Kalthia seemed to seethe silently at Alex's boldness in the face of the dragonslayer threat. He seemed to undermine the abilities. The dark shadows writhed more intensely around her human form.
"You dismiss their danger far too lightly, boy," she said in a low, dangerous tone. "These are not mere obstacles to overcome, but an extinction-level peril to everything we are. Don't you understand that?"Alex held her smoldering gaze, undeterred. "Then we'd better be prepared to face them when the time comes. Because they won't be the ones to stop us from our quest - and I repeat, not if I have any say about it."An icy pause lingered in the grand hall after Alex's defiant declaration. Kalthia stared at him like she was looking at a totally deaf fool seemingly dumbstruck that he would still push forward with their plans after learning about the dragonslayers and the other dangers it posses to them."You cannot be serious," the Umbra Dragon said at last,Alex looked between Kalthia and Kelthia, seeing their attentions fully locked on him now in anticipation of his plan to infiltrate the Crypt Keeper's Mountain Temple and steal the legendary Healing Crown of Asteria.He took a deep breath before laying out the initial stages. "First thing's first - I need for us to do is pinpoint the exact location of this temple for me. Provide any details you can about its defenses, the terrain around it, everything."The sisters exchanged a look. Kelthia gave a slight nod. "That much I can readily supply. The Crypt Keeper's domain is a treacherous region, wreathed in obscuring mistrals and guarded by wards most foul.""But for dragons such as ourselves, piercing its veil of secrecy is well within our abilities," Kalthia added, a note of confidence edging her tone.Alex nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Once I have that locational data and mapping, I can start planning out the safest route for approach and infiltration."He fixed them both with a resolu
Kalthia's bold declaration rang with an edge of thinly veiled menace that sent a subtle thrill down Alex's spine. He couldn't help but allow a confident smile to spread across his features. With these two ancient draconic powerhouses united alongside him, mustering the unstoppable force necessary to overcome any obstacles suddenly seemed well within their grasp. All the pieces were falling into place."Good, I'm counting on that." Alex glanced between the sisters meaningfully. "Because after reviewing these reconnaissance reports, I'll need to implement the next phase of my stratagem sooner than expected."Extending his senses inward, he focused on a data connection he had carefully constructed to code manipulated data concerning a certain interested party. A few complex subroutine commands later, and an encrypted packet of randomized reports and map imagery began generating.With this, the data for the Seekers operatives was prepared and with this they would think they were getting a
The next two days passed in a frenetic blur for Alex as he poured over every permutation and variable surrounding their imminent infiltration of the Crypt Keeper's inner sanctum. Scouring the sisters' reconnaissance data, he meticulously mapped out contingencies for any obstacles or hostilities they may encounter.Infiltration vectors, aerial approach trajectories, fallback rendezvous points in case they were split up - Alex left no contingency unaccounted for in his operational plan. He would allow for no untamed variables that could jeopardize their chances of success and survival.Only once he was satisfied with the tactical framework did he finally turn his focus to the long game - the delicate situation involving their other...competitors angling for possession of the mythical Crown of Asteria.Leaning back in his chair with a weary sigh, Alex picked up the phone which Agent Three had initially given him and dialed the only number on it. It took a few
Despite the dozens of armed militants encircling him, weapons aimed squarely at his center of mass, Alex refused to be cowed. His expression hardened into a mask of determination."Enough of these games!" he shouted, voice reverberating off the warehouse's steel rafters. "I want to see the one who set me on this merry chase. The so-called 'Agent Three' who's been jerking me around from the start."His words hung heavier in the air than their seeming bravado might imply. The combat-garbed soldiers shifted uneasily, tightening their firing grips in response to his overt demand.Then, that same electronically distorted voice crackled over the PA system once more."Stand down." The words may as well have been etched in permafrost for the glacial chill of authority they carried.Instantly, the agitated perimeter detail froze, their aim wavering fractionally. Alex didn't flinch, eyes locked dead ahead as a solitary figure detached from the shad
The sun rose over the gleaming skyscrapers and winding streets of Metropolis, the largest city in the nation of Utopia. A city where dreams are brought to life and also where dreams are shattered.Alex wiped the sleep from his eyes as his alarm blared, stretching out his hand, he slammed on it as he had done every single day. With a low groan, he sat up on the edge of the bed, signaling the start of another long day. At just 22 years old, he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. As the only child, he had no one to call, and no father to even remember.Alex was of average height and build, with messy brown hair and green eyes that shone with equal parts intellect and exhaustion. Alex's humble abode was a studio apartment on the outskirts of Metropolis. Though cramped, he tried to make the most of the limited space. Against one wall was his single bed, the dark blue comforter always messy from his perpetually exhausted state. His desk and computer setup took up the opposite c
Alex stumbled out of the lecture hall in a daze, his mind clouded with worries about his mother and their lack of money, the reminder was that he had to find a way to pay up before the end of the quarter, and that was barely 3 weeks from the current date. Suddenly, he felt a fist lightly bump his shoulder from behind."Hey space cadet, are you still in there?" a familiar voice teased.Alex turned to see his childhood friend Emma grinning at him. Despite his stress, he couldn't help but smile back at her comforting presence.Emma had been by his side since their early school days, they got through childhood together and since then they had always been partners. Emma was of average height with long, wavy blonde hair framing her bright blue eyes. Emma's bubbly spirit and sharp wit could always lift Alex's mood, even in the darkest of times.They had both gotten into the medical program at Metropolis University, though Emma was never quite the flawless student Alex was. Still, her intelli
Alex stared at the contact info for Zane that Emma had forwarded him. It was just a simple username - "Zane419". No other details or instructions. He could easily message this Zane character in Elysium Quest and probably get a quick response.Yet Alex hesitated, his finger hovering over the enter key. Should he really go through with this shady deal that could potentially get his account banned?His EQ character had been built up over years of painstaking work. Maxing out levels in combat, sorcery, crafting - not to mention amassing rare armors and weapons. He was proudest of the thriving virtual business he'd created, an in-game shop where he sold merchandise for gold coins. It was all completely legitimate according to EQ's terms of service.If his account got deleted, all that hard work would vanish instantly. Sure, he could always start fresh and build a new character. But without the items, levels, and reputation he'd earned, it just wouldn't feel the same.Then again, it's not l
Two weeks crawled by without any word from Zane. With each passing day, Alex grew more anxious. He constantly checked his Elysium Quest account, but there were no new messages. Where was Zane? Had he forgotten about the deal already? Or worse - had Zane's update gotten Alex's account been blacklisted for messaging a hacker before they could even connect?But he haven't even installed anything yet. He only gave him his username and his stats in EQ, so there would be no way the gaming company would ban an account that haven't done anything illegal.With a sigh, Alex cooled off because he was only thinking too much. While waiting in limbo, Alex did his best to continue on with his exhausting routine. Each day blurred into the next as he bounced between delivery driving, coffee shop shifts, and night classes, all the while caring for his ailing mother.The grueling schedule allowed little time for gaming or distraction. But late at night when sleep evaded him, Alex would log into EQ, ha