Chapter 23: A Dark Guild
[Lance's POV]
A few more days to go before the district-wide preliminary matches begin—and I'm already losing my mind. My guild members can barely get a decent training session in without being harassed. And as if fate had a sick sense of humor, it's now—of all times—that our enemies decide to start making trouble. Unbelievable...
But then again, what else could I expect from a hired-assassin guild? All they ever do is player kill. The guild's name? Metalophobia, a guild made up entirely of rogue assassin players. It still baffles me that such an alliance of lone wolves could exist. But apparently, the latest update opened up new systems for converted players—migrants from other VRMMORPGs—and a specific group among them formed this guild under the command of one notorious player.
His IGN? Son_of_Lucifer. A fallen angel class.
Rumor has it, Son was a famous VRMMO player and, allegedly, a hitman in real life. No wonder assassins flocked to him like moths to a flame. Birds of a feather, indeed. And now, thanks to that, my guild—Warrior's Alliance—has found itself with more enemies than ever.
Let me introduce myself properly.
My real name is Lennox Evardo, 22 years old. I'm a medical student at an institute located in the Ronova Sector. In-game, I go by Lance, a max-level human swordsman. I'm also the proud Guild Master of Warrior's Alliance. My vice-leader is my best friend in real life—Lev Dela Torre, known in-game as Eurpodioux. We're both enrolled in the same course, Medicinal Sciences, here in Ronova's capital.
Due to our class schedules, Lev and I alternate logging into Enigma Online PH. But we remain laser-focused on training and prepping for the upcoming tournament. Our goal is to dominate the prelims, win the tournament, and prove once and for all that Warrior's Alliance is the strongest guild in EOPH.
And, well, the pot money and guild house prize wouldn't hurt either.
"GL, hostile players are bothering some of our members again," one of my commanders reported through the party chat.
"Again?" I frowned. "Is it Metalophobia?"
"Yes, sir. Only three of them this time. They don't look strong."
"Round up the other online commanders. PK mode. Let's move."
"On it, GL!" he responded immediately, logging off the chat to gather the others.
---
When I reached the location, all I saw were three snipers perched far off in the grasslands—annoying, long-range types. But they weren't to be underestimated; their burst damage was no joke.
"Q3," I said through the guild line, "take care of them. Pull them out."
"Got it," replied my archer-class commander.
"Bravash, Aurus Ekar... Triple String Shot!" he chanted.
Three glowing arrows burst from his bow, each tethered with thin, gleaming threads of light. They pierced through the underbrush, right on target. Before the enemy could even react, the arrows yanked them out of their hiding spot, exposing them in full view.
We pounced immediately. They didn't last long.
"Stay alert," I warned as the last enemy was PK'd. "They'll definitely report back."
"We've got it covered, boss," Q3 assured me.
We were currently stationed at Cyther Outpost—a central neutral hub on the first map. Perfect for boosting buffs and testing combos. While some of our elite teams were refining their synergy, we also assigned lower-level players to farm XP by targeting mobs around the zone.
Nearby, Neutral Silver Guards patrolled, and we used the area's robotic minibosses to grind efficiently. One of them, Grainger MK-21, a crimson mantis with mechanical claws, was our current target.
I returned to the leveling party I was assisting.
"Moonlight Splitter!" I shouted, leaping into the air and slamming down my skill.
The slash emitted a wide arc of light, damaging not just the miniboss, but the horde of minions around it. Our team worked like clockwork. Soon, the boss's health dropped to critical.
"Assault Stab!" shouted one of our warriors, piercing into the boss's core.
The rest followed up seamlessly, while our two max-level shielders held the line against the last counterattacks.
We lured another miniboss close to the safe zone to avoid more unnecessary PvP ambushes.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly… for now.
---
But something kept nagging at the back of my mind.
Yesterday, I ran into someone I hadn't seen in years—the last person I ever wanted to see again. Devin Ryan Arinzol.
My mortal enemy.
---
Flashback
"Hey! Watch it!" a voice called out as I brushed past a stranger on the street.
I was already late for class and didn't even notice who it was. But when I turned to apologize, my breath caught in my throat.
"Ryan?" I muttered.
He froze too. Recognition flared in his eyes, quickly followed by a scowl.
"Well, if it isn't Lennox," he growled. "What a small world."
Seriously? Of all the people I could bump into...
"Sorry," I said flatly. "But I have to go."
"Your sorry isn't enough," he snapped. "And don't think I've forgotten what you did."
"Ryan, this isn't the time or place," I replied, my voice rising. "Can you just move on already? I'm not bothering you."
"That's what you think!" he yelled. "I won't rest until I've made your life miserable! I have my eyes on you—and I'm closer than you think!"
With that, he turned and stormed off.
His words carried more weight than I'd like to admit. But I had no time to dwell on it. I was already late.
End of flashback.
---
[Son_of_Lucifer's POV]
One of my men just reported back. Apparently, they got caught spying on Lance's group.
Idiots. I told them not to PK anyone. But did they listen? No.
My hatred for Warrior's Alliance isn't just some passing grudge—it's personal. I want to destroy them. Crush their reputation. Shatter Lance's pride as a guild master. I didn't move to EOPH for the thrill. I came here to ruin him.
"Ryan," one of my commanders said, calling me by my real name. We're friends IRL, so I allow it. "Should we dispatch a team to Warrior's Alliance's current location?"
I smirked.
Let me reintroduce myself.
I'm Devin Ryan Arinzol, and in this game, I am Son_of_Lucifer—the devil haunting the life of my former best friend.
Lance and I… we were once inseparable. Grew up side by side. He didn't come from a wealthy family, but I never let that matter. I shared everything with him—my toys, money, food, even my shoes. We were more than friends. We were brothers.
Then we grew up.
I followed my father's footsteps and joined the district's law enforcement division. He pursued his dream of becoming a doctor. And for a while, everything was still fine…
Until she entered the picture.
One girl. That's all it took to destroy everything.
We both fell for her. Hard.
But this time, I wasn't willing to share. I gave up too much. I gave him too much. I couldn't stand by and lose again—not when it really mattered.
Our friendship crumbled. No… it burned. We became bitter rivals. And that hatred has only deepened over time.
Now, I'll prove I'm better. Smarter. Stronger. He chose this path the moment he betrayed me.
I'll take him down at the tournament.
And when I do, I won't stop until Warrior's Alliance is wiped off the map.
---
To be continued...