After traversing a path between 2 mountains I came upon a clearing. Expansive grassland stretched out as far as my eyes couls see. At an approximately 5 kilometer distance, I noticed a city with massive walls. By its looks, it should be my next destination, the holy city ‘Aethra’.

I arrived at the colossal city gates that were elegantly adorned with gold. There were many guards lined up along the entrance. None of them made a move or sound as I crossed the bridge leading into the city.

Once I passed the gates I immediately felt a sense of prestige exuded by the city. If Anka was the slums, then this was the wealthy class. Many gold symbols resembling the sun adorned the buildings. As I passed through the streets I remembered spotting some similar symbols in Anka. Although they are the same, the ones in Anka were cheaply made of wood. Unlike Aethra's which were made of gold.

I kept my eyes peeled for any weapon or armor shops. After fighting the Giant Golem I became unarmed. Not to mention I have no armor to wear either. There were a few other towns nearby but at my level, Aethra will have the best quality equipment.

After walking around the busy shopping district of Aethra a weapon shop caught my attention. “Holy Sword” was the name of the shop with a logo of a sword and shield with wings.

*Ding Ding*

The doorbell chimed as I walked in

“Hello! Welcome holy customer!”

A slightly overweight bearded man in a white robe greeted me with a smile from ear to ear.

“Hi...”

I tried my best to ignore him as I looked around the store. There were countless weapons adorning the walls and shelves. Axes, Swords, Spears, Bows, Shields, Maces. Almost every weapon you could find in a medieval setting was here. The weapons looked very well made. I could describe their appearance as fancy.

“Is there anything I can help you with sir?”

I was a little hesitant to get assistance to avoid as much social interaction as possible. But I soon gave in.

“Ugh… I’m actually looking for a weapon”

“What kind of weapon are you looking for? We carry just about anything!”

I wanted to try different weapons to find out what worked best for me. I became familiar with short swords so it was time for something different.

“Do you have something for magic users?”

“Of course! Please follow me.”

I followed the store owner to the back end of the shop.

“Here we are”

I walked past him into the area he gestured me towards. The entire wall was decorated with weapons fit for a wizard. Canes, Staffs, wands, grimoires just about any weapon that was specifically designed for magic users.

“If you see anything you like please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“Ah yes, thank you, I’ll let you know if I find anything I like.”

I tried to give him the hint that I didn’t want him around while I looked at the selection. He appeared to read my mood as he hurriedly bowed and walked away.

I looked back towards the wall filled with magic weapons. They all seemed to have a similar white color scheme. It made me think the weapons could only be used for holy magic as their appearance could only be described as divine.

I picked up a wand with a spiral design that had a large blue gem at the end of it.

---------------------------

Vortex wand

Required level: 15

Damage: 10-15

Intelligence: +25

Class restricted

---------------------------

I was currently lvl 16 so wielding the wand wouldn’t be a problem, it also gave me +25 on intelligence. That would be a great boost to my already high Intelligence. It was very light and was fortunately very aesthetic in my own opinion.

‘Now if I want to use a wand I should also use a shield for my free hand.’

I looked up and down the wall full of mage weapons for a shield. At the very bottom left corner of the wall, there were a few shields being displayed. I guess shields aren’t very popular. Some of them were only sturdy steel bucklers. I was disappointed at the selection, that was until I saw the blue glimmer of a gem. I picked up the shield that had the gem embedded in it.

---------------------------

Divine Blaze Magic Shield

Required lvl: 16

Base Block Defense: 20

Automatic block chance: 8%

Fire resistance: +10%

Intelligence: +20

Class restricted

---------------------------

The shield was too large to be a buckler. It was a white round shield with 8 dark spikes that gave it the appearance of a star. It contained a large red gem in the center. The symbol of a red sun was embellished around the gem.

With this, I was satisfied with the wand and shield I chose. I looked at the price tags, 1,200 [Lan] for the shield and 800 [Lan] for the wand. I wasn’t too worried about the price. I had over 5,000 [Lan] from all the hunting and Jean quests I completed.

Now all I need is to find some armor. I headed back to the section of the shop where I saw pieces of armor. They were decorated in the same holy semblance as the rest of the items. Fortunately, the look of the armor pieces didn’t really matter considering they will be hidden under my tuxedo. There was armor ranging from cloth to plate. I didn’t want to wear anything that was too heavy so I avoided the plate armor altogether.

As light as cloth armor is, I'd rather have something with a bit more defense. I decided on leather armor, it has the right amount of weight without sacrificing too much defense.

I picked up many pieces of armor and checked each of their stats until I found one I liked.

