Chương 129: Chapter 128: The Man Behind the Guild

They arrived in the afternoon. Alice messaged me when they hit the teleport gate, and I walked to the harbor district to meet them. Cyrus came with me, curious about the man behind Silverwing's strongest guild. The King's Glade delegation was smaller than I expected. Alice led the group, her blonde hair catching the late sun as she descended the hill from the teleport platform. Denxy walked beside her, his Mythril shield strapped to his back and a fresh crack still visible across its surface.

Desirae was there too, her staff in hand. And behind them, flanked by two players I didn't recognize, was Phantom. I saw videos about a few of his achievements, but even if I hadn't, I would have recognized him instantly. There was no ornate armor or cape with the Guild's symbol just yet, but there didn't need to be. The game itself told me, and this was the first time I'd felt something like that about a player in Godsrealm. It had to be the Presence stat, maybe mixed with my Influence, but I felt his… aura.

Like the pressure suddenly increased all around us. The higher my Presence is, the more I can gauge other players' strength, I realized. And Phantom was strong. This was a game mechanic that didn't trigger with Athos, or Cyrus or Lothras. It triggered with him. I didn't even realize at first, but I started smiling because of the promise of a challenge. He was tall, lean, with faded blonde hair cut short and a handsome but calculating face. His equipment was remarkable.

The longer I looked, the more I saw: the sword had a minimalistic look, but was clearly top notch, the medium armor had intricate etchings woven into it, and his boots left no sound on the cobblestones despite the metal reinforcements, likely some sort of an item effect. His eyes were already on me. By the time he reached us, I had the distinct impression he'd already formed three separate opinions and was deciding which one to share.

"Orion." He extended a hand. His grip was firm.

"I've been hearing your name for weeks. It's good to finally put a face to it."

"Phantom. Same goes for you." He turned to Cyrus.

"And you must be Cyrus. Athos speaks highly of you."

"He's too kind," Cyrus said, shaking the offered hand.

"Welcome to Tidemark."

"Thank you." Phantom looked around the harbor district. The docks, the market, the Association Hall, the palace on the hill. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Beautiful place. Bigger than I expected."

"It's the jewel of the coast for a reason," I said.

"So I've heard." He returned his attention to me.

"Shall we find somewhere to talk? I have a few things on my agenda, and I suspect you do as well." We walked around for a while, taking in the city's beauty, then settled at the far end of the harbor around a couple of benches and a food stall that provided us with drinks and snacks.

"I'll be direct," Phantom said once we'd settled.

"I didn't come to Tidemark just to sightsee, though I'll admit the scenery is worth the trip." He leaned back in his chair.

"I came for three reasons. The first is Second Wind. Athos has been building something impressive here, and King's Glade has no interest in competing with him for Tidemark. We have enough on our plate in the rest of the counties."

"I assume you'd like to talk to Athos about this?" Cyrus asked.

"Indeed," the swordsman nodded.

"But I hear he's out hunting for Field Bosses at the moment."

"He should be done within an hour."

"That's great to hear! But I would like to hear your opinion, too," Phantom smiled. Cyrus nodded.

"Second Wind is likely open to a non-aggression pact. King's Glade is the strongest force in Silverwing, and we have no reason to fight with you. I can call a meeting when the leadership is available, and we can hash out the specifics."

"Good." Phantom moved on without lingering. He was efficient.

"The second reason is expansion. King's Glade has officers in most Silverwing counties. I have no eyes on Tidemark, but Furrowhold to the west piques my interest. I wanted Stone to move there as a representative, but for now I need him in Silverwing, next to me." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"So you plan to travel there today?" Cyrus asked.

"No," Phantom shook his head.

"It's quite a journey on foot and sea, both. I'm planning to look around Tidemark today, and teleport to Furrowhold tomorrow, once the cooldown is gone."

"And the third reason?" I asked. Phantom looked at me for a long moment, and the room went quiet.

"You." Alice shifted in her seat. Denxy suddenly found his drink very interesting. Desirae's expression didn't change, but her eyes moved to Phantom in a way that suggested she'd been waiting for this part. The two other KG players stood still.

"I've been watching you since the civil war, Orion. Not personally, but through the people I trust." He glanced at Alice.

"Alice's reports from Serendine have been thorough. The Spriggan fight, the quarry battle, the duel with that Paladin. Before that, Stone and Sylph told me about the Woe, the dungeons, the tournament." He folded his hands on the table.

"I rarely chase players. King's Glade's recruitment policy is simple: we make the door visible, and we let people walk through it. Stone offered you a spot months ago. You declined. Alice has been offering through implication ever since you arrived in Serendine. You've declined that too."

