Merchant of Death

by Jared Mandani

  Merchant: You can have it back for a price.

  NighTblaade448: Fuck you! Give it back now! You stole it, you cocksucker!

  Merchant: I found it and salvaged it. You weren’t around to claim ownership. If we agree on a price, you can have it back. It’s no use to me as a weapon.

  NighTblaade448 went silent after that for at least half an hour and John was about to log out of the game for a second time when he received another terse message:

  NighTblaade448: How much?

  John grinned and considered how to respond. Considering the Jian had an extra enhancement with its Spell Eater Upgrade, that would certainly increase the price. He considered a few prices and then messaged back:

  Merchant: You can have it back for 350 gold.

  NighTblaade448: Fuck that! I only paid 200 for it!

  Merchant: Consider the extra to be my finder’s fee. I can’t say any fairer than that.

  NighTblaade448: Me and my buddies are gonna fucking waste you!

  Merchant: You’ve got to find me first, and if you don’t start showing me some respect I might just well dump the sword down the deepest mineshaft I can find.

  NighTblaade448: No! Don’t do that! Okay, I’ll pay the fucking price. Meet me now.

  Merchant: Now is not convenient. I’ll get back to you with a time and meeting place.

  NighTblaade448 sent a couple more messages demanding that they meet straight away, but John ignored him. Now he knew the player had a group of friends who would be willing to take John down if he met them alone, he would have to take some precautions. He decided he would use the Black Powder Boys for the deal and would have them meet NighTblaade448 on the edge of Enlightened territory.

  With a course of action settled on, John did this time log off and returned to the real world. He ate a Spartan supper of dried cereal accompanied by a glass of orange juice. After grabbing five hours’ sleep, he logged straight back in, spawning in the bedroom of his newly acquired workshop, and went to see Rattlesnake Jim again.

  “There’s an old fort that sits on the border between the Enlightened land and the battlefield that might be suitable,” Rattlesnake Jim replied when John explained about his upcoming deal with NighTblaade448. “It’s up on a hill and there are plenty of places for my boys to hide and set an ambush if this vermin tries to do anything.”

  “Good. You’ll carry out the transaction for me. Any trouble and you go in all guns blazing. Whatever you do, don’t lose the sword,” John said.

  “Why aren’t you going to be there?” Rattlesnake Jim asked. “It’s your deal.”

  “The fewer people see my face, the better,” John replied. “I prefer to work behind the scenes.”

  Rattlesnake Jim let out a mirthless chuckle. “We do all the dirty work while you reap the reward. That hardly sounds fair.”

  “You’ll get a percentage for your trouble,” John replied, “but if you don’t have the balls for it, I’ll hire someone else. I’m sure there are plenty of gunslingers in town looking to make some easy coin.”

  “No, there’s no need for that. My boys will handle it,” the NPC said good-naturedly. “It’s best you stay out of the way anyhow. You’re too low a level to be of any real use.”

  Though Rattlesnake Jim was only stating the facts rather than trying to be insulting, the comment still stung. It was true he was far too weak to be of any use in a fight, and he didn’t like to feel dependent on others even in a game like this. It would also make salvaging difficult as he was bound to run into hostile players and NPCs as he gathered items and equipment. It would be useful to be able to fight off enemies to help him retain what he had collected. Still, until he could get up to the higher level stats, he’d just have to suck it up.

  Despite this philosophical stance on the situation, the thought kept nagging him throughout the day. He was still mulling over it long after making arrangements with Rattlesnake Jim and then contacting NighTblaade448 to set up the meeting at the old fort in three hours’ time. Once his business was done, he decided to do something about the situation to make him feel better.

  As Rattlesnake Jim and his gang set off to carry out the transaction, John ambled around Steamgrad until he spotted an armory that could be of use to him. A small bell rang as he opened the door and entered the shabby interior.

  “Howdy,” said the decrepit gun merchant who was stood behind the counter. “How can I help you today?”

  “I’m looking for a weapon, something that I can use to defend myself,” John said, looking around the shop. “I need something pretty low down the scale though. I’m only level five at the moment.”

  The vendor nodded. “Yes, I can see that. You know, you shouldn’t really be in Steamgrad. It’s only for level forty upwards. You’d be better off in a starter town like Still Water or Jonastown.”

  “Thanks for the advice but I can handle myself,” John said. “I just want a little bit of insurance against surprise attacks. Something I can at least use with my stats.”

  “Well, I don’t have too much that would suit, but I do have a few things if you want to take a look,” replied the man.

  John nodded. “Let me see what you have then.”

  “Of course, I’ll show you a specialized menu of what I currently have for sale,” said the vendor. “Are you ready to trade now?”

  Trade Goods and Services?

  Yes

  No

  John selected Yes, and a trade menu popped up, although it was significantly smaller than the menu he’d looked through over at Lao’s shop.

  Weapons

  Value (Gold)

  LVL 21 Fighting Knife* x2

  40

  Loose Black Powder x 2

  07

  Gold: 733

  Profession Bonuses: Increased Sell Prices When Selling Salvaged Items to Criminal NPC’s.

