Futuristic End User (Closed)

[BreeDav]

witcher0y
forgive the cringy title. Here's our in character thread!

"we are advancing future where greenhouse gases have been reduced and transport are now pollution free. violent crime rates were down 90% humans live in peace on surface but violence need to surface in some population. so they kill online through a VR game which plays when you dream/sleep

at first, killing online seems realistic but it's all just tricking your five senses to feeling pain. someone cracked some codes such that certain VR devices could be hacked to kill someone virtually and in reality. they are killed by making illusions so real the target dies from extreme physiological pain. because of the complexity of the beta codes, assassins online are are and very good at their job. however, the government has been hiding these murders or disguising them as suicides by heart failure "

 

[witcher0y]

Ba-Da 영호

BIO
He is training under his adoptive Uncle, Saito Kyung, in the family bakery . Currently pursuing a Major in Food Business but as a smart learner, he had too much time to play after finishing all his assignments. He avoids going to lectures often unless relevant topics were taught as he was often chased by girls for his looks. He is more of a lone wolf so group assignments are usually completed by himself with penalty of a few points. he finally found something to pick his brains with in the newly launched VR game "Mindsworth" and had been playing avidly as a Beta player to its official launch.

AVATAR
He is known as 'Deep Waters Killer' for his preference to player kill near water basins. He believed a true gamer would be more than the randomly assigned game job status and aimed to improve his swordsman skill. He is often clearing floors in dungeons or hunting other PKs for their loot to complete quests.

Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 21
Height: 176 cm / 5 ft 9 in
Weight: 72 kg / 158 lbs
Birth date: February 11
In-Game Title: Trident Bada
In-Game Weapon(s): 1 Longsword, 2 Model 18xx
In-Game Skills & Abilities: Charming voice and looks, Intermediary 5 Elements Mastery, healing, proficient fish tongue, Elven agility, swift swordsmanship, Tracking supremity, Kraken strength and limb duplicity, Sea Serpent's Blessing

code by RI.a

Miyahama Makoto & Miyuki

White Knight Thrace | Red Witch Calliope

16 Years

Elite Students

May 23

• ✎
• ➕
• ➖
• 👁️

• High level players who are fraternal twins in real life. Their skill sets complement the other despite their frequent clashes over decision-making and power rivalry. When the situation gets dire, they inevitably make a monstrous combo for any players to beat.
  
  
• In-Game Weapon(s): Flight Boots / Twin barrel gun / Lance
  In-Game Skills & Abilities: Basic 5 elements' mastery / Fire Spirit Hephaestus Magic / Super strength & dexterity / dragon eyes / Elven hearing
  
  
• In the real world, they are among the top 10% students at a prestigious private boarding school for the wealthy. Miyuki's facade is more docile than her gamer counterpart and Makoto's is more like a player for his charming smile and easy-going persona. Makoto has a shorter temper than his 3-minutes-younger sister but Miyuki always have the upperhand in tactics
  
• 
  They are infamous for being ruthless players. Their current obsession is clearing dungeons as the best team and attaining wealth.They only entered after Beta phase but they are well-known gamers in other VR games.
  

code by @Satanic Nightjar​

 

[BreeDav]

Full Name: Kaori Matua
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Age: 21
Height: 5 ft 2 in
Weight: 120 lbs
Handedness: Right
Birth date: June 22
Occupation: Mindsworth Fighter for Hire
Personality: Striking, confident, can be manipulative, calculating, quick to action, ambitious
Biography: Outside of Mindsworth, Kaori was never impressive. She couldn’t build or cook or teach. She’d always felt like she’d been born in the wrong time. She’d been made to cheat and steal, but hadn’t realized that until she’d donned a visor and slipped into the gritty world of Mindsworth. It was natural to live in the shadows, to claw her way through the ranks. Under the screen name Siren, she’d become known for sneak attacks deadly enough to take out some of the highest level players in the Beta game. When the full version came out, she was rarely seen off of the kill-points leaderboard.
Almost as soon as Mindsworth had it’s full release, Kaori was approached in game by a few anonymous players “We want to give you an update” They’d told her. They told her that she could use it to make money. That by using this exclusive update, she could stop picking up the odd jobs she’d been relying on in the world outside of VR. In exchange, they asked that whenever they offered her a job, she’d take it. She agreed.
In-Game Title: Siren
In-Game Weapon(s): Two hand guns, daggers
In-Game Skills & Abilities: Shadow walking, sneak attack, uncanny hiding, dual wield
Goal / Motivation: Make a living off of jobs on Mindsworth

kaori matua

code by yousmelldead

 

[witcher0y]

"Mage! Behind Tank! Go GO! Archer stay out of sight! I need rebuff."
"I'm hitting low!"
"Aim for his head"

Desperate cries and curses pierced the air above an old graveyard. They are lucky I cleared the Undead earlier...what a waste of effort... A tall, attractive blond swordsman lampooned.

