Ten Diamond Keys... Level ten...

R aven struggled to imagine what kind of reward a chest like that could have. The biggest number of keyholes he had encountered before was five, and those were just level three.

He had to find out what exactly these chests contained so that he could choose his Key-granting challenges wisely. So he took the chest and did what he’d always do when coming across a treasure: hid it in the ground using Through a Wall so that the lid couldn’t be opened without getting the chest out.

Marking the newly made stash on his map, he moved on and eventually reached his destination. He was already close to the Hole when he heard explosions nearby, and saw the flashes of powerful skills and spells.

Slowing down, he thought that it was probably another battle between clans but, as he came out of the forest and climbed on top of a hill, he saw a big group of players fighting a small flying monster.

By the couple of nicknames that caught his eye, he recognized the Fortuna members. He had arrived late again, just like to that tower looted by Soul Crushers, except that the Hole’s mob looked far more dangerous. It was giving them a hell of a hard time. Over the thirty seconds it took him to look around the battlefield, it had killed two casters and one tank by hitting them with three out of its five tails, each of which was topped with a toothy mouth, with a lot of thin, ragged tongues that popped out of them at times. Seizing at the prey like a snake, they’d pull it into the maw to be swallowed.

The monster, bearing the name of Fallen Nightmare, didn’t seem to pay any heed to its tails as it attacked with claws and magic while easily avoiding most spells and blows.

Present on the location, apart from Raven and Fortuna members, were many loners and small groups. None of them dared to join the clan’s battle, aware of the consequences.

Looking up at the island that had been his goal since the first day of the event, and which he had mistaken for a glassy half-sphere, Raven considered his options — and ran on. Coming as far around the battlefield and staying as inconspicuous as he could, he jumped up once he was right beneath the island, then activated Leap and Wings and headed for the hovering piece of land.

The first form of Wings was much faster than the second as its speed depended on his physical effort and not on the skill’s properties.

The island was a mile above him. Thanks to his air-travel bonuses, he reached it quickly. Setting his foot on it, he noticed the unnatural silence. Not only was it covered by a soundproof barrier, but it also seemed to be abandoned.

You have reached the Silent Prayer Island.

Well, that tells me... nothing.

However, the fact that he had “reached it,” hinted that he wasn’t the first one to discover this place.

Must’ve been the Fortuna guys. But I’d better watch out.

He disappeared into Stealth to take a better look around the place. If this island was like any other he had visited on his way to here, it probably had a powerful mob guarding at least one chest, and strong mobs that dropped a lot of Influence Spheres.

***

A minute earlier

“Hey! Isn’t that Raven?” one of the players asked, flames dancing on his open palm and forming a seven-foot-tall hammer. Whirling it like a boomerang, he threw it at Fallen Nightmare’s belly.

Hearing a scream, several other clan members looked up and saw a lone player flying up to the island.

“Does he know we’re here?”

“That guy is full of surprises. But I don’t think he knows. He’s probably just nosing around,” another player commented before reading her next spell, materializing bright-green arrows all around the mob.

Even though they were fighting a strong creature, the Fortuna members remained calm, chatting between themselves. To an outsider, they either looked like high-level players revisiting the starting area to farm weak mobs, or like a bunch of egoistical pricks.

However, despite their nonchalant behavior, they were by no means treating Fallen Nightmare lightly. Even though several of the Fortuna members had died in this battle, they had lost far, far fewer people than any mediocre clan that would’ve long been wiped out.

***

A minute earlier

Same location

Glancing at Raven’s coordinates posted on the forums, Wild Wind estimated the rogue’s course. Following his intuition, he headed for the Hole. The journey wasn’t easy, but he traveled rather quickly as most of the area was woodlands, which suited his character.

He could only praise his good luck that Raven had wasted that much time fighting; otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have been able to catch up with him.

But just as he was about to reach the finish line, he saw Raven’s figure soar into the air — and toward the flying island.

Wind’s face fell. He was at a loss for words to express just how disappointed he was.

Motherfucking bastard. Why couldn’t you just stay down here?

Cursing the rogue, he took out one of his two remaining Flight scrolls and, promising himself to make Raven’s death as slow and painful as he could if he refused the offer, followed him.

***

In the meantime, Raven moved on slowly, unsuspecting, through the abandoned city. Almost all houses had long been destroyed, save for a few that had survived by some miracle.

The mystery behind the dead silence turned out to be a spell. Whenever he tried to say anything aloud, this deafening silence would devour the words like a starving beast before they could even roll off his lips.

He even conducted an experiment: after running for a while, he stopped and listened. He could hear the blood coursing through his veins how silent the place was.

Because of this curse, he had to keep his guard up while waiting for Stealth to cool down. Moving on, he imagined the sounds of his footsteps and breathing finally becoming audible when a building right in front of him was suddenly destroyed by some object crashing into and flying through it before hitting another wall.

Ready for anything, Raven disappeared into the shadows. As he kept his eyes on the building, he saw a huge elephant-like creature burst from the gaping hole in the wall.

