Draco and Riveting Night spawned in the Portal Center of Cario City together, their ominous aura making the various players and NPCs balk a little. Draco and Riveting Night weren't nobodies. They were extremely popular, especially in Cario City.
Various players began to murmur and whisper to themselves as they saw the duo walk by, some even feeling like going up to them to either issue a challenge or try to leave a good impression.
However, they were unable to get too close to them due to the feeling they gave off, which further enhanced their reverence and respect for this powerful duo.
Draco and Riveting Night ignored the various players and stopped by a few Rank 1 and Rank 2 shops. Draco proceeded to clear out all their Rare arrows, all the basic Tradeskill books as well as all the common skill books.
He also swept away many potions, poisons, and utility items that many players used frequently in order to enhance their play.
The owners of these shops could only cry without tears as they watched their business plummet like a comet. Draco only patted them on the shoulder and left 1 gold coin, which was barely anything compared to the quantity he took away.
Was the fellow trying to outfit a Kingdom's army?!
Draco returned to the Guild Hall of Umbra, slightly surprised by the increased level of activity surrounding it. No matter how busy Umbra seemed to be at any point in time, its bustling nature was always growing.
The Evil Duo entered the Guild Hall and were greeted by the NPC receptionist, who led them to the Common Room. Once there, the various members of Umbra who were relaxing while handling their daily quests all stood up to greet the duo.
"We greet the Guildmaster and Vice Guildmaster!"
Draco nodded to them as Eva replied softly. "Do not mind us, return to your duties."
The members knew better than to foolishly fawn on their guild leaders. They were all elites themselves, the the Guild Leader had placed a clear path for them to rise in ranks and power with their own skill, so they would rather tread that path than needlessly lick their boots.
Draco walked over to where the Five Generals and Sublime Notion stood, who were the reason they came here directly, instead of going upwards.
When they got closer though, Draco noticed that there were a few new people around the Five Generals.
Sublime Notion noticed Draco's surprise and took the cue to speak here. "While you were away, these five fellows took some time off and came back with friends or family."
Sublime gestured to the caramel-skinned tomboyish beauty that stood arm-in-arm with Boyd. "This is Shani, the fiance of Boyd. She just started Boundless and has decided to try the path of an archer."
Shani bowed to Draco with respect. "Thank you for having me, Guild Leader."
Draco smiled and nodded. "As you are the woman of one of my men, I shall treat you well. Take this bow and these arrows. They should help with your growth."
Draco gave her Pinaka and a wealth of Common, Uncommon and Rare arrows. Since her inventory was the standard size, she was limited in how much she could hold.
Boyd and Shani were stunned by Draco's generosity. However, Boyd did not even try to reject Draco's benevolence, instead nudging Shani to accept it. When she took the items, she once again bowed with gratitude.
Sublime Notion smiled lightly, gesturing to the older woman beside Rina. "This is madam Holly, who is Rina's mother. She has decided to go down the path of a Terramancer."
The older woman was a sensual beauty who looked like Rina but with 20 of years age added to her. Her long silvery hair had slowly begun to turn white, but retained some strange l.u.s.ter.
The whole time Draco appeared, she had stared at him with incredulity and confusion. She felt like Draco resembled someone she knew, but she wasn't too sure because his looks were very different.
However, that aura that induced l.u.s.t was almost the same as…
When she was introduced, she snapped out of her reverie and bowed lightly, but in a more noble manner. "Hello, Guildmaster. I'm happy to see that you've taken care of my sweet Rina all this time."
Draco smiled and waved his hands. "Please don't refer to me as Guildmaster, but as Draco. Madam Holly is a respectable woman who has experienced much of life, I have much to learn from someone like you."
Hearing this, Holly could only shake her head inwardly with a sigh. With such a high EQ and verbal prowess, it was no wonder her daughter had been seduced by this fellow.
To be told that she was old in such a pleasant way showed that the fellow was adept in the art of wooing.
"No problem, Draco." Holly acquiesced with a smile.
Draco paused and seemed thoughtful. "I don't really have something meant for an earth mage, but I can give you this staff and robe."
Draco handed her a Rare staff and an Uncommon robe which he had gained during the Flora and Fauna quest. These things were stewing aimlessly in his inventory, but he had plans to clear them out.
Holly accepted both items quickly, her eyes darting around to see if anyone would take it from her.
Everyone was rendered speechless by this, but only Rina gave her mom a thumbs up.
Sublime Notion finally gestured to an extremely alluring woman who was in her late twenties, with a red crown braid and a tall stature. "This is Bella, the sister of Cobra. She plans to walk down the path of a rogue."
"Astarte, not Cobra. That silly nickname is unseemly." Bella snorted with contempt as she heard them refer to her darling Astarte with such a crude and ugly nickname.
"Shut up! My name is Cobra here and you will refer to me as such!"