He dodged and spun to avoid a few more fire missiles. Did they not study the five elements? He mused and shot an ice arrow to the archer's heart. That little robin was a lost cause from the moment he tried to take lead. The attacking party were thrown into further disarray but the overpowered target felt like another day of fly flicking. This party's levels were way too low to try to get a bounty off him. Suddenly, silence fell. The attacking party were frozen in place, their faces showing disbelief.

"What is with that? Lost connection?" the tall swordsman asked into silence. They should have been logged out by now...what a waste of time.

He turned and left the scene without looking back. The party of six did not flinch as a cold gust blew their images away. Strangely, an update in the system came. The party of six had their accounts deleted voluntarily. Not that the swordsman cared.

 

[BreeDav]

“You’ll get the update when Mindsworth updates” player_22894 eyes glassed over as he checked the time in his game menu. “You have 5 minutes.”

Siren took the faintly glowing medallion they handed her and pocketed it. The moment it was saved into her in-game she felt her avatar shutter. Even though she hadn't been updated she knew something was different. "What do you want in return?"

"Nothing for now. We'll be in touch. Use it wisely." player_22894 blinked out of existence as they logged off. Siren stood for a few minutes, eyes focused on her watch. She felt the update wash over the landscape. A pop up let her know it was done. She'd read the patch notes earlier in the day. She always did. This game was how she made her living. Knowing how it was changing was just as important as knowing how to play it. She opened her map and headed for Mindsworth's marketplace. Updates always brought new players. Good targets for level farming.

The NPC greeted her with the usual dialogue. She skipped through the interaction, knowing exactly what she wanted. At this point buying, ammo came naturally. She found an empty corner of the market and took a seat on a crate. Her eyes skimmed over the new players. They were easy to spot, They all had the same peasant's clothing, simple weapons, and stock character appearances. In her first few months in the Beta, Siren had spent weeks getting enough credits and points to trade in for her dark clothes. They were more simple than most experienced players, but they blended in with the shadows better than flashy gold armor and brightly died fabrics did.

 

[witcher0y]

There was a loud explosion near the town center. The new players, curious as newborns, were quickly drawn to the scene. A huge man was blown away into a provision shop wall, much to the NPC's horror. Standing a few feet away, a well-proportioned female mage stomped close, forgetting all her ingrained ladylike mannerism. Clad in white ruffled top with high-waist brown A-lined skirt and a pair of silver boots, the mage was preparing a non-mage like attack of fist on her prey.

"You will pay for that insult!" she seethed as she raised an arm which seem to grow bigger.

"Mi- Calliope! Please!" another player with a similar face and stature threw himself in the way. "I am sure he has lost enough levels. Stop killing! Your eyes are going to turn red if you kill a player!"

Mage Calliope halted in her tracks. He's right, she agreed inwardly.

Refusing to admit her misstep, she returned her attention to the dying player "count yourself lucky. I don't want to be listed as a PK for the next week. Come on, brother. We are leaving."

The brother sighed in relief and trotted after his fuming sister. Brown haired with a sharp chin, the knight-like player was dressed simply with chain mails and grey tunics. He did not hesitate to pass a wink at a female player before scooting.

 

[BreeDav]

Siren jumped up from the seat she'd found. With movements so practiced that they happened in the blink of an eye, she pulled her guns from the twin holsters on either thigh. One was trained on the female mage, the other on the man who seemed to be the woman's target. Siren had always hated fighting in the town center. There was an entire map stuffed full of places to settle arguments. There was only one town center. Only one easy-access place to buy weapons. Only one place to watch new players stumble cluelessly.

On second thought, there were plenty of places to watch the new players make a fool of themselves. This was simply Siren's favorite. The mage turned away, pulled by a man who seemed to be her brother.

Siren holstered her guns and jogged through the crowd of players slowly going back to their quests or daily tasks. She fell into step beside the mage, a smile tugging at her lips. "Siren" She introduced herself "You may have heard of me." Most higher level players knew her name. She wasn't quite well known enough to have people outside the game whispering about accomplishments, but she had a reputation in the world of Mindsworth. She was rarely left off the PK list.

'I charge 50,000 for a player kill. If you really want to make his life miserable, I can TPK his adventuring group for 150,000 credits." Siren met the gaze of the players she was walking alongside, revealing glowing red eyes.

witcher0y

 

[witcher0y]

Mage Calliope did a abrupt 180-degree turn and the sound of the voice. She could never forget that monotonous player. Her partner immediately drew a defensive stance but his eyes did not reflect familiarity. Anything that put his proud sister on guard was not someone should be taken lightly. Calliope steadied her gaze and slowly smiled.

"Will the honored player of such illustrious proposal introduce herself first?" Calliope managed through tight smile, her left hand extending out to put her brother in place.

