Chương 378: Chapter 361 - Interlude 36.4

4 ■ Welcome to the Magic Unbound Online message boards. You are currently logged in, Machine_God You are viewing: • Threads you have replied to • AND Threads that have new replies • OR private message conversations with new replies • Thread OP is displayed. • Fifteen posts per page • Last ten messages in private message history. • Threads and private messages are ordered chronologically. ■ ♦ Topic: Roserun No more!

In: Boards ► ► Roserune Packrat (Original Poster) (The Guy in the Know) (Veteran Member) Posted On XXX XX XXXX: What the hell guys! [PICTURE 1][PICTURE 2][PICTURE 3] [VIDEO 1][VIDEO 2][VIDEO 3][VIDEO 4] I was about to do my usual walk through Roserun for info when I died. No attack, nothing. Just f-in died. Then when I rezzed I was at an unknown shrine, not the one I was registered. We were all confused for a minute then we saw the recordings. (I gathered the best) Once again: What the effing hell?

They just erased Roserun! I went back and took some pictures, but the city was replaced by a giant crater. Let me repeat myself: Somebody destroyed the city within seconds before anyone could react. EDIT 1: Apparently, it was a reprisal from Chrysalis. EDIT 2: Solar is a sick fuck. EDIT 3: They found valuable mana crystals in the ground. Gold rush is here! (Showing page 1 of 540) ►Bemehelem (Certified Wizard) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: First! Edit: It wasn't me!

►Feychick (Rouge Rogue) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Holy molly! Is this real? Please somebody tell me it isn't genAI! ►Klapper Replied On XXX XX XXXX: @Feychick It's real. I was def there. It was me. ►Acree Replied On XXX XX XXXX: I wasn't there but saw the explosion from the fracture we were waitin for ►Chrome (bard is life) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: I haread it was Solar who did it! Guys! My friend was in the city and they saw Solar in the market, then the Blood Army guys killed him and bumm!

►Packrat (Original Poster) (The Guy in the Know) (Veteran Member) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: @Chrome: Solar killed by mooks? I assume you have evidence of this? Reports are coming in about people funding stuff in the soil where the city was. Added a link to the page for that. ►Chrome (bard is life) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: @Packrat I saw it with my own eyes! I just wasnt recording. Ask anyone! ►Varlak (News Fan) (Simp) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: People of the forum!

Mariann just posted a short message: [LINK] She was there! She saw everything! Our queen, as always, delivers! Can't wait to see her do the reporting thing. Do you guys think she recorded the entire thing? ►Papa Munchy (Professional Paranoid) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: If she was there that meant something told her it was going to happen. Which means this entiure thing was a pre-planned military action. And seeing as Roserun is a Blood Army city, the only logical entity that could do this is Chrysalis.

Unless that's what tehy want us to think! What if it was a third party pretending to be Chrysalis to enflame tnesions betweent Chyrsalis and the Blood Army further? What if it was the game company doing it, just to increase the numbers? If anyone wants to know I just put out a video about the comapany's behind-the-scene manipulatiosn: [LINK REMOVED] ►Ekul Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Once again Papa Munchy coming with that out of pocket take. Love that for you.

Tho it's pretty clear it was Solar, or somebody on his orders. I'm pretty sure only he has the balls to nuke an entire city... ►Iblis (Guild Leader) (IBIS) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: You know what this means, right? This is going to straight-up change the warfare in MU. We have been throwing stones and sticks at each other while Solar, the fucker was financing a nuclear program in his basement.

I'm sure I'm not the only guild leader who is currently rushing to have his people figure out how to detect, stop, and maybe replicate what Solar did. ►Char (Giant Robots Are Life) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Wait... does that mean we are going to get giant robots? If they can build nuclear bombs, then I am sure it's only a small step until they are building mechs! Please! Please! Does anyone know where I can contact Solar with ideas? End of Page. 1, 2, 3... 538, 539, 540 ■ ♦ Topic: Rose Gold?

In: Boards ► Roserun (Former) Miraclemic (Original Poster) (GeoGuesser) (Alchemist) Posted On XXX XX XXXX: Hello, fellow alchemists! As many of you know, Roserun recently ceased to exist thanks to Solar! Give him a clap, people! If you haven't heard about it, you can check this trashfire thread for info: [LINK] Now, you may be wondering why I, your friendly alchemist, am posting? Well, that's simple.

After the explosion, I headed for ground zero to ascertain if the explosion (like in real life) had created some kind of new material. And I was right! Behold: Rosenite [PICTURE 1][PICTURE 2][PICTURE 3] Description: [Rosenite Shard: A shard of the crystalline material left behind by a sunburst explosion. Contains both necrotic and fire-natured mana.] Sadly, it wasn't me who discovered it first, but it's a good name. So as a great alchemist, I instantly tried to experiment with it! And boy, is it great!