---------------------------

Moonlight upper armor

Required lvl: 16

Defense: +6

Magic resistance: +2%

Intelligence: +4

Mind: +2

Moonlight set: 0/5

---------------------------

'This armor has a set!'

I quickly began to search for the remaining pieces throughout the shop. I even rummaged through the barrels full of scrap items. Out of the corner of my eye, I got a glimpse of the confused look on the shopkeeper's face as I darted back and forth through the shop.

'Found them!' I thought inwardly as a grin emerged on my face.

---------------------------

Moonlight hood

Required level: 15

Defense: +5

Magic resistance: +2%

Intelligence: +4

Mind: +2

Moonlight set: 0/5

---------------------------

---------------------------

Moonlight lower armor

Required level: 15

Defense: +5

Magic resistance: +2%

Intelligence: +4

Mind: +2

Moonlight set: 0/5

---------------------------

---------------------------

Moonlight gloves

Required level: 14

Defense: +5

Magic resistance: +2%

Intelligence: +4

Dexterity: +2

Moonlight set: 0/5

---------------------------

---------------------------

Moonlight boots

Required level: 14

Defense: +5

Magic resistance: +2%

Intelligence: +4

Agility: +2

Moonlight set: 0/5

---------------------------

After inspecting all the pieces I started to make my way toward the shopkeeper. I looked at the price tags which ranged from 600-400 [Lan] which summed up to a total of 2,400 [Lan].

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" The shopkeeper said with a forced smile as I approached him.

"Mostly" I replied nonchalantly as I put all the items on the counter.

He looked at the items and sorted through them as he mumbled the prices under his breath.

"That'll be 4,400 [Lan]!" That was the correct amount, so I at least knew he wasn't trying to scam me.

"Don't you have a buy two get one free deal? Or a first-time shopper's discount?" I tried to haggle a bit with the shopkeeper for a discount considering the number of items I was buying.

"Puhaha!" After a few back and forths, he laughed tilting his head back putting his hands on his belly. "You drive a hard bargain!" He said still trying to hold back his laughter.

"That'll be 3,800 [Lan]!" After some haggling, I managed to get a 600 [Lan] discount.

I handed him the money and picked up the items and put them in my inventory.

"Thank you for your purchase!" The shopkeeper thanked me while bowing.

"Ugh, yeah no problem" I waved awkwardly as I tried to make my way to the exit. But I quickly stopped and turned to address the shopkeeper once again.

"By the way, do you know where to find the 'Impure Sanctum'?"

As soon as I said those last words the shopkeeper stiffened up and his eyes opened wide. He stayed there without moving or saying anything for what seemed like forever.

"Umm.." I took a step forward

"Please don't!" He put his hands up to stop me from getting closer. "Please don't ask me about that place..."

"Ugh, yeah sure. I'm sorry for asking..."

It looked like I wasn't going to get any information from him. I didn't know what else to say so I simply bowed and made my way to the door.

As I reached for the door it slowly creaked open on its own.

*Ding Ding*

The doorbell chime rang in my ears as a familiar face appeared in front of me. A bald Barto warrior stood at the entrance of the shop.

"Hey! It's been a while Hero" I smiled. I was happy to see a familiar face.

He looked at me for a second before responding "Oh hi! Haha, it has, how have you been? That's a very nice suit by the way"

We struck up a casual conversation as we made our way back to the shopkeeper. Hero dropped a stack of armors and weapons on the counter.

"I would like to sell these" The sound of metal hitting the counter and Hero's voice seemed to bring the shopkeeper back to his senses.

"Ugh… of course. I'm sorry, give me one moment please" He pulled eyeglasses from his pocket and used them to closely appraise the equipment.

"So what brings you to this shop?" Hero asked as he waited for his items to be appraised.

"I was in need of upgrading my equipment and this shop looked like a good place to stop by"

"Makes sense" he nodded. "This place does have pretty good stuff and the prices are fair. So you came to the right place!" He smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

"Glad to know I made the right choice" I faintly smiled back before my curiosity got the best of me. "By the way, where did you get all this gear?"

"The bandit camps"

"Bandit camps?" I asked with a confused face. I had heard of them but I wasn't exactly sure where they were.

"Yeah, the bandit camps" he looked at my still confused face for a few seconds. "Didn't you get the quests or pass through the mountains?"

"I walked between the mountains actually" I had received an overall idea of the area from my brother but he failed to give me any specific details. 'Impure Sanctum is the best place to grind' is what he told me. "Also I haven't been doing any quests" I continued to explain.