The knight withdrew and through a silent communication, he faded into the crowd. Calliope wants to handle this alone.

In the high-level playing field, death was ubiquitous. However, some scenes impacted Calliope more than others. One of her near-death experience was with a blond Beta player with swooning features and strength to match prestige. The pair was ill-prepared fr this battle. Or were they ill-informed of the PK's hidden powers?

Another type of experience she would hate to go through was involving the person standing before. I do not think she recognizes me...all's good for now...this town is getting too crowded.


Roy || BreeDav

 

[BreeDav]

"Lets stick with Siren" her lips pulled up into a coy smile, eyes darting around. She tracked Calliope's brother's hair as he found his way through the crowd until it ducked behind someone's oversized armor. "You'll find all my stats under that name." she crossed her arms, narrowing her red eyes at the woman. There was something off about the way she was approaching the deal. It was usual for buyers to have some hesitation, but Siren would almost say there was fear in Calliope's eyes.

The mage was correct. Siren didn't recodnize her. She'd come across so many faces, so many names, she didn't take the time to remember most players she had buisness with. But the expression in Calliope's eyes put Siren on edge. Her arms slid from where they were crossed over her chest to rest her hands on her hips. It was another casual position, but meant that her hands were closer to where her guns and daggers were holstered on her thighs.

"If you're intrested, we can meet somewhere to work out details. If not, I have another bounty to collect."

witcher0y

 

[witcher0y]

The knight ventured further out of tracking scope, his scent lost.

"Well Miss Siren, I shall not waste your time then," Calliope curtsied with a heel click, akin to Noble NPC of this World. "A mere ruffian does not deserve your attention."

She paused for awhile with lines creasing in her forehead. Her player-specific inbox was flooded again. "Miss Siren, it seems I am pre-occupied and possibly never return to this crude city. However, in two Solar Days' time, my party is looking for a bodyguard for 1 Solar Day. Price is negotiable. We will convene at the next city, Moss Stone. If you are interested..."

Calliope withdrew a paper crane from thin slice in the air. "This is my personal messenger."

With an quick curtsy, Calliope left in the direction of her partner. Her ashen brown head disappearing in the crowd of towering NPCs and players. A few more cautious turns in alley corners and she reached the small bridge exiting the Base City. The knight was patiently entertaining new female players who were more drawn to his uniquely expensive armor than his slightly meaty physique. Clearly, a few buffs have improved his avatar's appearance closer to his ideal outlook. Calliope cleared her throat as she drew near but to no avail. Clicking her tongue before she could catch herself of this rudeness, Calliope cast a simple wind charm to scatter the small crowd. the knight was not spared as he tipped slightly off balance.

Ruffling his hair meaningfully, the knight smirked at his partner. Don't I look even better now? His thoughts' light as day. Calliope gave him a well-earned smack on the back of his head.

"Don't you have a better task at hand?" Calliope seethed.

The knight chuckled, "Your prodigious knight has finished it ahead of time, unlike the mage whose pride has become rather questionable."

Smack! "You don't know anything! She is an infamous PK-er. I saw her kill Syrius with my own eyes! She is ruthless."

"And you are violent," the knight grunted. "Both of you make a good pair- oh stop glaring. It is not as if the dead players can't revive. Just a good loss of levels, that's all."

"You don't understand, dumb metal head. She moves like those ninjas in your silly comics and kills without hesitation. Her expression is even more so appalling. Why would you want to invite her to our expedition? Don't we have enough volunteers?"

"Silly girl. Haven't you recalled the principle of replication with variation in class last week? This killer's skill sets may be what we need."

"Yet, competition without causation is unhealthy," Calliope rebuked. "All I wanted was to hunt a Wyern's heart for summoning."

"And yet, this mage has made lots of enemies while simply shopping."

They bickered as they slowly made their way to the last dungeon near Base City. Clearing it was not a problem for since their skill sets complement each other, i.e. his high-level hearing ability could compensate for the mage's affected concentration while reading spells aloud, her Deity-level spirit complemented a Knight's lack of attack range. However, their progress was at a standstill in Beginner Level Cities such as this. A forgemaster was rumored to be located close to Moss Stone too.

 

[BreeDav]

As the mage took her leave, the assassin faded into the darkness. There was something off about Calliope. Something off about the whole deal. “I’m not a bodyguard” Siren grumbled, long after the mage was too far to hear. She found her way to the bounty board outside the local tavern. She checked for postings. It was nothing good. A few joke postings that offered close to nothing for kills, one request for assistance that she had no interest in, and a bunch of item requisitions.

She rubbed her temples slowly. It was always incredibly frustrating when she couldn’t find work. She liked to always have some low priority jobs on the back burner in case there was a lull in her hiring’s, but it had been about a week since she’d last been contacted. She had to find something.

