*-1*

"What's this, poison damage?" Brookie asked.

"I don't know, man. It's not normal poison though," Dharr replied.

*-1*

*-1*

...

"It's getting worse, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

...

The grass turned more and more purple, and the atmosphere began to fog.

*>Name: Corrupted Air*

*>Level: 5*

*-1*

*-1*

*-1*

...

It was odorless, but this "Corrupted Air" whittled their HP at a ludicrous rate.

"No, screw this. I'm not going any further," Dharr said as he fled back.

Even Brookie gave in for now; the Corrupted Air was life-threatening. Though dying wasn't the end of a journey, it still incurred a sizeable loss. Avoiding death was common sense.

The two ingested their health potions and took a moment to gather themselves.

"Seems like we've gotta make a plan before going in," Brookie said.

"Wow! You're a genius, my friend."

Brookie ignored Dharr and pulled out his map. But... it was unreadable...

"Huh... Is this supposed to happen?"

"Wha- What is this?" Dharr asked as he looked at his own. "I don't know what's happening, either..."

"Well, doesn't look like we can rely on these anymore," Brookie said as he stuffed his scrambled map back in his inventory.

"We've gotta get out of of here."

"Hm... Yeah."

Though Brookie didn't share Dharr's sense of danger, Dharr had drilled the importance of a map into him relentlessly. Without one, it was pointless to continue forwards. They could only rely on their memory for directions to safety, and you couldn't spare much brainpower for this while in a dangerous area.

The two turned around and ran back in the direction they came. However...

"Uh..."

*>Name: Corrupted Air*

*>Level: 5*

...

This tainted air blocked their way! They had no choice but to make detours.

"This way."

*-1*

*-1*

*-1*

...

"We came from over here."

*-1*

*-1*

*-1*

...

"You sure about that?"

*-1*

*-1*

*-1*

...

"Uh..."

*-1*

*-1*

*-1*

...

"Yeah, we're lost..." Brookie sighed.

"Shit, I should never have followed you in here. Ugh, these taste awful," Dharr said as he took a swig of more Healthy Twine Juice.

They still had several of these potions left, but how long would it last them?

No map, no sense of direction. The deadly air surrounded them on all sides. They were running around like headless chickens - it was game over.

Of course, that didn't mean they were going to give up. However, no matter how much they scuttled around, they could only helplessly watch their HP tick away...

10 HP...

9...

8...

"Promise me you'll listen next time, huh?" Dharr asked.

"... Sure," Brookie replied. He had no choice - his lack of travel experience placed both of them in a precarious situation. "Yeah, it's my fault."

7...

6...

5...

The two of them were dead for sure.

4...

3...

2...

But what happened next shocked them.

"..."

"..."

The purple atmosphere washed away as lush green took its place. The leaves and branches swayed in the soothing breeze as if the Corrupted Air had been a lie.

"... Guess we took living normally for granted, huh?" Brookie asked.

"Who's 'we'?"

"..."

"Whatever, let's go back."

"..."

"Brooks... Come on. We're literally at 2 HP. Do you want to get one-tapped by a slime?"

"No... Look over there."

Brookie was being stupid again, but Dharr couldn't help looking in the same direction. Deep in the forest, a figure was running straight towards them.

"Okay, run???" Dharr asked. This should've been common sense, especially since they were coming from the center of where the corruption had been!

But Brookie was stubborn - was this figure the mysterious player they'd been trying to find?

"I'm staying."

"Okay, you're on your own for this one. See ya!"

There was no point in trying to convince him, so Dharr immediately ditched his friend. What were they going to accomplish with 2 HP? If the player was hostile, even a small attack would instantly kill them!

But Brooks was willing to take this risk. After all, he had a job to do, and dying wasn't the end here!

The cloaked figure approached rapidly.

Closer...

Closer...

Brooks braced himself. As a newly-minted Slingshot class, the figure was now in his range. But he didn't move. He held up his arms in surrender - he truly didn't mean any harm.

His fate was now in this mystery player's hands.

Their first words?

"What the hell are you doing?"

Brookie's first reaction was to reply with "And what the hell are you?" but quickly stopped himself. Though he understood a voice was speaking in front of him, it gave away no information about the player. Male or female? High-pitched or deep? Even the accent, locution and other telltale speech patterns were likely "censored"; there was no other explanation for its strange sound.

Was it even a sound? Was this one of the wonders of "instant communication"?

Regardless, he wasn't going to be able to learn anything else simply by listening.

"I'm lost," he admitted.

"Hm..."

The two players stared at each other in silence.

"Did you play in the beta?" the mystery player asked.

"No. My friend did, though."

