New Patch

QJ helped Remmy move a large crystal onto her workbench. "Change of plans. Instead of cracking open the guitar's body and inserting a crystal core, we'll make a new body out of one giant crystal. I'll disassemble the neck and head from the Gibson while you contour a new body to the same specs as the original. Once you have the body built, remove a one-centimeter layer so we can fabric an overlay and then encase that with Sakri steel.

Remmy's smile widened considerably. "I'm on it!"

[Whisper: QJ/Barti] I need barrel stock for a needle gun, eighteen at 1.5 meters in length. Send it COD.

[Whisper: Barti/QJ] Anything else?

[Whisper: QJ/Barti] That's it for now.

QJ disassembled the Gibson's neck and head and set the parts aside before fabricating a shell of Sakri steel. After carefully melting a mixture of bee wax and dragon flame, he applied a thick coating to the instrument's body. "It's smoother than I figured."

Remmy leaned closer, the lenses on her head making her eyes look like tennis balls. "You're using the dragon blood as a hardener for the wax?"

QJ nodded. "By soundproofing the interior of the fabricated shell, we'll isolate the sound, forcing it down the neck to the barrel housing."

Remmy pursed her lips and made changes to their blueprint. "This will be a sonic displacement weapon? It will shoot needle projectiles according to the music being played?"

"That's the gist of it." QJ and Remmy worked most of the day before finally getting ready to proceed. "This breach was tricky; turning the amplifying chamber into a micro-housing for eighteen separate needles is maddeningly difficult."

Remmy smiled and took a picture of QJ with her Gnome magnifying goggles pulled over his eyes.

"You took a picture?"

Remmy nodded. "Yep... So cute."

Meanwhile, two Exodus Professors were studying a map with Quinn at the Riley residence. 

Ringo kept her face expressionless as Damon and Quinn filled in the map details of the current guilds that ruled Iron Mountain. As he mentioned, the second-year professor played a Warden character for a few years, while Quinn played a Ranger on hundreds of Striker raids. What was most amusing was the complete respect and reverence Damon showed Quinn.

"It's a tough nut to crack, but QJ will figure it out." Quinn snacked on oatmeal raisin cookies while Anna discussed the assets in detail. "Most of the [Red Players] came from the same guild, Yucatan. They're strong, and the mountain terrain favors them in any invasive action."

Damon nodded in agreement. "This is the centerpiece, the Stronghold that has never fallen or even been invaded."

A blue-haired woman wearing jeans and a tank top glanced up from the couch. "They have numerous safeguards in place based on scent, motion, visual acuity, and even sound. We scouted it a few years ago but decided the effort wasn't worth the meat."

Quinn's smile widened; Lara Sy had been spending more time with the Riley family in their Vegas home and was a regular in QJ's pool. "Once QJ has a few options, he'll come up with something.. I suggest running concurrent missions."

Lara nodded. "Agreed. We were after the Gryphon Shield, a Divine Artifact that increases a Stronghold's Defense. It gathers strength over time; this one has been in place for a decade."

***

Deep in the caves of Daekar, the inky blackness of the passageway devoid of light was easily traversed by a half dozen warriors, one of which was female.

"What do we do with the captive?" The scout wore simple black leather pants; his bare upper body was a gruesome display of countless crisscrossed scars from the ongoing war. 

"Kill him," Usiku glanced at the captive hero. A young rogue, obviously sent into the dark pathway as a scout. "He's worthless to us." 

The rogue in question was bound but present and conscious. He shook his head and slipped off his gag long enough to speak. "You must know who I work for!" The guild tag over his head identified him as Torun, a Union Free member and Yucatan subsidiary. He wore black armor and had wielded dual daggers before he was captured. With his armor scavenged by Daekar, he was now barefoot, wearing only rags. He could have logged off anytime he wanted, but since he was in custody, doing so would incur an unacceptable penalty.

Usiku held up a hand to stall her squad member's blade. Her skin was the color of night, and with bright pink eyes and pointed ears, she bore a strong resemblance to the dark elves of TAP. "The Dark Pathway isn't somewhere for surfacers to tread." Usiku's pink eyes flashed when the rogue's guild tag suddenly vanished. "Disavowed?"

Usika sat on her heels, her lean, muscled body seemingly poised for instant action in all directions. Her features were fine, with high cheekbones, a pointed chin, and a thin nose.

Torun let out a long breath; bluffing in this situation was all he had left as he prepared himself to suffer the penalty of logging off while captured. He experienced a moment of clarity just as his guild tag vanished. Getting accepted into Yucatan was impossible. When he managed to land a probationary membership in one of their subsidiaries, he thought things were finally looking up. Failure of any kind was, however, unacceptable, as he was told that immediate termination was likely if he wasn't able to wow them.

The words halted the blade in motion, but Usika's face took on a countenance of coldness. "Carrying you around is too much work."

"Wait! I thought of something..."

Usika struck suddenly, slicing through the throat of the rogue before wiping her dark blade on his corpse. "Nonsense... For your crimes, your soul will be offered to the goddess as tribute." 

***

Two more days passed while the gaming community waited for the Exodus servers to come back online. Remmy and QJ finished collaborating on Jangle's new weapon.

Remmy stood on a small stool, watching QJ polish the finished product. "It won't be complete until you string it?"

