Upon death, there was a chance for anyone to drop any of their equipped items, as well as a higher chance for dropping anything from their inventory. I was watching my saviours collecting the loot Lorrando's party have left behind.

  I turned to the group standing behind me. Five players, each moving with confidence. They looked way more experienced than the average adventurer.

  My rescuer stepped forward, the same one who had unleashed that massive fire spell just moments ago.

  "Not bad," The Arcanist said, his arms crossed. "You actually took out two of them. If we hadn’t stepped in, though, you’d be respawning back in Carpa."

  I exhaled, finally lowering my bow. "Yeah… I owe you one. Thanks for the save."

  The Arcanist waved me off. "No big deal. We’ve had our eyes on those Crimson Court guys for a while. Seeing them try to jump someone out in the wild was just the excuse we needed."

  "Crimson Court?" I asked.

  "Yeah," The mage said. "A guild from another game. They are pretty massive, and their higher ups, like Lorrando, are actually quite good at MMOs. We have a bit of... history with them."

  I glanced at the rest of his team. A familiar girl stood beside him, her stance relaxed but her eyes sharp. Alysanna, from the archery competition. She carried a sleek, well-crafted bow.

  Beside her, a rogue with a cocky grin played with a dagger between his fingers, looking all too pleased with himself. I couldn't fault him; if I were the one to slit Lorrando's neck, no doubt I would look the same.

  The cleric, wearing green robes, was the one who had healed me. He had an easygoing expression, but I noticed he was analyzing me, as if he was assessing if I was worth the effort.

  The last member, a swordsman, rested his hand on the pommel of his blade, studying the aftermath of the battle quietly.

  "My name is Cyrus," the mage finally said. "Leader of this little band of misfits."

  "Don't call us misfits, boss!" the Cleric cried.

  "Misfit is actually very fitting for you, Talion," Alysanna laughed.

  "Oh, come on now! At least I'm useful to the team. When was the last time you actually shot an arrow?"

  Alysanna's face turned red, but she didn't respond.

  "Cyrus... you used some kind of crazy fire spell earlier. What the hell was that?"

  "Ugh, don't remind me," Alysanna let out an exaggerated groan. "That stupid spell steals all the kills before I can even try."

  Cyrus smirked and tapped his spellbook, flipping it open, and sharing the skill details with me.

  "Flame Hydra," He said. "Epic tier spell. Got it from a skill rune after our party was the first to kill an Elite monster in the Tidemark region."

  My brows shot up. "That's... pretty insane. You guys must have been pushing hard if you already have epic skills."

  "Don't be humble. We have actually seen you take on the Duskwolf Alpha on your own," Cyrus said. "It must have come with some pretty sweet rewards as well."

  "You did?" I was a bit suspicious. Even though I was very focused on the battle at the time, I feel like I should have noticed someone watching me.

  "We weren't spying!" the rogue said. "We were just in the vicinity, is all. We actually almost died to that damn wolf a couple minutes before you fought it."

  "It was a hard battle, for sure." I decided to leave it at that.

  "Ugh, I wish we had a hard battle once in a while," Talion shrugged. "Cyrus uses his overpowered spells and all we have to do is lure everything together."

  "Hey!" Cyrus shot back, feigning offense. "Everyone has to contribute."

  Alysanna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and you do that by kill stealing."

  The rogue stepped forward, grinning. "I'm Scale, by the way. Our ever complaining cleric is Talion, and the quiet one over there is Adaptive."

  The swordsman nodded in acknowledgement.

  "I'm Orion," I said.

  "We know," Alysanna said with a smirk. "You won the archery competition in Carpa."

  "You weren't so bad yourself."

  Scale leaned in. "This also explains why Lorrando and his lackeys were after you. Word is, Crimson Court is about to target high-performing players in every region they are present. Whether it's for recruitment or disabling, only time will tell. And Lorrie's pride must have been hurt when he lost to you. He was the number 1 archer in Knighthood, and I don't doubt he thought he'll still be unchallenged here, despite the fact that Godsrealm is a hundred times larger."

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  "Sounds like you are very familiar with them," I pointed out. "Who are they, exactly, if you don't mind me asking?"

  Cyrus's smile faded slightly. "Trouble. Hundreds of players who came from Knighthood, an older MMO. They were a well-known PvP guild, and they're already trying to establish dominance here in Godsrealm. Lorrando is one of their higher ups. They have made it impossible for smaller guilds to enjoy the game, and no doubt they will try to dominate here as well."

  "Figures," I muttered. "They seemed too coordinated for random gankers."

  "They are testing people. Picking off solo players, seeing who's strong and who's not," Talion added. "Once proper guilds can be formed, I bet they are going to try and take control of the region of Silverwing, and be a dominant force in the Kingdom of Ravenloft."

  "Can they do that?" I asked. "I mean, there are a lot of already established guilds who are setting up in Ravenloft."

  It was true. I have seen brief news on the internet when I was browsing. Some huge powerhouses have started in the kingdom.

  Guilds like the Golden Order and the White Tower were already massive entities outside of the game, having hundreds of members, and they were rumored to start in Ravenloft.

  As a player of Silverwing, I couldn’t access the forums of the other five regions for the first week, so I wasn’t sure whether it was a fact or where their starting region was, but these kind of rumors usually did come true.

  Then there was Ryder and my old team, Avalon. They didn't come from an MMO background, but their fame would definitely help them rise to the top of the charts, with them possibly becoming even stronger than established organizations.