You can use it as a catalyst for necrotic/fire rituals, and I even managed to put together two quick and dirty potions. One of them boosted necrotic and fire resistance, the other added fire and necrotic damage to my attacks, with the side effect of constantly damaging me! Lots of potential! (Showing page 1 of 1547) ►MinerMoe (Not a Minor) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: If that is true and not something you made up, then I guarantee that the next few weeks are going to be interesting there!

►Miraclemic (Original Poster) (GeoGuesser) (Alchemist) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: @MinerMoe Next few weeks? People are already killing each other! This is getting crazy! There are three battles going on near me! I'm getting out of here! EDIT: ded ►Divide (Annoying) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Why would you announce that you found something valuable? I would have just kept it a secret and sold it for one of the big guilds.

Even now, as people are fighting for it, I'm pretty sure one of the big guilds is going to sweep in and take over. Might as well make some money... ►Miraclemic (Original Poster) (GeoGuesser) (Alchemist) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: @Divide Because some of us are not motivated by greed? I found a cool rock, and I wanted to share a cool rock. That's all. Tho I'm not going back. Too much fighting for my taste! ►Klapper (Certified Barbarian) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: The crater is awesome for a fight!

I think we should turn it into a PVP arena! ►GoldGoldGold (Professional Miser) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: I agree with @Klapper. I think with a bit of Earth Magic, we can set up seats pretty fast on the edges and just send in all the unga-bunga people and then enjoy. ►Ryus (Moderator) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Guys! Please stop spamming the forum with messages wanting to buy the cool rock. I get it. It's a cool and shiny rock. But take that to the trade forum. This is a general discussion.

I removed like a dozen messages. Keep it in your pants. ►Miraclemic (Original Poster) (GeoGuesser) (Alchemist) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Welp, went back to see if I could get a few more shards for my experiments. Several guilds have already locked down the area. Unless you have the firepower to erase a city (c wat I did thar?) then you are not getting through without paying through the nose. Shame... but at least I have a few left over. Let's see if I can brew up an explosive out of it! EDIT: ded again.

Somebody tracked me down and demanded the shards. FML ►GiantMuscle (Not a Minor) (Not a Loli) Replied On XXX XX XXXX: Guys! The shards explode if you strike them hard enough! Check this out: [VIDEO] End of Page. 1, 2, 3... 1545, 1546, 1547 The silence in the meeting room was tense. Everybody stared at each other while looped footage of Roserun being enveloped and erased by a gigantic explosion played in the background on a device attached to the wall.

Some people were on tablets or other devices, swiping through forum posts as they anxiously read more and more comments about the situation. Finally, the person at the head of the table had enough. He let out a sigh and leaned forward, placing both hands on the table.

"Alright, people, enough with the staring. Where do we stand? How does this affect us?" A few people exchanged looks, wondering who would be the bearer of bad news, before one man several seats over cautiously raised a hand. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Well, Brian, it seems we're going to need to revamp our entire research budget and schedule."

"And expand it…" somebody added quietly. The man nodded.

"And expand it. By a lot. Now that we know something like what happened to Roserun is possible, we need to be ready." Brian frowned.

"Do you think others have access to the same kind of artifacts and spells as Solar?"

"Unless he starts selling them, I don't think anybody else is going to have them anytime soon…" Brian grimaced.

"Do we even know how he did it?" A woman on the other side of the table spoke up.

"Well, we sent in a few investigators, and they managed to figure out through divination magic that Solar used some kind of ritual involving the sun and burying something in the ground," she explained while looking at the tablet in front of her.

"We think it was a combination of ritual work and magi-tech devices that did the deed. Ritual for the activation and containment, while the devices were the fuel. Or maybe the opposite. It's hard to establish anything as factual when the entire area is missing." Brian nodded.

"So we know Solar is probably a Rune Master, though how he became one I have no idea, so that explains the ritual. What about the devices? You said magi-tech?" She nodded.

"Pretty much yes." The middle of the table opened up, and a small projector head slid out, instantly lighting up and projecting the image of a woman.

"This is SummerRose, a streamer. She's known for magi-tech drones and devices, including vehicles like motorcycles, cars, jet skis, and, most importantly, guns."

"Ahh, so you think she built something for him?"

"That's our consensus. When she isn't streaming, she usually works in a Chrysalis workshop we can't access. It's locked down tighter than my mum's cookie jar." Several eyebrows rose at the analogy. She looked around.

"What? She takes cookies very seriously!" Brian cleared his throat.

