“Remote dungeons and dungeons deep inside the areas of the mega guilds often ended up being controlled by a single entity. If they were valuable enough in terms of either loot or experience, other groups were prevented from entering. Enterprising groups that controlled dungeons invited smaller guilds and independent player teams to farm the dungeons for a small fee. Done right, this benefited everyone involved.”

  From “The Dungeon Economy”

  Year 1, Month 1, Day 29, 06:00

  Dawn broke over the barrows, revealing large encampments of players nervously watching their surroundings. Angry yells castigated groups of adventurers that lazed about. Precious few attempted to instill order in the horde. Fitful attempts at creating field defenses were underway. Ditches were being dug and wooden spikes placed atop the berms behind the shallow furrows in the ground. The Young Master’s Alliance stirred into action, settling into easy routines of casual drinking, gambling and on rare occasions, actual work.

  An opulent tent dominated the center of the hasty encampment. Raised voices carried through the rich fabric to the sentries posted outside. They ignored the sounds just like they ignored nearly everything else. They carried the boredom of the absolutely secure. There was no worry, no fear, just complete confidence in their superiority.

  Alpha Flame, the leader of the Young Master’s Alliance and guild master of the Heirs of Destiny, addressed the others gathered inside his command tent. “It is safe to say that Risk of Injury didn’t attempt to conquer the dungeon. None of them have emerged from it and there have been no first clear messages. They obviously killed our scouts so they could flee back to their rathole in Miller’s Crossing without us noticing. We need to stop wasting time and start trying to conquer this dungeon and claim the first clear. We can vault ahead of those upstarts.”

  The Midnight Maiden scoffed, “We don’t have EYES on them. Torgon is laying a trap and you’re walking right into it. Find them before you start letting our forces split apart.”

  “You’re overly concerned with that has been.” Alpha Flame looked at every other person present. “It’s time for us to take what is ours. Let’s keep a few hundred watching the dungeon exit just in case. It wouldn’t do for us to let any strays escape because we are being careless. This dungeon belongs to us. All of us. I think we can safely send in a few thousand to start mapping and conquering the dungeon. The rest can finish our fortifications and put the ballistae we spent so much on in place to defend it. No one else can be allowed inside our dungeon.”

  A few glanced about nervously before Ron Don Morgan spoke, “It’s an excellent idea. There’s no sense in keeping everyone idle. Even if they were all ready to strike at once, we outnumber them heavily. My own people are nearly their equal in a straight fight. Don’t let the fears of the older generation slow us down. I would suggest that we do allow others inside the dungeon. For a fee that is. We can charge them going in and then charge them going out. Let them increase our strength and we provide them protection from marauders like the criminals in Risk of Injury.”

  Heads nodded around the table and smiles began to spread. Alpha Flame banged his hands on the table and shouted, “An excellent idea my friend! Maiden, make it happen. The rest of us are going to celebrate our impending victory.” Players dressed in servant’s livery with downcast eyes began bringing platters of food and drink into the tent.

  The Midnight Maiden shook her head in disgust and left, calling her personal guard to her. “We need to get back to Carter’s Bluff. I need to log off and let Thomas know that Malcolm needs to be more firmly educated. The best advice in the world is useless if no one cares to listen to it.” She turned with her team and began the trip back to the nearest teleport location, hoping that she was wrong but knowing that disaster was imminent.

  Torgon, Hyperia and Ovarrix monitored scout reports, keeping close track of the actions of the army outside the barrows. Their dungeon group now hosted an impromptu strategy and planning session for the upcoming ambush. The older, more experienced players offered suggestions, and they debated the merits of different approaches. They took the time to explain why a suggestion might work with the benefits and dangers of each approach.

  Torgon smiled softly, “They’re down to less than 15,000 outside the barrows now. They’ve had log offs, some teams have broken off to explore, and they have a few thousand inside the dungeon. The troops they do have are pointed in the wrong direction. They have a token force covering the dungeon exit. It’s time to finalize everything. We’ll be hitting them within an hour. That should put their dungeon forces over an hour from the entrance with respawns between them and their compatriots.”

  Frare glanced up, “I do have a request Torg.”

  Torgon quirked an eyebrow, “What is it? If we can manage it, we’ll do it.”

  A grin spread across Frare’s lips, “Well, I made the guild awful lot of gold selling ballistae to them. Do you think we could steal them and do it all over again?”

  Allestor slapped Frare’s back as laughter went around the group, “I like the way you think.” Discussion continued and preliminary orders went out to different groups.

  Pattie raised her hand and Torgon motioned for her to speak. “If we win, will the war be over?”

  Torgon looked a bit sheepish but answered her question, “No, it won’t. It’s not like a movie or a lot of stories. There’s not often single battle, victory or loss that decides everything. This is closer to an actual war. You win a war by making the other side unwilling or unable to fight any longer. Our goal is to encourage them to leave us along and let us pursue our own goals without their interference.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Torgon noticed that he had the undivided attention of all the children and continued, “Every skill we train, every dungeon we explore, every piece of gear we craft, it’s all to ensure that we control our own fates. There are always going to be people who cannot abide the existence of people that they don’t control. The people we’re fighting are like that. We offend them by not taking their orders.”

  Lillian spoke, confusion evident, “How do you handle people like that?”

  Hyperia spoke this time, mischief in her eyes, “It depends on the situation. Living well and being happy upsets them. Ignoring them fills them with anger. We’re about to pursue my personal favorite avenue.” Young eyes bored into her, waiting expectantly for her next words. “We’re going to punch them in the mouth.”

  Torgon messaged the guild, “All teams in place?” Affirmative responses filtered back. “Ready all, in 3, 2, 1, Execute.”

