The atmosphere inside the main war room of the underground sanctuary was thick with tension. The glow of mana crystals illuminated the serious faces of the 18 Undercovers' core members. A large map of the continent was spread wide across the long stone table.
Everyone had been sitting in absolute silence for almost ten minutes, trying to brainstorm a way to incite a war between the major factions without leaving a trace back to themselves.
"Arghhh! I can't think of anything!"
Silas was the first to break the silence, aggressively ruffling his own hair in frustration. "What on earth are we supposed to use as bait to drag the elites of the Crimson Order and the Free Guild out of their cities to fight each other in the wild? They aren't stupid! If we just walk up and challenge them, or drop some fake loot in the woods, they'll instantly know they're being played."
"Not to mention, our mobility is severely restricted," Dane sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Me, Thom, Mila, Lars, Nina... all of us have duties to maintain as NPCs in Soltaris every single day. If we all magically disappear at the exact same time to set up some crazy ambush outside the city, the Black Guard captains will definitely get suspicious."
"Which means the only ones who can fully operate in the field without raising alarms..." Finn spoke up, scanning his teammates, "are the scouting party—me, Elin, and Bryn—along with Silas. Just the four of us."
"Four people... trying to orchestrate a continental guild war." Bryn chuckled drily. "That's a massive undertaking. I don't care how good I am at setting traps, how are we even supposed to gather them all in one place to begin with?"
Silence blanketed the room once again.
Talia sat with her hands clasped under her chin, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses in deep thought. She mentally reviewed every variable before finally speaking in a calm, flat tone.
"Let's change our perspective," Talia said slowly, drawing everyone's attention. "We are trying to find a bait that will blind them with greed... Think about it. What is the one thing that everyone trapped in this world desires more than anything else?"
"Rare tier equipment?" Perrin guessed.
"Power, maybe?" Silas raised an eyebrow.
Sera, who had been quietly listening, slowly shook her head. The vampire girl's crimson eyes lowered. "No... The thing we... the thing everyone trapped in this place desires more than power or items... is a 'way home'."
Sera's words brought the entire table to a dead halt. The atmosphere instantly grew incredibly heavy.
"She's right..." Thom snapped his fingers, his eyes widening as if he had just reached an epiphany. "Everyone here wants to break free, get out of these VR pods, and return to the real world! If there was a clue about a method to log out... even the arrogant Crimson Order or the reclusive Oracle would drop everything and rush over!"
"Hold on, Thom," Finn interrupted. "If some random Player just walks around spreading rumors about a way to log out, it's going to sound incredibly fake. Anyone with half a brain would know it's a trap."
"And that is exactly where we twist the narrative," Thom smirked, his signature smooth-talking charm appearing. "We won't use Players to spread the word... we will use the 'NPCs' to fan the flames instead."
Thom leaned over the table. "Think about it. If a guy walks up to you and says, 'Hey, there's a portal back to the real world'—would you believe him? No! But what if one day, you're walking through the market, and you happen to overhear two NPC traveling merchants whispering to each other about an ancient legend?"
"Uh-huh..." Talia began to smile, catching on to Thom's logic instantly.
"We use our funds to bribe traveling merchants and NPC caravans to recite a script we wrote in taverns across Soltaris and the northern cities," Thom explained. "We make the NPCs say things like... 'Did you know? On the night of the new moon... the Temple of the Returners in the eastern desolate valley will open its Star Gate... Whoever steps through it shall awaken from the dream and return to their true homeland'..."
"I can handle the tavern rumors," Lucian chimed in with a charming grin. "The cute barmaids around town are all my contacts. I guarantee the rumor will spread flawlessly."
"Good lord..." Dane muttered softly, seeing the full picture. "NPCs talking about 'returning', 'waking from the dream', and going back to their 'homeland'... Any Player who overhears that will immediately interpret that lore as a 'hidden clue for logging out'!"
"The atmosphere is perfect," Talia nodded in agreement, then turned to the trapper. "Bryn... if I asked you to turn the eastern desolate valley into a psychological minefield, how many days of prep time do you need?"
