The game announcement shocked every player.
Even though most didn't really care about what happened in the Priyan Kingdom. The news about the difficulty level jumping to such a high degree was what bothered them. It was simply astounding and unprecedented.
It was definitely a first, and it signified a grim possibility for the future of Dark Descent.
What if another raid fails in the future but in a much harder area? If it was possible for a D-rank area to shift its difficulty to S-rank just from a single failed raid, then what would happen if it was an A-rank area instead? Wouldn't that just spawn an unplayable area?
Many questions bothered different players, some more than others. All the talk infested the game forums— Many people were questioning what triggered such a thing to happen. Numerous speculations appeared here and there, but as for solid answers, none came.
---
In a dark room filled with nothing but posters of beautiful idols sat a quiet Josef.
He blankly stared at his VR gear, moving it back and forth on his two hands. His face didn't foster any positive emotion. His lips were pale, his eyes; dark and dull, and his expression; devoid of any happiness. He was spacing out all this while after what happened.
"What was the point of playing all this time if I am just gonna lose everything?"
He solemnly muttered, his hands trembling, accidentally letting go of the VR gear, which fell and rolled down the wooden floor in a loud thud. Tears suddenly rolled down Josef's face. Being what most people would label as "unattractive", Josef lived a solitary life away from others. He was tired of hearing mockery and the like. For him, Dark Descent was more than just a game; it's his source of income, something a shut-in like him could rely on.
With only two more lives remaining, Josef felt extremely depressed. After acquiring his dream skill-set and equipment, he was confident enough to keep the three lives he had for the rest of his gaming career. Unfortunately, it hadn't been the case. He had lost one more just because of an "accident", something he never accounted for.
"... Why do I have to be so unlucky!" Josef angrily rebuked.
… *Ring!*
[Hey Josef, are you there? Can we meet? We have to talk about something -Cherise]
Suddenly, a text came. Josef hesitatingly picked and read the message.
A confused expression was suddenly painted on his face. Why was Cherise suddenly contacting him? She never had been the type to contact anyone outside the game. Josef, who was still grieving, felt a lot less gloomy after hearing from Cherise. Even though he lived a solitary life, it was a lot different in-game. He had a few friends in Dark Descent, including Vince, and of course, Cherise.
[Yeah, I'm here. Where do we meet exactly? I'll be there. -Josef]
---
Dark Descent— Seymus City, Altrius Continent.
The roads were cramped up with more players than usual. As the chosen save point for the Priyan Kingdom raid, it would obviously be one when they were force teleported after the raid failure. Although the Seymus City wasn't all that busy in terms of in-game economy, it was still somehow lively without the presence of the additional players.
One thing that made Seymus City somehow known was due to its close proximity to monster-farming areas. Albeit being one, the place isn't all that popular currently. Most monsters that exist within those farming areas are capped up to LV 10— Too low for the majority of concurrent players' average level.
"Those three that were sent probably failed… Tsk, and here I thought they were reliable."
"They were even about LV 30, right? How were they not enough to kill a D-rank boss?."
"Blah, what are we even doing here! It's too crowded, I'm out." — [Log Out]
Players from the raid immediately showed their displeasure after what happened.
Most were arguing while others opted to just log out and leave. None really cared about what happened to the three that were sent to clear the kingdom's castle. As far as they're concerned; the fault was on them, and they weren't willing to accept any excuses anyway.
Gradually, the city roads cleared and quieted down after most of the players left.
"A sudden appearance of an S-rank area, huh. Well, what a good omen… It would seem that transporting in this section of the continent wouldn't be too much a waste." A woman in a black and red dress murmured. A giggle followed after as she opened her inventory.
…
[Item: King Bushwolf Fang Blades]
Item Class: Legendary
Type: Dual Dagger
Effect: Grants Armor Phasing. Neglects armor below Legendary item class.
Requirement: LV 40+. Must have at least 60 points in DEX.
Forged by an unknown blacksmith, this dagger's blade was said to be made from the bones of a rare creature that lives within the forbidden forest of the Altrius Continent.
AGI +40
DEX +20
…
"Wonder if it's a place worth testing this bad boy out? From those blabbering amateurs from now, it would seem that the boss was able to defeat three players above LV 30? If that is true then… hehehe, this blade would finally taste its first blood." The woman added with a sinister smile on her face.
---
"You have an older sister? Since when? — Wait, no, nevermind. Why does it matter that you have a big sister anyway?" Josef asked in confusion. He immediately responded to Cherise's call thinking that it might be some sort of emergency, but now…
"It matters if you really care about getting back into the game…" Cherise replied.
Josef blankly stared at her, seemingly dumbfounded from her response. "Why would you even think that I need anything to get back into the game?... I am fine. Losing a life is means nothing to me." He added. Just as bad as he looks, Josef was also terrible at lying.
"You have red marks around your eyes?"
"It's allergies..."
"Stop lying…"
"Fine, but how would your sister even help me get over the fact that I am two lives away from getting thrown out of Dark Descent?" Josef queried. He finally gave up convincing Cherise that he was fine. After all, he shouldn't deny someone who was willing to help.
"By finishing that very area once more… The Priyan Kingdom."