Marcus pulled up the leaderboards to get a feel for the current landscape.
Top Ten Experts Leaderboard (higher experience at the same level ranks first):
1. Level 27, Male, Name Hidden, Knight
2. Level 24, Male, RogueTheory, Warrior
3. Level 23, Male, SoulSync, Sorcerer
4. Level 23, Male, InfernoRider001, Warrior
5. Level 23, Male, Hexium, Sorcerer
6. Level 22, Male, ThreeleafAxe69, Knight
7. Level 22, Male, SunShot, Archer
8. Level 21, Male, HeavenBreaker, Assassin
9. Level 21, Male, SoulfireBlade, Knight
10. Level 21, Female, VioletNova, Archer
The level ranking hadn't shifted much. It looked like everyone was putting in the work, but his own level was still holding strong, more than three full levels ahead of the guy in second. Grinding against higher-level monsters deep in Black Rock Spire was definitely paying off.
Reputation Leaderboard:
1. 2360, Name Hidden, Knight
2. 1830, Name Hidden, Archer
3. 1250, Hexium, Sorcerer
4. 1200, InfernoRider001, Warrior
5. 1150, ThreeleafAxe69, Knight
6. 1110, SoulfireBlade, Knight
7. 1080, SixWingedBoss, Warrior
8. 1050, SunShot, Archer
9. 980, RogueTheory, Warrior
10. 970, VioletNova, Archer
Nice. His reputation ranking was absolutely dominant, sitting comfortably at the top. That was satisfying to see.
Wealth Leaderboard:
1. CryptoWarlord – 64109 Gold
2. InfernoFiend001 – 56413 Gold
3. CarterPrime – 53512 Gold
4. Hexium – 52413 Gold
5. Demonic Dragon – 45428 Gold
6. ThreeleafDad – 41024 Gold
7. SoulfireBlade – 35023 Gold
8. GoldDiggerIRL – 28041 Gold
9. PantherTech – 25123 Gold
10. GimmeABlade – 24031 Gold
One look at the Wealth Leaderboard, and only one thought came to mind: Dragonfly Corp was playing for keeps.
The game had been live for over half a month, and the top dog, CryptoWarlord, had only managed to scrape together a little over 60,000 gold. Gold was a serious grind to get.
Then he thought of his own pitiful stash of two thousand-plus gold. It was depressing. His main goal for playing was to make money, to become a tycoon inside the game and cash some of it out for real life. But right now, his funds were so low they didn't even register on the wealth chart. Forget making money; what he had was barely enough to cover his own expenses.
This was just sad. It couldn't go on like this. Even though he played solo; no guild, no major alliances, no interest in the big faction wars, he was determined to use his own strength to crash that Wealth Leaderboard. He had to find a way to make some serious coin.
Pet Leaderboard:
1. Twin-Winged Tiger, Level 8, Owner: Name Hidden
2. Ferocious Gold Wolf, Level 8, Owner: Name Hidden
3. Phoenix Chick, Level 7, Owner: Name Hidden
4. Bat King, Level 6, Owner: CriticalFail
5. Black Panther King, Level 6, Owner: IcyWeather
6. Three-Eyed Fox, Level 5, Owner: ItsFrost
7. Single-Line Black Tiger, Level 5, Owner: IlovePK
8. Three-Legged Crow, Level 4, Owner: HandsomeSorcerer
9. Flame Serpent, Level 4, Owner: ShamelessRogue
10. Clumsy Bear, Level 4, Owner: LivelySwallow
The pets on this leaderboard were surprisingly weak. A Level 4 pet could make the cut? He'd thought his Level 7 Phoenix Chick was just okay, but it turned out it was actually pretty solid. Pets were clearly tough to get, and seeing that none of the other top experts or reputation leaders had cracked this list was a small relief.