  Over 3,500 players exited the dungeon at once, immediately attacking the woefully unprepared defenders surprised by their sudden emergence. Players pushed out, forming a perimeter and the siege weapon teams went to work. Mana Cannons were assembled and aimed at the clusters of hostile forces surrounding the barrows. Explosive magical fire swept across the Young Master’s Alliance and panic ensued.

  System Announcements rolled through, adding to the confusion of the enemy and alerting the smarter ones to exactly what had occurred.

  “Regional Notification. A Party from the guild Risk of Injury has become the first to complete a Normal 5 Man Dungeon in the Broken Hills.”

  “Regional Notification. A Party from the guild Risk of Injury has become the first to complete a Normal 10 Man Dungeon in the Broken Hills.”

  “Regional Notification. A Party from the guild Risk of Injury has become the first to complete a Normal 15 Man Dungeon in the Broken Hills.”

  “Regional Notification. A Party from the guild Risk of Injury has become the first to complete a Normal 20 Man Dungeon in the Broken HIlls.”

  Allestor led a force along the trenches, sweeping into the flanks of the defenders faced the wrong way. The barrels of the cannons swiveled to and fro, breaking apart any stand the defenders attempted to make. Hundreds of them died every minute and their shock prevented an effective response. Their leadership found themselves trapped inside the dungeon as their encampment was being overrun by a force less than a third their size.

  Several thousand players routed and ran across the defensive line they were still in the process of erecting, abandoning their fellows for their own safety. Kate and Steve led teams of scouts, picking off stragglers and those who chose to hide rather than flee. Ovarrix set up an inner perimeter to surround the dungeon exit after the looting teams caught up with them.

  Torgon stayed in the middle, helping Ovarrix coordinate. The shock of their attack overwhelmed the enemy to a greater degree than anticipated requiring hasty alterations to their plans. “What do you need me to do Ovarrix?”

  Ovarrix waved another team into place on the dungeon perimeter and turned, “We didn’t kill enough of them, they ran too quickly. They have their logins and the people inside the dungeon and their force outside is too large. We can try to fortify whatever defense they left before or try to evacuate as soon as we can.”

  Torgon nodded and fired off a message, “Allestor, how are their perimeter defenses? Are they salvageable?”

  Allestor’s reply came back nearly immediately, “No, they did a piss poor job. If they had done better work, we could have caught more of them before they ran.”

  “Noted,” Torgon said drily. “The defenses are worthless, should we just grab everything we can and pull back to the outpost?”

  Ovarrix cursed loudly, “No. The ones that fled are already meeting up with new forces rolling in. Our plan backfired. I think their idiots are inside the dungeon and they have actual leadership outside.”

  “How bad is it?” Torgon asked.

  “The Maiden is leading a group of 3,000 now. Fresh people, ones that listen to her. They’re gathering up around 7,000 of the ones that fled plus there’s a block of 2,000 players with better equipment. It’s a detachment from the Silver Heart Trading Company. They’ve hired mercenaries.”

  “Lovely,” Hyperia deadpanned. “There’s more activity in the areas they control. They’re trying to assemble any detachments they can. They’re putting a blocking force between us and the outpost. Shall we fortify this location and try to bleed them or try to lead them on a merry chase and get around them?”

  “Neither,” Torgon stated firmly. “They’ll expect us to do the tactically sound thing. They’ll expect us to do the smart thing. Hey Steve, what would you do?”

  Steve scratched his nose and grinned evilly, “Run them down and kill as many as we can.”

  Ovarrix laughed, “Bold, unpredictable, borderline insane.” He looked at Steve again. “Maybe not borderline. I don’t think we can win though. If it was just the Young Master’s people, we could do it easily. The Silver Hearts are competent, and it hurts that the Midnight Maiden is coordinating the forces.”

  Hyperia gave Torgon a side eye, sighing loudly. “So, we have to charge into a large force led by your ex-girlfriend, the Midnight Maiden and your buddy, Markus?”

  Torgon closed his eyes and took a deep breath before responding to her ludicrous statement. “My ex-guildmate and yeah, my buddy Markus. It’ll work. We’ve already succeeded in our primary goal, and the worst case is we get back to our base faster.”

  Dusty piped up, “You seem oddly obsessed with dying in combat, so you don’t have to run as far.”

  “Always look for the silver lining Dusty,” Torgon added sagely.

  Ovarrix messaged the force, “Wrap it up. Stow the siege weapons. We’re leaving the barrows in five minutes. We’ll be traveling in combat formation and heading directly towards enemy forces. We will not be stopping.”

  The tension in the air thickened until it was almost visible. Last minute looting was hurriedly conducted, and the groups scurried about to find their assigned locations. Four large columns of 1,000 players sorted themselves out and began to leave the barrows behind. It only took four minutes before the entire force began a loping jog towards the force that was keeping them from their home.

  Scouts and ranged fighters covered the group as they descended the rise and got back into formation. Scouts reported logins and dungeon escapees behind them and an army before them.

  Ovarrix squinted, “They’re trying to set up an anvil behind us and use the blocking force as a hammer to smash us. We can still lead them on a merry chase.”

  Torgon looked to Hyperia, “How are they arraying the forces ahead of us?”

  Hyperia eyed the reports and shared, “The Maiden has her personal army on the right flank, and the Silver Hearts are on the left flank. They have a double line of the people that fled from the barrows in the middle. There’s a gap between the Maiden’s forces and the middle. I don’t think she trusts them to listen to her if they get conflicting orders.”

  “Perfect,” Torgon said as a grin spread across his face. “We’re going to charge at the center, angled towards the right flank, when we’re less than a mile out, we’ll shift and full charge the left flank and the Silver Hearts.”