  Note: Once an item has been sold to a vendor it can only be bought back in seven days providing it has not been sold in the meantime.

  George Morgan Gunsmith

  Value (Gold)

  Flashbomb x 40

  21

  Loose Black Powder x 51

  08

  LVL 05 Antique Flintlock 18

  18

  LVL 02 Bowie Knife

  12

  LVL 04 Darrington Pistol

  40

  LVL 04 Darrington Pistol Cartridge x 42

  22

  LVL 03 Hunting Arrows x 33

  06

  LVL 03 Hunting Bow x 2

  14

  LVL 04 Hunting Dagger x 4

  09

  LVL 01 Pistol Holster (Darrington) x 3

  16

  LVL 01 Pistol Holster (Vulcan Repeater)

  16

  LVL 04 Vulcan Repeater Pistol x 5

  35

  LVL 04 Vulcan Repeater Cartridge x 78

  15

  Gold: 573

  * You do not meet the requirements to equip this item. Item may only be used by a member of the Empire of the Seven Paths.

  “If you don’t mind me giving my opinion, I’d suggest buying some flashbombs as well as a gun,” said Morgan. “They produce a blinding light three seconds after you remove the pin in them. They disintegrate when they detonate, but the blinding flash they produce can buy you time to get away from a stronger opponent.”

  “Okay, I’ll take some of those,” said John. “Do you recommend a gun as well? I don’t know the difference between them.”

  “I think for you the Darrington pistol,” the merchant concluded. “It is small and can be easily concealed. It has an attack stat of eight, but at close range it can do a lot of damage before your opponent knows what’s happening.”

  “Okay I’ll take the Darrington and its holster too, and ten ca
rtridges,” John replied. “I’ll take the Bowie Knife too.”

  “Good call,” said Morgan with a nod of approval. “How many flashbombs would you like?”

  “I’ll take ten,” John said. Ten seemed a good round number to be getting on with.

  Handing over the money, he placed the flashbombs in his backpack and wore the holster under his traveling cloak, sliding the pistol inside it and keeping the weapon within easy reach. The Bowie Knife he slipped into his boot.

  Business concluded, he emerged into the hot sun and went over to a nearby saloon to await the return of Rattlesnake Jim and the Black Powder Boys. Taking a seat on the saloon’s porch, he looked out at the city. Most of the players online were over in the Eternal Battlefield, and what few NPCs there were on the streets were going about their pre-programmed business. John was in danger of being engulfed by boredom when a heavy armor plated wagon trundled up the highway, accompanied by a large group of heavily armed uniformed NPCs. John watched curiously as the wagon stopped outside the bank and the soldiers began unloading the crates inside it and taking them into the building. As they went about their work, another idea started to take shape in John’s mind.

  Rattlesnake Jim and his gang returned about an hour later, jubilant and eager for a drink. While the boys hit the saloon, John and Rattlesnake went back to the workshop to talk business.

  “Went like a dream,” the outlaw said with a wide shit-faced grin on his face. “The little runt brought some of his buddies along to try and take the sword back by force, but my boys soon made them think twice. He paid over the money like a good little boy.”

  “Good job,” said John as he counted out the gold. “You ready for another assignment?”

  “Sure,” said Rattlesnake, “as long as the money’s right. You got another weapon to sell back?”

  “Not this time,” John said. “This job is a little more ambitious.”

  “Okay, what it is?”

  “I want you to hit the wages wagon that comes to Steamgrad.”

  * * *

  The raid was swift and brutal, and—thanks to John’s careful planning—a resounding success. At the end of every month, an armored wagon full of gold came from the Enlightened Central Bank located deep in the heart of its territory and delivered wages to the frontier cities and garrisons that dotted the edge of the battlegrounds. The wagon went through a narrow defile in the canyon that it passed along on its route, and that was where John had the Black Powder Boys strike. A well placed rockslide cut the escort off from the wagon, and a well-coordinated attack wiped them out before they knew what had hit them. While John watched from his hiding place, the Black Powder Boys made off with the wagon and took it to a cave hideout he had scoped out prior to the robbery. Once Rattlesnake Jim and the Black Powder Boys had taken their cut of the gold, John was left with a hefty twelve thousand gold to invest into his fledgling business.

  In the next month, John began to develop his operation exponentially. He and the Black Powder Boys went out to the Eternal Battlefield after any big battles that had occurred, and salvaged lower grade equipment that they took back to the workshop. The gear that wasn’t soul bound he sold at lower prices than the NPC vendors, winning him a steady supply of customers, including Kate and Mark, and he arranged private deals to sell back soul bound items to players who had left them on the battlefield—using his gang of Enlightened enforcers to conduct the transaction and intimidate anyone that tried to take back their property by force.

