Chapter 6

Authors Note: I have to say a few things here. One, I said that the story would stay slowed. Well, it's one thing to say it, and another to write it. So there will be a few skips in-between arcs, and periods of slowdown. Second, there was a guest review, and it guessed a future arc I'd been planning since the beginning of the story. So if you post a review with an idea and it's something I already thought of…Good minds thing alike? Also, Guest reviewer (You know who you are) keep quiet. We don't want the others knowing, do we?

June 17th 2023

I walked into Liz's shop, shifting my leather coat forward a smidge. It was a last attacking bonus from floor 29's boss, boosted my defense by 120 points, and was simply a leather jacket with a hood large enough to shadow my face. It made me look like one of those modern renditions of the Reaper, like a biker or something like that. While the loose fitting cloak was terrifying to the right people, it was no longer effective in battle. I kept the bandanna, though, having a tailor boost it to give me a hiding increase. "Hey Liz."

Liz and I…I'm not entirely sure what we were. I think we're dating. At least 90% sure…85%. If we were, she was making a good impression. After a few weeks, I'd gotten comfortable with her regularly seeing my face,

She turned from admiring a sword that she'd just put on the wall. She cocked her head to the side, frowning and placing her hands on her hips. 'What did I…Oh, right, the hood,' I thought as I dragged the hood off and slipped the bandanna off my nose. "Better," she said, walking to the front of the shop.

"So why'd you message me?" I asked. She'd called me back from the frontlines on floor 34 in the middle of the day, something she tried not to do.

"Those fanatics of yours have gone overboard this time," she said, going back over to the counter. I sighed.

"What have they done this time?" I asked. She shook her head and went to the forge door. I was about to follow her when she spoke to someone inside.

"C'mon out, Carmine," she said. Noting the presence of another person I flipped my hood back up. I still wasn't comfortable with anyone but Liz seeing my face, but I left my bandanna down. When Liz stepped aside, a woman walked through. She had short hair, the color somewhere between black and purple. She was wearing a simple white bra and panties, the default appearance for someone with their Ethic's filter on, indicating she had no equipment. She still had her arms crossed in front of her chest, and she appeared to be extremely nervous. "It's okay," said Liz, placing her arms on the other girl's shoulders. "Tell him what happened." She began speaking as I scanned my inventory for something for the poor girl to wear.

"My husband Greg and I were going through the fields on floor 22...When we were attacked. They destroyed our weapons, and ordered us to surrender our equipment. I gave them all my armor, activating a teleport crystal behind my back. It was only when I got back to the town...Greg didn't have any crystals."

I conjured a cloak that would cover her, throwing it to her as I rubbed my face. "I assure you that I want nothing to do with The Grateful Dead, and their actions are not under my orders."

Liz stared at me. "They took him." Carmine collapsed into sobs, and Liz supported her as she continued. "She went back, and he was gone. They were talking about a bigger sacrifice. You don't think..."

"They wouldn't, though, right? They're not going to risk the crackdown that would bring, right?" I asked.

"I've gotten stories like this for a few days now," she said. "Them attacking players and stripping them of their equipment. After that slaughter from 31's boss fight…they're desperate."

She was right. During the boss fight on floor 31, almost half of their guild had been wiped out within minutes. They must have figured that their current sacrifices weren't doing the job. So they did the only thing they thought they could do. They stepped up their game.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. If this had been going on since 31, who knows how many players had been attacked.

"They were just rumors! I didn't want you to worry."

"Please," said Carmine. She looked up into my eyes, tears glistening in hers. "Get him back."

"I will," I said, turning for the door and pulling up my bandanna. "I promise."

(X)

I stalked the streets of Ronbaru, knowing one of the Grateful Dead would come out to greet me. My presence usually set off waves of discussion among players, and those bastards have eyes and ears everywhere. This was the town where they'd set up their new headquarters, but I wasn't sure where. When I got to the south side of town, it wasn't long before Eve came out of the shadows. She bowed her head, and I rolled my eyes.

"Sir, we have collected many items to give you, in hopes that you have mercy on us," she said, her head still facing the ground. I was about to tell her that she was batshit crazy, but paused. If I played along, and went to see their ritual, they'd take me to where they were keeping Greg.

"I sense you have brought more than items for me," I said.

