[NAVA HEADQUARTERS]
"Evan. Thank you for seeing me. Please take a seat. Tell me, how goes the mana crystal production for this quarter?" Morgan Novaris asked as he sat in his corner office overlooking the city below.
"Production has increased materially…we expect to close the quarter above target." The CFO answered nervously.
Even though Evan had been working with Morgan since the start of the company, there was something about him that put Evan on edge. Perhaps it was golden colored eyes…eyes that "calmly" assessed everything. Those eyes gave Morgan a dangerous look…like a coiled rattlesnake ready to unleash at any moment. Yes…that was probably it…Morgan was not "calm"…it was more like he was "loaded"…he was a loaded gun, ready to discharge at any moment.
"Good. So, it seems the 2x Nanocoin drop event was a good idea. I am pleased." Morgan said politely.
"There is something else I want to discuss with you. How goes the Elderwood Grove? Has anyone managed to clear the dungeon?"
Evan felt a wave of panic…despite his best efforts to incentivize players, this area remained unbeaten. Even the most elite guild Eterna was unable to clear it.
"Sir. No. Still no success in clearing that dungeon. The problem continues to be the Verdant Wall. We tried everything to tear it down…with no success. The trees regenerate too quickly…its like a living wall that blocks and obstructs access to all players."
Morgan said nothing. He stood up and walked to the window. He stayed silent for a long time as he looked down at the city below.
"12 months…that's the time we have left. According to the latest estimates, in 12 months the existing mana mines in Avalor will dry up…it will be another 100 years before they are replenished naturally. If that happens, the mana crystal economy will collapse. NAVA will go bankrupt, and you and I will be out of a job." Morgan said calmly.
Evan gulped…being fired was one thing…but NAVA going bankrupt? That would be an international disaster. The world's economy would collapse as a billion "players" would be suddenly unemployed…not to mention the energy sector collapse along with weapons and defense contracts with world governments ending. A third World War could easily start as a result of this.
"We need to clear the Elderwood Grove so that our players may freely access the vast lands on the other side of the forest. At this moment, circumventing the forest is extremely difficult and limited. We need all players including the miners and collectors to easily pass through the forest in large groups to the other side…and eventually beyond the borders of Avalor."
"You don't mean the Kingdoms of Camarax, Baleon, and Amalot? That's madness…stepping foot in those lands would be a declaration of war!" Evan cried in a shrilled voice.
"Not war…diplomacy." Morgan replied.
"Diplomacy is war…it's just another form of warfare." Evan said firmly.
"It's useless to debate semantics…let's focus on the problem in front of us. Please raise the reward for completing the Elderwood Grove, make it double. Also, we need to keep the players motivated. After the 2x coin event ends, please send a global announcement across all channels and all servers. Announce that Nanocoin rewards related to dungeons, quests, and even daily quests are increasing by 10% permanently effective immediately."
"Good idea. I will get this done myself." Evan said as he exited the room.
[...]
[THE NEXT DAY]
[AVALOR – EASTERN PLAINS]
"Do you think he will show?" Wain asked the group.
"Let's wait another 5 minutes, then we will enter the dungeon…besides the mining and extraction crew is starting to arrive…we can't wait too much longer." Arthos said.
"He is here." Hector said flatly.
"Good morning, I'm glad you came…what made you change your mind." Arthos asked as the masked hero approached the group.
"Your team will die without my help," Percy replied coldly.
"What do you mean?" Kristan asked a bit offended by that comment…she was more than capable of protecting herself.
"This area…hardly any heroes come here. That's because it's called the Night Valley. Do you see those steep mountain ranges all around? They form a horse-shoe shape around this place, as a result this area is almost always completely dark. Which is perfect for certain creatures."
"Which creatures?" Arthos asked.
"You will see…I'm ready to go in." Percy replied with the same cold indifference.
[…]
[NIGHT VALLEY DUNGEON]
Darkness…that was the best and only word to describe the dungeon. If there was a way to materialize absolute darkness into an experience, it would be the Night Valley Dungeon. The place was so dark that the edges of trees and objects seemed to dissolve into a void. Even sound seemed to muffle as if the darkness itself absorbed it into emptiness.
"Let me create some light…" Wain said as he illuminated the area with floating fire balls that resembled miniature hot air ballons.
"NO WAIT!" Hector yelled.
Too late. As soon as the light illuminated the area, hundreds of clicks and snaps were heard. The sounds were followed by the arrival of a tempest of bats, flying creatures, bugs, and other darkness dwellers swarming straight toward the source of light.
"Damn! Time to fight!" Arthos yelled as the team formed up and battled the creatures. Within five minutes the battle was over, and the threats were neutralized.
"Don't do that again. This place is dark for a reason." Percy said sternly.
He paused for a moment, then said in a whisper, "we have "guests" …stay here while I handle this."
He stepped 20 feet away from the group, then vanished like a ninja. Ten seconds later, loud squeals were heard about 100 feet away. The squad sprinted over, only to find 3 large human-size bats laying dead on the ground.
"What are those?" Arthos asked.
"I actually have no idea." Wain answered…which was unusual because his knowledge was vast and equaled only to his curiosity.
"Whispers…these creatures are called whispers. They are able to mask their sound, scent, and even their mana…which makes them the perfect silent-killers." Percy commented.
"I'm glad we brought him along." Kristan said with a sigh of relief.
The group continued forward into the void.