Chapter 188 You're Bringing About Your Own Destruction
Eric stared at Tonny's message, a wave of confusion washing over him.
'Why were the Silvercrest Dominion guilds suddenly targeting me? Demanding explanations?' he puzzled.
He pushed the questions aside for the moment. He had more pressing matters to attend to. With a thought, he activated the Crystal of the Seven Moons, its cool energy enveloping him as he was whisked back to Silvervale City.
Deep within the Ruins of the White Sands, a level 10 Monster Zone, a forty-man elite team from the Martial Alliance carved their way through a nest of Desert Bicranium Serpents. Each movement was precise, each attack deadly, the result of countless hours spent honing their skills. Dozens of serpents lay slain, their bodies dissolving into experience points.
At the head of this force stood ZephyrStrider, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"ZephyrStrider, everything is in place. I've informed the other guilds of our terms and the potential benefits. We'll use the secret of Kai Blackthorn's rapid leveling as leverage. Eight smaller guilds have already agreed to join our alliance," an Assassin reported, his voice a hushed whisper despite the roar of battle around them.
"Excellent work," ZephyrStrider said, his smile widening. "Kai Blackthorn, you've brought this upon yourself. You dared to defy me. Now, all of Silvervale City knows about your little leveling secret. With my alliance, you won't have a moment's peace, whether you share it or not."
He still couldn't quite believe Eric had refused his offer. Flat out, without hesitation. He'd expected some resistance, some posturing, but Eric's unwavering refusal had caught him off guard.
If he couldn't control Eric through threats, then he'd resort to more… public methods. The rumors were already spreading like wildfire. Every guild leader in Silvercrest Dominion was obsessed with gaining an edge, and the thought of their members hitting level 10 while others struggled was too tempting to resist.
After all, imagine the advantage. While other guilds were still scraping by, their members would be established in Silvervale City, reaping the rewards of early access. They could control the flow of resources, dictate the market, and by the time the masses arrived, they'd be virtually untouchable.
The guild that controlled this secret, controlled Silvervale City.
To ZephyrStrider the idea of a fair trade, of offering Eric something of equal value for his secret, was laughable.
'What can a lone player offer a guild? What can he possibly possess that we can't take by force?'.
'If Eric doesn't hand over the secret willingly, he'd be crushed. And even if he does… well, the fate of those deemed useless rarely ends well. It is a cruel world, especially for the weak.'
A flicker of pity, quickly extinguished by cold ambition, flickered in ZephyrStrider's eyes. If only Kai Blackthorn hadn't been so foolish, so naive.
Back in the bustling heart of Silvervale City, Eric deposited his newly acquired forging materials into his private bank vault. The vault, with its tens of thousands of slots, was a testament to the bank's commitment to high-value clients. In his past life, he could only dream of such luxury. The sheer volume of materials he now possessed… if he were to liquidate it all, the sum would be staggering. Enough to fund an entire guild, perhaps.
The thought of forming his own guild had crossed his mind. He had the fame, the resources, the drive. But he wouldn't rush into it. He'd build a solid foundation, establish clear goals and benefits, and when the time was right, his guild would explode onto the scene, an unstoppable force. Even the established guilds, with their entrenched power structures, wouldn't be able to stand in his way.
With his banking affairs settled, Eric finally turned his attention to his overflowing message log. To avoid distractions during his dealings with Rosewater, he'd set his communication rune to block messages from strangers. He hadn't anticipated such a… enthusiastic response.
Tens of thousands of messages, most from individual players, some from guilds, all clamoring for his attention.
He skimmed through a few, quickly grasping the situation.
Most were simple requests, offering to purchase his leveling method. A few, however, were far more… direct. Demands, thinly veiled threats, all bearing the unmistakable mark of various guild leaders. They might not have explicitly threatened violence, but the implication was clear: cooperate, or face the consequences.
'The demands for a public explanation on the official forums? Orchestrated by the same guilds, no doubt.' He smiled after seeing through it.
Thankfully, none of the guilds breathing down his neck were top-tier organizations. They were ambitious, certainly, but ultimately small fry.
"ZephyrStrider," Eric muttered, his eyes hardening.
It didn't take a genius to figure out who was behind this. This was ZephyrStrider's doing, an attempt to back him into a corner, to make him crack under pressure.
But if there was one thing Eric had learned in his past life, it was this: you can't reason with a starving wolf.
His gaze fell on a new forum post, a declaration from ZephyrStrider himself. He'd formed an alliance with several other guilds, all echoing the same demand: reveal the leveling secret for the "benefit of all," or face their combined wrath. And among the names listed, one stood out: ShadowForge Studios.
The comments were a mixed bag. Some supported ZephyrStrider, urging Eric to do the "right thing" and share his knowledge. Others, sensing an opportunity, added their voices to the chorus, hoping to pressure him into a corner.
Eric chuckled, a cold, humorless sound.
'Do they truly believe I'm so easily manipulated? That I'd simply roll over and surrender what I'd worked so hard to achieve? If Isabella possessed this secret, would they be singing the same tune? Would they be demanding she share her "gift" with the world?' he thought.
He opened a new forum post, his fingers flying across the holographic keyboard.
[One hundred billion credits. That's the price for the rapid leveling method. Serious inquiries only.]
He logged off, ignoring the inevitable firestorm his post would ignite. It was morning in the real world, and he needed rest.
His post, as expected, spread like wildfire. The astronomical price tag, the sheer audacity of it, became the talk of the entire server. The guilds that had been demanding he hand over the secret for free were apoplectic, their fury echoing across the forums.
"One hundred billion credits? Are you insane?"
ZephyrStrider and his cohorts could only sputter in disbelief. One hundred billion credits? The sheer greed of it! Who in their right mind would pay such an absurd sum for a leveling method?
But beneath the outrage, a more unsettling truth began to dawn on the more perceptive players, the guild leaders who understood the language of power.
Eric wasn't negotiating. He was sending a message.
And that message was clear: his secret wasn't for sale, not at any price they could offer.
This wasn't a negotiation. It was a declaration of war.
"Kai Blackthorn, you've sealed your fate!" ZephyrStrider roared, his voice a mixture of fury and… something else. Satisfaction, perhaps.
He was angry, yes, that Eric had so publicly mocked his lack of resources. But a part of him, a dark and vindictive part, reveled in the knowledge that over thirty guilds were now gunning for the Black Flame.
'No matter how strong he was, how could he possibly stand against such overwhelming odds?'
'Unless… unless he somehow managed to replicate his previous feat, driving back an entire army of players from Silvervale City.'
'But that… that was impossible. Wasn't it?'
He started to doubt his former judgment, a panic hint flickering in his eyes.
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