"I have my reasons."

"I'm sure you do, and I respect them. But I didn't come here to make the same offer a third time." He reached into his inventory and produced something I hadn't seen before. It was a book. A leather-bound one, compact but thick, with a clasp holding it shut. The cover was dark burgundy, and the edges of the pages were adorned with golden accents. [Skill Book] Epic Restriction: Ranger That was all the tooltip showed. No skill name, no description, no stats.

Just the rarity, the restriction, and the purple border that marked it as something extraordinary. I have never seen skill books up to this point. I hadn't even read about them. As far as I knew, Skill Runes were the only way of obtaining non-basic abilities.

"A skill book?" I asked.

"The first I've seen in Godsrealm," Phantom confirmed.

"The forums have no record of one dropping anywhere in the kingdom. As far as I know, we're looking at the only one."

"Where did you get it?"

"A Field Boss in Silverwing county. Level 25 Enchanted, took fifty of us to bring down. The skill book was a bonus drop, on top of the usual loot." King's Glade has at least one really talented Ranger, I thought. Phantom read my mind.

"When I got it, I offered it to Sylph. He's our main Ranger, he's been with me for over ten years, and he's earned it."

"He turned it down?"

"Not exactly." A brief smile crossed Phantom's face.

"He said, and I quote: 'What if we tried to poach the best Ranger I'd ever seen with this book?'" Alice was watching me.

"Sylph thinks you're the best Ranger in the kingdom," Phantom continued.

"And he's not the only one sharing the sentiment."

"True," Denxy said.

"I've heard enough secondhand opinions," Phantom said.

"I wanted to see for myself." He placed both hands on the table.

"I have no interest in joining a Guild."

"Alice told me you needed her help for a dungeon you're about to face?" I looked at Cyrus, and he nodded.

"We're three members short for a multi-party dungeon system that potentially leads to something unique. King's Glade could benefit from it, too, if she helped."

"That is true," he nodded finally.

"However, I need my second-in-command. Crimson Court is not the only Guild that's been challenging us lately, and to be without such a strong team watching my back is less than practical." I didn't have any arguments to make a case. We finished our drinks, and Phantom stood up from the bench. The rest of us followed suit. It was a bummer; I really thought having Alice and the others would cement our chances of clearing the Fang Forest caves, but there wasn't much I could do if Phantom had other plans for them.

"A duel." What? I looked at him, and he repeated.

"A duel. You and me. If you win, you can have them for the dungeon." He looked at Alice.

"That is, if they agree to it." The swordswoman met my gaze, then nodded. Denxy grinned, and although I couldn't read Desirae's face, I was certain she didn't mind trying herself against a unique dungeon, either.

"And if I lose?" The Guild Leader smiled.

"You join King's Glade." I froze as my pulse picked up, but only for a moment.

"Not as a recruit," Phantom continued.

"Not as a foot soldier. As an officer. Your own team, your own objectives. I don't micromanage my best people. Ask Alice."

"He doesn't," she confirmed.

"King's Glade is the strongest guild in Silverwing. Second guild registered in the entire kingdom. Resources, contracts, intelligence networks, and a roster of players who are the best at what they do. What we don't have is you." He looked at the city; the players going about their daily adventures, grouping up, trading, having fun.

"I think you've been independent long enough, Orion. You've proven yourself plenty of times. You're strong. But that doesn't mean you don't need a guild if you want to progress." I let the silence sit for a moment. The harbor sounds drifted in from behind us: gulls, waves, merchants. I thought about Ace telling me to get on somebody's roster. About Lothras protecting Mädusa at the quarry.

About Alice commanding a hundred players like she was born for it, and Denxy tanking three Elite constructs because his team depended on him. I thought about all these groups building around me, and the potential they had. About what it would mean to have people like that at my back every day. But there was a reason I'd kept saying no, and it had nothing to do with King's Glade. Before I could answer, Phantom pointed at the skill book.

"Win or lose," he said.

"I will give you this Skill Book." I raised an eyebrow.

"Win or lose?"

"Indeed," he smiled.

"It will work best in your hands. And it's proof that I don't want to merely recruit you. An offer of goodwill." I looked at him. That book was potentially more valuable than an Epic Skill Rune. If he was willing to part with it, he was either reckless or incredibly confident. And as far as I heard, Phantom was not reckless.

"I have no intention of joining King's Glade, Phantom," I said, getting my bow ready.

"You will miss that skill book one day."

"I wouldn't say that."

"How so?" I asked. He drew his sword.

"Because if I win, you will use it while standing by my side." He got into fighting position.

"And I always win."