Grey woke up the next day to a blinking light from his smart device. He looked at it and saw that he had 10,000+ notifications. "What the hell?"
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┌─┈━═[Content Workstation]═━┈─┐
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Video: Using Your Penalty-Free Death Window Like a Boss
Live viewers: 3,283,173
Total Views: 78,928,182
Likes: 17,583,281
Dislikes: 2,882,382
Comments: 41,382,173
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SpiderPig: At this rate, the haters will go extinct. [Emoji:RollingLaughter] | +37,281,290
━ heisenberg_blue: What are you talking about? The salty people are breaking nine figures easily. | +10,283,183
━━ CharlieManson: People didn't listen to his warning about the death penalty, so they went to Ridgemont and got massacred en masse. The compilation video is great XD | +29,832,111
━━━ Shaquille_Oatmeal: Sauce? | +5,281,382
━━━━ TwitterFingers: I got you. razz/the-best-of-ridgemont-heights-massacre | +28,287,182
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SniperGotYou: This is blatant cheating. | +31,283,283
━ HitNRUN: The devs need to ban this guy ASAP | +17,928,173
━━ RollingBarrelz: Yeah, he even shut down the sky cab service for a few hours | +8,382,198
━━━ PajamaNinja: Lulz. Only people on Razz would complain that the guy's cheating because he stopped them from cheating | +22,382,177
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Banana_hammock: Yooooooo, my boy Greed instructed NPCs to do a live stream to stop the massacre! Zero faith in other players lololol | +27,019,332
━ Dumbest_man_alive: This is a legendary achievement in video game history! | +16,281,899
━ KnuckleBreaker: What happened? | +7,283,103
━━ TwitterFingers: Greed instructed the NPCs at Ridgemont to capture a player, tie them up, and live stream a warning not to go to Ridgemont… and the fucking did it! Hahaha | +19,283,173
━━━ HoneyBadgerDGAF: Where's the video!? | +12,382,831
━━━━ Kaley_Main: Do you not know how to use the search function? Wtf. Here's the video for maximum likes and humiliation. razz/ridgemont-npcs-hold-live-stream-after-massacring-200%2B-players | +51,287,182
━━━ MillyMoore: They followed his instructions? Why didn't they think he was crazy? | +14,283,198
━━━━ RambunctiousPhil: What do u mean? Ryker's the future, yo. They have smart devices and can stream shit, he just told them the players had a special streaming device. | +16,283,090
━━━━━ LiverpoolLiz: Oh, I always forget this isn't a fantasy RPG game. | +21,382,183
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Grey's heart thumped, thinking that Murder of Crows would instantly know he was a multi-millionaire. However, once he clicked on a video, he noticed something—he didn't have the same appearance!
His hair was straight brown, and his eyes were nearly gold. The shape of his face was different, far more handsome than before, and his smile was perfect. While his body had the same muscle density, his shoulders were broad and symmetrical.
It was bizarre, considering that the other players retained their original asymmetrical features. Everyone looked exceedingly normal—but him.
No one would suspect it was him, even if he sounded and acted the same. He was far too [perfect] to suspect anything from!
"Well…." Grey whispered, "That's good, at least. It's time to get my head in the game; we're gambling big today and I need to be ready."
***
"How long do we have until we reach the Twisted District?" Greed asked, sitting in an armored skycruiser flying to Ramo, a neighboring city of Markov.
"Thirty minutes." Mark replied, "Where are we going?"
Grey's arm disappeared into thin air, shocking everyone before reappearing with a pen and paper. "I'll draw you all a map. Burn this into your memory, as I will destroy it after."
All the mercenaries swallowed nervously at his ominous words.
"Everything in the Twisted District exists in the open because the military doesn't want to go there." Mark prefaced, "So what's so secret?"
"Don't ask questions." Grey replied coldly, "You will protect me while meandering through the Twisted District aimlessly, and you'll become amnesic for life. Understand?"
The icy glint in the teen's eyes was unnatural for his age. None expected the charismatic boy grew up in a syndicate from a young age but now questioned it.
"Understood." Mark replied.
"I understand."
"What are we talking about?"
"I'm not sure. I don't want to die after making all this money."
"Hah, me either."
Everyone burst into laughter, easing their anxiety as they flew to Remo.
***
Grey was on Ryker, the starting planet for Myriad online. While it was the "starting" planet, it could hardly be called a starter anything.
It was eight times the size of Earth, with a proportionate number of continents and people. Over forty thousand languages were spoken daily between people separated by twelve oceans.
