Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 133: The Inevitable Confrontation - Join or Die!

"I couldn't care less about you or your petty grudge," came the cold response. "Stand down, or I'll start by cutting down you and your sorry excuse for a guild."

Bendova chuckled. "I'd love to see you try," he challenged.

From the cover of the bushes, Nigel and his drone keenly observed as the fated confrontation between Haxks and a horde of indignant players unraveled. Several other freelance journalists were already beginning to converge on the scene, but aside from being far more prominent than his counterparts, Nigel had been the first to dig deeper into the story and had unearthed a rare scoop worth its weight in gold.

The camera shifted from Daisuke, panning over to the two players who had broken into a heated argument. Those who had tuned into the livestream were treated to an up-close view of both characters, their rising tempers and tense gestures added a fresh layer of drama for the audience.

[NightShade13: Trust my guy Nigel to get us the inside scoop ahead of the game! Bro even found the perfect spot to give us a prime view of the action 😎

BlazeOfGlory: Damn! I can't believe it's finally happening! 😧🫣

GhostlyArcher: The fated showdown!

ShadowKnightX: TAKE HIM TO THE GALLOWS! DEATH TO HAXKS! ☠️☠️

SteelVanguard: BRING HIM TO THE GUILLOTINE! 💀💀

CrimsonSpectre: Dude! Look at all those people! You'd think a World Boss was about to spawn there or something!

RadiantKnight: It was inevitable, really. Unlike other games, SO doesn't readily provide information through the System, forcing players to piece together every scrap of knowledge they can find. It's evident that Haxks has unearthed some kind of cheat, and now everyone is clamoring for their share of the spoils.

IronRogue: Gee, thanks for stating the obvious, nerd 🥱

InfernoBlade: Hey, isn't that Bendova guy the Guildmaster of that infamous guild? What's it called again?

MysticShadow: Men of Culture.

DarkOracle: Ha! That's just a generous way of saying they're a bunch of thirsty, desperate weirdos, always on the lookout for a new way to get their thrills at someone else's expense. Damn perverts!

FiendBlade: They're just low-key pedos.

Stonebreaker: They don't even bother to make an effort to conceal it in-game, do they? Did you all catch the rumors about what they've been doing to the Florians?

NightHowl: Tragic...

Sausage_Party: No lie, my raging hormones were kinda hoping they'd succeed with their plan. Blame God for creating puberty.

SoulStealer: Brah.

RiftWalker: You should be ashamed to confess such a thing 😨🤢🤮

Sausage_Party: @RiftWalker: Lighten up, Moses—it's just a friggin' game!

Meowster: It's been bugging me for a while now, but who's the guy arguing with the pervert? Doesn't he look kinda familiar? 🤔

BustyxBuster: Now that you mention it...

Nigel: I suspect he's from the Dragonsbane Guild.

RustyNeedle: YOU'RE KIDDING?!

RadiantKnight: That actually makes a lot of sense. Large guilds tend to earn bad rep when they interfere with low-level players, but this new guy isn't widely known yet. If he's part of Dragonsbane, he's bound by loyalty to the guild, which means they can trust him to relay any valuable information he gathers about Haxks.

Pokégurl: I guess that also explains why he brought mercenaries along instead of his own guildmates.]

DING!

[Player | Bendova | Lvl 74 | Mage | Men of Culture]

DING!

[Player | FrostbiteNinja | Lvl 82 | Ninja | Dragonsbane]

"I'm sure you know exactly why we're all here," FrostbiteNinja, otherwise known as Jace, sneered at Daisuke, his tone condescending despite his efforts to sound inviting and charitable. "Your recent feats have caught the eye of many, including mine. As a captain of a well-respected guild, I'm not here just to extract information like the rest of these vultures. I'm here to extend an invitation to join my guild and offer you our protection. Among everyone gathered here, I am the only one truly standing by your side."

"You conniving little bastard," Bendova scoffed.

Disgruntled murmurs rippled through the crowd at the man's underhanded ploy. Yet, if his claim held any truth—that he was indeed the captain of a prominent guild—none dared to raise their weapons against him.

While it was widely seen as bad form for large guilds to bully low-level players, the dynamics shifted dramatically when such behavior was deemed justified. In such cases, guilds had a notorious reputation for pressuring players to the brink, often pushing them to their limits and driving them to quit the game entirely.

"So?" Jace asked, extending his hand with a sly smile. "What do you say? Do we have ourselves a deal?"