Siren didn’t have a job outside of mindsworth. She took the in-credits that she earned and auctioned them off to rich folks who barely knew how to clear a dungeon. She posted as a hired gun on forums and gave advice to those who would pay hourly. Mindsworth was all she had. It was all she was good at. With a long sigh she posted a notice;

Hired Gun

Distance Shooter, PK listed, High-Level Player
Available for target hits, level losses, and party protection
SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY​

This wasn’t a good idea, and Siren already knew it. She was going to get spammed by people who had no idea what the worth of her services were. She’d have no choice but to take up Calliope’s offer at this rate.

“Moss Stone in two sols…” Her lips moved but barely any sound came out. She added the meeting to her calendar and logged out of the game.

Siren’s apartment was modest: one room that the agent had bragged was “open plan”. She’d tucked a slightly smaller than “full” mattress into the far corner, wedged a table against the wall and opted for some beanbag chairs and pillows instead of a couch. The view was nice when you didn’t look too close. Any sort of examination and the viewer would see the worst bits of town. To be fair, even the worst bits weren’t too bad. Most problems had been fixed; there was no extreme poverty, smog didn’t cloud the skies, and people didn’t need to steal or terrorize each other. But the west side wasn’t made of sparkling glass and polished steel. It was clean concrete and cold brick.

It wasn’t a bad place, but when Siren pulled off the Mindsworth headset, she felt an incredible hate for it bubble up inside her. She sat for a few minutes. Slowly, Siren drifted away from her and she was just Kaori again. She made herself dinner and checked the postings she had online. A few had interest, $500 for 4000 credits. It wasn’t a bad deal, but the value of credits was going up. She could probably drive up that price a bit. Her fridge was about a fourth full and rent wasn’t due for another two weeks. She had time to sit on the offer. She sent out a counteroffer ($1000 for 4000 credits) and curled up to sleep.

 

[witcher0y]

Two Solar Days huh...

The knight closed his eyes and logged off. It was examination week and they could not afford to slack off.

"Makoto! Miyahama Makoto!"

Auburn brown hair high school boy was jolted away by a familiar sharp voice. Wearily looking up from his desk, he was startled to his twin sister standing beside him.

"Ah, Miyuki. This is the wrong classroom," his speech slurring.

A sharp flick on his forehead and the twins were back to their regular bickering. Their schoolmates only looked on in mixed feelings of exasperations and laughter. The twins were well-known for not getting along despite being on Public Relations Council but their school work ethics were commendable.

"The examination is over, you fool. Come on, let's leave quickly. I got a GM message," Miyuki continued in a hush tone. "There seems to be an overload of answers to our requests at you-know-where."

To keep their public images up as part of the popular kids who only focused on academic and etiquette studies, the VR game world was frowned upon. Makoto was a school newspaper idol while Miyuki busied herself as the feminist advocate and ideal girl crush with her unusually strong will. Their boarding school restricted certain what-they-deem-as-bad influences but the Miyahama twins could be very cheeky and influential to bend some rules.

As they unsuccessfully try to sneak past their fans, Miyuki stole a look at her brother. He has soft features like her so she could she how the females were drawn to his rather fetching looks. However, his looks could not beat the player who double killed them in MindsWorth, causing their disgraceful fall to base Cities for weeks. She could have hated him like her brother but his duo talents left her in envious awe.

Makoto winced as his friends started smirking at his predicament - he had to choose a new girl if he wanted to leave this school in post-exam celebrations. The jubilee had made his fans more unreasonable than usual. Catching his sister's eyes, he sighed inwardly. Looks like they will be late tonight.

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

There were a few squeals which were quickly muffled as the bar of an Underground Guild burst open. An attractive blond swordsman had returned and it was fairly hard to find him outside the hunting grounds. Even the bartender NPC found him hard to hate with his radiant appearance. That was until he opened his mouth.

"Well, Mister, your bar is as shabby. Don't start raising those prices," the swordsman's sharp gaze fell on the NPC. "One beer undrafted."

Accepting a small envelope for the swordsman, the NPC sneered. "That lousy attitude will get you nowhere with the girls."

"Am I supposed to care? Well? the draft?" the swordsman raised an eyebrow.

Clicking his tongue, the NPC could not refute. It was not programmed. Although the other jealous patrons nearby started moving away, they knew of his notoriety. Easy on the eye, the blond player was unusually high-ranked level swordsman with many hidden powers; one of which includes his seductive voice which could beguile any female player despite hs rudeness. He had never used it voluntarily since he was a solo player and women were as much as inconvenience to him as fighting ogres.

The NPC returned with menu and a coaster. In a hushed tone, the bartender leaned in, "There was an offer posted by that killer. Last seen heading to moss few hours ago."

