Episode 73 — Blacklist
Episode 73 — Blacklist
Seventeenth Day in the Month of Sakura (April 17) in the Year of the Griffon
Floor 59 — 10PM
Bladescape opened the door to their Headquarters to find it had been Argo knocking. She did not look like she was having a good time.
"Come in," Bladescape offered. "You don't ever swing by. Is something up?"
Her eyes were deadly as she tried to keep her voice nonthreatening. "I will owe you big time if I can spend the next five days here, in complete privacy, no questions asked. A-and no matter who comes knocking, I'm not here."
"Yeah," Bladescape shrugged. "Our spare room is open for your use. Think nothing of it. We put beds in there for guests. Most of the others are asleep or already in their rooms. I'll go, privately, inform them. But first, follow me to our luxurious spare room."
"Thanks," Argo quietly said.
"Just one question," Bladescape said, stopping. "Are you going to be needing to get a new house?"
"Do you actually know where I live?" Argo asked.
Bladescape rolled her eyes. "No, I don't, but I bet Konpeito does."
"What is up with that?" Argo asked as they got back to moving.
"It's something she does in real life," Bladescape explained. "She just…knows things. I can't explain it. She can't explain it. She doesn't even know she knows but no one else knows. You just have to experience and accept it."
"Interesting," Argo mumbled.
Kiefer and Soryuto were chatting on a couch on the second floor. They didn't even notice Argo, but Bladescape decided it was best to address it now.
"Hey, you two," Bladescape said, interrupting their conversation. "Listen. Argo has to crash here a few days, but we are not going to say anything about it. As far as anyone who is not a Wondercolt is concerned, she's not here."
"Okay," Kiefer shrugged.
"Sure," Soryuto said with a nod.
In the spare room, all of the bedside lamps were off except for one. Underneath it, on the nightstand, was a platter with a pitcher of water with some fruit in it, a steaming meat pie, and a dozen cupcakes. There was a card with it too.
Sorry to hear about the evil info broker threatening you. So I made your favorite meat pie and your favorite flavored water! Also, cupcakes, because cupcakes make everything better. - PP
"Okay," Argo said, picking up a cupcake and taking a bite. "Seriously, what is up with her? I'm not talking about the baking and cooking. This pie has a baking time of 14 hours. She would've had to start baking that this morning to have it ready now. This isn't the first time she has been weird about knowing things."
Bladescape sighed and sat down on the bed. "It's a complicated tale."
"What does PP stand for?" Argo pressed.
"It stands for…" Bladescape paused. "Look, I trust you. You're here for a reason. But I know you have a job and it's information. Everyone says you would sell your own grandma’s stats for the right price. To explain it, we have to talk about private, I.R.L. stuff."
Argo was on very good terms with the Wondercolts for a reason. They knew her in ways few did. It was safer more than it was a gamble. She came to them for a reason.
"It won't leave this room," Argo said, sitting beside her on the bed and pouring herself some water. "I know what they say I will sell, but I do have standards. You read the card. Competition between info brokers got heated recently. Competition that went past game etiquette and became vengeful. I need to keep my head down for a few days until it cools off and I can make my next play. I have to make sure it doesn't happen again, somehow."
"You guys have a hard enough time getting the info for the players, you don't need to be backstabbing each other," Bladescape said, shaking her head. "There is a difference to everything having a price and putting players or that info in jeopardy."
Argo's snort was all the response needed.
"First off, PP stands for Pinkie Pie, her real name," Bladescape explained. "My real name is Sunset Shimmer."
"I like that, Sunset Shimmer is a beautiful name. Izawa is mine."
"Beautiful too," Bladescape said with a warm smile. "That is me and Konpeito. Malus is Applejack, Doombunny is Fluttershy, Knightstar is Twilight Sparkle, and Thunderborne is Rainbow Dash. The six of us are in Japan for a semester in a high school foreign exchange program. That's where we met Natora, her name is Natsuki, she is another student at the school we were attending. We met Reisenki, Soryuto, and Kiefer in-game. The three of them I found shortly before the very first boss raid. I saved them, they were half our level, but two of their party members died before I could stop the goblins attacking them. So, that is us in-game. Our history as friends IRL is very complicated. It is a story you may not believe."
Argo handed Bladescape a cupcake. Bladescape took a bite as Argo responded. "I've been stuck in here so long, I almost forget what real life is like. Help keep me grounded. I doubt it can get more messed up or unbelievable than being stuck in a virtual reality game like SAO..." Argo paused before she could take her own bite, her face pulling into a contemplative frown. "On second thought, there could be worse 'games' to get stuck in. Like being in a bubbly, all female boarding school."
Bladescape chuckled. "Yeah, that would be bad."