"I see, makes sense, that's fine though you haven't really missed anything important. So far it was mostly destroying bandit camps and saving NPCs from prison labor mines."

“The items are worth 2,200 [Lan]” Just as Hero was explaining the quests to me the shopkeeper finished appraising the items. “How would you like me to pay you?”

“In Lan please”

The shopkeeper handed over the 2,200 [Lan]

“Thank you”

“Pleasure doing business with you”

After the transactions were completed we made our way to the exit.

“So what are you going to do now?” Hero asked as we stepped out of the shop.

I looked around to make sure no one else was around before answering to avoid the same incident as a few minutes ago “Well I’m looking for a place called the ‘Impure sanctum’. Have you heard of it?”

Hero stopped for a second and looked at me with a smile.

“That’s actually my next destination haha”.

* * * * *

‘El Dorado’ A city in the mid-tier zone

At the Round-Table

Currently, 11 players were sitting at a round table each with 2 companions standing as bodyguards behind them. An attendance of a total of 33 players were gathered at the Round-Table.

“Why did you call this meeting?” A bulky human with a scruffy beard asked in agitation as he directed his question to the brown haired human sitting across from him. “Answer me Ca1tSith!”

Ca1tSith sat with his arms crossed as he took his time thinking about the best way to answer the question.

“Well, It’s actually very simple” He paused and took a sip of the drink at his side that could only be obtained in the high-tier zones. A gesture that appeared to be purely for dramatic effect only irritated the other attendants at the table. Ca1tSith had a smirk on his face when he put the cup down as he saw the infuriated faces of the other guild masters. “As you all know, there was recently a mass migration from the players in RO. The number of players that migrated was well over a few thousand which is much more than what was expected. It’s no secret that I and many of you came from the same game. And as some of you may know, a lot of these… ‘players’ aren't exactly my friends.” Ca1tSith paused once again and took a sip from his cup before continuing. “So, what I’m getting at is… I simply want to know where all of you stand.”

“IS THAT A THREAT!?” The bulky human shouted as he got up from his chair slamming his hands on the round table.

In a split second all the bodyguards unsheathed and brandished their weapons.

"Sit down Gucha!" A petite woman with snow-white skin and black hair commanded with absolute authority.

"....." Gucha didn't say a word as he obediently sat back down on his chair. He crossed his arms and legs and turned away like a pouting child.

"That's right, sit down and let the adults talk" Ca1tSith threw salt on his wounds. Gucha's face turned beet red from embarrassment with no choice but to hold back his indignation.

"But I do want to hear the answer to his question, Cat" The petite woman of the Vita race directed her cold gaze at Ca1tSith. "Are you saying if I recruit someone you don't like you’ll wage war against Affinity?"

At that moment.

"A fight between 'The Dark Ones' and 'Affinity'? That would be a sight to see"

"Haha! wouldn't it? Isn't Affinity stronger though?"

"If it was solely between guilds then obviously Affinity is the stronger of the two but Ca1tSith has many allies you know.”

"What about 'Elite Society'? Doesn't Ca1tSith have a brother?"

"He does but he's been inactive for almost half a year now"

"It's not that he's been inactive, he just agreed to a truce"

"A truce? With who?"

"With everyone..."

A lot of side chatter erupted when the prospect of a war between two major guilds was brought up.

The guild leader of 'Affinity' glanced at the empty seat next to Ca1tSith. "Speaking of people who would wage war on me, where is your brother? Is he ever going to attend a meeting?"

"Don't worry about my brother" Ca1tSith retorted "But to answer your question, It's not a threat” He picked up his drink one more time and took a sip. “It's a warning."

“Ha! You're just trying to cover your ass for threatening everyone here!” Gucha grunted “You’re scared!” a clear smirk appeared on his face.

“Scared?” Ca1tSith glared at Gucha.

He picked up his cup and took a sip once more “If it was a threat, It would look something like this” Ca1tSith instantaneously vanished leaving a black haze in his place. He appeared atop the round table sword in hand directly in front of gucha.

“DON'T MOVE!” Ca1tSith shouted as he pressed the tip of his sword on Gucha’s neck. His bodyguards were too slow to respond.

*Clank Clank*

The cup he held in his hand hit the table. “If you move he dies” no one moved a muscle and the chamber was dead silent for a split second.

“I know you have close ties with Iano” A black aura completely shrouded Ca1tSith’s body, a trait of his unique class ‘Dark Knight’ “If I ever see you with Iano I will kill you! If you ever try to conspire against my brother I will kill you!” He pressed the sword until drops of blood ran down his neck. A purple icon appeared over Ca1tSith’s head.