The sides of his lips curled, the swordsman took the coaster and left without a drink. With his speed, he could easily overtake her and reach Moss Stone first. However, this time, he wanted her to notice him.

Roy || BreeDav

 

[BreeDav]

Walking down the cobbled path to Moss Stone, Siren couldn't help but remember the first time she'd walked this road. It had been years ago when the beta was new. She'd walked this road when no one knew her name and when no one cared what she did. Things were a lot wilder in those first few months. That was when she'd developed everything she knew now.

Just as she'd expected, she'd gotten no new jobs from the posting she'd published. Well, she'd gotten jobs but none of them were anything close to acceptable. She'd have to take the job in Moss Stone. She'd travel with the party she'd been hired to protect, then would continue on to the end-game cities. Fewer players ever made it there, but the ones who did always held grudges against each other and almost always had the money to pay her prices.

The price of assassination was high, Siren would be the first to admit that. But she had a reputation for doing it right. She'd studied the way that the game worked and how to best do her job. She began to understand how the world was built. Players who died would lose the most levels if there were slain in one hit. Headshots gave extra damage, but nothing else on the body did. Items had to be claimed and collected within 30 seconds after death, otherwise, they were only retrievable by the original owner.

But she wasn't only paid to know the mechanics of killing, she was paid to take the PK. Being listed as a Player Killer was taboo. It didn't win any friends. Player Killers wore the "shameful" mark of a murderer, glowing red eyes. They couldn't join guilds and couldn't lead parties. That alone kept most people from doing it. But, above all else, PK's weren't eligible for the Mindsworth awards. So even though she spent most of her time in the top 20 game wide players, top 10 kills per week, and was one of the highest leveled players on the map, she would never be considered.

The path was beautiful and it was quiet. Almost no one bothered her, and the ones who did were easily cut down. A small smile graced Siren's lips as her throwing dagger slipped through her fingers. It sank into the neck of the player who's tried to sneak up on her. His body seemed to fizz and mist before disappearing. She'd always believed the death animations in this game were beautiful. She picked up the silver dagger and slid it into the sheath on her thigh once more.

Though the forest that she walked through was misty, she could see the flag of Moss Stone rising over the trees. It couldn't be any more than ten minutes walk away.

 

[witcher0y]

Three more shadows tailed the inconspicuous infamous Player Hunter. The trio held the job of assassins and well-known in the Black Market for only accepting difficult jobs. Their joint success rate has been over 90% and they were unusually eager to make their first female target in a long while the turning point in their career. Unbeknownst to them, one of their former preys was leisurely following all four players out-of-range.

The blond player casually slice through the thick foliage bordering the cobbled path. Moss Stone was less than a thousand jumps away and he had not intention to fight near the city. Though quiet a city, Moss Stone has a battalion of Swamp Natives who were well-versed in the terrain's uneven grounds and secret sinkholes made by swamp creatures to trap the next player. As its name pertains, Moss Stone is covered in algae of all varieties which looked glistening green from afar. Infact, upon closer inspection, some greens were hiding carnivorous flowers or insects. A wrong step off the cobbled path could even release some sticky spores which cause allergic reactions unless the player has been tied in Moss Stone Alchemy School.

The blond player winced slightly as he accidentally kicked a biting pebble. The moon is nigh and the thick foliage was not helping. Silently activating incantation (a privilege for the blessed), the blond player glided above the suspicious dangerous grounds by absorbing the water from unfortunate plants nearby.

Meanwhile, in Moss Stone, Mage Calliope had arrived ahead of her partner. She was too peeved at the lacklustre bounty hunters seeking her high reward quest that she hid in her former senior's lounging - a double room in Moss Stone Alchemy Hostel. Money was never an issue; finding the right candidate was. Her senior returned with some potions and grimaced.

"85,000 gold ain't no small amount, sister Cal," he said as he packed the potions in her bag. "Simply bodyguards are the easiest bunch to find in any towns."

They had been unlikely friends - he was an introvert at the same boarding school who discovered a popular girl's account by hacking. Calliope overlooked it with a motive of blackmailing him at school. She could be very scary when poked.

"Athough they do not see to understand that high rewards always carry a certain level of risk the requester has foreseen..."

Roy || BreeDav

 

[BreeDav]

The game developers had done such an incredible job at creating this idyllic wooded area. They had mystical creatures that darted across the path, dappled lighting that danced across the stones beneath her feet, and wind that shifted the leaves in the trees around her. But, there were no naturally generated shifting rocks or snapping twigs or scraping of boots against dirt. Those who had not walked these paths as often as Siren may have missed it, but she couldn't. Most players in this area may not know her name, but she wasn't ignorant enough to believe her relative anonymity would protect her.