Bladescape gave Argo an overview of their dealings with Equestrian Magic. Argo took it well. She was still skeptical, but as she had said, being stuck in SAO helped put the otherwise unbelievable things she was being told in a different perspective. The cupcakes were polished off as Bladescape finished their summer fundraising adventure before coming to Japan.
"I knew there was something I liked about you all," Argo said with a sly grin. "You girls are too wholesome and that's a good thing. It moves this game forward more than most players know. You were able to take the abuse of Lind and Kibaou because of it. It's amazing you have been on the front line, fighting, rather than breaking apart to craft. Yet you all are on the front lines and for a reason. Your IRL experiences have prepared you well for this world. Something few other players can say. That wholesomeness, plus what I now know is real experience, is why I keep going coming back to the Wondercolts for assistance."
"How bad is it exactly?" Bladescape asked.
Argo's grin held a lot of pain, frustration, and way too many late nights of planning behind it. "I'd love to stab him in the back with real stakes. Enough to remind him to shape up and watch out."
Argo tried to control her rage. "He has sent less than reputable players to harass me, hence my orange marker the other day, and I ran from another group as I tried to work on a quest. It's what led me here. We lost crucial Floor Boss information because he killed quest giving NPCs so that I couldn't finish. I was ahead and he couldn't beat me to finishing them, so he neutralized them. I have to hide from his goons until I can figure out how to solve a few problems."
Bladescape chuckled darkly. "Could we hit the streets with a black ops team and handle it?"
Argo grinned back mischievously.
Bladescape made her pitch. "Give Doom your jacket, paint on the whiskers, and she can probably be a convincing stand in. We could bait and switch in a duel, and she could remind him how to play nice."
Argo's grin was sly and mischievous. "I like the way you think. It's actually easier than you probably realize too, because the rumor is that I use a team, that I'm simply the 'Head Rat.' I will need some info from a, well I’ll call them a friend, before we start."
Bladescape stood up. "I'll get Diemond to make us the cloaks."
Bladescape woke up Diemond. She only told her what they needed, not what they were for. Diemond had no problem replicating the cloak she had made several times by now, as well as making matching base layers for Doombunny and Bladescape.
Doombunny took no convincing. After a quick explanation, she was all in. Colorra was as well. It was odd to Bladescape, but the past few days had been odd and she was learning to see Doombunny a lot differently than the meek, animal loving friend she had back in the real world.
Konpeito baked for them and Bladescape notified Knightstar. She didn’t like how Knightstar was looking. She was quiet and apathetic about what Bladescape was doing.
Bladescape pulled Natora aside. Natora had planned to take a team to the Sand Crabs, but that was it. She wasn’t going to push the guild hard at this point. Bladescape didn't even need to try and set up a plan.
Bladescape departed with Doombunny and Argo, cloaked and hidden as best as possible. It was still dark, with dawn a few hours off. No players needed to know that the Wondercolts were aiding Argo. That was a secret they needed to keep as closely as possible. Argo had to be neutral, which meant no guild and no close friends. Players wouldn't trust her info if they thought she had loyalty to others over the coin they gave her.
Doombunny had already activated Hide. It was an automatic advantage when other players believed that they were at lower numbers than they were. Two meant Argo had a single friend and was less threatening.
The first location was the Town of Beginning. A shadowy merchant had a shop there and hadn't bothered to move it. By now, she was established and her dealings were on the sketchier side. She didn't need to move to a higher floor. Players went to her, mostly for equipment rumors. The rumors of the rarest of the rare were traded or acquired through her skills.
Argo led them into the dark shop, which was decorated more like a parlor than a place of business. If Argo ever settled down into a shop, the low lights with warm, dark colors would be exactly how she would decorate the place. It would also practically melt Diemond's eyes in horror.
Argo sat down on the couch and beckoned for the Bladescape to join her. Doombunny stayed by the door, letting them take up the whole seat. Across from them was a lone, high backed, cushioned chair. It had a table on its left-hand side, closest to the door. To either side of the couch were two more side tables with short lamps. An unusually tall coffee table sat in front of them without any other decoration of its own, providing separation between the seating.
Despite the appearance of the seat being empty, Bladescape knew it wasn't. Her Search Skill told her as much. The circlet gave her a green cursor, health bar, and the player's level. Playing along fit the style. It was obvious that Argo also knew it was occupied and Doombunny had to know as well, even from where she was standing.
A player in bright red clothes, accented by bright Yellow and Blue appeared as she dropped her Hide Skill. She looked like a Macaw, which was no doubt the effect she was attempting to achieve. Especially with the feathered headdress on her head.
"I am Mo," She said. "You come seeking the darker things. And you come with Argo, my friend. Which means you seek someone or something very special."