"Forget the cookies. What about the workshop? If they can do something like this, then what exactly are they hiding?" A quiet murmur spread through the room as people wondered the same thing. The woman nodded.

"Exactly. Getting through the net Tim created around Chrysalis is almost impossible, but we still managed to gather a few pieces of information."

"Oh?"

"Apparently, Solar ordered the team in the workshop to prepare something that would affect everyone in the world. There are rumors that several posts are ready to be released onto countless forums and social media sites the moment he pushes a button."

"No details?"

"I'm sorry, but their defenses are too strong." Brian thought for a moment, his hands slowly curling into fists.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do." Instantly, the entire room quieted and refocused on their guild leader.

"We're setting up a team to figure out what's going on inside that workshop. I want the sneakiest motherfuckers you can find aimed directly at that security." He took a breath before continuing.

"Now, about research. What's our current focus?" A third person spoke up.

"Large-scale magical defenses, runes, and better weapon materials."

"Keep the magical defenses and runes, but drop the materials research to low priority. I'm authorizing a thirty percent budget increase to establish a new team focused entirely on magi-tech."

"First project?" came the expected question.

"Let's keep it simple. I want magi-tech binoculars. Simple technology enhanced by magic. It could be a good starting point." The room filled with murmurs as people discussed the idea before the researcher nodded.

"Yes, sir. That sounds good to us as well." Brian lowered his head slightly before looking around the table once more.

"Anything else?" The first man let out a sigh, pressed a button, and the projector changed to show the crater where Roserun used to be.

"Here are the details about Rosenite…"

"We need to strike immediately. And we need to strike fast!"

"And what about the blowback?"

"Who the hell cares about that? This is a brand-new material! If we manage to secure the territory and start production, then we essentially create an entirely new industry with us at the center of it!" The small boardroom was filled with people in out-of-season suits staring at each other while the old air-conditioning system chugged away in the background, filling the room with a constant hum and occasional rattling. It was a small company with roots stretching from logistics firms to gaming workshops.

The head of the company had always made sure to diversify their interests, and with the rise of Magic Unbound, more and more of those interests had shifted toward the game. Before this, they had mostly focused on ancillary industries such as food delivery, maintenance for gaming devices, and editing work for streamers.

They had managed to sponsor a few workshops, though most were little more than glorified gold miners, with only a handful achieving anything noteworthy or producing players who could even break into the top ten thousand rankings. Still, a few smaller groups had managed to run profitable crafting and resource-gathering operations.

"We still have to protect it, you know…"

"Well, what about… what was it… ah, yes. The Blood Army," the man at the center of the table exclaimed.

"Why don't we ask them for protection while we handle production? We can pay them a percentage or give them finished products. I'm sure they have better things to do than mine one small material." Several people exchanged uneasy looks, but nobody spoke. The man slammed a fist onto the table.

"Dammit, this is the best chance we've ever had to break into the market." He turned toward the man sitting next to him and waved a hand in a circular motion.

"Who were those guys… you know, at the workshop… what were they called again?"

"The Silver Mongoose Workshop, sir?" the other man replied flatly.

"Yes! What a ridiculous name… anyway." He leaned back in his chair.

"I read the report, and those guys set up a silver mine, right?" Several people checked their notes, tablets, and laptops before nodding.

"Well, then why don't we move them over to Roseburn, or whatever the hell it's called?" Another person spoke up hesitantly.

"Sir, I'm not sure that's going to work. Mining an already established silver mine is very different from creating an entirely new extraction and refinement process for an unknown material."

"The hell are you talking about?" the first man snapped.

"It's fucking mining, not rocket science. Besides, it's just a game. I'm sure they just have to push a few buttons and bam, we're in business!" Several people exchanged tired looks, but once again nobody wanted to argue. Finally, the man sitting on his other side spoke up.

"Indeed, sir. Why don't I begin organizing the process?" he asked with a smug expression, glancing toward the others as though he were clearly superior to them.

"I can make sure everything proceeds smoothly." The first man grinned and slapped him on the shoulder before pointing at the rest of the room.

"See? This is exactly the attitude I'm looking for. Don't come to me whining about problems. Just solve them and move on." Once again, nobody reacted openly, though the silent exchanges around the room only multiplied. Finally, the man pulled his hands back and slapped the table as he stood.

"That's enough for today. I've got a meeting, so you people handle the usual stuff while I go deal with important things," he declared, waving toward them in an absentminded manner before strutting out of the room. The man who had volunteered to oversee the relocation project also stood, still wearing his smug smile, and hurried after his boss without saying goodbye. The rest of the room remained silent, waiting until the door finally closed behind the brownnoser. Then, after several seconds, somebody spoke up.