She slowed her pace but continued. She was careful, keeping her eyes forward and her posture casual. Her hands didn't as much as twitch toward her trusted guns. Just before the outer walls of Moss Stone she stopped. They had followed her this far, and they had almost succeeded in staying hidden. She knew there was at least one, but suspected two. Anyone this careful knew her reputation, at least in part. They wouldn't attack alone. She'd made a mental list of the players who's rankings compared to hers and tried to fit them to these hidden figures approaches, but most of the people with rankings as prestigious as her's weren't stealth-based players. None were assassins.

And they had to be assassins. She didn't have incredible items. She'd built her character in such a way that it was difficult to knock her levels down. They had to have been sent to kill her. But what kind of self-respecting PK would let themselves be felled?

Siren tapped an ornate metal buckle that sinched leather straps across her chest. As she touched it, the armor came to life, glowing around her with a faint blue haze. Her boot slid over the cobblestone beneath her feet, turning her body to face the forest that had just stood behind her. "Are the credits you've been offered worth your life?" Her eyes scanned the tree line, looking for darting shadows or leaves moving around invisible bodies. "Make your move." With a twitch of her fingers, her guns were in her hands.

Suddenly, she was in her element. The moment that she felt how the smooth grip of her guns fit against her palm, she knew her power. She had no doubts about what the outcome of this fight would be. She was ready for whatever came out of hiding.

 

[witcher0y]

The party of three assassins were childhood friends from the same institute. They were careful planners and well-known for their impeccable teamwork. They had an inside joke; calling themselves the lightning trio even though their characters had no lightning attribute. In fact, their characters were carefully designed for them according to their strengths and they had to complement the other. One was known for his lightning speed but weak in looking at the greater picture; the second was their operator who specialized in directing their positions but lack the fighting ability; and the third was a tanker who has the speed and defence level on the high.

This was their latest assignment and their employer promised grand rewards. Despite the appeal, there was only one out of the 3 rewards they truly looked forward to - an escape from their real-life predicament. Their target this time was a famed player on the high score board. As they enveloped themselves in the shadows awaiting the right moment to pounce, the hunters were being hunted - a blond player had quickly stepped outside of the battlefield and erased his presence.

 

[BreeDav]

The player's eyes scanned the area. She just needed one mistake. One small mistake. Then she saw it, a knee cap poking out from behind a tree trunk. She shot, hitting the attacker. As he stumbled forward she shot a second bullet at him. His body fizzed and disappeared. A badly thrown ninja star cut through some grass before skittering and clattering to a stop on the stone path. Siren's trained eye tracked the star's path to a dark area of the tree line. In an ability most didn't know she possessed, she teleported in a puff of black smoke. She felt her body dark from shadow to shadow then pop into material existence once more in front of the assassin who'd attacked her. Shock was clear on his face when she wrestled him to the ground. Her knee came down on the back of his neck and her gun pressed into the back of his skull.

A third assassin was suddenly running at her, club swinging down. In an act of sheer instinct, she pointed her off-handed gun at him. His club glanced off her armor. She let the force roll her off the man she'd pinned. "Three of you. Someone really wanted me gone." One more shot and the man with the club fizzed into nothingness. With quick movements, she came down on her last attacker once more. "Now I really need you to answer some questions".

She pressed the barrel of her gun against his skull once more "If I shoot here, your player level will fall by 40%." Her gun slid down his spine before stopping just below his ribs. "If I put a few bullets here, you won't lose more than 20%. It'll probably be closer to 10. The man's fingers twitched toward one of his weapons. With as much force as she could muster, she brought her left foot down on his wrist. At the same time, her knee pressed him down even harder. His chin was buried into the rocks and mud of the ground.

"Who hired you?" She lifted her eyes, scanning the area for any other threats. Her nimble fingers cocked the gun, ready to shoot the second he answered. "Think about how hard you've worked to level up and answer the damn question."

 

[witcher0y]

"Do you think these levels are worth **?" the assassin hissed. "Naive little girl. Yo have not seen cruelty."

With that, he stabbed himself and forced a log off. The other assassins followed suit and the field was left in the silence of the after battle. Even the slimes had left. At an observable distance, the blond player heaved a regretful sigh. The assassin trio had failed to leave him any viable clue to solve a nagging worry. Maybe I need to hunt to relieve all this frustration...Agile and decisive, he chose the best path to elude trackers and headed to Moss Stone.

At the side entrance of Moss Stone, a mage was deliberately releasing her aura.

"Late," she muttered under her labored breaths.

Her partner emerged from the shadows and smirked, "Early. Considering I came before your preferred choice. You have bad taste in those other candidates. They die too quickly under my sword."

 

[BreeDav]

The man dissipated beneath Siren, fizzing and dying where she held him. He didn't leave anything. No inventory, no weapons, no slime from the death. Nothing. It was as if he'd never been there. As if she'd never been attacked. It was as if someone hadn't just tried to have her killed. She stood slowly, dusting herself off. Something odd was happening, and Siren hated being left in the dark. She pulled up the game's menu and sent out a message to the top 10 players on each leader board she was ranked on.