"Actually, she is with me," Argo stated.
"Including the one by the door?" Mo asked.
"Including her," Argo nodded.
"So, this is where you ended up," Bladescape said. It shocked Argo. "You didn't go far."
"I thought that was you under the hood," Mo said. "So, you're helping Argo. This just got very interesting."
"You know her?" Argo growled.
"I didn't know she had a shop," Bladescape argued back. "Last time I saw her, she had a vendor's carpet in the bazaar south of the teleport plaza. I got my circlet from her."
"That explains a few things," Argo said, dropping the subject. She shifted her focus back to Mo. "Floor Fifty-Nine has been a problem. I ran into resistance from another info broker. The deadly, backhanding kind that destroyed information before I could get it, because they couldn't get it. Information that will leave the Boss Raid Party blind."
"I see," Mo nodded. "I may do some sketchy things, but even I know where that line is and I don't cross it. I don’t have what it takes to do what she does, but I do what I can to help clear this game. Specifically, to make sure equipment that is needed for the clearers gets to them, even if some disapprove of my methods. Obviously, my services are known, but they have only grown since."
"Clearly," Bladescape replied, nodding to acknowledge the parts directed at her.
Argo grinned from under her hood. "And while you do that, you come across a lot of special things. I need information on a necklace. An upside down cross with an all-seeing eye on it. It's black."
"Ah, yes," Mo grinned. "I know it. I helped move it. It gives the wearer the ability to see things hidden from view. Name, location, quest objectives."
"And to whom did it go?" Argo asked.
"What are you willing to pay for it?" Mo asked, without displaying any emotion.
Argo shot off the couch faster than expected and grabbed Mo's shirt, pulling them face to face. "How about less time imprisoned in this blasted game! How about no deaths on your conscience!"
"So the rumors of Argo going orange are true," Mo grinned back into Argo's face.
Argo released Mo, who fell into her seat with a poised grace. Argo took her seat as if nothing had transpired.
"Your payment is good," Mo stated. "Four weeks ago, I sold the necklace to an info broker named Iliad. I know, original name."
Argo snorted. Not only did Argo know the info broker, but Mo’s response was also a quip at Argo's own name's lack of originality. Bladescape was acquainted with him as well. He has sold her the information about how to purchase their headquarters. He was often easy to find.
"I can find him," Argo said, standing up. "That won't be hard. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the necklace anymore. I ran into him yesterday and that run-in almost ended badly. I had to escape before I did something I would regret.”
Argo looked at Bladescape. "Come, we have work to do."
As they got to the door, Mo stood up and called out. "Wait!" It was earnest and she was concerned. "Do you really mean to say that we have an info broker who has gone beyond game etiquette? One who has worked against us?"
"Yes," Argo said firmly, without turning to look at Mo. "Three crucial quests were canceled as I was doing them. I was close to almost finishing one when I was notified the quest failed. The NPC giving the quest had been killed.”
“No,” Mo said, barely above a whisper.
Argo nodded back.
“What are you going to do?” Mo firmly asked.
“While I would love to gut him myself with my claws, instead we are going to expose him, publicly, and black list him out of a job. We are also going to scare him nearly to death, with a full duel.”
“I approve,” Mo replied with a nasty grin. “However, you are going to need to conceal your Wondercolt friends better than that. For one thing, the guild tag is too well known. If you are going to make copies of yourself, make sure you are all the same.”
“How?” Bladescape asked.
“Leave your guild, temporarily," Mo explained. "Everyone thinks Argo has rat informants, so you need to do more to match that. That means you need to dye your hair to match hers and wear the same clothes under the cloak."
"The second is already done," Bladescape said as she opened her cloak. "Anything else?"
Mo nodded. "Wrap your hands, wear gloves, paint yourself a darker brown and make sure to add whiskers, hunch over more so that you appear the same height as Argo, let the cloak cover for your bad posture. Anything and everything until nothing but your eyes are visible. The same with you Argo. You will need to get blank weapons as well. No identifiers. Your outer cloaks all match and will help conceal your true heights and body shapes, so you can have some variance beneath them, but you need to look the same and limit weapon reveals as much as possible."
“Where do we do that?” Bladescape asked. “Specifically the hair dying.”
Bladescape loved her hair. She knew places did haircuts and dye jobs, Lisbeth looked cute with pink hair, but Bladescape had never had an interest in even redoing the cut of her hair.
“I know a few NPC places,” Argo said.
“You won’t beat Iliad,” Mo warned Argo. “Even if you get him into a full duel, it won’t go well. You could probably beat him, but it would be a nasty fight. Not only will it reflect badly on you, but it won’t scare him. You need a one shot hit, and you can’t deliver that.”
