“Players discovered early on that winning battles takes more than just skill. War weapons and consumables dictate the victors. The cost of these tools prevented their use in most engagements. Rarity, materials and the sheer quantity required forced most guilds to carefully husband their trump cards and deploy them only out of necessity.”

  From “A Guide to the Modern MMO Battlefield.”

  Year 1, Month 1, Day 29, 12:00

  Ovarrix issued orders to the columns of players as they jogged towards the army setting up to receive them. The better ranged attackers in Risk of Injury adjusted their positioning to the right flank of the column, drifting between formations to bring their full might to bear. Tanks led the loping advance, ready to put their shields up and charge down their foe. The healers and squishy casters clustered in the middle. Ovarrix tried to maintain an even composure, but his blood was up. The taste of battle was on his tongue, and he wanted to drink deeply.

  Kate and Steve slipped ahead of their formation. They both moved quickly and quietly, blending into the background of the landscape. Kate continued scanning for hidden threats while Steve reported back, “They’re setting up defenses in the middle. I don’t see any siege engines. The ground in the gap between the forces on the right side has disturbed patches of earth. Dollars to donuts they found some type of trap blueprint and they’re enticing us to charge there to bog us down.”

  Torgon nodded to himself. Steve’s report confirmed his suspicions. He passed orders of his own to everyone in the formation. “If you have special munitions like the mana grenades or exploding arrows, use them all. We’ll rearm over the next few days. Don’t deploy any siege weapons. We’ll hit the enemy, break their formations and push on through. If we get at least 80% of our force through safely, I’ll give the entire guild personal time until the next base raid.”

  Allestor stayed near Torgon in the formation causing Torgon to lift an eyebrow. Allestor grinned and spoke, “You know they’re going to try and get you. I’ll get the best fights here.”

  Torgon acknowledge the point, “That’s fair. You can have anybody but Markus. I haven’t fought anyone from my generation in a long time, and I need to test my skills.”

  “Deal, but I get to take out all the cocky champions that want to beat up an old man.” Allestor replied.

  Torgon laughed and agreed, “I almost feel sorry for them.”

  “You should,” Allestor said. “You should feel sorry for yourself too. After the battle, I’m going to critique you, and Ovarrix and I are going to give you a training plan. You’re relying too much on your bow and not working on your short-range skills enough.”

  Torgon groaned, “Fine, but I get Sir Boots if we do team fighting.”

  Allestor laughed and shook his head, “I look forward to it.”

  Ovarrix’s voice passed over the formation, “We’re a mile out, ranged attackers prepare to answer any shift in the enemy positions. Adjust our advance to line up directly with the Silver Heart formation.” The jogging mass of players angled towards the left flank of the waiting enemy. Tanks took their shields out, presenting a wall in the front while the archers readied their bows on the right side. Defensive casters renewed the shield spells along the team as the distance between the armies shrank.

  Torgon grinned as the Midnight Maiden’s column began to push forward and swing towards them while the middle of the enemy lines hesitated. He slowed his pace to accommodate firing his bow towards the enemy. He used regular arrows at extreme range, but when the middle of the enemy reached a comfortable distance, he unleashed his stock of area of effect arrows. Explosions of fire, lightning, stone and ice rocked the battlefield, checking the advance of the Young Master’s alliance forces. The exchange wasn’t entirely one sided as the front ranks received incoming blasts from the disciplined lines of the Silver Heart Trading Company.

  The Risk of Injury tanks crashed into the Silver Heart tanks in a cacophony of impacts. Shields pressed against shields while spells hammered into the combatants. Risk casters laid down fog banks between the bulk of the enemy and the clash of arms against the outnumbered Silver Hearts contingent. Mana grenades rained down behind the Silver Heart tanks, leading to a collapse of their front line and increasing the chaos of the battle.

  Ovarrix stayed back, directing the forces to take advantage of the sudden opening and plugging any holes. He conducted the engagement like a symphony, building layer upon layer of advantages until the beat of the battle reached a crescendo. Despite their experience and equipment, the members of the Silver Heart Trading Company force were no match for Risk of Injury. One on one they didn’t have an advantage and, in this engagement, they were sorely outnumbered.

  Dusty and Physical Ed formed a bulwark against attempted counterattacks. Hyperia used her ice shards to slow and contain any knots of opposition that formed along the line. The enemy tanks were being ground down by superior numbers, superior skill and poor support from their own healers. Their line had been shattered and now they were isolated and prevented from reforming a coherent defense.

  Steve, Kate and over a dozen scouts slipped into the ranks of the enemy healers. Steve attacked from the front while Kate mercilessly cut down healer after healer from behind. The loss of ranged heals broke the Silver Hearts. They were no longer a cohesive unit with mutually supporting detachments. The expensive and expertly managed army had been reduced to small groups of individual warriors struggling for their lives.

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  Allestor waved Torgon to follow him as he dove into the enemy force. He wielded his long sword in his right hand and used a short sword in his left. Measured swings of his main hand bit deep into the flesh of his foes while his offhand deflected their return strikes. He dispatched all who stood against him with ruthless efficiency.