"What's the meeting's name this time? Monica?" he asked dryly.

"No, that was last month. I think this month's meeting is named Crystal…"

"Wonderful…"

"Alright, what did you get?" the woman asked as she stared at the other woman sitting on her couch. The other woman crossed her legs and pulled a sleek tablet from her bag. She turned it on, raised it with one hand to read from it, while her other hand reached for a drink.

"We looked into their logistics," she said softly, her eyes moving across the data displayed on the screen.

"We were hoping we could identify the ingredients required for the bomb that destroyed Roserun."

"So it's confirmed that it was a bomb?" The woman across from her nodded elegantly.

"Yes. Internal sources even got us a name: Sunburst."

"SummerRose made it, right?"

"Not officially confirmed, but everything points to her."

"Could we poach her?" she asked curiously. She was not particularly interested in the woman herself. SummerRose was, in her opinion, a mediocre streamer who survived mostly on good looks and the novelty of her magi-tech creations. She already had a dozen streamers under contract who were far more entertaining and profitable.

"We looked into it, but financially it isn't worth it."

"That bad?"

"Solar is paying her through the nose…" She looked away thoughtfully. That alone sounded suspicious.

"On the other hand," she mused, "that tells us something too. If Solar considers her valuable enough to pay that much, maybe it would still be worth acquiring her." The second woman gently shook her head.

"I thought the same thing at first, but that's only the beginning. Apparently, Solar constructed an entire facility for her, complete with workers and dedicated logistics."

"And replicating all of that would cost us a fortune for a return that might never happen…"

"Exactly."

"Pity… she is cute." The second woman took a sip of her drink before continuing.

"As I was saying, we investigated the ingredients and materials they source. Sadly, they seem to have anticipated this exact approach. Their logistics network is heavily compartmentalized, with completely random materials transported together. We couldn't make heads or tails of what goes where."

"As expected of Solar…" she murmured, sounding equal parts impressed and envious.

"Any chance of slipping an agent closer to him? I heard he likes surrounding himself with women…" she asked casually. She was not surprised. Most powerful men ended up the same way. The moment they tasted power, they started collecting women like trading cards.

"We tried," the second woman replied.

"Three times." She blinked in surprise.

"What happened?"

"One was caught immediately. Then we improved our methods for the second attempt, but that agent ended up being used to feed us false information for an entire month."

"What about the third?" The second woman looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

"I'd rather not say." She leaned forward immediately, sensing a juicy story.

"Now I'm curious. Spill!" The second woman scratched at her cheek and stubbornly avoided eye contact.

"She… I mean, the agent… kind of… hmm… fell in love… and defected?" She blinked. Again.

"What?"

"She fell in love with somebody there and defected."

"You're joking…"

"I wish I was." Silence settled over the room for a moment. Finally, she let out an exhausted sigh.

"Fine. So infiltrating Chrysalis and AFK is a dead end."

"So far, that seems to be the situation." She leaned back in her chair and tilted her head toward the ceiling.

"What about Rosenite? Can we make use of it?"

"I highly doubt it," came the immediate reply.

"We don't have the resources necessary to hold the area. We'd be crushed before we even started mining."

"Damn. So we lose out on everything?" she asked despondently. The second woman just smirked.

"Not exactly…" Her head snapped back toward her.

"Elaborate!"

"I spoke with an expert, and according to him, it's almost certain that Rosenite only exists in the upper layers of the soil. Which means it's a non-renewable resource. Now, he was speaking from a real-world geological perspective, so he couldn't say how magic might alter the situation in a game world." She reached up to rub her chin thoughtfully.

"So it's entirely possible there are only a few dozen feet of Rosenite-rich soil, and once that's exhausted, it's over?"

"Exactly. That's probably why the major guilds aren't descending on the area in force. They're perfectly happy to let the smaller guilds tear each other apart over scraps that will run out in a few months." Hearing that, her eyes lit up.

"Hey… we still have that girl who likes pretending she's a mole, right?" she asked.

"Yes, Tiff. High-level earth mage."

"Excellent. Do we have anything capable of growing crystals?" The second woman blinked.

"I'm sure our researchers could figure something out."

"Perfect," she said with a grin.

"Here's what I want you to do: get some samples of Rosenite, grow artificial versions, then have Tiff bury them deep underground beneath the crater." The second woman immediately started looking excited.

"Then we arrange for someone to 'accidentally' discover the deep deposit, and the gold rush intensifies." She pointed at the other woman triumphantly.

"Ex-actly! Remember, the richest people during the gold rush weren't the miners. Instead, it was those who sold the pickaxes and shovels."

"Understood," the second woman replied with a growing smile.

"I'll get started immediately."