"Oh, yes. That one," she said. "He hasn't seen the power you hold yet, but a few weeks in the basement without food will change his tune." I clenched my fists, trying to bottle up my rage.

"Take me to him."

"Sir?"

"Take me to him. I shall convert him if I have to tear out his disrespectful tongue," I said, changing to my gravelly voice and forcing malice into my words. Not a difficult task, considering how pissed I was with the woman before me.

She bowed even lower. "Yes, of course, sir." She turned, and I followed her to the line where the south quadrant met the east, near to the wall that protected the town from the monsters in the field. We stopped at a small house, built into the wall itself. It wasn't much, but that was just the outside. The inside…was an entirely different story.

It was entirely painted black, the furniture moved to the walls. A cross between a pentagram and a skull was drawn on the floor in chalk, and imagery from various religions dotted the walls. I scoffed internally, but nodded in fake appreciation. Eve led me to a door, which opened to a hall. There were various other doors in the hallway, which I assumed led to the living quarters of the other Grateful Dead members. But she led me to the end of the hall, opening the door the farthest away. I could see a set of stairs, and not much else.

I turned to Eve. "Disturb me, and you will not be as lucky as our friend down there," I said. She nodded hurriedly, scurrying away as fast as her feet would carry her. I nodded, dropping the façade as I descended the stairs, shutting the door behind me.

I entered a small room, and could hear steady breathing on the wall opposite me. "Greg?" I asked the darkness.

"How do you know my name?" came a tired sounding voice from the other end.

"Carmine sent me," I said. I could hear his head move to face my voice.

"Carmine? She's okay?"

"A bit shaken up," I said, walking over and removing my scythe. As I got closer, I could see him. He had short hair, jet black and slicked back on his head. He had the simple boxers that were the default equipment, and his wrists were bound by rope. I sliced through the ropes, then placed the scythe back in its sheath. "But she's fine. Can you stand?" To answer my question, he stood shakily onto his feet.

"Take me to her," he said.

"It's not that simple. The Grateful Dead see me letting you out, they'll be pissed, and while this is a safe zone, that knockback effect could be enough to keep us in here. I have to figure a way to get them out."

"Do whatever you have to do. Just get me to her." I nodded. They were probably yellow players now, having attacked and kidnapped other players…There were only a couple of guilds that attacked Yellow players on sight, and only one that at least tried not to kill them. The Army. But they stopped showing up to front lines since floor 25, having half their number wiped out, they retreated back to the first floor to restore order and build up their numbers. There was no way in hell I'd be able to lead the Grateful Dead to the Black Iron Castle…But maybe I could throw them there.

I opened my menu, checking the reward that I'd gotten from a quest on 32 was still there. I nodded, swiping aside my menu and motioning for Greg to stand. "We're leaving."

"I thought you said you needed to get rid of them," he said, rising to his feet.

"I am, but I need them pissed at me." We walked up the stairs, and I opened the door. There was Eve, and 2 other members standing in the hallway.

"Sir, what are you doing?" asked Eve.

"I'm taking him back home."

"But we…"

"I know exactly what you were going to do. And that's why I'm taking him back. And the rest of you are going to the Black Iron Castle."

"I'm sorry, sir. But that's not ha-" She didn't finish the sentence. I activated the Corridor crystal and threw it over their heads, it activating at the end of the hall. I rushed forward, slamming a small dagger into her gut. She took no damage, but the knockback effect launched her into the portal, where I knew she would appear back on the first floor, surrounded by army troops. I swipe to the right, and another flew into the portal. I glared at the one on the left, who willingly ran for the portal.

I cleared the building room by room, tearing the occupants from their rooms and beds and throwing them into the portal. After the last one had been transported, I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't have to deal with crazies anymore. At least, not that type of crazy. I nodded to Greg, opening up a trade menu and sending him the cache of equipment I found at the back. I pulled out a teleport crystal. "Teleport. Taft." The two of us were moved to the teleport gate in Taft.

Entering Liz's shop, there was a shout, and then Carmine was on Greg, her arms wrapped around his neck. We saw them off, Carmine sending me an object via trade menu. Seeing what it was, I quickly hid it from sight. Either Liz had told some interesting stories during my disappearance, or we were a lot closer than I thought.