Of course, any player in the top ten wouldn't bother with a pet unless it was Level 7 or higher. Bringing a weak pet along would just be embarrassing, a total joke. Not to mention, pets split your experience gains, so a low-level one was pretty much useless.
He knew pets could be evolved and upgraded by feeding them energy gems or rare items, but the success rate was supposed to be microscopic, like one in a million.
The Ferocious Gold Wolf was a new addition, though. He wondered who had managed to snag that. Marcus had always had a soft spot for wolf-type pets.
He closed the leaderboard screens. 'Okay, what next?' Right, he needed to head back and take down Werewolf Cabaro on the third floor of Black Rock Spire. That guy was his best bet for some decent gear drops.
He'd been grinding on the third floor for the past few days and knew it like the back of his hand. Werewolf Cabaro respawned once a day, and by his count, it should be back by now. Even though Black Rock Spire was open to everyone now and not his private playground, the monsters on the third floor were all Level 28. Most players still couldn't handle that, so for the moment, that area was still his.
"Stonehaven."
Just as Marcus was about to activate Wanderlust and teleport back to the third floor of Black Rock Spire, a voice called out his name. He kept a low profile in the game and had never made his name public. How did someone recognize him?
He turned. It was SoulSync, the number three ranked player on the Leaderboards. They'd crossed paths once before; Marcus had helped him take down the Corrupted Hedgehog King back in the Newbie Village. They'd exchanged friend requests, which was how SoulSync knew his name.
"Stone. Hey, man, it is you. I wasn't a hundred percent sure until I saw that rabbit mask."
SoulSync walked over, greeting him with a easy smile.
These days, everyone had some kind of mask, helmet, or weird cosmetic item. His rabbit mask didn't turn heads like it used to back in the Newbie Village, so he'd stopped bothering to take it off in the city. That's how SoulSync had spotted him.
"No kidding. SoulSync himself. Mr. Top Ten. Looking good."
From their last encounter, Marcus had pegged SoulSync as a solid guy; the kind with that easy-going, loyal vibe you find in gamers who just love the grind.
"Dude, I wouldn't be this far ahead if you hadn't helped me get that Golden staff. I never got a chance to properly thank you. I'm glad I ran into you. Come on, let me buy you a drink."
"...."
Marcus liked SoulSync well enough, but he made it a rule to steer clear of guild politics. He was better off solo. But before he could even form a polite excuse, SoulSync was already pulling him along.
"Come on, man, don't be like that. I'll introduce you to some friends. This game's a drag if you don't have a good crew to run with."
With that, SoulSync dragged him toward a nearby tavern. The guy was a natural salesman; if Marcus's resolve had been any weaker, he'd have been swept up in the enthusiasm right there. It was clear why this guy was a top officer in a major guild.
"So what level are you now, Stone? Having any problems? Just say the word. I still owe you one for that Hedgehog King."
"Ah, you know… mid-twenties," Marcus replied, keeping it vague.
"Over here."
Inside the tavern, SoulSync scanned the room and then guided Marcus toward a booth where two others were sitting.
"Guys, this is the player I was telling you about, Stonehaven."
"Stonehaven, this is my brother, SoulfireBlade. He's a Knight, like you, so you guys can complain about the same stuff. And this is our friend, SoulfireLeopard. Don't let the name fool you, he's a hell of a Archer."
"It's great to finally meet you, Stonehaven." SoulfireBlade stood immediately, offering a handshake.
Marcus knew the names on the leaderboards, of course. SoulfireBlade lived up to his reputation as a guild leader, handling the introduction smoothly. After the hellos, SoulfireBlade flagged down a server and ordered a round of drinks and enough food to cover the table. The four of them fell into easy conversation.
"So, Stone, you got a guild yet?" SoulSync asked after a while, finally getting to the point. "My brother here already has a Mercenary Group up and running. And we'll set up a Guild as soon as we get a Guild Creation Token. You should think about joining. It's a better time when you're with a good group."
