The cobbled streets wind through the heart of the place I'm currently in. The market square is like the heartbeat of the town, pulsating with liveliness where most of the players sell their unwanted wares to players who need them for extra gold. Clarissa and I are currently in the town of Alderford, a quick stop for level 80-85 players to barter, trade, and recuperate their supplies for better grinding. We’ve been having smooth sailing leveling up the past few days. I’m currently level 83, and Clarissa is 80. I would’ve loved to be at max level when the tournament starts, but it seems like a near impossibility considering my current rate of experience growth. On top of not being actively grinding for experience, (since it’s boring grinding alone) we continually do scrims to improve our teamplay, taking most of my online time. Also, always bringing Clarissa to level up together is less efficient than if I were to level up alone. I have no regrets though as playing with her has always been fun and rewarding. That is the main reason why people play games, after all, to have fun or spend quality time with a person close to them, like Clarissa had become to me.

 

“Novo! Look, Isn’t that cute?!” Clarissa flashed me an adorable smile while pointing at a cat-themed earring.

 

I would’ve said ‘Not as cute as your smile’ but I don’t want to come off as a creep.

 

“Hmm, it is aesthetically pleasing, but not worth the gold for its stats, you could find a better quality looking elsewhere. The crafter of the item is also mid-level at most in crafting. I’m confident even Ray could make a better accessory with his eyes closed. It would be a waste of the earing slot if you wear one of those,” I expertly deduced.

 

The Merchant gave me a stink eye for taking away a potential sale. Can’t blame me though, I’m only telling the truth.

 

“B-but… okay…” Clarissa stared at the earrings longingly.

 

“Sir, give me ten- I mean, one pair of those accessories please,” I instantly gave in.

 

Well, it's okay to waste gold sometimes. Dust also gives our team a lot of resources for the qualifiers so we can get the best items for the tournament so it’s perfectly fine.

 

“A perfect choice, Miss!” the merchant player happily complied.

 

I traded the gold and gave the earrings to Clarissa after receiving them.

 

“Thanks, Novo!” she gave me a grateful smile.

 

I nodded in response. It feels as though I wasted gold but seeing her happy like that? Definitely worth it!

 

As I was basking in the aftermath of making one of the best transactions I’ve ever made in my entire life, a ping ruined the moment for me. The heck! Can’t a girl have her moment?

 

From the sound alone, it was an emergency ping, meaning it must be a matter too important to ignore. Glancing at the offender, it was a message from one of the officers of the Paragon Guild, Vinnie. She is a veteran player and a coordinator who gives tasks to the alliance to further our unity and efficiency as a whole. I’m the representative of our guild after all so she always comes to me first whenever the Paragon guild requires assistance from our guild, and vice versa.

 

Vinnie: Miss Novo, our sources have recently discovered a notorious 4-man party of PK players camping at the abandoned mine close to your present coordinates on the same server with an ETA of 10-15 minutes of traveling time from your current position. They had already killed some members of our low-level allied guilds, effectively garnering our ire. We would’ve liked to send a team to wipe them out immediately, but unfortunately, most of our available strong combatants are either busy or offline. We need a capable player to handle the affair and deem your guild to be able to handle it easily. Therefore, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to wipe out their camp and prevent any more of their misdeeds. You will be rewarded handsomely and any loot you get from the corpse of the enemies will be yours to keep. Please respond immediately if you would like to accept as this is a time-sensitive mission.

 

I sighed. Still a fan of spy movies after all these years huh? You never change, do you, Vinnie?

 

Novo: Understood, I’ll handle it.

 

Vinnie: We are grateful for your assistance. We will leave this matter in your capable hands, Miss Novo. This message will self-destruct in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

 

The hell it will!

 

I closed the in-game messaging app and glanced at Clarissa who was giddily examining her new item. She could come. She needs the experience anyway. Also, this might hopefully teach her a thing or two about how some players could be dangerous. She is unbelievably naïve sometimes and I can’t help but worry for this kind-hearted girl.

 

I immediately opened the friend list and looking at it, I was overcome with happiness. I have more than 50 on the list now! A great achievement indeed! I never thought that this day would come. It is all thanks to being qualified for the tournament, many players try to add me when they find out I’m one of the participants. But I'm getting sidetracked.

 

I searched for the one person I never thought I would ever contact first.

 

Novo: Dust, please send me a tank and a fighter to the town of Alderford teleportation point on server 19 as soon as possible.

 

I sent it in important texts for her to see it sooner. Dust, for her part, is quick to respond. As it pains me to admit it, she’s extremely reliable.

 

FairyDust: Oh my~ is it another mission from Paragons? How hardworking, I didn’t think you’d really take the role seriously.

 

Well, I do owe this much to them at least, being one of their founders and all. And the extra loot and gold we get from killing Red Players is worth the time spent hunting for them.

 

Novo: Are you going to help or not?

 

FairyDust: Fine, fine, so serious. Is two all you need? I can still send more.

 

Novo: Two is enough. Just make sure they're skilled and max-leveled.

 

I believe we can handle a party of PK players camping in an area for levels 80-85. Their preying on players in this area means they have no confidence in their skills to win against opponents that are not in the same level range as them and I believe we won’t lose to those types of players. Besides, commanding more than one party is a waste of resources better spent elsewhere and bothersome because of its additional social drain on me.