Much to the surprise of Draco and Eva, Cobra – who was usually mild – had such a strong reaction. Sublime and the others didn't seem too surprised by it though. It was likely that they had been fighting like this for a long while.
Bella's pretty face became a little red as she lowered her head slowly. "Yes, Astarte…"
Cobra felt his head about to explode. Bella had directly run to their parents and pestered them to allow her to join him in the game, also making him promise to take care of her.
So he was stuck with this demoness for now.
Draco just shook his head and didn't ask. He had his own problems with his family, so it wasn't his place to comment on someone else's.
Riveting Night though, was startled initially, then her face inside her hood changed greatly. She walked up to Bella and made a few laps around her as she scrutinized her carefully.
Bella watched her do this with confusion at first, but her mind seemed to sense something…
Riveting Night eventually stopped and patted Bella on the shoulder. "From now on, you will call me Big Sister."
When Bella heard her words, her mind trembled as she knew her hunch was right. Without hesitation, she greeted Riveting Night with respect and slight reverence. "Bella greets Big Sister."
Riveting Night nodded lightly. "En. Later on, come to me. I will outfit you and handle your training personally."
Bella bowed once again and stood back.
Every male who beheld this interaction was rendered speechless and clueless, but the girls had some inkling of what was going on. Seeing the men confused though, amused them to no end. So they decided to keep mum in order to maintain mystery.
Draco shook his head. "Where are the core members?"
"They are currently in the Stone Wall Dungeon, running the normal mode." Sublime Notion answered with a light smile.
Draco and Riveting Night shared a look. How could they forget about such things?
The Stone Wall Dungeon was a special Area dungeon that was within the Sturgehaven Kingdom territory. It featured a hefty presence of earth elementals and enemies, so melee players and pyromancers were greatly weakened.
"How many entered the dungeon?" Riveting Night asked.
"About 10 of them. Rambunctious Buttlover, Slim Fatty, Dreary Traveler and Warm Spring you've already met. We have six new core members since you left and four of them claim to know you personally."
Sublime Notion answered lightly, dragging her words with that evil smirk of hers.
"The four are called Akainu, Sanji, Jada and Jade. They have each chosen a berserker, lancer, pyromancer and cryomancer class respectively. They are currently being trained by the former three."
Draco was startled before he slapped himself on the forehead.
Of course!
He had told those four to join the game then look for Umbra because he thought they would arrive before he finished the Flora and Fauna quest, but he had rather encountered the bizarre and unpredictable scenario where he met King too early.
As such, he had finished that quest much earlier than he expected. Ironically though, he still wasn't around when they came.
"Great. Who are the other two?" Draco asked with a smile.
"Well, they're called Silent Walker and… Loving Aunt." Sublime Notion spoke out that last name with a strange expression.
Draco initially nodded his head when he heard the familiar name of Silent Walker, but Loving Aunt floored him. He had no idea of any expert from their past life who had that name, and to be able to enter Umbra as a core member was a proof of skill and talent.
No, what spooked Draco the most was that he had a feeling he knew who that was.
Just to be sure, he asked Sublime Notion to describe Loving Aunt.
"Well, she was a really attractive woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She had dark black hair and bright green eyes. Her chest was… even bigger than mine… and she was extremely eccentric."
Sublime Notion seemed thoughtful as she shared what she remembered of Loving Aunt. She looked like she connected a certain thread together as she pointed towards Draco.
"She also looked a lot like you."
Draco's heart fell to his stomach. He remembered that his Aunt Fyre told him she would be molting soon, and her new skin would make her look like she was in her youth once more.
He could practically hear the maniacal cackling of his unhinged aunt as she wreaked havoc wherever she went.
Shaking away his worry, Draco nodded to them. "It's good to see that you're all here. From now on, we must enter into overdrive mode as we prepare for the battle with the Dragon."
Everyone's face became solemn as they heard this, knowing that this was a serious topic.
"I will enter a period of uninterruptible activity, preparing potions for the battle ahead. I've also made sure to acquire a plethora of useful items of various grades, so make sure to equip yourselves with whatever you need."
Draco nodded to Riveting Night. "Eva will handle our early-phase battle plan and tactics. I will devise our on-field battle plans, so make sure to listen to what she has to say."
The various topmost echelon here nodded their heads with understanding, making Draco satisfied.
"Okay, then I won't hold you up any longer. You can go do what you want while we wait until the battle. Make sure to gather every member of Umbra in the Guild Hall by tomorrow at 10am in the morning. We'll move into battle then."
With that said, Draco and Riveting Night left the Common Room while the Five Generals and Sublime Notion moved to fulfill their tasks.
Draco appeared in the Guild Shop and was greeted by the NPC clerk. He then deposited all this equipment and items that were below the Epic-tier into the store, letting the AI attach the default pricing to some while making others free.