Bryn crossed her arms, mentally calculating the distance and equipment. "To make it flawless... I'd need three full days in advance to bury the fireball mines, rig the massive AoE stun bombs, and hide Nina's smoke potions in all the blind spots."
"Agreed," Talia tapped the table. "Thom, Dane, Lucian... wait until Bryn finishes the setup and gives the signal. Then, begin bribing the NPCs and barmaids to spread the rumor. Set the date of the phenomenon for the night of the 15th... Let the rumor naturally make its way to the ears of the major guilds' spies."
"Honestly, Bryn," Elin raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Are you absolutely sure that once the smoke pops and the explosions go off, they'll actually fight each other? What if they realize it's sketchy and just retreat?"
Bryn burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking. "Who knows! We can't predict paranoid minds with 100% accuracy."
"But picture this, Elin," Bryn gave a cheeky grin. "A bunch of rival top-tier players who already hate each other's guts, crammed into a dark valley, breathing down each other's necks. Suddenly—BOOM! Massive fireballs erupt, sonic stun bombs go off, and blinding smoke fills the entire area. Gamer logic will immediately dictate that it's a preemptive strike!"
"Hahaha! So true!" Silas clapped loudly, laughing hard. "Honestly, even if this plan completely flops, they catch on, and we don't get a single corpse out of it—I don't even care! Just imagining those guys getting spooked and beating the crap out of each other is already hilarious, hahaha! That alone is top-tier trolling and totally worth the effort!"
A wave of laughter erupted around the table. The heavy tension from ten minutes ago completely vanished, replaced by the mischievous gamer instinct of wanting to mess with people.
"Then it's settled," Talia offered a faint smile, pushing up her glasses. "The scouting party and Silas. On the night of the 15th, head to the valley and observe the results from the safest cliff possible. Do not engage. Do not attack... Just sit back and watch their madness unfold. Silas, once they've beaten each other to a pulp and scattered... head down, vacuum all the corpses into your inventory, and get back here immediately."
"Understood, Boss! The Death Vacuum is ready for deployment!" Silas saluted playfully.
Three days later, at the eastern desolate valley.
A dry wind swept through, carrying gray dust across the terrain. The landscape consisted of a narrow gorge flanked by towering, sheer stone cliffs that blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving the valley floor permanently dim and chilling. Deep at the end of the gorge stood the ruins of an ancient temple, reduced to crumbling pillars and weathered altars.
The area was dead silent... making it the absolute perfect stage.
"Heave! Pull that wire tighter, Silas! Tie the anchor knot to that stump!"
Bryn's voice echoed as she issued commands. The dirt-smudged trapper was scaling a rocky outcropping near the entrance of the valley, her hands busy threading an ultra-thin, practically invisible tripwire.
Silas, dressed in his black robes, grunted as he pulled the heavy wire connected to a massive payload hidden above. The young Necromancer wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and grumbled, "Dammit, Boss... Why is a magic class like me doing manual labor, hauling rocks and rigging wires like a construction worker? I should have just brought a zombie to carry this stuff."
"Stop complaining, Silas. If you use your undead, they'll leave weird footprints that might make people suspicious," Bryn hopped down from the boulder, dusting off her pants. "Besides, these traps require pinpoint accuracy. If you're off by even an inch, the chain reaction won't trigger."
Bryn walked around, inspecting her masterpiece with immense pride. The entire narrow gorge was densely rigged. She had purposely hidden her 'toys' in spots that Players would naturally use for cover or retreat.
"I've planted magical fireball mines, massive AoE sonic stun bombs, and enough thick smoke potions to blind an entire army all over this place," Bryn explained with a devious smirk. "When someone accidentally trips this wire... it's going to trigger an absolute spectacle. Fire, deafening noise, and smoke thick enough that they won't even be able to see their own hands."
"Just imagining those guys getting spooked and fighting each other is already hilarious, hahaha!" Silas giggled, his previous annoyance completely vanishing at the thought of the impending chaos.
High up on a cliff, nearly eight hundred meters away...
Elin, the quiet Ranger, was lying prone on a small, protruding rock ledge. Her hands firmly gripped her trusted bow. She focused her mind, staring down at the center of the valley far below, and activated her class passive skill.