"Hmmm...."

More silence.

"I'll lead you back to town, then," they said.

"You mean it?" Brookie asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. You're a new player who got ditched by your friend, right? I'm headed back to town anyway, so just follow me."

"Well... Thanks."

"Watch your HP, though. I can't heal you."

"Right, of course. So... what's your name?"

They were probably hiding their name for a reason, but it didn't hurt to ask. Unsurprisingly, they didn't answer.

"Just follow me back to town for now."

"Ha... Roger that."

 

---

 

When Jisha saw a player nonchalantly standing around with 2 HP, she marked him as a lunatic.

*Like... a *big* lunatic... physically, too. Is he even taller than Father?*

The Emperor was the largest man she personally knew, and Brookie rivaled him.

*I doubt he's that tall IRL... What's he doing just standing there?*

His partner had fled the moment he saw her, so it was likely they were both low.

The answer quickly became clear - Brookie was a new player, and Dharr was a beta player that was helping out. Dharr assumed Jisha was hostile, but Brookie took a gamble... and won.

*Haah, I can't *not* help him now...*

She wasn't going to waste as much time with him as she did with Abandoned Snow, but she couldn't leave a 2 HP newbie alone in the forest.

"So, what business do you have in that village? Are you interested in the auction, too?" Brookie asked as he followed along.

*So he knows.*

This wasn't surprising. Covan, the home of this auction, was the nearest settlement. They were likely stationed out of there for the time being.

"Yeah, you could say that. What about you?"

"It would be a lie to say I'm not, but we probably can't afford anything..."

"Did your beta player friend let a newbie like you stay poor?"

"It's just not that... Dharr's said that stuff's gonna be pretty expensive."

Jisha glanced at her balance.

*>Coin Pouch*

*>Silverium: 1*

*>Bronzium: 5*

*>Copper: 968*

"You want me to change that?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I've got cash. If you're willing to help me out with something, I don't mind buying something for you."

"Huh... I'll think about it. To tell you the truth, I've got another job to finish in the meantime. Dunno how much I can do."

"Alright. Also, you said you're lost, right? Take this," Jisha said as she tossed her fried map to Brookie. "One thing led to another, and it's now useless. If you take it to a Cartographer at the next Village, they should be able to fix it up for you."

"Oh? Actually, this... Uh... Never mind. Thank you."

Several words got caught in Brookie's throat, but he didn't speak up again.

The two walked the rest of the way in silence.

 

---

 

In Covan Village, players of many factions gathered for one purpose: the auction! Nearby beta players had all heard of this place, and the news eventually spread to the new players as well.

Many players here were with some sort of group or guild, but most were independent. Guilds weren't an official thing within Synergy yet, so all of these "guild" players were in some external organization. A good chunk of these players earned income for their orgs which technically classified them as "professionals".

This didn't mean they were skilled gamers in the traditional sense, though. Of course some of them were, but many other jobs existed as well. VR trainers, simulation designers, virtual item entrepreneurs... the list of professions went on and on. In any general player base, 99% of people were "unaffiliated". Even if a player was a member of a guild, they didn't have any contractual obligation.

This was only natural; most gamers played games for fun, not work. But the current Covan was different - around half of the players here were affiliated with an org!

These players knew the other orgs were essentially business rivals, so they tried their hardest to claim superiority. Players scuffled nonstop in hopes to get the ultimate leg up on the auction. Unfortunately, they'd drawn the attention of the Village guardians - the Sentinels - so they couldn't do much else besides squabble... Was there anything that could break this deadlock?

 

---

 

"They're still a lively bunch, aren't they?" Jisha said as she arrived with Brookie in tow. She'd gone on an adventure and returned, but the commotion in front of the auction house might have been even worse than before.

Since the Sentinels were wary of the hubbub now, the players feuding looked a bit ridiculous. They couldn't punch each other, so all of their animosity remained bottled up.

If there was a way to manipulate this animosity...

"Brookie, I've got a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"What do you know about the general situation here?"

"I was watching them for a while earlier, and it seems there's one big dog in this pack."

"Oh? Go on."

"Out of all the groups here, the biggest one's called 'Shock Collar'. Kinda diabolical name if you ask me, but maybe that's a reason they attracted so much hate. Anyway, they got so many players around that the rest of 'em can only whine about not getting to certain quests sooner."

"Wow."

*I wasn't expecting him to know so much.*

Perhaps Brookie wasn't a stupid lunatic - Jisha's evaluation of him climbed a notch. With this information, she formulated her next plan.

"Say, where's Dharr?"

