agreed amiably. “Which begs the question: are you interested in my earlier three-pronged offer? The Bestiary and the two tests.”
“I think so,” Jay said. He regretted not asking for more time to check with Taylor Lynn and the others but the need to help Sarah drove him forward. The support of a guild would catapult him to level 100. He could always back out of the deal later, even though he wouldn’t want to.
“There’s a dungeon about ten miles outside of Ilra. It’s off the beaten path, so it hasn’t seen much use. There’s a strange relic there. Someone with the Historian skill identified the origins as Monster Hunter. You’re the only one who can learn more, so most people have stayed away. There is loot, but reports indicate it isn’t as lucrative as our main farming dungeon.”
It didn't escape Jay's notice that the unique dungeon factored into Lester's assessments. “I don’t suppose you’re willing to share the location of the farming dungeon?” He wouldn't share it in the other man's position, but it was worth the chance.
“If you join the guild,” Lester shot back immediately, a wry smile on his lips. “I hate to be coy about such things, but it’s the guild’s main source of income. We have a few players climbing the levels as quickly as possible, but a core group continues to farm the dungeon at a moderate pace to generate Prints for the guild. But we can take on your dungeon tomorrow morning if you want.”
Jay was smart enough to realize Lester had lied to him. Twice. There was no way dungeon farming at level 20 was the guild’s primary income. Jay could be patient in learning their secrets, for now. Besides that, he believed the guild leader actually had enjoyed being coy. “I understand. “We’ll see how well we can work together,” Jay agreed.
With that, Lester stood up, prompting Jay to mirror him. He shook hands with each member of the Red Player’s Society leadership. They all accepted, and Ichabod agreed to help him find Kylar. It was as polite as dismissal could be.
Ichabod started a conversation as they walked back the same way they had come. “Did you spot me earlier?”
“That was you!” Jay exclaimed. “Sort of. I saw you, but you disappeared pretty fast. It looked like you logged out.”
“Impressive! I have considerable abilities dedicated to hiding. How do you think you spotted me?” His face was a mixture of equal parts admiration and calculation, but he remained friendly.
“Dunno. I’ve got a little bit of extra Perception from titles. I invested a few points, too. I think Monster Hunters are supposed to be good at the stat. I could spot some tracks from boars we were looking for earlier.”
Ichabod seemed to understand Jay easily. “I’d keep investing points if I were you. There are going to be other players focusing on stealth classes. I think I can get over you being able to find me if we can turn it on those Demon players.”
“You got it,” Jay agreed as Ichabod chuckled. The other player seemed to assume Jay would be accepted to join the guild. Jay was starting to realize how useful having a unique class was. Being a Monster Hunter might even be worth the cowboy clothes.
As they entered the main area, Kylar was waiting by the entrance, talking to a few other guild members. Upon seeing Jay and Ichabod, Kylar bid farewell to his friends and gave a friendly nod to Ichabod. The Scoundrel player seamlessly took Ichabod’s spot to walk Jay out the front entrance. The switch was so smooth. Jay barely missed a step.
“Just wanted to make sure you could find your way back,” Kylar said as the pair walked toward the information broker. Jay remembered the way but didn’t mind the company.
“I appreciate it,” he answered, already mentally planning what to discuss with the broker. He wanted more information on the dungeon, but the most important thing was to learn about skills. The other party members had seemed interested. Jay could sort out the details. That way, he could ensure he didn't get stuck doing the crafting. He wanted to focus on the Monster Hunter equivalent of being pals with the Mayor.
“What did the boss want to talk to you about?” Kylar asked. He used the word ‘boss’ like he was teasing Lester, even though the other player wasn’t around. Lester’s absence probably increased the likelihood of such teasing. Jay could tell he was digging, but he didn’t mind talking about it with Kylar. The other player had been good to him so far, and it was good practice to prepare for Taylor Lynn's barrage.
“He taught me a little bit about the factions. I guess my party will accompany him to a dungeon tomorrow to prove ourselves.”
Kylar grinned broadly. “If you make it into the guild, do me a favor. Talk Lester into promoting me off of the dungeon farming teams. I’m ready to start leveling up to help kill those Demon faction losers.” Jay made no promises, but he did tell the other player about the Demon faction players in detail.