MMORPG: The Elementalist

In Moonrise City, the Magicians�� Guild rose majestically out of the main thoroughfare of the city.

The Magicians�� Guild differed from the seven Elementalists�� Guilds that stood at the heart of the city. Here a group of Demigod-level ��troublemakers�� researched high-level magic, as well as locations where the secrets of magic were hidden. Among the wares they offered, there were Magic Skill Books for Tier 6 and 7 spells, and the secrets to even greater magic.

It was far beyond what the seven Elementalists�� Guilds possessed!

However, from the point of view of the players, the loony old buzzards in the Magicians�� Guild seemed to do nothing but spend all day in their great hall putting on a show to keep up appearances, and then having themselves a few drinks. Puffing out their beards and glaring around, they seemed to know nothing besides empty theatrics.

As for the arcane tomes they had lying around, those were just for impressing people, nothing but props for their act.

A long time ago, many players had hoped to find quests here that awarded Honor Points, but they��d only been met with disdain. Without even looking up at them, the old mages had waved them away, saying, ��Little warrior, you��re far from ready. Come back again when you��ve reached Tier 6!��

Nothing for you until Tier 6. What could anyone say to that?

Already past Level 40, the ��noobs�� left in tears, vowing on the game forums that they would never again return to the glorified old folks�� home called the Magicians�� Guild.

As time went by and word got around, the Magicians�� Guild faded away into obscurity.

When Qin Ruo walked into the Magicians�� Guild, clad all in Dark Gold equipment, he drew a lot of attention from other players. After all, on the side of the Angelic Faction, Moonrise City was the main border settlement granting passage to the Mythical Battlefield.

There was a complex interplay between the major and minor powers within the city, including a dozen mighty Leagues as well as powerful individual Clans, and also some questionable organizations which regularly sold information to the Demon Faction.

With a rising star like Qin Ruo, the moment he set foot in Moonrise City, he had drawn the attention of countless groups. Especially when they had noticed that he had gained three levels in the span of a single day, and was now wearing a full set of Dark Gold equipment, the gazes on him held every kind of implication.

***

��Heh, what a pity. If only this kid hadn��t pissed off a Tier 5�� I��d really be interested in offering him a place with us. Even in a big League, he��d be considered a Field Commander in his own right.�� Following behind him, a few people were whispering amongst themselves.

Of course, some people weren��t put off by such details.

��Can we recruit him? A small group like ours?��

��Exactly. Even while being hounded by the Netherspirit��s Claw, he could rush three levels at a go, this guy�� hmm���� This one spoke with a tone that dithered between excited and uncertain, as though unsure what to make of someone like Qin Ruo.

��Isn��t it said that he��s quite close with the Bauhinia Clan? The way I see it, Scarlet Bauhinia has probably got him under his wing, otherwise there��s no way the Netherspirit��s Claw would allow him to be training levels so freely.��

��Yeah, there��s more to this than meets the eye.��

As they carried on with their hushed discussion, the news that Qin Ruo was visiting the Magicians�� Guild in Moonrise City had reached Dark Dragon��s ears.

***

��So what if he��s picked up three levels? Big deal!��

Dark Dragon snapped contemptuously at the nervous junior member who��d brought the matter to his attention. Without another word, he cut off the call, turned aside, and asked his party, ��What do you all think?��

In the gloom of the dungeons beneath the Aricus Ruins, ten Elementalists, each one with their own Pet, were sealing off both ends of the corridor with devastating firepower, holding the swarming spiders at bay.

��Gaining three levels is indeed nothing to fuss over.��

While maintaining his area-effect spells, Netherclaw spoke in a grave tone, ��However, that kid left almost ten minutes later than Slayer��s Heart and the others. I imagine Qin Ruo has already succeeded at inscribing his Soul Imprint upon the Eternal Barrier.

��Yes, that should be it. The Amethyst Orc is a Melee-type Tier 5 Miniboss, while the Spectral Shaman is an Undead Summoner. Taking them on one at a time, Qin Ruo would be able to do better than us.��

Dark Dragon��s expression shifted ever so slightly. He was well aware of what it meant for an Elementalist to acquire a Soul Imprint to the Buried City: one could rush to Level 49 at ten times the speed of any other training ground across the Mythical Continent��or maybe even faster.

Netherclaw glanced askance at Dark Dragon.

��Think carefully about what I said. For some time to come, going down to the Buried City will mean tangling with him. What do you intend to do about it?��

��Pah!�� Dark Dragon spat. His eyes shone coldly beneath his cowl. ��What else? With all the commotion that��s been raised, is there any other option left for me? If people start to talk, they��ll say Dark Dragon was scared off by some Tier 4 whelp.��

Netherclaw sighed faintly. This was precisely what he had been worried about��that Dark Dragon��s concern over appearances would keep him at Qin Ruo��s heels.

Scarlet Bauhinia had yet to officially bring Qin Ruo into the Bauhinia Clan, supposedly in order to maintain friendly relations with the Netherspirit��s Claw. Then again, surely nothing would please that clown more than seeing the enemies of the Netherspirit��s Claw multiplying in number?