  Torgon sent his bow back into his inventory and followed Allestor’s mad rush. He used his own sword to catch those too focused on Allestor. He cast ranged heals on the brave warrior with his offhand. Together they burrowed deep into the enemy force. They were hunting for the enemy leaders, intending to break their opposition beyond any chance of repair. They spotted Markus and two other figures directing the defense and Torgon roared a challenge.

  “Markus! Let’s see how much you’ve forgotten about fighting!” Torgon could see the grin spreading on Markus’s face as he and the other two officers turned to face him. “Allestor, you grab the other two, I want Markus. I need a good fight to gauge where I’m at.”

  “My pleasure.” Allestor said. “Don’t embarrass us.” Allestor sprinted forward, separating the two figures from Markus and engaging them in a whirl of blades and sparks.

  Torgon and Markus moved towards each other slowly, each taking the measure of their opponent. A frown crossed Markus’s features. “You’re moving too smoothly Torg. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a young man.”

  Torgon accepted the observation, saying, “It’s a perk of my position. I feel better than I have for decades. You know they say that old age and treachery beats youth and skill any day, but now, I have it all.” He darted forward, striking quickly at Markus. Torgon’s sword was barely blocked, his speed surprising his old friend. Markus adapted quickly to the speed of the engagement and the metal of the swords sang with the fight.

  Allestor grinned madly as he pressed the attack against the two elites he faced. His ferocity stole the initiative and kept the two on the back foot. The nicks and cuts added up as the health of his opponents dropped steadily while his own barely dipped. A greenish glow washed over the more injured opponent, restoring much of the damage that Allestor had inflicted. He snarled and redoubled his efforts.

  The healer began to throw another spell into the fray when he stopped, reaching up to his throat that was spraying blood. Kate finished dragging her short sword across the man’s neck and then punched it into his back twice to finish him off. Steve joined her and the two settled into an easy stance to watch the fights unfolding.

  Sweat beaded on the faces of the two men that Allestor hounded. The man on the right stumbled slightly and Allestor’s long sword opened him up from chest to hip. His companion frantically tried to break through Allestor’s defenses, but the short sword in his offhand blocked every strike. Allestor finished the gravely injured man off then made quick work of the remaining opponent, overwhelming him in speed, strength and skill. He joined Steve and Kate, thanking them for removing the healer and turned to watch Markus and Torgon duel.

  Markus and Torgon clashed and broke apart several times in a row. Torgon’s smile grew wider and Markus’s frown deepened. Markus spoke, “You’re better than me. I can tell you’re rusty but already I can’t match you. You’ll have to tell me how you managed it.”

  “I will Markus.” Torgon stepped back and eyed the circle that had formed around the pair. The entire leadership team and dozens of others stood by idly watching.

  Ovarrix spoke, “This will have to be the last clash for you two. Sorry Markus, but your unit has been routed completely and we’re holding off all the reinforcements still. We need to leave soon.”

  Markus eyed Torgon, “To the death then?”

  Torgon motioned to the healers and tossed Markus a stamina potion. Heals landed on the pair, bringing them to full health and they drank potions to restore stamina. “To the death Markus.”

  Both warriors committed to the fight, holding nothing back. Markus pressed in and Torgon absorbed his aggression. Torgon’s sword wove a steel net, catching every thrust and slash before they could land. Gradually, he started to push Markus back, making him defend more and putting him on the back foot. Torgon’s strikes came faster with every passing second.

  Markus grinned in spite of himself. He couldn’t even slow Torgon down anymore and he was going to lose. He felt surprise realizing that losing and losing badly didn’t bother him. He wanted what Torgon had. He wanted to have the reflexes of his youth and the energy to go with his experience.

  He broke away, speaking quickly, “Torg, if you can, talk with whoever is in charge of your group and see if you can get me and my family into your guild. I would appreciate it.”

  “I’ll do my best Markus.” Torgon couldn’t contain his smile. He was eager to work with the man instead of being at odds with him.

  The end of their fight came quickly. Torgon pressed in hard and at a crucial moment cast a stream of water from his offhand that distracted Markus enough for Torgon to bury his sword deep in his chest. The loss didn’t remove the smile on Markus’s face as his body faded away to respawn. Torgon bent down, grabbed the dropped ring and basked in the cheers and applause of the watchers.

  Ovarrix whistled, “Alright, show’s over. Let’s get the hell out of here.” The battlefield was policed in short order, and the formations were reassembled with tanks in the rear. Less than two hundred Risk of Injury players had been lost against the complete destruction of the Silver Heart contingent.

  The fog cleared, revealing the devastation to the Midnight Maiden and her forces. The orderly withdrawal of Risk of Injury went uncontested. None of them wished to fight against the force and risk losing gear and having to deal with more experience debt. She ordered her forces to head to the barrows and try to reestablish a perimeter there.

  A few small groups from the Young Master’s Alliance missed the memo and were crushed by the Risk of Injury army as they returned to the outpost. Upon arrival the group teleported to Miller’s Crossing and made their way to the guild base. The streets of the city were lively and full of cheer. A third of all new players in the Kingdom of Thorn were now starting in Miller’s Crossing. The city was full and the mood and expectations were high.

  The mood in Risk of Injury was jubilant. They pioneered another dungeon, defeated a numerically superior foe and managed to escape with little damage. Best of all, they would have the next three days to pursue whatever aims they chose before the upcoming base raid. They passed a test and now they needed to prepare for the next one.