But it wasn’t the only thing that came out of the ruins. Running out after it came five players, Crimson Berserker being one of them.

Canceling Twilight Walker, Raven decided to help them out. A clan as strong as Rollin’ Dice could share some valuable knowledge about the event with him in exchange for his help.

This mob was much fiercer than the one being fought by the Fortuna members next to the Hole. Instead of sly and deceptive attacks, it just rushed at anyone within sight. The creature must’ve been insane: a rather common condition among Ascension mobs, according to the forums, but Raven had never witnessed it before (not counting the occasion when he had made Shimiraz insane on purpose).

The six players weren’t shocked at seeing Raven as they had already been warned by clanmates that he’d be here. But his appearance still drew their attention.

Crimson Berserker has sent a request to join your party.

Accept?

Yes/No

[Hey. I’ve heard you have a pet as large as a house. Can you summon it?] Berserker asked the moment he joined the party.

[Yes. Get ready to retreat.]

His comment referred to Racer and Drake, one of whom was tanking the mob while the other was attacking it, staying in its blind spot, balancing on the verge of failure.

Kharses, with its HP currently at forty-six percent, was immediately attacked by the boss’s stone tusks and claws. The trunkless, mammoth-looking thing dashed toward Raven’s pet and, activating some special skill, reduced its HP by ten percent.

“WHAT?” Stunned, Raven immediately reached out to the group and warned that he’d dismiss his pet after another blow like that.

Using the opportunity to regroup and recharge, the players counterattacked. They already knew the mob’s strength, speed, and some of its skills.

Helping them out, Raven kept his eyes on Kharses, ready to dismiss it in case of grave danger. He wasn’t going to lose his pet to this pointless battle.

Ten minutes later, the boss was dead. All Fortuna members heaved a sigh of relief and flopped down right where they stood to catch their breath.

[Looks like my help came in handy.] Raven smiled at Berserker who had already collected his loot.

[Sort of.] Berserker squinted at his prosthetic arm. [The situation wasn’t critical but if you hadn’t stepped in, we would’ve had to use some heavy artillery.]

[I didn’t help you out of the goodness of my heart. I need some answers.]

Berserker nodded.

[Has any member of your clan completed any challenges?]

[We’ve just joined recently.] Berserker replied with a shrug but Raven pressed on.

[Which ones have you completed? Which was the highest level?]

Hesitating for a while, Berserker answered.

[Level three in Endurance and Deliverance. Balance is the most difficult one. We’ve only reached level two.]

[Wow, that was fast...] Before Raven finished speaking, he got a sudden idea. [Wait a second. Have you found a portal?]

[You bet. Why the fuck would we bother coming up here otherwise?]

Hearing that, Raven checked his number of Spheres.

Influence Spheres: 9,423

He was a bit over five hundred short of ten thousand. Thinking about how he could quickly get the remaining amount, he suddenly got the idea that could help him not only with the Influence Spheres but with much, much more.

All he had to do was to reveal his trump card.

As his gaze slid across Berserker’s unsuspecting face, he flashed his trademark smile.

Chapter 353. A Deal

H ad something like that happened before he visited the mysterious store where he learned something that supported his theory that this game was much, much more than just a piece of entertainment, or even a mind development tool, he would’ve dismissed this solution without a second thought.

His advantage was the knowledge available to no other player... or maybe available to just a few.

Trusting his gut feeling, he now dared to look further than his next two or three moves. With the world undergoing a rapid transformation, he had to prepare for the massive change that was still on the way, cloaked in layers of secrecy. Hoarding Influence Points was just one of the strategies he used for that.

[Listen, Ronald. I have a very serious matter to discuss with you, and I’m afraid it’s urgent.]

Had some of Raven’s old military friends heard him now, they would’ve advised Berserker to shut him up immediately.

It was his soft, enveloping tone that he had never used in Ascension before. While he wasn’t a schemer, he still knew how to pull the strings that people didn’t even know they had. And after his mind upgrade, he had become even better in the art of persuasion.

Berserker couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, so he just stared at Raven.

[Ronald? This must be the first time you’re using my real name. Something tells me that I don’t want to know what you’ve come up with.]

[Relax, man.] Raven said with a chuckle, glancing at the other Fortuna members who couldn’t hear their talk. [I wanted to talk about Khau’Krash.]

***

Reaching the flying island, Wild Wind lost Raven’s trace. The deafening silence was giving him a feeling that this whole place — and his presence there — was a mere illusion.

I’m starting to think that this guy isn’t worth the effort...

He moved on, relying on his experience to help him detect any traps or hidden mobs.

The silence was suffocating, seeping deeper and deeper into his mind like water through sand. This place would’ve driven the weaker players crazy, but he was everything but weak. With how many times he had looked death in the eyes and flipped it off, the silence was even comforting.

After ten minutes of looking around, he ran into a group of players. Seeing his target among them, he cracked a smile.

Lady Fortuna still loves me.