  There were also official news that another one of VHC's all-star teams, Journey is planning to form a guild under the name “House of the Raven”, in the Ravencrown region. That meant 2 pro Valhalla teams were setting foot in the kingdom.

  And also, Ace's and Stone's guilds were still wildcards. Ace definitely had the fanbase to build an army, and judging by Stone's and Sylph's mechanics, their team was almost definitely made up of experts as well.

  "Well, Crimson Court was the strongest in Knighthood, but if we compare them to huge MMO guilds, they are still middle of the pack," Cyrus said. "They will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the Silverwing region, but as far as the whole kingdom goes? They won't have an easy time."

  I took a moment to process all of this. Getting ambushed had been annoying enough, but now it seemed like this was part of a bigger play.

  I wasn't sure if I cared about whatever rivalry was going on between these two groups, but if Crimson Court was planning on making life difficult for players like me, I'd have to do something about it sooner or later.

  "Well," I finally said. "I appreciate the backup. And if they are going to keep pulling this kind of thing, I wouldn't mind putting them in their place. Just contact me if I can help."

  "Now that's the kind of attitude I like to hear," Cyrus said with a grin. "You're interesting, Orion. We will definitely cross paths again."

  With that, he turned, his party following suit. Alysanna lingered for just a second longer, giving me a nod before she walked off.

  As I watched them go, I let out a breath. This world was already shaping up to be more than just a game. And if groups like Crimson Court were trying to stake their claim, I'd have to decide how involved I wanted to get.

  Something told me I wouldn't be staying neutral for long.

  The forest was quieter now.

  The echoes of the battle, of steel and spells and arrogance had faded behind me, leaving only the noises of nature.

  I adjusted the strap on my quiver and tightened my cloak against the cooling air. The sun had dipped low, and although the temperature was nowhere near bad, a little warmth was more than welcome.

  I enjoyed the silence for a bit.

  No more ambushes. No fiery arrows. Just the shushing of trees and earth beneath my boots. Tranquility. Exactly what I needed.

  I stayed sharp, though. The woods between Riverhear and Carpa weren’t known for aggression, but they weren’t empty either.

  The first attacker came just past a shallow streambed: a familiar Rock Beetle, its carapace glinting in the last rays of sunlight. It skittered over a patch of mushrooms, antennae twitching.

  I drew silently and fired a Piercing Shot. The arrow struck hard, splitting one of its armored plates. It twitched once, then stilled. I knelt to collect its carapace shard, tossing it into my pack with a quiet nod.

  Further along, near a fallen tree, a Feral Wolf prowled alone. I looked into its eyes, waiting for the animal’s reaction.

  After all the fighting today, I really felt like unprovoked violence was unnecessary.

  The wolf growled, then slowly backed off.

  Smart move.

  By the time I got past the low ridge above Carpa, the sun had fully set. The village lanterns had been lit, and I took a minute to watch their glow dotting the village like fireflies.

  There it was: home base. The place where my story began.

  Carpa looked the same as it had that morning. Same river, same gates. But I didn’t feel the same walking toward it.

  Twelve levels behind me. A vengeful spirit defeated, an organization's target on my back. But right now?

  A new adventure awaits.

  I exhaled, rolled my shoulders and started the descent.

  I headed toward the main square of Carpa. Most players gathered there for the festive grounds, and the crafters were no exception.

  Right where I expected, behind the usual cluttered workstation, sat Danzaburou, half buried beneath a bunch of crafting materials.

  Kev was nearby too, trying to put a spearhead on a wooden rod.

  Danza looked up before I said anything.

  "If it isn’t our favourite ranger!" his eyes gleamed behind the rim of his goggles. "How is the gear holding up?"

  I chuckled. "Held just fine against a Field Boss."

  He whistled. "I know. You might want to check the forums. You guys were the second group in the Tidemark region to kill such a thing."

  So that’s why we didn’t get a first clear reward.

  "Second is better than nothing, I guess," I said.

  "Well, Oakenlight’s players didn’t have to travel to a new village to find one. But check the forums once you log out, you’ll see," Danzaburou smiled and made a note on a piece of parchment before continuing.

  "Although the Woe of Riverhead is the #1 post on the Tidemark sub as of now. Your point blank shot at the end was even made into a GIF."

  "Was it, now?" I smiled awkwardly. I knew that it was a good move, but maybe I started drawing a bit too much attention to myself. It’s fine for now, as Ryder’s crew can’t access Silverwing’s forums just yet, but I need to be more careful in the future.

  I started laying out all the carapaces and mandibles, and other materials that I had gathered during the day. "I figured you might have more use for these than I do."

  He whistled again, lower this time. "These are good pulls. Look at this centipede plate, Kev!" he weighed them with practiced ease. "You want us to craft something for you?"

  "I’m out of funds," I said. "I was thinking maybe you could buy them for some cash?"

  "Fair enough. This is mostly for heavy armor, anyway. Let me see…" He started pondering, then reached under the table.

  "One gold, seventy silver sounds good to you? I’m giving you the friend rate, mind you."

  "Wouldn’t expect anything less," I grinned. "Deal."

  Danzaburou gave a grunt that might have been approval.

  "And Orion…" he continued. "Come back to us once you hit fifteen. We might have some surprises in store for you."

  "I’ll definitely do that. But first, I need to make some money for it, I reckon?"

  "I won’t say it will be cheap, but It will be worth every penny."

  With that said, we said our farewells.