Watch your back. Targeted by 3 high-level assassins while traveling in low-level forests. Will pay for info.
Guess I'm not the only one going after top 10's
-Siren

She could see the irony of an assassin warning the players who'd often been her targets that someone else was looking for them, but this didn't seem like a usual business. This was different. They had killed their own avatars, meaning that they were getting paid whether they killed her or not. That wasn't normal. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to think. But there was no one who stood out her mind that would do this. What was the purpose? They didn't get any information, they hadn't been good enough to get in any real shots at her. And they had also specialized in shadow, so even the hits they had gotten in hadn't done much. They should have sent someone who specialized in light or fire. But shadow...? They had to have been making a statement.

She slid her guns back into their holsters on her thighs and brushed off her clothes. She continued to Moss Stone more cautiously, but nothing else sprung out at her. She made her way through the city, buying a few provisions, having her knives hired, and healing up. But she was quick enough to meet Calliope.

"I decided to take up your offer. Let's find somewhere to grab a drink and figure out the details."

 

[witcher0y]

Calliope smiled politely despite her disgruntled inner thoughts.

"Very well. We are a party of three. There is a Knight in Silver with a White Rose Insignia on his armor's breastplate. He has reserved a quiet table in Green Turns. I hope your high level status means finding your own way there is a piece of cake. I will meet up with you two later. He will brief you on the specifics."

Calliope stepped away from the dim street lights and disappeared through a door behind a neighboring trinket merchant. Her requested disposable items were waiting for pick-up and with a few bordering-illegal upgrades, she had to go through a few time-restricted portals to get there.

In the swamps surrounding Moss Stone, a lone blond magic swordsman was upheaving viscous water bodies with a clever combination spells. This forced the tiny creatures to scamper and irate the larger, fear-inducing swamp monsters. A mud-colored Bunyip snared as it rose out of slumber. Four beady, black eyes fell on the glimmering yellow head and double rows of fangs slit the mouth wider than the head. It gave a threatening growl and leaped with its dripping black legs at terrifying speed, the heavy swamp soaked body not holding any speed back. The blond player leisurely side-stepped it and duck dive as the creature pounce again. This time, he took two foot artillery swords and aimed heavy slashes at the abdomen of the creature. Dark crimson blood rained down on the blond hunter, coloring his navy robes black. The creature fell dead on both sides. The hunter did not look perturbed by the staining. As blood streamed down the sides of his reddish blond hair, his eyes gleamed as if he was relishing the quick battle. The other Bunyips felt threatened and started to get smarter - attacking in a group.

However, this was nothing more than the hunter could ask for. He steadied his longsword this time. The monster drops were infamous for being stingy in the swamps. However, the experience points were enough to satisfy the battle-hungry hunter.

Back in the safety of Moss Stone's quiet tavern, a silver knight was intently looking at a tattered map. It showed two possible routes through the dangerous swamp to an underwater cavern. One was widely known to be filled with huge swamp beasts hunger for fresh meat. The second route was slightly safer from beasts but full of toxic gases. He had to choose between dying from overuse of recovery potions or protection mana. He sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Why does my sister need a Wyern's heart so badly?"

Roy || BreeDav

 

[BreeDav]

There was something odd about Calliope, Siren was sure of it. The mage obviously didn't trust her, so why had she been asked to join the traveling party? The idea that Calliope had been the player to order a hit on Siren had passed through her mind, but the mage hadn't seemed surprised or worried when she'd arrived at their meeting place. It was all very odd.

She followed the knight to their reserved table at Green Turns. This tavern wasn't quite her taste; a bit too noisy and slightly too crowded. The NPC's were more rude than she preferred, and the posting board was in a space that was easily watched by everyone at the bar. She slid into the chair across from the night, barely paying him any mind as he prattled on about risks and routs. "Its a powerful ingredient." She pushed the tips of her fingers into her temples "I don't do much crafting so I can't tell you what she might plan to use it for." She leaned forward, her eyes finally focusing on the map. "Wyern's heart is often used to supplement strength though..." She reached out, running a finger over the paths.

"This path." She said sharply. "You'll be paying me to protect you. I can shoot our way through monsters. I can't do anything about poisonous gasses." a soft smile found it's way onto her lips. "That swamp isn't as bad as most people think. The beasts hit hard, but their ac is low. Make sure you and your sister have some nice armor and you'll be fine."

 

[witcher0y]

The knight drew a tiny smirk. He could see why his sister was ticked off by her attitude.

"Generally, the last to join the table will introduce themselves first. But as a knight," he puffed his chest to show the special white insignia. "I shall overlook it. Please accept my humble name, Thrace of White Rose Knights. Be assured all our equipments are top-notch even though our skills are ranked. I am part of the guild so you will not see my name on any famous board. And will the fair lady share her name?"