***

Wild Wind has sent you a friend request.

Accept?

Yes/No

Raven was heading for the portal with the Fortuna members when he got a friend request from someone whose name he didn’t recognize. He was about to turn it down when the sender, a Draitner, stepped into the group’s way.

Leaving Crimson Berserker and his group to have a brief talk with the stranger who had reached out to him, Raven lowered his head slightly, watching the Draitner with interest.

He had a falcon head and an anthropomorphic body wrapped up in a tattered cloak that hid its features so Raven couldn’t tell which animal it was.

Strapped to his thigh were throwing knives, and hanging from his embroidered leather belt was an enchanted dagger, the blade of which was spreading a soft yellow glow.

It took Raven no longer than two seconds to examine Wild Wind before accepting his request and starting a conversation.

[Did you send me your request by chance or on purpose?]

[The latter. I came here to meet you.] Wild Wind returned the scrutinizing gaze, examining him in the same way. [I have an offer you might be willing to hear.]

Raven shrugged, inviting him to get on with it.

[You must’ve come a long way, so...]

Wild Wind was as brief as ever. Wasting no words, he cut straight to the chase.

[My employer is interested in collaborating with you. Have you heard of the Laughing Queen of Spades?]

Raven didn’t blink, but he was still astonished at hearing this name again.

His voice came out unchanged.

[Of course I have. She has made a grand entrance.]

[You’re one to talk.] Wind smirked faintly. [Read this, and give me your answer within twenty-four hours.]

With those words, he sent an e-document into the chat but Raven knew better than rush to open it. A veteran, he could tell a seasoned negotiator apart from the fools. He had once been such a fool himself, believing that everyone could be convinced by argument and reason.

[That’s not all, is it?] He paused and, pretending to consider the offer for a while, drawled: [I see... Your role here isn’t just that of a negotiator but also a hitman. Am I right?]

The corners of Wind’s lips twitched, his eyes fixed on Raven. Before disappearing into a whirlwind of leaves, he said:

[Twenty-four hours, Will Thomson. I’ll come in twenty-four hours to hear your answer.]

Raven frowned. Chances were that Wind was playing badass just to intimidate him into submission but he wasn’t dumb enough to wait and see if the threat would come true or not.

Squinting, he stared at the spot where Wind had just been, considering his options, when Berserker’s voice interrupted his train of thought.

[Who was that?]

[An enemy. You’d better prepare for an attack. Once he learns about your portal, he and his friends will want it for themselves.]

[Not to sound like an egotistical prick, but... But who could be dumb enough to attack us?]

[I’ll give you one guess.]

Berserker’s face became serious.

[If I’m thinking what you’re thinking... Then let them try. At last, I’ll find out how different we are.]

Raven said nothing. He planned to kill two birds with one stone anyway, but he had to think his plan out carefully to prevent any mistakes from following him into the real world.

***

Having given Queen’s message to the rogue, Wind only had to follow him and, twenty-four hours later, come back for the answer.

The group, and the invisible spy, moved toward the center of the destroyed city, killing occasional mobs, until they reached one of the few surviving structures in the city — a large round building enclosed in a shimmering veil of a magic barrier.

After waiting thirty seconds, Wind followed his target — and was astonished to see Raven disappearing into the flash of a portal.

He’s not going to escape, is he? Is it the same portal that chick mentioned?

Wind reached out to Queen, described the situation, and was given a new order: before killing any Fortuna members, he had to find out what sort of a relationship they had with the rogue. If they were Raven’s allies, she’d rather keep them alive.

***

Raven wasn’t going to run away. Caring little about Wind’s intentions, he followed his own plan.

After completing his negotiations with Fortuna, he reached out to Rollin’ Dice to offer them exactly the same thing: twenty percent of all their income from the Khau’Krash continent, and of the yet undivided lands that he could claim according to their past agreement.

He was aware that his share was outrageously high for an individual, but it matched his contribution to the continent’s discovery: from getting the respective quest to defeating Evil-In.

However, he was willing to part with his twenty percent and give the two clans full ownership of the continent for the small price of fifty thousand Influence Spheres. These translated into two hundred and fifty thousand Influence Points, which was a crazy amount.

Stepping into the portal, Raven came out among a crowd of players huddled around a cloaked and hooded male figure holding a giant scythe.

Darrau, the Messenger.

Raven came closer.

Offer the Influence Spheres to the statue?

Yes/No

No.

Closing the message, he sat down. Not yet having Rollin’ Dice’s and Fortuna’s Influence Spheres, he wasn’t going to take any challenges. The only reason he came here was safety. Wandering the event’s locations was perilous with the number of Spheres he already had, let alone after getting one hundred thousand on top of those.

Since he had hidden his prosthetic arm, no one paid any attention to another loser coming out of the portal. No one seemed to recognize him, and few of them probably knew about the portals being discovered.

Smirking, he decided to kill time by reaching out to Wild Wind and his employer.

[I know you saw me come into the portal. Follow me. I’m ready to discuss your offer.]