QJ nodded, his mood good. "I enjoyed working with you."

Remmy blushed slightly. "You're so creative; I doubt anyone can match you." The Gnome engineer unrolled a large blueprint. "Using sonic ammo and the amplifier on this Guitar-gun gave me a whole bunch of ideas regarding our platform cannons."

QJ let the comment slide; the Gnome had a better grasp on large-scale destruction than anyone. "I owe you one."

Remmy shook her head. "Nope. You're paid in full with the inclusion of [Roll Credits] and [Oh Shit] blueprints. And the promise to help me next time I need it."

QJ accepted a hug from Remmy, smiling at the pink-haired engineer. "Deal..."

A short while later, QJ walked toward the GnG platform. The countdown to reopening was two minutes. 

"Excuse me!" A man's voice called QJ out.

QJ turned slightly, taking in the nondescript person approaching. The absence of a gaming tag, name, or anonymous label meant it was a standard Exodus avatar. "May I help you with something?"

"I'm Torun, formerly a player in Iron Mount."

QJ glanced around the area before motioning for Torun to follow him into the Songbird.

[Songbird: QJ] You around Lara?

[Songbird: Lara] I'm at the Painted Lady with Robin.

QJ grinned at the statement and opened the door to the Painted Lady, only to be wrapped in a big hug. "Robs!"

Robin hugged him close before releasing him. The trio noticed the guest QJ was with and became curious.

[Songbird: QJ] I'm not sure who this guy is, but I think we should hear what he has to say. 

Lara nodded and opened up her hud. "Do you mind if I record this?"

Torun shook his head. "No, go ahead. My name is Torun, and until recently, I was a player of Iron Mount or, more accurately, one of their branch guilds." 

The group listened as Torun detailed his status and recent excursion into the Dark Pathway.

[Songbird: Robin] He hasn't said why he is here.

[Songbird: Lara] Nope.

"Why do we care about Iron Mount?" QJ asked. "Or Yucatan?"

"They're pissed at OP since somehow you were able to shut them down with little effort. For a group like Yucatan, that is an unacceptable outcome."

Lara laughed suddenly, a pleasant, almost musical sound. "The Knights of Ravenwood have boot-stomped Yucatan in the Arena Championships yearly for the last decade."

"Sure, but that's TAP, not some newly formed group of cadets from Exodus. You have no idea how angry they are. They were given access to [Red Player] content and provided with inside information, yet they still failed." 

"You are telling me things I already know," QJ responded.

Torun nodded in agreement. "But here is what you don't know."

Thirty minutes later, QJ sat around the Riley kitchen island with his parents, Ringo and Anna.

Quinn nodded as QJ briefed him. "I can verify much of what he said from my time as a Striker. However, I wasn't aware of the lore."

"I'll research this," Anna added. "Seems familiar, though."

Quinn grinned. "Yeah... that's because it's a borderline ripoff of the Underdark and Drow of R.A. Salvatore's books."

QJ shrugged slightly. "He didn't invent the concept of dark elves."

"True," Quinn agreed. "However, their slain deity being a Spider Goddess is a blatant ripoff of Lolth, which is Underdark lore."

"I'll take your word for it," Tal smiled; she enjoyed it when QJ worked with them. "It's quite possible that Exodus has permission. Do a background check on this Torun person, and QJ can contact Angel."

[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]

Location: One Problem City (OPC)

Time: 0920 hours

Server Population: 177,997 Your current level is 63.

[System Message] Welcome to the Inter-Exodus War. Please check the official website and begin accumulating favors with your chosen governing bodies to participate in the endless conflict.

[System Message] The Exodus-wide Lifestyle system will be implemented in two days. Current lifestyle players will be migrated to the new system at that time. If your current lifestyle occupation isn't offered under the new system, your existing occupation will be grandfathered in.

QJ's HUD buzzed immediately, and without pausing, he fell in step with Ringo and opened it. 

[GnG MAIL]

[Subject: Gunsmith Occupation Sender: GnG admin Attachment: Life Style Document]

QJ frowned at his HUD. "Open mail."

QJ,

The Gunsmith job is not offered to players under the new lifestyle rules. However, you will retain the occupation of Gunsmith under the new regulations, which will fall under lifestyle experience rather than character experience. Please read the attached document for a complete explanation. These changes will take effect in 2 days at 0700 hours.

GnG Admin.

"Bad news?" Ringo noted her Vice Leader's sudden frown.

QJ nodded. "Feels like I've been nerfed."

"How so?" Ringo noted the pristine streets of OPC were mostly empty, a sign that the city was growing faster than its population.

"No more character XP from crafting starting in two days." QJ hadn't read the new system's details but realized there would be no more level jumping. 

"I doubt that will slow you down," Ringo smiled. "We following up on Sam's Quest?"

[OP: Ringo] Welcome back, everyone. Academy Classroom at 1400 hours, on your own until then.

[OP: Sato] Can't we skip that today?

[OP: Breeze] What he said.

[OP: Ringo] QJ?

[OP: QJ] Sure... Let's skip it.

[OP: Ringo] There you go. I'll let the 2nd years know. 

QJ gave Ringo the side-eye. "Why so accommodating?"

Ringo shrugged. "I feel like questing."