Chapter 193 Order of the Holy Grail Knights
When Eric arrived at the coordinates Thornheart had given for the Martial Alliance's elite group, he found the area deserted.
"Where are they?" Eric muttered, scanning the flat expanse of sand. Aside from a dozen or so Tri-Tail Venom Scorpions meandering about, there wasn't a single player in sight. "Did Thornheart give me the wrong location?"
He dismissed the thought almost immediately. Assassin's Alliance was a top-tier second-rate guild; they wouldn't make such a basic error in intelligence gathering. Besides, Thornheart had sounded so certain – he must have had a reason for sending him here.
"Well, I didn't expect to stumble across them right away anyway." Eric wasn't in a hurry. He began to systematically search the area. If the Martial Alliance entered Silvervale City, Thornheart would know and inform him immediately. However, the chances of them entering now were slim, especially since Thornheart and his group hadn't gone in yet.
Time ticked by.
More and more players hit level 10 and streamed into Silvervale City.
Most were guild executives and elite members, with a smattering of groups formed by independent experts.
Many had purchased Eric's Silvervale City guide and were singing his praises.
"Leader, this Kai Blackthorn is incredible! His guide is spot on. Thank goodness we bought the deluxe version. The simplified one is too basic, just a general overview. The deluxe version points out tons of great quest locations for different classes – I've already picked up a bunch of amazing quests thanks to it."
"Tell me about it. The leader's foresight is amazing. If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was an official Silvervale City guide. What did Kai Blackthorn do before this game? He's so insightful!"
"Kai Blackthorn is a legend. I bought the guide on a whim, didn't think much of it at first. Now that I'm actually in Silvervale City, I'm blown away. 20,000 credits for the deluxe version was a steal! I wouldn't sell this information for less than 50,000. Think of the time and effort it must have taken to compile all this first-hand data. Unbelievable he's selling it for so little."
Near the Silvervale City portal, a group of over ten elite players, unaffiliated with any guild, chatted amongst themselves as they waited for their remaining teammates.
"A free agent group?" Isabella murmured, surprised, as she emerged from the portal. At this stage in the game, apart from large guild elites, it was rare to see a group of independent players entering Silvervale City. It spoke volumes about their skill level.
"I know them. They were famous five years ago in that other big virtual game – called themselves the Order of the Holy Grail Knights."
"They never had more than a hundred members, but each one was a force to be reckoned with. Their leader, Sky Wolf Warrior, was considered one of the top players back then. No guild dared to mess with them. They disbanded for some reason, and a lot of them stopped playing."
"The ones who stayed became core members in first and second-rate guilds. The Order of the Holy Grail Knights is practically a legend in the gaming world now." Phantom Slayer, a Shield Warrior who knew the group's history, explained to Isabella, his gaze fixed on a nondescript, powerfully built Shield Warrior. This was their leader, Sky Wolf Warrior. Phantom Slayer had idolized this man – it was the reason he started playing a Shield Warrior himself.
"Interesting." Isabella found herself drawn to Sky Wolf Warrior.
Five years ago, she hadn't been involved in virtual games, so this was all new to her.
"Thinking of recruiting him for Devouring Serpents?" Scarlet asked with a knowing smile, noticing Isabella's interest.
"He might not be the most striking figure, but there's a depth to him, like a still ocean. His equipment is all Dark Iron, except for his weapon – that's not Mithril grade. For a free agent group to have a Shield Warrior geared like that is impressive. It speaks to the strength of their team. And to be able to lead a group like that, to have their loyalty… he's clearly exceptional. Having him in our ranks would be a huge asset, especially for future dungeon raids." Isabella didn't deny it. She had, for the moment, given up on the idea of recruiting Eric.
The main reason was that she couldn't figure him out. He was shrouded in mystery, especially after the ultra-luxury guide he'd sold her. Arriving in Silvervale City had been an eye-opener. Comparing the city to the information in the deluxe version made her realize just how valuable the guide Eric had given her truly was.
If other first-rate guilds knew about this guide, they might very well wage war on Devouring Serpents to get their hands on it. The ultra-luxury guide was easily worth over five million credits.
It contained information on guild development, strategies for growth, and even detailed the guild residence system. It even included daily tasks that boosted Silvervale City reputation, putting them leagues ahead of other guilds. This wasn't something you could put a price on.
She didn't dare breathe a word of it to anyone, afraid of attracting unwanted attention and bringing down the wrath of other first-rate guilds upon them.
It made her wary of Eric. Even being friends with him felt risky. Recruiting him? Unthinkable.
He had already antagonized dozens of large guilds. Thankfully, none of them were top-tier. The allure of reaching level 10 quickly didn't hold much sway with the top guilds. Their executives were privy to information, their understanding of Divine Realms: Legends far exceeding that of lesser guilds.
Divine Realms: Legends was designed to be bug-free, and any exploits were quickly patched. The only secret to leveling quickly was to either kill high-level monsters or complete high-level quests for massive experience points.
The former was only achievable by top players or those with exceptional equipment.
The latter was obviously not repeatable. High-level quests were extremely limited and often unique or rare, making them impossible to replicate.
So, the top-tier guilds weren't interested in this so-called secret. What they were interested in was the Silvervale City guide. But Eric had played his cards right, ensuring that the top guilds wouldn't bother him. They had bigger fish to fry than dealing with lesser guilds.
Eric was a force to be reckoned with, and befriending him was a double-edged sword. Without sufficient strength of their own, being associated with him was too dangerous. Sky Wolf Warrior, on the other hand, posed no such threat and possessed undeniable strength. It would be foolish not to at least try to recruit him.
"Let's go talk to them," Isabella said, noticing that everyone in her group had assembled.
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