Qin Ruo was a lone figure, and that might lead one to think that he would be easy pickings, but there was more to him than that. With his Aquamorph skill, he could vanish without a trace and move around undetected. Aided by his Agile-type Pet, he was supremely adaptable��the worst kind of opponent to take on.

If his Clan spent too much of their attention on Qin Ruo, they��d fall behind in other areas, allowing Bauhinia to get ahead. What��s more, who��s to say that Scarlet Bauhinia wasn��t pulling the strings behind the scenes, quietly providing Qin Ruo with assistance, so that he could cause even more trouble for them?

All talk about Leagues and Clans aside, Netherclaw himself had no interest in continuing to harass Qin Ruo over that petty little matter back in the Graveyard of the Gods.

Their Tier 5 Supreme Champions could just as well ignore Qin Ruo entirely, but if Dark Dragon personally attacked him in the Buried City, it would make Qin Ruo a permanent enemy of the Netherspirit��s Claw, and then��

Netherclaw frowned deeply. In all of the Netherspirit��s Claw League, besides their four Tier 5 Supreme Champions, it was hard to imagine anyone else who could stand against the Winter Demon, Qin Ruo.

It would probably delight Scarlet Bauhinia greatly to see them provoke Qin Ruo into open hostility.

Speaking of the devil��

At the end of the corridor, where the monstrous spiders had just about been totally annihilated, a familiar laugh echoed from the distance. ��Netherclaw, my friend! You sure move fast! If I had been one second late, I��d probably have no hope of entering the Buried City today! Haha!��

The laughter was swiftly drawing nearer! Then Netherclaw and company saw it��the eye-catching sight of two people with Angelic Wings, protected by Barriers as they calmly stacked two castings of the area-effect spell Meteor Shower, one atop another. Comets rained throughout the corridor, but they were untouched.

They were Tier 5 Supreme Champions who��d achieved Divinity: Scarlet Bauhinia and Homme Fatale. The hints of more area-effect spells followed behind them. It was the Bauhinia Clan��s elite party.

The sudden appearance of these two, flying in upon Angelic Wings, made Netherclaw wince despite himself, before rushing over to greet them with a ��sincere�� smile.

��I say, and here I was wondering why there were so many monsters about��to think that our Bauhinia brothers were here as well, no wonder! Haha, welcome, welcome!��

These were the words he said aloud, but in his heart he was cursing silently. ��So they got themselves another piece of Divinity. Damn it, Scarlet��s got a gift for sneaking about. For him to be here with such perfect timing�� he must be responsible for yesterday��s Hard Mode conditions, as well.��

��Netherclaw, old friend, I��m sure you won��t hold it against me for arriving late to the party.��

��What are you talking about? The more the merrier!��

��Haha, that��s the spirit!��

��Well then, excuse us.��

Down in the dungeons, everyone laughed merrily together in shared deceit.

***

By then, Qin Ruo was already in the Magicians�� Guild, and had found the one that the people at the appraisal shop had directed him to look for: the elder of an ancient Clan, Morley.

***

��Ring?�� Nursing a cup of wine and gabbling away with some of the other shriveled old geezers, when Morley heard the reason behind Qin Ruo��s visit, the pink blush of hearty drunkenness immediately drained from his face, and he shot to his feet.

Eyes flashing, he gushed, ��Hurry, let me see it!�� His tone was rapt with excitement and anticipation.

Immediately, Qin Ruo fished the Broken Ring out of his pack.

There was a sudden gust of wind as the Broken Ring was snatched out of his hand instantly.

��Hey���� Qin Ruo cursed mentally.

It was just as well that he��d already gotten used to such thuggish behavior from NPCs, so all he did was roll his eyes. He stood quietly before Morley, waiting for the rest of the story. This seemed to him like some kind of secret quest trigger. In fact, he had no doubt about it.

Even so, Morley��s behavior was rather startling!

��Yes, this feeling�� this is it! Haha! No mistake, I��ve found it, it��s back! I��ve finally found it again!��

With a pair of frail, quivering hands, he lifted up the Broken Ring. He beamed from ear to ear, as though holding an incomparable treasure. His face was a portrait of emotion and sorrow, hollering things Qin Ruo couldn��t make sense of.

��I thought I��d never see it again.��

At his side, his drinking buddies let go of their usual carefree, tempestuous mannerisms. With serious expressions, they gathered around their old fellow Morley, wanting to know what was going on.

Morley beamed through his tears. Whipping around, he held up the ring for all his compatriots within the Magicians�� Guild to see.

Jubilantly, he cried, ��The Ring of Honor! The Ring of Honor, of our Moonrise Clan! At last, it has returned to us!��

Hearing this, the Demigod-level fogies of the Magicians�� Guild stared with wide eyes full of disbelief, all their gazes focusing on the ring in Morley��s hands.

��It truly is����

��Someone actually found it, within the Graveyard of the Gods?��

And then, every one of them turned to look at Qin Ruo, still standing there dumbstruck and confounded. A hush fell over the entire Magicians�� Guild, so that you could hear a pin drop on the other side of the hall.

��The ring: this child was the one who brought it here.��