"SoulSync's right," SoulfireBlade chimed in, backing him up perfectly. "We're building something real with Soulfire, and we could use players like you. Come join us. Let's set Dominion on fire."
The two of them had a good rhythm. If this had been a few years ago, Marcus might have found it hard to say no.
"Haha, I appreciate the offer, guys, really. But I'm already committed to playing with a friend. Promised I'd join his guild. Sorry."
Marcus had that excuse ready the moment he saw SoulSync. Sure enough, a flicker of disappointment crossed SoulSync's face, but he didn't push it.
"That's a shame, man. I've got a lot of respect for you. But hey, no hard feelings. The point is to have fun, right? Bottoms up. We're still cool. If you ever need backup, you call me."
"But just out of curiosity," SoulfireBlade asked, "what's your guild's name? Hope we don't end up rivals. I'd hate to have to fight a friend."
"Don't worry about it," Marcus said with a wave of his hand. "It's just a small, casual thing with my buddy. Mostly for the guild bank perks."
They chatted for a little while longer before settling the tab and heading out. Marcus did a mental double-take when he saw the bill was over a thousand gold. If it were him, he'd be crying. Major guilds definitely operated on a different level.
After parting ways with SoulSync and the others, Marcus ducked into a quiet alley. With a single thought, his Wanderlust skill activated, and he was instantly standing on the third floor of Black Rock Spire.
Meanwhile, SoulSync and his group were debriefing.
"So, Sync, is this Stonehaven really that good?" SoulfireBlade asked, sounding skeptical. "You were practically recruiting him yourself. With that pitch, I should put you in charge of the whole department."
"Brother, the guy was a monster back then. At level 15, I'd say he was on par with you. I don't know what he's like now, but I'd bet he's still a beast. More than that, he's a good guy. Getting him to join would have been a huge win for Soulfire."
SoulSync privately suspected that the Knight, Stonehaven, might even be the mysterious number one on the Leaderboards, though it was just a hunch.
"Leopard," SoulSync added, "if you happen to hear anything about Stonehaven, let me know. But don't go tracking him or digging for info. The guy's still my friend."
SoulSync thought for a second, then gave the final word to make sure things were clear.
—
The third floor of Black Rock Spire was just as gloomy as Marcus had left it. The only sounds were the clack-clack of Skeleton Fighters and the wet shush-shush of Bloodlust Worms. The place was bleak and depressing. Marcus made a mental note to finish his business here as fast as possible.
Watching a pack of Skeleton Fighters shambling his way, Marcus summoned his pet, the Phoenix Chick, drew his Skeleton Blade, and got to work. With his current stats, he could easily handle two full groups of eight skeletons at a time.
"Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven! Your pet, Phoenix Chick, has reached Level 1! HP +50, MP +50, Attack +30, Defense +30."
"Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven! Your pet, Phoenix Chick, has reached Level 2! HP +50, MP +50, Attack +30, Defense +30."
"Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven! Your pet, Phoenix Chick, has reached Level 3! HP +50, MP +50, Attack +30, Defense +30."
"Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven! Your pet, Phoenix Chick, has reached Level 4! HP +50, MP +50, Attack +30, Defense +30."
"Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven! Your pet, Phoenix Chick, has reached Level 5! HP +50, MP +50, Attack +30, Defense +30."
"Ding! Congratulations, Stonehaven! Your pet has reached Level 5 and has learned the skill Ember Shot."
Ember Shot: Single-target active skill, Fire Element. Attack +30, Range 10 meters.
'Hell yeah.'
The Level 28 Skeleton Fighters fed the Phoenix Chick a massive amount of experience. It was leveling up like crazy.
Soon, amid a satisfying chorus of dings, the Phoenix Chick hit Level 9. Marcus had also finished clearing the trash mobs on the third floor and made his way to the entrance of the fourth.
Right on cue, three meters from the entrance, a flash of black light materialized into Werewolf Cabaro.
"Awooo…".