HC:Pacifist | Ch. 156 - Mr. Shark (Patreon)

Roth observed uncomfortably as the BlueFire and Drake stared each other down. The heavyweight from the Ogres seemed less comfortable after Drake joined the conversation.

“So you want some information only we possess, Mr. BlueFire. What’s in it for us?” asked Drake.

“Well, shark-”

“Mister Shark, if you don’t mind.”

“Mister Shark, I know you aren’t on good terms with Loki. This information can help us deal him some damage.”

Drake smirked. “So you think that Loki is related to the event? That’s interesting.”

Roth felt like his mind was hit by a hammer. The hive king. Aliens. The eggs. The infection. The forum posts about NPCs being contaminated. Now he could see why BlueFire wanted to talk to him so badly. He had first contact with the questline that had triggered this event. How had Drake seen through that? He wanted to slap himself. It was obvious—the timing. Shortly after the event begins, he gets a call from BlueFire. Why else would he want to get in touch?

BlueFire’s expression turned sour, but he quickly regained his stoic expression. “My, my, Roth. Where have you been hiding this friend of yours? I like him. He knows how to tit-for-tat.”

“Are you expecting us to give you more information for free?” countered Drake.

BlueFire regarded him thoughtfully. “If you’re going to try to use this as a ransom for saving all of you from Loki’s assassins, I’ll have to disappoint you.”

“We’ll call you back. Roth, kick him out of the call.”

Before BlueFire could say anything, Roth had already kicked him out.

“Drake, that was awesome! Haha. Look at you! You’re so good at negotiating!”

Drake didn’t share Roth’s enthusiasm. He was pondering this issue seriously.

“What’s the matter, Drake?”

“Roth, please, tell me all that happened in the sewers again. Leave nothing out.”

“Why?”

“Just do it, OK?”

“OK. So… I first bumped into a nest of ratans under attack from some oozing monsters. It looked like these monsters could contaminate the ratans and turn them into one of their own. Then, I saw that the same thing was happening to the snakes. Oh, my goodness. Drake… It sounds just like what’s happening in the forums. How didn’t I see this before?”

“There’s no doubt they are connected. Continue, Roth.”

“After seeing all of this, I got issued a quest, brought Athos over, and then there was the whole grenade incident.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, I picked up those small black eggs. That’s how I got the light affinity. There was this big egg, too. Because of it, I was issued another quest.”

“Another quest? What kind of quest?”

“I was summoned to a meeting where some high-level NPCs want to discuss the egg. I have till tomorrow to finish it, but I’m stuck here, so…”

“Can you share the details with me?”

“Sure.”

Vanquish the Darkness (Epic)

After eradicating the threat under the sewers, you find evidence that the creatures you faced are just the prelude to a much bigger threat. King Ratatouille worries about how this will affect his people, and Oli shows great concern after examining this strange life form.

Quest objectives: Be at the King's Table after the next full moon at noon and bring the egg.

“Here is what you’ll do, Roth… you’ll let me talk to BlueFire from now on. This is a very dangerous man. He can read you like a book. Please don’t call him anymore. Additionally, if you get any calls from other guild representatives in the future, you will add me to them. Is that clear?”

“Fine.” Roth pouted. He had plenty of experience negotiating with guilds as a merc in New Earth. Why was Drake treating him like a kid all of a sudden?

“Additionally, I want you to drop everything you’re doing and focus on this quest. It looks like too big of a coincidence to get this at almost the same time as the event began.”

“But I’m stuck in Antioch!”

“You’ll figure it out. You always do.”

“Alright,” Roth answered despondently.

“Hang in there, sport. We’ve got your back.” Just like that, Drake hung up.

*

BlueFire got off the call. Negotiating with Roth Taylor had been an interesting experience as it was. The kid had spunk. He had come forward and put all the cards on the table explaining his predicament and his desire to protect his family. BlueFire respected that. But this Mr. Shark fellow was different. He felt kind of scared of him. He had only felt this way around a handful of people, one of them being Loki. Where had the kid found this wily ally?

“So?” asked Ogre.

“Pax, the player that discovered Antioch, was the first to stumble upon Loki's plans. He messed up his plans in Hilsford somehow. I don’t know how or why, though. I’m waiting to hear back from him.”

“The kid who says he’s Loki’s captive?” asked Cyclops.

“That’s the one.”

“And what does that mean for us?” asked Ogre.

“I don’t know yet. But I’ll keep you posted, boss.”

Ogre picked himself up from this chair and paced back and forth. “So Cyclops, you were saying that all the XP and gold that players are paying….”

“It’s all probably going into Loki’s pockets,” she said.

“We can’t allow this to continue. If Loki keeps getting all these resources, there won’t be a place left for the Ogres!”

BlueFire clenched his jaw. He agreed with his boss’ assessment. Loki shouldn’t be allowed to grow unimpeded. But at the same time, it was going to be a bloodbath. Loki had played it brilliantly. He had formed a defensive position from the very start of the event and had formed a meat shield formed by NPCs, smaller guilds, and the common player base. There was only one chink in Loki's armor.

“Sir, deploy all our forces to Hilsford. Post an announcement: The Ogres will join the human side, and we will set camp in Hilsford. If any player joins the aliens’ side, they must deal with us.”

