!ALERT!
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION – 4 DAY BONUS NANOCOINS DROP!]
[For 4 days, Nanocoin drops will double. Event starts tomorrow.]
The group went silent as they read the system notification.
HELL YEAH!!!
Loud celebratory shouts erupted throughout the Hearth Inn as players welcomed the news of the upcoming event. 2x Nanocoin drop rate was huge! Players all over the world quickly raced to organize raids and parties to take full advantage of the limited and very rare event.
"So, are you in or out?" Cliff asked with a smirk…his luck had turned and now he held leverage in the negotiation.
"What's the buy-in? How much is our share of the dungeon raid ticket cost?" Arthos asked calmly.
"10,000 coins for the three of you…and that's a steal…you will recoup that easy in the dungeon." Cliff answered.
10,000 was a lot. The trio had managed to save up 12,000 coins over the last few months from completing daily quests and extra farming.
"What level is the dungeon?" Kristan asked breaking her silence.
"It's a D-rank dungeon sweetheart…the mobs are level 20-30. It's a safe and easy dungeon but the drops will be worth the effort." Cliff answered with a smile.
"Please excuse us for a couple of minutes…I need to check with my team." Arthos replied.
[…]
"What do you guys think?" Arthos asked.
"It smells like a trap. I don't buy the story about his ex-wife…and why would three guys who have been playing for years be interested in a D-rank dungeon?" Kristan asked.
"It's a high risk…10,000 coins, that's almost all our savings." Wain replied.
"I think you are right…I'm 99% sure this is a trap…but the 2x coin drop is too good to pass up. I think we should do it but go prepared for the trap." Arthos said firmly.
"What do you have in mind?" Kristan asked.
Arthos smiled and said, "you'll see."
[…]
"Hey Cliff, sorry for the wait. We are in. Where do we meet tomorrow?" Arthos asked.
"Awesome! Here is the plan then." Cliff said with a bright smile as he reviewed the dungeon raid plan.
[…]
[NEXT DAY]
Arthos, Kristan, and Wain arrived at the dungeon entrance at 9:00am the following morning. The entrance was located west of Avalor, at the feet of a large mountain range. Upon arrival, they were surprised to see a large group of people waiting outside with pickaxes, carts, and wagons.
"Who are they?" Arthos asked.
"Oh them? They are keepers…by the looks of it, they are miners and a few collectors." Wain answered.
"Why are they here?" Arthos asked as a follow-up question.
"Once the dungeon is cleared of all mobs, the miners go in and mine the mana crystals. There is a huge market for mana crystals. The collectors retrieve the corpses of high-level mobs…these can be used to forge weapons, armor, and accessories." Wain answered with confidence.
"Good morning! It's good to see you guys. You remember Brad and Daniel." Cliff said casually as he approached the group.
"We have a slight change in plans…this here is a last-minute addition joining our raid." Cliff said as he introduced the newest member to the raid team. Next to Cliff stood a man large enough to be confused with an orc…he was easily 7 feet tall and built like a professional wrestler with broad shoulders and hulking pecks and arms.
"Hector? Is that you?" Wain asked in disbelief.
"Oh yeah…I almost didn't recognize you…you look taller and bigger than what I remember," Arthos said in amazement.
Kristan nodded her head as a silent hello. Hector was also an orphan and had been at the Last Stop Orphanage for a few years. He left the orphanage about a year ago…everyone assumed he was living on the streets somewhere…it was a surprise to see him here in Avalor.
"Arthos, Wain…and Kristan…it's been a long time." Hector replied in a monotone voice.
Hector was the silent type…rarely said much to anyone. When he was younger, he got into a lot of fights because of his red hair…which seemed to magically invite conflict. The fights dwindled as Hector grew older mostly because his size increased dramatically. At 17 years of age, he stood well over 6 feet 6 inches and looked like professional wrestler with his broad shoulders and thick arms.
"So, you guys know each other? That's good," Cliff said a bit disappointed.
"Well then…let's get this show on the road." Cliff commanded as his companions lined up behind him.
The dungeon gate looked like a large glowing garage door. Cliff placed the dungeon raid ticket against the glowing door which caused the door and ticket to vanish simultaneously with a slight hiss sound.
"All clear…let's go." Cliff said as he gestured the group to follow.