The descent from Blightwood Tower was quieter than Void had anticipated. After the grueling battle against Ironclad, the silence of the ruins felt both eerie and soothing. His body ached from the brutal fight, but the weight of victory was worth every bruise and scrape. MiraNight walked alongside him, her posture tired but triumphant.
"You think the others made it out okay?" she asked, breaking the quiet.
"They were holding off the Silver Fangs when we went in," Void replied. "With Ironclad down, their morale should crumble. The others should have been able to hold their own."
MiraNight smirked, a slight gleam in her eyes. "And if not, well, we just killed their leader. That should count for something."
As they emerged from the base of the tower, the scene outside was much as they had left it—chaos and battle, though now, it was clearly winding down. The Silver Fangs were retreating, their formation broken. Some were abandoning their posts, while others were caught in the fray with the coalition forces.
"Looks like you were right," MiraNight said, observing the battlefield.
Void scanned the area, catching sight of a few familiar faces—members of allied guilds—finishing off the remnants of the Silver Fangs' forces. The coalition, which had been hastily formed to defeat Ironclad and his guild, was victorious. But the uneasy alliance wouldn't last much longer. There would be discussions about splitting the loot, claiming territory, and settling old scores.
"Let's meet with the others. We need to regroup before things start to get complicated," Void suggested.
MiraNight agreed, and the two made their way toward the gathering spot the coalition had agreed upon before the battle. Along the way, they passed by scattered corpses of players and NPCs, the remnants of a war that had claimed its fair share of casualties. For all its beauty, this virtual world was ruthless.
When they arrived at the camp, they were met with weary but relieved faces. The coalition had suffered losses, but they had won the battle. A few of the leaders approached Void and MiraNight, their eyes filled with gratitude and curiosity.
"You did it?" asked Kyron, the leader of the Eagle's Talon, a guild that had joined the coalition for the promise of loot.
Void nodded. "Ironclad is dead. The Silver Fangs are broken."
There was a murmur of approval among the group. A few players clapped Void on the back, congratulating him on his victory. MiraNight received similar praise, though she waved it off with a casual smirk.
"So, what now?" Kyron asked, folding his arms. "There's going to be a lot of loot to distribute. And a lot of territory up for grabs."
Void exchanged a glance with MiraNight. They had fought hard for this victory, but he had no interest in squabbling over scraps. His goals were more ambitious.
"I'm not interested in the territory," Void said firmly, surprising the coalition leaders. "You can divide it amongst yourselves. All I want is Ironclad's loot and the information he had on upcoming quests."
There was a pause as the leaders absorbed this. It was an unusual request, but Void knew exactly what he was doing. Territory meant responsibility, and with responsibility came conflict. His goal wasn't to become a guild leader or rule over a piece of the game world. He wanted freedom—freedom to pursue opportunities, quests, and, most importantly, wealth.
Kyron scratched his chin, clearly pondering the proposal. "You want his gear and information, huh? You sure you don't want a piece of the land?"
Void nodded. "Positive. That's my only condition."
"Fine by me," said a gruff voice from behind. It was Renan, leader of the Crimson Blades, a rival guild to the Silver Fangs. "You can have Ironclad's stuff. We've been after their land for months. This works out."
The others seemed to agree, nodding in approval. The loot distribution wouldn't be simple, but Void's terms gave him exactly what he wanted—access to the most valuable resources without the burden of running a guild or managing land.
As the discussions continued, MiraNight nudged Void, her expression amused. "Not bad, Void. You're playing a long game, aren't you?"
Void shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips. "I'm just thinking ahead. There's no point in getting stuck with territory disputes. Information is more valuable right now. There's a lot coming in the next few weeks—new quests, dungeons, and events."
"Speaking of which," she added, "what's your next move?"
Void glanced toward the horizon, where the dark outline of the Blightwood Forest loomed. "First, we claim Ironclad's loot. Then… I start using the information we find to our advantage."
They made their way to Ironclad's base within the tower ruins. Inside, it was clear that the Silver Fangs had amassed a significant hoard of wealth. Chests of gold, rare items, and valuable materials were piled high. But more importantly, there were maps—maps showing the locations of undiscovered dungeons, hidden quest lines, and lucrative trade routes.
Void's eyes lit up as he scanned through the documents. This was exactly what he had been hoping for. These maps and quests would be worth more than all the gold in the chests combined.
"Jackpot," MiraNight said, whistling as she looked over the loot. "I can see why you passed on the territory."
Void nodded, already formulating his next steps. With this information, he could get a head start on quests that no one else even knew existed. He could sell this information to other players or use it to complete quests before the competition even knew what was happening.
"We're going to be rich," MiraNight added, her grin widening.
"Not just rich," Void said quietly, his mind racing. "We're going to be ahead."
As Void and MiraNight sifted through the loot, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance of the tower. They turned to see a group of players entering, led by none other than Renan. He surveyed the room, his eyes narrowing as he took in the wealth around them.
"Looks like you found what you were looking for," Renan said, his tone neutral but his eyes gleaming with interest.
"We did," Void replied coolly. "And as agreed, all of this belongs to us."
Renan didn't argue. He had no interest in Ironclad's loot, but it was clear that he was watching closely. Void knew that their alliance was temporary and that Renan was the kind of player who always kept an eye on future competition.
"We'll be keeping an eye on you, Void," Renan said, his tone both a warning and a compliment. "You've made a lot of waves today."
Void met his gaze, unflinching. "I expect nothing less."
As Renan and his group left, Void turned to MiraNight. "We need to move fast. Once word gets out about Ironclad's defeat, others will come looking for what we've found."
MiraNight nodded, her expression serious. "What's the plan?"
"We take what we can carry," Void said, already grabbing the most valuable items and maps. "Then, we disappear for a while—lay low, sell the information quietly, and use it to get ahead."
MiraNight grinned, her excitement returning. "I like the sound of that."
As they finished packing up the loot, Void's mind was already racing with possibilities. This was just the beginning. With Ironclad out of the way and the wealth of information at his disposal, he was on the cusp of something far greater than just victory in a single battle.
This was the start of his rise—not as a ruler of land, but as a master of the game itself. And as Void and MiraNight left the ruins of Blightwood Tower behind, Void knew one thing for certain:
The real game was only just beginning.
.
.