“But BlueFire, this is a dangerous move!” protested Cyclops. “The alien’s side is only going to keep getting stronger. On top of that, the magisters and the garrisons refuse to kill their infected citizens.”

“If I’m not wrong, the rewards will be worth it. Although the event seems to have better short-term rewards for those who side with the aliens, I believe the best move is to side with the humans. We’ve already lost the initiative. We should go for the long haul.”

Ogre looked at Cyclops, who nodded. He then locked eyes with BlueFire. “That’s it then. I’m going to contact the Krakens. I know they’ve chosen the human side. I’ll also send a message to the Gorgons. I believe that they keep a presence in Verdant Town.”

“One other thing, sir.”

“Yes, BlueFire?”

“Let me take the Ogrelords. I want to take them to the Green Woods. Something tells me that this kid has something important which will give us an edge in this event.”

“What if Pegasus deploys Zin’s team?”

“They’re too busy. They’re spread too thin. The skirmish in the Green Woods was just a distraction.”

“So be it. Cyclops, you go to Hilsford.”

“Aye, Boss!”

BlueFire took off. He hoped he was right. Loki had already won the first round. Hopefully, the rewards at the end would help them not to be engulfed by a stronger Pegasus.

*

Loki saw the gold coming into his coffers and the XP bar growing. He had already climbed to level 71 after the first few hours of this event. The more powerful he grew, the more powerful his guild also became. As he had suspected, the overwhelming majority of the players had decided to join the alien side, as it was the one that offered more short-term rewards. A few stubborn guilds and players were playing for the good guys, but they hadn’t realized something yet.

Whenever his side whittled down an NPCs health to 10%, they turned over to his side. Whenever the good players managed to kill one of the players on his side or one NPC, they disappeared for good. The alien side had the advantage. The longer they fought, the more powerful his side would become. He also wished the best of luck to anyone who came looking for him in the Dark Abyss. He was barricaded and surrounded by a meat shield of thousands of players. And the best part was that they were paying him instead of Loki having to pay them.

*

Mel ran, chased by a horde of yellow-eyed players and black-veined NPCs. They all had a cracked, decayed air about them, and a dusty mist accompanied their steps. They looked like genies floating in a miasma cloud, freshly out of a nightmarish lamp.

Goldie sent her an alert, letting her know there was an ambush ahead. She took a sharp turn and entered an alley. She jumped over obstacles and looked behind her once she was on high ground. There was no one. She had moved too fast. She waited for a few seconds, tapping her foot on the floor. Finally, the group of pursuers caught up.

She sent a pin to her colleagues asking for backup and signaled she had drawn thirty hivies away. That’s what they were calling those who supported the Hive King. She thought it was a name that sounded too cute compared with how evil they looked. She waited for the last target to come into the cramped alley and smirked.

Feather Rain!

Goldie, flying overhead, opened his wings and unleashed a storm of golden sharp feathers. They fell like bullets, slicing through the thirty players and taking a massive chunk of their health. Instead of slowing them down, it only made them furious, and they rushed toward Mel, eager to get to her. A few skills and arrows were thrown her way, too.

Hawk Dance!

Miss!

Miss!

Miss!

Her higher level and her life-saving skill prevented them from landing any attacks on her. She summoned her strongest AoE skill once they were a few steps closer.

The Eagle Has Landed!

Goldie became a golden comet, and the temperature rose in the alley. When the players looked up and saw the incoming fearsome attack, they tried to run, but it was too late. Goldie hit the ground, unleashing a wave of energy that took half of the players’ HP. Mel clicked her tongue. Even though the Meatpackers weren’t in the top 10, they were still a solid third-tier guild.

Despite her level advantage, it still wasn’t enough to one-shot them. Just as she was prepared to run away and start kiting them, the temperature suddenly dropped.

Ice Cap!

A gust of arctic wind blew, and the players’ remaining health was depleted, leaving only icicles and a few dark orbs on the ground.

Mel jumped down and picked them up. “Took you long enough.”

ColdHand was thin and looked frail. His long, baggy clothes only highlighted his slender features. Mel squatted to pet ColdHand's polar bear cub, but it snarled at her menacingly.

“Sorry, I was helping another group. But we both know you could have just kited them. You didn’t even use your bow.”

“I know, I know.”

“Come, wrap it up. Everyone is going to Hilsford.”

“Why? The hunt is so good here? I’ve already gotten 30 contribution points and two black eggs.”

“It looks like that now, but we’ll be trapped if we don’t leave.”

“What do you mean?”

“Magisters and soldiers are forming a perimeter. We’ll run out of space to outmaneuver the hivies.”

“But isn’t that a good thing? They will help us! Just like the contaminated NPCs are helping the hivies!”

“The soldiers are refusing to attack those who are infected. They still see them as allies or something. For now, they are just closing off the slums and the crafting district.”

She pursed her lips. The good guys weren’t helping them? That was cold! “And why are we going to Hilsford?”

“We cut a deal with the Ogres. The order came from the higher-ups. Hurry.”

“Can I try getting to 50 before I leave?”

ColdHand regarded her coolly. “Fine. Since you have a flying mount, no one should be able to stop you. See you there.”

Ch. 155 - Art of War

INDEX

Ch. 157 - Stat Prodigy