Mo walked into the back, obviously looking for something. She came back out a minute later. She walked straight up to Doombunny. “This is the Blind Eye Necklace. The wearer can change the name that appears above them. It can be anything, even another player’s name. I want it back, immediately, once you are finished with it. You Wondercolts have a reputation, but I still don’t trust this in anyone’s hands but my own. Have it set so that when you duel him, your name is labeled as ‘Argo.’”
Doombunny took the necklace with a slow, but sure nod. “I will protect this with my life, like I do my poisons and drugs.”
“That is why I handed it to you, and not Argo," Mo stated.
The cut at Argo was harsh, but it was ultimately playful banter. She was giving them a powerful tool. A tool she wasn’t letting anyone else know about. It also showed just how concerned Mo was about Iliad's actions.
“None of us will speak the name of this item, ever,” Doombunny assured her. “It’s items like this that make the game very dark.”
“I failed to get a hold of Mate Chopper,” Mo stated. “I am certain that PoH, the head of Laughing Coffin, has it. It’s a knife with the sole purpose of killing players. It gains power every time it kills a player, and loses some every time it kills a monster. So yes, this game is dark. There is an element to SAO where it is designed to encourage the killing of players. Ultimately, Laughing Coffin is just doing what this game was designed to do: kill.”
“I walk that line every day with my Drug Mixing Skill,” Doombunny replied. “I’m working to develop countermeasures to them and all they have at their disposal. Reveal is also an interesting skill. I know you know what I mean.”
Mo just nodded back in silent reply. "I also have three other things for you, Doombunny, to borrow. This is a Crystal Bottle of Kales'Oh. It will allow you to save a skill inside, removing it from your list while not resetting it. The second is a copy stamp. The stamp allows you to copy Argo's claw skill, at its current level, and set it into another player's open skill slot. It doesn't work for hard locked skills, like any that require a quest. The claws are an evolved skill, so you can copy them. So long as you keep your beast tamers charms on, you can use one of your familiar's skills that you will be comfortable with, not a set of unknown attack combinations. The last item is a ring that will allow you to sound like another player, based on whatever ID you select. You just need to speak as Argo would, the ring will do the rest."
"These will be a great help," Doombunny said. "We appreciate your support."
"No one backstabs the info brokers and gets away with it," Mo spat.
Mo stepped Doombunny through saving her Blade Throwing skill and then copied Argo's claws to her skills list. The process was simple enough, but an error could eliminate a lot of hard work on Doombunny's end. The stamp was left with Mo. The bottle and ring would be returned with the necklace.
With everything set, they teleported to Floor Eleven. Argo led them into a small place where they got their hair dyed. Even in the early morning, they were open. Both of them had their hair dyed brown like Argo's. While they did that, Bladescape sent everyone a guild-wide message letting them all know she would be slipping out of the guild for a bit with Doombunny, and emphasizing that it was only temporary but that she couldn't explain why beyond helping a friend with something sensitive they didn’t need tied back to the guild. Natora sent a guild-wide confirmation of the temporary removal and the immediate reinstatement as soon as the mission was done. Natora would be the one to readmit them.
It was an odd thing removing herself from the guild. It was something she had never planned on doing, but after another look at Argo and seeing her stoic body language being betrayed by her anger and pain, Bladescape felt a lot more sure about the temporary leave. Before they left, they bought bottles of shampoo that would remove the dye.
On Floor Thirty-Four, Argo took them to a player owned shop where they could get body paint. It had a sign that said it was always open.
“Why are there colors like yellow, pink, and silver?” Doombunny asked. “And the glitter?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Argo said. “We are here for brown.”
Bladescape took the opportunity to buy more than body paint, though she couldn't help the pang of nostalgia when she spotted one the exact shade as her amber coat when she was a Pony. The shop sold paints for a variety of things, including make-up. She purchased several colors of nail polish, eye liner, and even blush. She also purchased general use blue, yellow, and red. It was better to buy a variety of paints and be forgotten. It was more memorable if you purchased a single item.
With everything procured, they grabbed an inn room. They all stripped down and painted themselves in the same shade of brown, from the tips of their toes, all the way to their scalps. Colorra was painted as well to keep her from immediately being recognized as a ruby krait. It wasn’t hard to add the whiskers after. They put back on the copies of Argo's equipment and then their “rat eared” cloaks. Doombunny was able to hide the necessary charms to access Colorra's sword skills, while Bladescape had to remove the Silver Sagacity Circlet. Argo passed them each a set of claws to wear at their waist like her.
Disguises complete, Bladescape and Doombunny hunched under their cloaks until they were the same height as Argo. It was uncomfortable, and took a bit of practice to move around without looking strange, especially for Doombunny who was much taller than both of them, but they eventually worked it out.