The White Knights were one of the high-ranked all-male knights (most whom have pompous attitude and overrated chivalry) . However, they had to endure strict trainings to emerge as the best tank units MindWorth has seen thus far. While they usually hunt as a battalion, there are a few outliers who were only required to report to arms in World Events. They had been highly requested as frontliners by other guilds. Their motto was to uphold justice and protect the weak. The High Commander was known to be elusive so it was mostly the boisterous Second-in-Command who lead quests.

 

[BreeDav]

Siren withdrew her hand, eyes traveling up to meet his. "Oh, a knight?" she feigned surprise and placed a gloved hand over her heart "I had no idea." The expression melted away, leaving only a sly smile on her lips. "If the suit of armor wasn't enough, the insignia should have given it away," The white knights were well respected. She'd run into enough of them to know anyone in their ranks was talented. But they weren't listed individually, so she didn't know any of their names. That was the downside of being a part of a guild. You didn't get the glory, it was all shared.

Siren turned and waved down one of the waitress NPC's. "Coffee and whatever he wants." She pointed to Thrace and waited for his order before waving the woman away.

"I assumed your sister would have let you know who I was. My name isn't so humble." She pushed her hair back from where it usually hung around her face. Her red eyes gleamed with renewed brightness when they were cleared of the dark strands that usually hid them. As a PK, she'd never even had the option of joining a guild, so debating whether to grow along with a team or to fight hard alone wasn't something she'd ever even had the opportunity to think through. "Call me Siren." she crossed her arms and leaned back in the tavern chair. "Your sister is going to pay me to make sure you two make it to the other side of whatever quest you're on."

 

[witcher0y]

"Yes Lady Siren. The current asking fee is 70,000 gold. Do you accept? Your job is to protect my sister from her competitors while I may be otherwise engaged," Thrace smiled goodnaturedly. "Although I am very sure your job is kept at the minimal, I would like to be on the safe side. We have taken on a new quest and a side-quest so I may require my Lady's assistance. The new quest was recently posted in the town hall to clear one of the new parasitic colonies in the swamps and attain a certain soul gem. The side-quest is more personal to my sister's growth as a mage. However, it seems her attitude- goal has acquired much jealousy from people vying for her achievements."

He stood up and offered a friendly gesture of agreement. "If you are ready, she will be waiting at the exit near the swamps."

The mage in question was impatiently tapping her foot on a cornerstone as she waited for er companions. With a little divination, she realised their hunting trip this round had revealed both troubling cards yet a smooth start.

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

Deep in the swamps, the last Bunyip was felled with a quick slash. The last of its kind losing its potential legacy to a blood-stained swordsman wielding an orb of clean liquid in one hand. He barely smirked at his achievement as he pressed the orb on his chest to cleanse off the smell and dirt. This route was easier than he made it out to be. Glancing ahead, he activated his unique far-sightedness to gauge the dangers lurking. It seems a team of 4 quest hunters had beaten him on the path to the cavern. But their progress was hindered by mischievous Will-o-wisps and their illusionary magic to lure prey into sinkholes.

"Looks like that path is off-limits for now," the tall, blond man mumbled.

He trudged through the slimy remains of the bunyips and went around the breeding grounds of will-o-wisps, ignoring the cries for help of the 4-man team. Reaching the dry lands of hanging over trees and dead shrubs, the fog thickens and crooked laughter began filling the emptiness. He shivered slightly and it wasn't in the cold; he was not in his best element to fight the next level. Lighting a small fire would draw much attention. He paused to think before summoning warm earth to coat his cold feet. Something did not feel right. And he did not want to feel out of place in the swamp of watching eyes.

 

[BreeDav]

Knights were always entertaining, especially Knights of the White Rose. "Just Siren." She flashed the man a smile "Trust me, I'm no lady." With a small laugh, she nodded "I'll take 70,000 gold under the agreement that I get first loot of any kills I make."

She stood and started walking once they were done with their meeting. "For this kind of job, I usually hang back. I'll stick to your sister unless you call me forward. I don't need any xp farming so you take all the kills you want. I trust you'll be able to direct me as you'd like. I work best in the shadows, but you shouldn't need to worry about that too much." A bright smile found her lips "Forests and swamps tend to work well for those of us who specialize in shadow." She looked over at the knight as they walked side by side. He and his sister seemed powerful enough. She was sure he knew most of the things she was telling him, but she'd been surprised by how stupid players could be before.

"If there is anything I need to know about the way you or your sister fight, tell me now. Because believe me, you don't want to catch me by surprise in the middle of a fight."

Speak of the devil, Siren thought. The gates out of the city came into sight, Calliope just beyond them. Siren's expression hardened. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her gaze so that her eyes shown red in the sun.