After doing that, Draco parted ways with Riveting Night as he went upstairs to his super mini small world. In there, Draco took out Pair Dadeni once again and gathered most of the raw materials he had collected from the Rank 1 and Rank 2 shops.
After performing the necessary preparation, he began the concocting process with gusto. Since he had broken into the Expert Rank (level 40-60), his requirements for crafting Epic potions were much less stringent.
Not only was his time consumption greatly reduced, his success rate had increased greatly. From 25% success rate with milder Epic potions, he now had a 55% success chance, not including the effects of his title and the Fire of War.
Altogether, Draco had a 90% success rate, which was truly terrifying when one thought deeply about it.
How long had the game been released? It had been slightly more than a week in real world time and over a month of in-game time. Yet Draco could already create simple Epic potions with 90% success chance…
Sigh…
Draco continued spitting out Angel's Kiss potions like a madman, his singular focus on the task extremely commendable as his Tradeskill level continually climbed like a rocket.
Draco was concocting Epic potions as an Expert Rank Alchemist. To concoct Epic Potions which were a whole rank above him naturally netted him much more experience than if he were to make potions of his Rank.
Expert Rank equated Rare potions while Master Rank equated Epic potions. To give a comparison, it would be like killing Rank 4 monsters at Rank 3. One could not compare the experience gain for doing so against killing Rank 3 monsters.
Draco had reduced his time-per-potion from one hour to 30 minutes, which allowed him to greatly increase his output. Since he had a 90% success rate, he was able to make just about 150 potions, just like his last session.
However, this time he had spent only 24 hours to do this much, which would depress any Alchemist out there who had spent years to master their craft and reach this level.
Draco sighed after he finished his task, placing these new potions in the Guild Shop. He set the same price as before, in order to galvanize his guild members.
While the battle against the Dragon could be made infinitely easier if he allowed his guildmates to use the Angel's Kiss potions for free, there simply weren't enough to make a huge difference.
He also didn't want things to be too easy for them. They might be elites now, but they could be easily overtaken by the more hardworking common players if they had things too simple for them.
Draco put away Pair Dadeni and turned to see a sleeping Qiong Qi, a smiling Roma, and Rila who was cradled in her arms.
When the little tot noticed that her papa was finally done with work, she stretched out her arms with need. "Daddy!"
Draco smiled and took Rila into his arms, where she laughed with glee and rubbed her face on his neck. Draco made sure to recede the metal parts of his armor, leaving only the cloth segments underneath.
He turned to Roma and saw that the Gypsy was doing much better. Draco could still sense the sorrow and mental damage she had received, but it had softened considerably as she had come to accept the fact.
"How are you, Roma?" Draco asked gently.
"I'm somewhat fine, Draco. I'm ready to help you in any endeavor you need me for." Roma answered with a smile, her light Caribbean accent sounding extremely pleasing to Draco's ears after not being around her for a while.
"That's good. However, remember that you are my woman and someone important to me Roma. If it ever gets too tough, just share it all with me, I can handle your burdens."
Draco petted Rila on the head gently as he said this, the little girl cooing with pleasure as she was pampered by her daddy.
Roma's heart was touched by Draco's words, and she lowered her head as she replied weakly. "I will."
Draco sighed internally. Roma's character was good, but had some faults he found troublesome. However, he still accepted her as she was, because changing her artificially would no longer make her the Roma he knew.
He also had his own flaws and yet she accepted him wholeheartedly. How could he not do the same?
"Let us go to the Assembly Room. Eva must have finished drafting the early battle plan for the siege against the Dragon, so we must be there to see how things will be played out."
Draco walked over to Qiong Qi, who was fast asleep with a large snot bubble expanding and contracting with every breath he took. His snores were like thunder in the room, making Rila giggle cutely.
Draco thought for a bit before taking out Mjolnir.
Making a heavy swing, he brought the Epic hammer down on Qiong Qi's head with all the force he could muster!
SHA-BANG!!!!
A resounding boom shook the air as the hammer smashed into the Lion's cranium with prohibitive force, almost turning his already questionable brain into mush.
Qiong Qi roared with fear and desperation as he jumped into the air almost ten feet.
"ARGH!! MY BRAINS ARE BEING EXTRACTED BY GNOMES!"
Draco and Roma could only share a look before they burst into laughter. Qiong Qi realized that he had fallen into this trap again, but so what?
Ha, did you think this Lion would be ashamed? Keep dreaming!
"Haha, Brother Draco is surely skillful! To wake me up using the secret technique of the gnomes, it shows that you have a good world experience!"
Roma and Draco could only choke on their laughter as they felt ashamed on behalf of this freak who had no dignity.
Draco shook his head and blinked his group to the Assembly Room, where he could see the 3000 combat members of Umbra lined up and raring to go. Riveting Night stood on the stage before them, explaining the plan with seriousness and focus.
Draco smiled.
Soon, the battle with the Dragon would begin.