He released the pressure from his sword and casually walked back to his companions. He sheathed his sword before jumping off the table. “That goes for everyone here,” He said with his back to the round table.

“…..”

“…..”

“…..”

The chamber remained completely silent. No one said anything while he remained shrouded in black. “The peace I granted all of you will no longer keep you safe. It is time to decide where you stand.”

“What peace do you think you have provided?” A Barto with golden eyes began to speak. “You know other than Gucha, I have the most members from RO, I also have ties with Iano and others. There are also many here and in MARE with at least some connection with RO players. you are declaring war against half of MARE. You think you will come out of this unharmed?”

Ca1tSith turned to look at the Barto “Delectable, how long have you and the Untouchables been in MARE?”

Delectable had a puzzled look on his face “A little over 6 months, but so what?” Delectable and the Untouchables at one point were the strongest guild in RO. They decided to migrate as a guild when they saw no future in RO.

“I thought so, you weren’t here long enough to even know why this Round-Table was created.”

“So what if I’m new? The reason I’m here is the same as everyone else. Because we are strong and we will not be pushed around by you!” Delectable was beginning to get agitated.

“You’re right, you guys are quite strong, but out of everyone here you are definitely the weakest.” Ca1tSith nonchalantly taunted him.

“Weak!? You think I'm weak? You are the one who had to threaten Gucha to protect Viciouz. Where is he anyway? I haven’t even seen him once since I’ve been in MARE. Is he so scared he can’t even show his face?”

“HAHAHAHAHA” Ca1tSith erupted in laughter. “Haha… What makes you think I was talking about Viciouz? Believe me, Viciouz doesn’t need any protection.”

Not only Delectable but many others in attendance also had a puzzled look on their face.

“Who is he talking about if not his brother?”

“Is there another brother we aren’t aware of?”

“...It’s... Ghost?” Delectable mumbled as he had a sudden realization.

“That’s enough talking, I said what I came here to say” Ca1tSith turned his back and began to exit the chamber. But before leaving he turned around and shot a cold gaze to Affinity's Guild Master. “It won’t end like before” He said before turning around to make his exit.

She stared at his back until it completely disappeared “I look forward to it”

“We’ll see who kills who” Gucha mumbled under his breath as he held his hand to his neck trying to stop the bleeding.

* * * * *

I was making my way to the instance dungeon known as ‘Impure Sanctum’. Hero guided me to the old NPC that looked like a homeless man in an alley. He granted the quest ‘Cleanse the Impurity’. Like any other MMO, we simply had to go in the dungeon and kill the boss.

“So there are some unique classes that aren’t mentioned in the character creation?” Hero and I were chatting as we walked for 4km east of Aethra.

“Yeah, I know my brother is a Dark Knight which isn’t a class you can normally get.”

“So how do you become a Dark Knight?” Herotecha asked with sparkling eyes.

“I’m not sure, I think you have to be a human and become a knight first. So, unfortunately, you can’t become one”

“Ah... I guess that makes sense.” clear disappointment could be seen in his face.

“But I do know that Bartos also have some rare unique classes”

“Really, What are they?”

“Ugh… I don’t know actually” my attempt to cheer him up wasn’t going too well.

“I see” Hero said as he looked downcast. “Well, what does a Dark Knight do?”

“They can transform, he wears darkness like armor. He can also teleport short distances”

“So like a blink”

“Yeah like a blink”

“So what else can he do?” Hero continued to show interest in the Dark Knight class.

“Other than become slightly bigger he gets a boost in his stats and abilities, also his reach becomes longer. Ahh and I think anything he cuts can’t be healed.”

“What do you mean they can’t be healed? Like they’ll just keep bleeding until they die?”

“Yeah I think so, even a small scratch will continue to bleed.”

“Wow... sounds pretty strong.”

“Yeah” I nodded in agreement.

“How many Dark Knights currently exist in MARE?”

“I think 3, but they are all in my brother’s guild or are friends of his, he has a monopoly on the class”

“Haha, makes sense” hero laughed as we continued to walk.

“I think we’re here” We spotted an enormous cathedral. Honestly, it was much too large to just be a cathedral, this thing looked like a large castle.

As we got closer the green grass turned into a stained brown, once we arrived at the Cathedral there was no vegetation whatsoever and the atmosphere had completely turned gloomy.

“So this is the Impure Sanctum.” I said as I looked at its peak

“Looks like it”

Hero continued to walk forward towards what seemed to be the entrance of the dungeon. A crowd of players could be seen gathered there. I looked at the crowd and saw a few familiar faces that made an unpleasant feeling welled up in my chest. It was Iano and his entourage.