Doombunny took a moment to figure out what the attack combinations were like for the claws under the beast tamer's charms list. Since the claws were an evolution of the dagger, they were the same, with the same initial motion. Doombunny accurately knew what damage she could do with them.
They jumped Floors again, to 50. They needed weapons they could use without being identified, since their usual equipment was too distinctive. In a back alley they entered a tiny player owned smithy that had just opened up for the day. Inside, Argo was the only one who spoke. She brokered a deal for a dagger that Doombunny liked. The smith made a cheap two-handed blade for Bladescape and a one handed sword of the same design for Argo. Bladescape didn’t like the sword, but it would do. It was almost as short as the one handed one Argo got.
They went back to the teleport plaza. Their target was Floor 57, Marten. The town was still the main city for the front lines. It was the best starting point. Argo usually met people further back or out of the limelight. Each info broker did things differently, but Iliad was known for being public and readily available. His information wasn’t as good or as comprehensive as other brokers like Argo. He made most of his money by being accessible and quick.
Doombunny, with Hide active, was invisible and free to walk around. Bladescape and Argo had to rush to the shadows so they didn’t raise suspicion. Argo's Hide Skill was high, but not maxed. Thankfully for them, the front-line city was on the quiet side as the sun started to rise.
Argo and Bladescape split up. They were searching for Iliad or any sign of where he would be. Marten was getting busy as the clearers began to organize themselves. Bladescape sat in a back corner, blocked by a bush, and ate breakfast while she watched the center of the town. She felt pretty blind without the boost from the circlet.
Doombunny popped up in front of her, almost making her scream, except she had been keeping an eye out, knowing Doombunny would show up out of nowhere. Doombunny’s eyes said she had located him. Bladescape tossed aside the food and it shattered into polygons as its durability broke when it hit the ground.
They walked to where Argo was posted. Running would draw attention to the dark figure in the town. Bladescape got several looks, but most probably assumed she was Argo. None of them saw Doombunny.
They met up and Argo already had a plan. She pointed at Iliad. He was in the middle of a group of players. Bladescape recognized most of them. He was dealing information to a few groups. She saw Col exchange hands.
“Doom, you ready?” Argo asked.
“The claws are laced with a paralyzer," Doombunny said. "Keep a red crystal on hand, but I’ll swap places with Colorra. If it works, it will look like I have changed into the snake. Or rather, you have. You just have to get him to accept the duel. I can get him to talk.”
“Necklace is set?” Argo asked. “And the ring?”
“See for yourself," Doombunny said, sounding exactly like Argo.
Both of them looked to see Argo above her head. Obviously the ring was set and working.
“A little disconcerting,” Argo said as Doombunny disappeared. “I have seen a lot of names in this game, but my own on someone else, that was odd. Same with my voice out of her mouth. Anyway, we need to move. I’ll circle around that way. You wait a bit and then approach him from his left. Doombunny located him, and plotted her path out."
Bladescape nodded and they split up. Bladescape adjusted her cloak and began to circle around. Iliad had quite a group around him. Bladescape slid into the crowd and waited a bit. She got a few glances, but he was selling his info and that was the focus of everyone. Bladescape caught sight of Argo on his other side.
Bladescape opened her menu and popped out the sword. With the crowd, she was now glad that the blade was as short as it was. For now, she kept it sheathed and close to her body, under the cloak.
Argo made her move, stepping out from the crowd right up beside him. She leaned back and crossed her arms. He noticed her with a quick glance but kept answering the group in front of him. Bladescape stepped out on the other side, flanking him, but she didn’t cross her arms. She set her hand on her sword hilt, keeping it in front of her chest and under the cloak.
The area froze, unsure of what was happening. He didn’t know who to address.
Bladescape chose for him, but made sure to disguise her voice. She knew players in the crowd, and couldn’t risk being caught. Thankfully, none of the players were friends with her and therefore were unable to automatically see her name. “You know why we are here.”
“I do not,” He replied, trying to play innocent and doing a good job at it.
“You do,” Argo said, also changing her voice. “We ran into each other in the west forest. And then you tried to kill Argo. That was five days ago. Argo was forced to attack first to protect herself against a set of four players you tried to intimidate her with.”
“If you are not Argo, is she?” he asked, referring to Bladescape.
“We are Argo,” Bladescape replied. She drew her sword and took a step to her right, in an attempt to get behind him. “You will face us shortly.”
He was defiant. “Are you really going to try and pressure me, in front of all these players? Argo wouldn’t dare. She isn’t that dumb. You know it and so does she, her reputation would be ruined.”
“Are you that thick?” Bladescape asked. “We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t already crossed the line and destroyed your own integrity.”