She didn't know what to make of this character, but since he was Brookie's friend, the two would likely agree to work together. For this plan, it was "the more, the merrier". Having Brookie and Dharr both help out would be phenomenal.

"Dunno, he should be around here somewhere..."

"Let me know if you two meet up. I'll look for some more help."

"Roger."

With that, Jisha split from Brookie. There was someone else she needed to find right now. It was one of the few Synergy players she knew she could trust.

*>Fae Sol: I'm here. Look for a player with a hidden name and level.*

*>Hearth Ember: Level concealment? Already?*

*>Fae Sol: Yup. Jealous? Hehe.*

*>Hearth Ember: Haah, I don't know... after watching your battle footage, I don't think- Oh, I see you. That was easy.*

Name concealment was supposed to suppress information about a player, but in a place where everyone's name was known, it ironically became the most unique identifier.

Jisha beckoned towards the fiery red avatar. Dragging along behind her was another one - this one was ice blue.

"Haha, we're here! Do you have them?" Hearth Ember excitedly asked.

"Of course. These, right?"

*>-2 Shard of Heat*

"Yessss! Thank you!"

"Uhm... Emmi... who's that?" Abandoned Snow timidly asked.

"Aw, Snow, did you already forget me? After I helped you learn to run, too..." Jisha said with mock disappointment.

Abandoned Snow's eyes lit up.

"Big sis S-! mmmmmfggg..."

Jisha quickly covered Abandoned Snow's mouth before she could say too much.

"Snow, I'm hiding, see?"

"Ohhhh, hiding. Are you hiding your talking too?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask about that," Hearth Ember interjected. "That thing even disguises your voice? What's up with that camouflage? I've never seen anything like it before. If you didn't tell me, there's no way I'd know you were under there. I feel like even your height's different..."

"Yeah, this? Secret!"

Jisha obviously wouldn't reveal a legendary NPC's item so readily even to someone as trustworthy as the girl in front of her. Hearth Ember, understanding this, didn't press further.

"Anyway, are you two busy?" Jisha asked.

"Not particularly. We've been meaning to get a good look at the area, but the guild calling themselves 'Shock Collar's been messing with us..."

"Hm... They seem to be quite the troublemakers."

"You know about them?"

"I've heard the gist of it. No one's tried to take them on yet?"

"Not exactly... But there *was* one player who started a whole ordeal with the Sentinels," Hearth Ember said as she pointed to a lonesome player sulking in the distance.

"Ah."

Jisha recalled the fiasco that had started a bit ago - it was indeed a single player that unfortunately instigated the chaos. She turned to closely observe this player, and doing so caused her to rub her eyes in disbelief.

"Wait, isn't that..."

"You know him?"

"Well... Sort of. You two... are you busy with anything right now?"

"Not particularly. Why?"

"Perfect. Wanna help me out with something?"

"What?"

"I'll tell you in a bit. Head that way and meet up with a player called Brookie. I'll be right there."

"Alright," Hearth Ember said as she led Abandoned Snow to the designated meeting spot.

*Now, then...*

Was this player really who she thought it was? She had to know. She quickly moved towards the young boy loitering near the corner of a building.

His brown, spiky hair and sharp eyes gave him a ruffian's look. If there were others like him around, people would suspect they were a genuine gang. His gaze was hostile - it was obvious he didn't want to be bothered. Anyone else would have left him alone.

*>Name: Castle*

*>Level: 10*

His level was the highest of anyone else around. Every 10 levels were minor thresholds in Synergy since one would get access to higher-leveled items. If he hadn't attracted the attention of a Sentinel, others would have taken him more seriously.

*It really is him...*

Castle, in Jisha's previous life, was a Tier 9 player just like herself. At their peaks, their battle prowess was roughly equal. In the future, he'd become one of the most brutal tank-class players in the world. But right now, he was just an innocent boy.

*He should be... 11 years old, I think? Wow, he's only two years younger, but the difference between 11 and 13 feels much larger than 22 and 24...*

Contrary to his avatar's appearances, at this age, Castle was timid when it came to any topic other than gaming. So, there was a simple way to fluster him.

Before Castle could annoyedly tell her off, Jisha pulled down her hood and revealed her face.

"???"

*Hehe, piece of cake.*

His words got stuck in his throat. He continued to stare at her, wide-eyed. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't find the right words to start the conversation. So, Jisha took the lead.

"I saw your antics with the Sentinels earlier."

Castle's face flushed red with a mixture of anger and shame.

"It wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know?"

"It's impossible to know if you haven't played the beta," Jisha said as she shrugged. "I've got a party, and we're planning to take down Shock Collar. I noticed your level's really high, and after everything that's just happened... would you be interested?"