  Before long, he obtained a contract to retrieve soul bound items and certain gear from a collection business that specialized in gear retrieval. The business was a sideline run by the gambling syndicate that Rourke and Manny worked for, and they offered it as a sign of gratitude for getting them into the Jet Dragon Tong. Though the syndicate kept its membership secret, John was able to obtain a name for the man Rourke and Manny reported to: Packard. It was a name he’d heard on his first tumultuous day in Eternal War Online, and he seemed to have developed a shadowy operation in the game based on similar lines to John. He got the sense that Packard might be a useful ally, but John was unable to get very far in his enquiries about him. Like John, Packard clearly liked his privacy, so John left it at that.

  Besides, John soon became preoccupied with the Tong again. One night, when he was going up to the bedroom where he kept his Save Marker, he found a small handwritten note lying on his bed:

  Madame Yu Sha will see you tomorrow at noon. Be at the secret entrance.

  Xan.

  John blinked in surprise at the note and wondered how they managed to get it into the city, but it was a mystery for another time. He was pleased they had contacted him because he had another little project he wanted to get off the ground and he needed their help.

  The next day, he set out alone for the secret entrance to the tunnels, keeping away from the action that was raging across the battlefield. He reached the entrance at around mid-morning and touched the white stone to open it. When he stepped inside, he found Ro waiting for him as motionless as stone.

  “This way,” the Tong member said curtly, turning on his heel and heading down the stairs.

  John followed in silence, realizing that any small talk was out of the question, not that Ro was a particularly interesting conversation partner. They moved through the labyrinth of tunnels and eventually emerged in the back room of the Tea House. Two more Tong members were waiting for them. One of them holding a blindfold advanced and tried to put it around John’s head.

  “Hey!” he said, backing away from the NPC. “Get away from me!”

  “You’ll have to wear the blindfold,” Ro said. “The Madame’s location is strictly secret.”

  “I’m not wearing a blindfold,” John said.

  “If you don’t, we will not be able to take you,” Ro replied. “The Madame and the senior leaders of the Tong will not look favorably on this lack of cooperation.”

  John scowled at him but relented. “Okay,” he said, nodding his head. “You win.”

  The Tong member tied the silk scarf around his head, blocking out his vision. Feeling a sense of trepidation, he allowed the men to guide him forward. A door opened and they stepped into cold air scented with blossom. A hand took his wrist and helped him climb up into a carriage. He sat down on the hard wooden seat and felt two of the members settle down between him. Someone at the front of him gave a command word to the animal pulling the carriage and they trundled forward.

  John tried to relax and get through the journey. He had no patience for all these cloak and dagger games, but the Tong had been developed to ape a real life criminal operation with its own security measures and protocols. It was best to play along if he wanted to get what he wanted.

  The journey took about an hour, and through the walls of the carriage the sounds of the city gradually diminished, giving way to the sounds of crickets and the stillness of open countryside.

  Eventually, the carriage came to a stop and the Tong member sat to his immediate right shifted his body and opened the door. He helped John descend from the carriage. John felt hard earth under his feet when he came to stand on solid ground. He felt a hand wrap around his arm too.

  “This way,” he heard Ro’s voice, hushed and tense. “Stay quiet.”

  John allowed him to guide him along across open ground, and then he was being taken up a flight of stone steps. He heard a door open and the crisp chill quiet of the outside gave way to heat and noise. He was led forward a few feet and then Ro stopped him.

  “Very well,” he said. “You can remove the blindfold now.”

  Relieved, John brought up his hands and took off the scarf. John blinked against the glow of the warm lamplight and found himself in what looked like a casino-brothel. The walls were covered with thick red drapes. And in the center of the large room, groups of finely dressed men were gathered at tables, playing various games of cards, dice and dominoes. Other men were fondling and groping attract
ive scantily clad women and men on low couches arranged around the sides of the room. The air was thick with smoke, and the pungent smell of cannabis hit him square in the face.

  Ro allowed John a few moments to orientate himself, and then nudged him. “Come, this way,” he said abruptly and headed towards a small dark wood door behind the bar at the far end of the chamber.

  John followed. He was taken into a long passage and up a flight of stairs, and then led into a smaller chamber with golden drapes and high screens. An NPC woman with jet black hair that reached down to the small of her back, and dressed in a long silk gown of emerald green, was waiting. She had sharp, feline features and eyes of a deep rich green that pierced John with their intensity.

  “Welcome, John, it’s good to finally meet you,” she purred in a deep voice.

  “Madame Yu Sha, I presume?” John said, giving the woman a stiff smile. “I understand you run the Jet Dragon Tong.”

  The woman dipped her head demurely. It was a graceful, elegant gesture. She motioned to a silk covered futon. “Sit.”

  John did so and Madame Yu Sha settled on the low couch opposite him. Ro, arms folded, came to stand behind her.

  “You have been quite busy since you arrived to our little world,” Madame Yu Sha said. “You have the Black Powder Boys running as an efficient little unit, and I was most impressed by your capture of the wages wagon. You made quite an impression on Brother Cedric as well. It’s given him a new sense of enthusiasm and purpose.”