“How?” He asked. “And what proof do you have?”
Bladescape directly pointed her sword at him. She waved it, motioning for him to take a few steps forward. He shook his head no.
“They won’t let you bully me,” Iliad said with a smirk. “I’m a well-known info broker. You are who?”
No one had any idea who they were and that was good. He was concerned, but confident since it was a safe zone and he was banking on the protection of the other players. Normally that was a safe bet, but he didn’t know what they had on him. Or what was about to happen.
Bladescape needed to flip the crowd he was using for safety against him. They were wanting an answer from the Argos, some even having weapons half drawn. Bladescape asked her question, as loudly as she could while keeping her voice concealed. "Do your customers around us know you are selling blood information? Or that you work with orange players to get what you want?”
They heard the question and began to whisper back and forth. Bladescape continued.
"We checked the quest logs. Every quest. It states how many times it has been attempted, how many times completed, and how many times it has been canceled."
Argo carried the accusation, "And we found something very disturbing. Three quests your rival Argo was working on were not canceled or incomplete, they were forfeited. The crucial NPC was killed.”
Bladescape took a definitive step forward.
"You killed those NPCs, critical to those quests because you couldn't complete them. We were ahead of you. And who does that hurt? It hurts the clearers around us who have been paying you all morning. Valuable information on the Floor Boss has been lost because of your selfishness."
Argo stepped forward, further boxing Iliad in and said, "There is a big difference between competition and crossing the game etiquette line, and then even past the morality line. You endangered us and others because you used orange players to force the information out of them in the field. You’re selling information and then stealing it back!"
A menu popped up in front of him. He glanced at it. "A full duel request‽" he exclaimed. It was a mix of begging, fear, and stalwart defiance. “Where is she? Where is Argo! I want to face her.”
Blade pointed with her scabbard. The crowd parted. Doombunny was standing there, for all the world appearing to be a third Argo. Her hood was drawn as far forward as it would allow, completely hiding her eyes in its shadows.
“Why don’t you face me yourself instead of bringing in your muscle?" Iliad challenged. "I am surprised you got these two thugs to try and boss me around, not the Wondercolts. What? Did they not approve?”
Doombunny didn't say anything, merely tilting her head as if to dismiss the idea. The silence was somehow more intimidating than if she had burst into maniacal laughter.
He looked around at the split crowd. Things had shifted. They were not backing any particular side at this point.
The real Argo made a definitive step towards him. “You don’t mess with Argo and get away with it. We don't do anything to compromise the players of this game. We don't hurt other players. We don't kill NPCs to cancel quests. Especially key quests that give Floor Boss information. Stuff that helps free us from this virtual prison. You will face our answer with that duel.”
“That request is a full duel!” Iliad protested, loudly. “The loser dies! I am not accepting a full duel!”
Bladescape didn't give him an option. Her hand struck and forced his onto the accept button. Everyone was focused on her actions. She was receiving heavy conduct warnings, but she wasn't orange, yet. She let go and stepped back. Argo did as well.
He stood there for a bit, shocked as the preparation clock ticked down. He snapped out of it. “WHAT THE HELL! SHE’S GOING TO MURDER ME! YOU! STOP! GRAB THEM! TAKE THEM TO PRISON!”
Bladescape flipped her blade up to his neck, silencing him. “I would focus on your duel,” she growled.
Iliad glanced at Doombunny but she was gone. Colorra, painted pitch black, was coiled up in Doombunny’s spot. No one had seen her disappear. They had been focused on Iliad being forced into the duel by the Argos.
He tried to speak but it was gibberish as he tried to comprehend her turning into a snake. Valuable seconds ticked off the clock.
“I DID IT!” He yelled. “I killed the NPCs. It was wrong, but I won’t do it again!”
The buzzer sounded and the duel started.
Doombunny appeared right in front of him. “YOU CERTAINLY WON’T!” she shouted, sounding exactly like Argo. Her claws glowed as she slashed him across the chest. It took off two thirds of his HP. Then she was gone, before he was on the ground, sobbing in his paralyzed position.
Bladescape had slipped away when Doombunny made her move. Argo had slipped away before Bladescape had.
Around the corner, out of sight in an alley, Doombunny and Colorra appeared beside Bladescape. “Third floor, second room on the right is ours. Go change before you get caught. We will finish up.”
Bladescape rushed off to the room.
Argo had circled around and slipped back to Doombunny's starting position. Now she could really do her job, even letting her whiskers show more to assert that it had always been her. She spoke loudly as she walked towards him. “A lot of players complain about me and what I do. But unlike you, I know how to cleanly, FAIRLY, and safely acquire my information.”