A player could spend the rest of their life completing quests on the planet. Beyond the hundred starter zones and main storyline, every quest was algorithmically generated and unique. Thus, there were unlimited opportunities.
He was currently in Markov, a city in Tidus, a critical supply country, separating two countries at war. As a result, they fought over the country to control the economic advantage it brought.
Once a thriving city, it had skyscrapers reaching the heavens. Above, he could see suburban residential districts with cul-de-sacs showcasing the area's prior wealth.
However, years of war had reduced 80% of the buildings to their concrete foundations. It was a nightmare area that was unlivable.
Despite that, people were living there—war profiteers. Some chose the area because they could make a hefty amount selling services to soldiers and rebels on both sides.
After all, a sky cab ride costing ten zecta in peaceful countries cost 200 zecta in Markov, representing a 2,000% markup.
To the south of Markov was a city called Remo, which mostly looked like its neighbor. However, a tenth of the city looked like the developed world.
Neon lights.
Buildings with rooftops.
Nearly free of explosions.
It almost looked like it was a peaceful city. However, it was anything but.
Officially titled the [Twisted District], the area was a massive commerce district without restrictions on its goods and services.
That meant it primarily had legitimate goods and services, from sports equipment to top-of-the-line electronics equipment.
However, its lack of restrictions made it a magnet for every other type of good and service imaginable.
Guns.
Whores.
Illegal NPCs.
Gambling.
Drugs.
If a fetish had a name, a person could purchase it in the Twisted District. Sick obsessions. Twisted curiosities. It had everything.
The military didn't touch it because its wealth bought a military force with equipment rivaling the most powerful military superpowers. It had anti-missile systems that could counteract a nuclear missile strike five hundred miles out.
Since it was neutral, no military touched it because it wasn't worth sacrificing countless lives and equipment to shut down. It wasn't a joke.
Grey was headed there to crash a quest because he had money and hoped to buy some items. However, having money didn't make him a customer there—it made him a target.
"If you're unaware, teens are in high demand in the Twisted District." Mark said gravely, "Since you're using private protection without an emblem, traffickers will attack us on sight. Your wealth means nothing; if anything, it makes you a bigger target."
Grey looked out the window, thinking about the situation. His entrance was offensively arrogant.
The Twisted District was a high-danger, level-unrestricted zone generally ranging from Level 25 to 100 NPCs, but it periodically saw visitors pressing 200.
Anyone could capture and sell a Level 0 there—and they would.
It was a zone with a minimum recommended level of 45, but he was waltzing in at level zero with a pack of level 20 mercenaries. However, they had overpowered weapons and gear that shouldn't be obtainable for average players for months. They looked stronger than they were.
Lastly, even if they did survive—Grey also wasn't welcome to the quest site. Nothing about what he was doing made logical sense.
"In that case, get out some handcuffs." Grey replied seriously, moving his plasma pistol to the back of his jeans, "I'm officially your merchandise, and you're transporting me. Do you understand?"
All five men nodded, watching Mark get handcuffs and unlock them, keeping the key in.
***
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─┈━═[World Announcement!]═━┈─
Player Greed has become the first player to find a rumored-class location.
Location: Twisted District
Location Classification: Rumored
City: Ramo
Country: Markov
Planet: Ryker
Their achievement has made history and will get recorded in the Myriad Record for all eternity.
Note: Rumored-class locations are renowned areas that few have journeyed to because they are dangerous or not easily accessible.
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─┈━═[World Announcement!]═━┈─
Player Greed has become the first player to enter a variable-level zone.
Zone: Twisted District
City: Ramo
Country: Markov
Planet: Ryker
Minimum Level Required: 0
Maximum Level Permissible: Unlimited
Minimum Level Recommendation: 45
Their achievement has made history and will get recorded in the Myriad Record for all eternity.
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A group of elite soldiers met the group at a general docking bay in the Twisted District when they touched down.
"Business?"
"None of your business." Mark replied murderously.
"Just checking." The soldier replied apathetically, "How long are you keeping docked here?"
"Six hours." The bald mercenary replied, "However, we may be back as soon as an hour."
A group secured the skycruiser, locking it to ensure they couldn't leave without paying—twice.
"Very well. That'll be 5,000 credits." The soldier said.
Mark narrowed his eyes, understanding that he was getting ripped off significantly. However, he nodded with a murderous look, letting the soldier know he understood but was busy.
The soldier shuddered but accepted, playing it off and letting them go.
Grey observed the exchange, never losing his grip on the handcuff's key or his pistol's stability.
"Move!" Mark barked, pushing the teen forward and starting their walk into the Twisted District.