"Uh... Haha, that's right! I'm level 10! Any other noobs here on my level?"

Castle proudly crossed his arms as his level received praise. In truth, it really was quite impressive. Despite not being a beta player, his level was higher than almost everyone in the Village.

"But... what level are you?"

"That's a secret for now."

"Hrmmm... And you say you and your party are gonna take out Shock Collar, but... how?"

"I'll tell you the plan if you're interested enough to come join the rest of us."

Castle shuffled his feet as he pondered the offer. Despite his timidness in certain areas, he wasn't naïve. When it came to tactics and planning, he was definitely a sharp one.

"Uhhh... Okay," he said after deliberating for almost a minute.

"Perfect!" Jisha said as she hid her face once more. "Follow me, alright?"

"Um.... Okay..."

 

---

 

Jisha and Castle arrived to find four players waiting for them.

*So, Dharr didn't run off.*

As much as she wanted to berate him, Jisha kept her insults to herself. Ditching a newbie in the woods was practically a crime in her books, but she didn't want to antagonize a potential aide.

It was clear Dharr wasn't happy to see her, either. His jaw was tense; it looked as if he'd launch a tirade at any moment.

"Who'd you bring?" Hearth Ember asked as she looked at Castle.

"A new ally. For now, you're all comrades-in-arms. Ember, you've got a good understanding of the situation, right? Care to give us a quick briefing?"

Hearth Ember sighed.

"Shock Collar has monopolized almost everything in this village. All the quests that give a decent payout have also been taken by them. It's impossible for us to do much. Right now, some of the smaller groups are putting up a fight, but they aren't able to do anything significant..."

"And this is rather curious, don't you think?" Jisha pointed out.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Look around. Shock Collar is only one group, yet they've somehow taken over the entire village. The combined manpower of the rest of the groups easily exceeds Shock Collar's. So why are they struggling?"

"Um..." Hearth Ember uncertainly trailed off. Instead, it was Castle who suddenly answered.

"They want to fight each other."

Jisha smiled. "That's right."

*Looks like he's quite smart even at this age.*

Shock Collar had a smaller number of players than the rest of the organizations combined, yet the larger number of players was unable to make any headway. The solution seemed obvious - just work together, right?

A truce and/or alliance was only effective if all parties had a specific goal in mind and trusted each other. Though their goals aligned, any one of them could turn on another at any moment. With the looming threat of betrayal, it was impossible for them to form any strong bonds.

However, at the end of the day, the reason to band together genuinely existed. With a strong enough commanding voice, it was possible to rally them together.

The group nodded in understanding as Jisha explained this to everyone.

She could easily assume the role of this commander if she wanted, but there wouldn't be much in it for her. Instead, she would move forward with her other plan.

"When does the auction start, exactly?" she asked.

"At the top of the next hour, so in 30 minutes," Hearth Ember replied.

"Perfect. So here's what we'll do..."

 

---

 

Brookie looked at Dharr and Castle - they were just as dumbfounded as he was when they heard the plan. Hearth Ember's reaction wasn't pretty, but it was clear she trusted the mystery player. Abandoned Snow, on the other hand, looked like she had no idea what was going on.

"What the fuck? That's highway robbery!" Dharr exclaimed.

"Yeah... But you want items from that auction, don't you? I can guarantee that for you." This response from the mystery player was all it took to sway him.

"... Fine! But you better promise your end of the deal!"

"I have no reason not to," the cloaked player said as they (probably) rolled their eyes. "This amount of money means nothing to me. You, on the other hand, better think twice if you want to cross *me*."

Brookie couldn't clearly see their face, but under that hood was an undoubtedly chilling glare - a sensation he only felt due to his years of experience in martial arts. He glanced at Dharr... who was oblivious to the pressure.

Someone that could make even someone like Brookie feel pressure... who was this player? Could it be...?

"By the way..." they - no, *she* - said as she slowly pulled down her hood. Vivid, wavy maroon hair fluttered in the sunlight. Her head tilted back as she brushed the hair away from her face. Her blue-green eyes shone with confidence.

Brookie suppressed an urge to chuckle. His instincts were right - this player was worth following!

"I might as well properly introduce myself now. I'm Fae Sol. Good to be working with you," she said as she extended an arm towards him.

"... Likewise."

Brookie accepted Fae Sol's handshake. Shortly after, all of the cash in his Coin Pouch vanished. Perhaps it was a bit naïve of him to believe this, but he was sure Fae Sol would keep her word. So, he decided to move forward with this plan.

The four others around him experienced the same thing - all of the money drained from their accounts.

Fae Sol mischievously smiled as the transactions completed.

"Let's start the show, shall we?"