“How! How were you a snake? And then here!” Iliad growled, still stuck on the ground.
“I’m a quest crunching machine,” Argo spat. “I have tools and equipment that you haven’t even heard rumors about at my disposal. That’s how I am still on the front lines, alone without backup. My small team doesn’t operate on the front line like I do. Their focus is elsewhere. You wouldn’t even know what to do with the stuff I have acquired. You certainly wouldn’t use it responsibly.”
“I…” Iliad stammered, writhing in pain. His HP had taken a big hit from Doombunny's strike, but it wasn't sliding any further down.
“That’s for all three quests you forfeit,” Argo declared, bending down to get closer to his face in the cobblestone street. “And it’s for sending those four after me, to put a stop to my progress. When they failed, you must have freaked. But unlike you, I am actually reasonable. I’ll cancel this duel and remove the paralyzing agent, and when I do, you better run to the nearest teleport plaza and get the hell out of here. Your days as an information broker are over.”
Argo stood up. She pulled up her menu and, at the same time, Doombunny also did from her hiding place. Doombunny canceled the duel in sync with Argo.
Even with the duel canceled, the paralysis effect was still pinning him on the ground. Argo snorted and pulled out a green crystal. She walked over to one of the bystanders and put it in his hand.
“I can’t bring myself to end his suffering," she stated. "I’m enjoying it too much after all the hell and pain he has given me over the past few weeks. Also, the info you bought, it’s Ninety-Five, not Eighty-Five. His info is as poor as his judgment.”
The player snorted. “Thanks. I'll go bail him out for you because you gave me the right info...”
Argo was enveloped in a blue light as she teleported out. She didn’t grab a crystal or name a destination.
Doombunny entered the room to find Bladescape stripped, with the paint off her face and hands. The rest of her gear was covered up and she was wearing a cheap chainmail coif to conceal her hair. It didn’t take Doombunny long to do the same. Both of them teleported to Floor 1 from inside the room.
They quickly walked to Mo’s shop. Inside Argo and Mo were waiting for them. Doombunny immediately handed over the necklace and ring. With a few clicks, Doombunny replaced her Blade Throwing skill and gave back the rare Crystal Bottle of Kales'Oh.
“Thank you,” Mo said with a sly grin as she took the last item. “I understand it went well.”
Bladescape chuckled. “We more than ruined his day. He won’t be dealing info anymore. But, now that it is done, do I want to know how much info on the boss we lost?”
“I only know it was three quests," Argo replied. "Similar to the one I ran with you before. But each one ended before I could complete it. I had a feeling it was going to lead me to the Necromancer himself. I was going to call you guys back in for that. We will never know now. The front lines are probably a day or two away from the boss chamber. We will see. But I need sleep.”
“The offer still stands,” Bladescape said.
“I’ll take it,” Argo replied with a grin. “I more than owe you for this.”
“I think we all do,” Mo stated.
“Do you guys really get a lot of special things from these quests?” Bladescape asked.
Argo pulled out her necklace. It looked like a mini blue teleport crystal hanging off the chain. “This lets me teleport wherever I want that has a teleport plaza, without wasting a crystal and assuming it isn't an anti-crystal zone. I couldn’t have done this without you, but I do get cool stuff from these quests. Mo here focuses on the rare quests and equipment. I focus on progressing the game with relevant info, she stays back from the front lines. What she gets, well I let her know where to start on certain items. I can trust her to hold the dark stuff where it belongs; in the dark.”
Mo just shrugged. “I do what needs to be done. And some of the pieces I sell, well…” She shrugged. “Bladescape already knows that I sell the best to who they need to go to in order for us to get free as soon as possible. Also, I know that you, Doombunny, hold the Beast Tamer’s Charms.”
Doombunny gave a nod in reply.
“And that is where they need to be, with you," Mo added.
“If you ever need assistance,” Bladescape said with a grin, leaving the rest unsaid.
“I have eyed you for a few things,” Mo replied coyly. “However, I have a feeling that you will come to me before I realize I need you. It is just a hunch I have had since we first met.”
“I need sleep,” Argo said. Her voice was unsteady as she stifled a yawn.
“We need to get back into the guild first,” Bladescape chuckled. “I am sure one of them is at the HQ.”
“Grab my hands and hold on tight,” Argo said.
They both took a hand, gripping it tight. They were enveloped in blue light and then found themselves on the teleport plaza in Mishe.
“Nifty,” Bladescape said.
“It has saved me hours,” Argo shrugged. “And my life. Twice.”
They opened the outside door and entered the waiting room. They used the door’s menu to “knock” and let them know they were back. A minute later Reisenki opened the door.
“Hey,” He said, looking them over and then stepping to the side, and letting them inside.
