After a few hours of flight interrupted only by the few opponents that showed up along the way, the stone and metal towers of Aethelgard rose over the horizon, surrounded by a grayish haze that gave away the presence of large groups of Players.
Pip lowered his altitude, following the coordinates Devon had given Lohan and that Lohan was pointing out with a tiny finger, and soon, they spotted the meeting point, a wide clearing just past the city’s east gate.
In the middle of the clearing, Pip saw the Silver Lotus group.
Skye was wearing silver armor that gleamed brightly under the sun, armor that despite looking fairly simple and cheap, matched her blonde hair perfectly.
Looking from a distance, Lohan couldn’t even tell what her race was, considering he knew she had an Epic race.
She stood in front of Devon and the other Players, however, the scene wasn’t the peaceful waiting they’d expected to see. The group was surrounded by about ten people, all wearing standardized gear displaying what looked like a guild’s emblem.
The humans were acting extremely arrogant, with their leader, a man in excessively decorated golden armor, pointing a finger at Skye.
The tension in the air was palpable, and Pip could hear the raised voices as he quietly approached through the treetops.
"I already made myself clear, girl. This exit zone is controlled by the Apex guild." The man in golden armor said, his voice full of scorn, which made Lohan’s core vibrate with irritation. "If you want to leave the city to hunt in the forest, the fee is five copper coins per head. If you want to come back in with loot, the fee goes up to ten percent of the gross value. Those are the Guild’s new rules, baby."
Skye crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze icy and defiant. "We don’t belong to any of your shitty factions. We’re independent Players and we have the right to come and go guaranteed by Aethelgard’s system. Until yesterday there was no rule like this at all, you’re only causing trouble because we’re in a group!"
The human leader let out a harsh laugh, while his companions readied their weapons threateningly. "Fuck that, girl, pay up now or we’ll make sure your respawn is the only thing you see today."
Devon stepped forward, gripping his staff tightly, his eyes glowing with intense magical power.
Devon looked a lot like an elf, but his features were subtly different. Instead of blond hair, fair skin, and pure eyes, Devon had dark purplish hair, pale skin closer to a bluish tone, and bright purple eyes, with pointed ears being the biggest similarity between him and common elves.
This piqued Lohan’s curiosity, never having seen or heard of a race like that before, at least none he could remember.
"Do you really think the whole world is just going to keep accepting this extortion scheme just because of you all?! It’s only a matter of time before someone stronger shows up and puts an end to this scam of yours!" Kai said angrily, being held back by Jenny beside him.
"Shut up, rookie!" one of the thugs shouted, pulling out a Mana infused knife that buzzed in the air. "From the way you talk it’s obvious you’re all Lower Zone trash trying to play hero. Look at that patched up, cheap gear. You should be thanking us for not charging even more now that we know where you’re from."
Lohan, watching everything through Pip’s vision, felt an ever growing urge to step in.
He already enjoyed killing other Players after earning the Predator title, and Players like these, practically begging to die, were even better targets.
He realized these were the guild members Silver Lotus kept complaining about, and considering they’d soon become enemies anyway, this was the perfect opportunity for Pip to make a triumphant entrance.
Even without being able to say anything, Lohan managed to convey his anger to Pip.
Pip puffed out his tiny chest, his glassy metal wings crackling with electric snaps, and said. "Pip thinks these people are very mean, Master Halon! Pip is going to show them that no one can bully the members of Astralis!"
The little fairy dove down from the trees, becoming a black and gold comet that cut through the space between Skye and the extortionists’ leader.
The rush of displaced air caused by Pip’s speed was so strong it made the humans’ capes flap violently, forcing them to stumble back a step in shock.
Even though Pip was only Level 10, with the Mythic Level 15 armor over his body, he had no reason to fear anyone!
Pip landed smoothly in the center of the circle, the black Slime armor giving off a dark red, pulsing glow.
He looked at the human leader, whose mouth now hung open, trying to figure out what that tiny creature exuding such a powerful aura was trying to do.
"Sup, noisy people!" Pip exclaimed a greeting that he found amazing the first time he heard the Astralis Players use it to say hello, his voice sounding much more intimidating through the black armor. "Pip has come to pick up his friends. If you value the level you’ve earned, Pip suggests you get out of the way now, but to be honest... Pip has a lot of pent up energy and Halon said Pip could have a little fun, so Pip recommends you don’t run."
Skye and Devon exchanged a look of absolute shock as they recognized the fairy as the small creature who was supposed to be their guide on the way to Astralis.
They’d thought the guide, being a little fairy, would be a small, cute, harmless creature, not this little god of war with such a powerful aura!
The Silver Lotus group felt hope surge in their chests, realizing that Halon’s promise that they would never be underestimated again was starting to come true, and the feeling was really good.