[Eagle Eye] Elin's eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint golden light flickered in her pupils. Instantly, the distant landscape zoomed in, becoming as crisp and clear as if she were looking through a high-powered sniper scope.
"Effective range is clear. Visibility is wide open... From this spot, I have a complete view of every corner of the ancient temple," Elin muttered to herself. She would be the 'eyes' of the team on the night of the event. At this distance, no matter how violent the crossfire got, no stray attacks or shockwaves could possibly reach them.
"Hold on, Elin. I'll camouflage the vantage point."
Finn, the Druid, walked over. He closed his eyes and placed his hands flat against the bare stone and dry roots. A soft, pale green light radiated from his palms as he gently activated his nature manipulation magic.
Branches, vines, and thick moss slowly twisted and sprouted from the rock, naturally weaving together to completely conceal Elin's figure and their hiding spot. Finn used his magic to erase their footprints, eliminate their scent, and adjust the surrounding temperature to blend perfectly with the environment. Even if a Player with an appraisal skill walked right past them, they would only see ordinary bushes and rocks.
"Done. Traps are set, vantage point is secured, and escape routes are clear," Bryn said, climbing up to join them on the cliff. She nodded at Finn. "Now we just wait for the prey to take the bait... Send the message to the guys in the city."
Finn pulled out a small piece of magical parchment, scribbled a quick note, tied it to the leg of his owl companion, and sent it flying into the sky toward Soltaris.
The stage was officially set.
That same evening, in the city of Soltaris.
'The Drunken Bear' tavern in the commercial district was bustling with lively townsfolk, off-duty Black Guards, and traveling merchants seeking rest. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat, cheap ale, and loud chatter.
In a corner of the bar, Lucian, dressed in ordinary civilian clothes, was casually swirling a glass of liquor. He flashed a charming, magnetic smile at the tavern's NPC barmaid as she walked over to refill his drink.
"Thanks, Lisa," Lucian winked, smoothly sliding his glass toward her. Underneath the glass were a few shiny gold coins. "By the way... that spooky bedtime story I told you last night... do you still remember it?"
The barmaid discreetly slipped the gold coins into her apron with practiced ease. She giggled, "Of course I do, Mr. Lucian! It was such a fun story. I actually just told it to the caravan merchants at table three. They're talking all about it right now."
Lucian's smile widened. "Good girl."
At that exact moment, at a large wooden table in the center of the tavern, Thom, disguised as a goofy, simple-minded townsman, was sharing a bowl of stew with a group of northern NPC merchants. He took a huge gulp of beer, perfectly acting the part of a loud, gossiping drunk.
"Hey, did you guys hear the story little Lisa was just talking about?" Thom leaned over the table, whispering loudly with wide, excited eyes. "I just delivered some goods to the scholars up at the castle, and they were talking about the exact same thing!"
"You mean that Temple of the Returners nonsense?" One merchant raised an eyebrow. "That's just a fairy tale."
"It's not a fairy tale!" Thom slammed his hand on the table, feigning shock. "They say that on the night of the new moon, the 15th... that desolate temple out east will align with the starlight... and whoever steps through that Star Gate will wake up from the dream and return to their true homeland! I heard it with my own two ears!"
Thom's voice wasn't overly loud, but it was just loud enough to catch the attention of the neighboring tables.
Clink...
In the darkest, most secluded corner of the tavern, two cloaked figures who had been quietly sipping their beers suddenly froze. Their mugs halted mid-air. They were not NPCs. Their instincts and perpetually guarded posture made it glaringly obvious—they were 'Players' working undercover as spies.
The two cloaked men exchanged a sharp glance in the shadows.
The words 'Return', 'Wake from the dream', and 'Homeland' struck their hearts like a sledgehammer.
"The night of the 15th... the eastern valley..." one of the cloaked men muttered so softly it was practically inaudible. He immediately stood up, dropped a copper coin on the table, and swiftly exited the tavern, vanishing into the night without a trace.
Watching the entire sequence unfold out of the corner of his eye, Thom hid a sly, victorious smirk behind his beer mug.
The rumor... had officially sprouted legs and started running.