 

I closed the In-game messenger and then focused my attention back on my friend.

 

“Clarissa, we have to do something first before we start leveling today.”

 

“Huh? What is it, Novo?” she asked innocently, tilting her cute head in the process.

 

“We’re doing a guild quest. You're now also a member of our guild, so I'm taking you with me.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

“PK players, also known as ‘Red Players’, are a bane in the CoA community. Most people hate them due to their predatory nature. Even though CoA is a competitive PvP-based game, there is a limit to the players you can kill without repercussions. A healthy dose of PvP among CoA players is encouraged as it helps players improve their skills, strategies, and reflexes. Facing off against human opponents often requires adapting to various playstyles, which fosters continuous skill development.”

 

“Competing against other players also fosters a strong sense of community as players form alliances, rivalries, and social bonds. It can lead to friendships, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging within the game's community, a huge reason why CoA became the most successful VR game in the world as we know it. It also helps veteran players enjoy the game more as the ever-changing nature of human opponents keeps the gameplay fresh and encourages players to keep coming back for new challenges.”

 

“However, as with most things in life, all things taken to an extreme level will surely be destructive. That is why being a Red player is heavily penalized and looked down upon by the community. They can be freely attacked by other players without repercussions and are always hunted by bounty hunters due to them having a hundred percent chance of dropping loot from their set if they die. On top of dropping 10x the gold compared to a normal player, they are also chased by the guard NPCs in towns and cities whenever they are spotted, making their life even harder,” I paused for a second, then continued.

 

“Although there are many disadvantages of being a red player, some still continue being Player Killers mostly for fun, the thrill of breaking the norm, and the notoriety that comes with it. Many famous Red players even have their own… are you listening, Clarissa?” I glanced at my student who was... not paying attention to my ramblings.

 

“H-huh? S-sorry, I didn't quite catch the last part...” she apologized, looking a little guilty for zoning out.

 

I sighed; she can easily be distracted sometimes. I canceled my teacher mode and spoke normally.

 

“My point is, never trust a player who has a red color mark on their name when you identify them, okay?”

 

Clarissa pondered for a bit before replying, “What if they want to make friends?”

 

I stared at her blankly.

 

“O-okay no making friends with them, got it, Novo,”

 

“Come on Miss Novo, you don’t have to worry too much, both Renoir and I would guard you two with our life!” Dorge, our party’s tank, jovially spoke.

 

“Y-yes! You could trust us, Ma’am!” Renoir, our temporary fighter, declared with determination.

 

“Oh, I just remembered. Miss Novo, I have a dungeon run later with my wife, we could use a skilled support like you on our team!”

 

As I was thinking about how to respectfully decline his offer, Clarissa spoke out.

 

“You have a wife that plays VR games with you?!” Clarissa chimed in excitedly.

 

“Of course! We grew up in a generation where games are commonplace! Truth be told, I met my wife playing an MMO game back in my teens! It also serves as our bonding experience. Having the same hobby as your lover and treating them as your best friend is said to be the super glue for a lifelong marriage!”

 

“Whoaah!” Clarissa exclaimed.

 

I noticed her sneaking a furtive glance at me after hearing his story. When I looked her in the eye wondering why, she instantly glanced away the moment we made eye contact.

 

Hmm, does she want something from me but is too shy to ask?

 

“Oh, I know, you wanna see a picture of her, along with my daughter?”

 

“You already have a daughter?! I want to see please!”

 

“Haha, slow down, Lass. Hmm, let's see,” he paused for a second, likely searching for his inventory.

 

He materialized a digital copy of a picture. After a quick glance from my spot, I saw the prized treasure. Dorge, along with his lover, a beautiful woman in her late 20’s. Both of their eyes sparkling with affection, as they cradle their child between them.

 

“Oh! You have such a cute baby!”

 

“I know right, she's everything dear to me. She is turning one year old next month and we will have a huge party for her!”

 

That's a death flag you know! Never mention your family’s celebration when going on missions!

 

“Hehe, you three look great together.” Clarissa gave a cute grin.

 

“You’re a very kind Lass, aren’t you? I know, after this is over… let’s all go have a celebratory drink for a job well done, what say you guys?”

 

Please, for the love of... stop setting death flags everywhere!

 

"Uhm, I'm too young to drink."

 

"It's fine, you won't really get drunk, it will just affect your taste receptors. You could also just order juice, my treat!”

 

Dorge seems like a nice guy, even if he keeps setting death flags everywhere. He looks to be also in his 30’s, making him seem more mature. Renoir, on the other hand, is close to our age and it seems like he’s completely uncomfortable around me.

 

“What play style do you specialize in?" I tried to break the ice. The cohesion of members in a team is important after all.

 

“O-offensive fighter, Sir! I-I mean, Ma'am, Sir!” he tried to correct himself but failed miserably.

 

I sighed, I already have a notorious reputation for that stunt I pulled with Jarde. It doesn’t help that rumors often become exaggerated. I even heard from Liz that someone in our guild had thought that I had an insta-kill weapon skill. Adding our team qualifying for the U20, just made the rumors even worse.

 

Hopefully, this awkwardness does not affect our team play later. But with Dorge setting death flags left and right, I have a bad feeling about this mission.