Natora was in the storeroom, doing an audit. She came over and extended the guild membership status to both of them. It felt good, right, safe even, to accept and be an official Wondercolt again.
“She is going to sleep in the guest room,” Bladescape told Natora. “And all three of us need baths. Who is here?”
“Konpeito, Reisenki, and me," Natora said. “Kiefer took the rest to the Sand Crabs. I’m auditing our supplies and Reisenki is helping Konpeito try and solve ice cream. It isn’t going well. And not because of the ingredients. She keeps distracting herself and messing up because of it. Knightstar is following up on something else, on her own, and Malus, as you know, is fishing."
Bladescape nodded to Natora. Doombunny had already escorted the info broker to the spare room, but it was wise to be cryptic about Knightstar as well as tossing Malus in the mix. Bladescape could deal with Knightstar later.
"You're on duty,” Bladescape said, as she patted Natora on the shoulder. "I need a bath and a nap."
“I can see that you need a bath,” Natora said with a laugh.
It felt good to get the paint off, returning to her usual olive complexion. Bladescape stayed in the bath until it was cold. She only slightly regretted it as she dried off and got into clothes that warmed her. It was also good to have her normal hair color back. The brown didn’t look bad, but it wasn’t her. It felt like she had been muffling who she was. But the job came first and it was a job well done.
Before she went to bed, Bladescape tried the nail polish on her toes. She alternated between red and orange, trying to match the colors she usually wore. When she put her gear on, her toes wouldn't be seen. How she painted them was up to her and she planned to take full advantage of that.
BLADESCAPE: Level 79 — Two-Handed Sword — Searching — Weapon Defense — Leather Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Sprint — Blade Throwing — Extended Weight Carry — Acrobatics
NATORA: Level 75 — Two-Handed Spear — Purchase Negotiations — Sales Negotiation — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Armor Pierce — Sprint
KNIGHTSTAR: Level 70 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Equipment Appraisal — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry — Armor Pierce — Search
MALUS: Level 74 — One-Handed War Hammer — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Extended Weight Carry — Battle Regeneration — Fishing — Search — Martial Arts — Rend
THUNDERBORNE: Level 74 — Rapier — Sprint — Acrobatics — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Armor Pierce — Martial Arts — Blade Throwing
KONPEITO: Level 74 — Two-Handed Axe — Cooking — Weapon Defense — Light Metal Armor — Martial Arts — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Music — Blade Throwing — Bard — Extended Weight Carry
DIEMOND: Level 75 — Mace — Greatshield — Sewing — Heavy Metal Armor — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Light Metal Armor Forging — Heavy Metal Armor Forging — Extended Weight Carry — Jewelry Creation
DOOMBUNNY: Level 78 — One-Handed Dagger — Hide — Fighting Spirit — Blade Throwing — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Familiar Cooperation — Mixing — Listen — Reveal — Main-gauche
KIEFER: Level 72 — One-Handed Curved Sword — Slash Weapon Forging — Light Metal Armor — Weapon Defense — First Aid — Katana — Battle Regeneration — Slash Weapon Forging — Blade Throwing — Armor Pierce
SORYUTO: Level 70 — One-Handed Sword — Shield — Light Metal Armor — Music — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Fighting Spirit — Armor Pierce — Acrobatics — Extended Weight Carry
REISENKI: Level 72 — One-Handed Axe — Greatshield — Heavy Metal Armor — Equipment Repair — Metal Equipment Repair — First Aid — Battle Regeneration — Cooking — Metal Refining — One-Hand Weapon Creation
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great update!
Another remade chapter nice. Although just like before I still feel like it wasn't necessary for Sunny to reveal so much IRL info to Argo.
11952800
Yeah. I can understand that. It's a valid criticism. I always love good feedback.
11952839
To be more specific, I don't see a reason for so much IRL info drop. Sharing names is ok, Argo did ask what Pinkie's intials stand for. But everything else? Nope, don't see why she would tell about their lives, magic and whatnot.
I like the level of trust in sharing their real names.
I'm guessing she was referring to the events of Dance Magic?
Ok, now I see where this is going as I remember when this happened in the original version.
What coin?
Even if it'll change/affect them, it'll be worth it in the end.
Sometimes I forget that kind of shampoo exists.
I feel the same when meeting someone who's also named after me.
It's funny seeing he's about to deal with two of them.
Interesting.
Imo, Sunset will always looks good in red.
11952874
Yes, I can understand that. I was using it as a grounding moment, so Sunset doesn't lose herself to Bladescape.
11953232
Well, col comes in coin and coin is a term for money in general, even if it is bills. And yes, Sunset always looks better in red.
11953274
crap why didn't I think of that.
11953281
It happens. lol.