CHAPTER 52: THE PATH OF BLOOD

After speaking with General Mars, Ryan selected the Path of Blood quest and received the quest item: a Radiant Retribution Army Insignia.

Delivering this insignia to the commanding general at Blood Gorge would activate the Honor system—allowing Ryan to earn honor points by defeating hostile players, which could be used to purchase honor gear later.

He spent a few quiet minutes sorting through his inventory with precision. Once inside Blood Gorge, bank access would be restricted, so he made sure to pack everything he might need.

Ryan held a distinct advantage over most players. His personal inventory had over a hundred slots, and he carried numerous enhancement items that shouldn’t have been accessible at this stage of the game.

Among them were crude grenades—handmade using the schematics he’d acquired from the Engineering trainer back in Astral City. These weren’t items players were meant to see for quite some time.

Then there were the potions: Swiftness, Free Action, Minor Healing, Fortitude... a small arsenal of alchemical brews, along with a stack of spell scrolls. By the time he left the bank, half his bags were filled and he was satisfied.

Outside, he paused beneath the looming sky above Stormhold Fortress. A massive airship, one that hadn’t been there earlier, now hovered overhead. That was his ride.

Once the official dungeons of the six major races were cleared, the path to the frontlines opened. Every hour, an airship departed, ferrying players into the heart of contested territory—into the blood-soaked killing fields where the war raged on.

Ryan knew the drill. He made his way to the base of the tower and approached the NPC standing at the entrance. Without a word, he presented the Radiant Retribution Army Insignia, and the guard stepped aside.

The wooden walkway creaked under his boots as he climbed the tower. He reached the top swiftly, where the airship floated close, its docking ramp extended.

Inside, it was empty—no other players yet. The feature had only just gone live, and most players were still grinding through main quests in their racial capitals.

The airship was scheduled to depart at fifteen minutes past the hour. Ryan checked the in-game time: 7:12 a.m. Three minutes to go.

He leaned back against a bulkhead and waited, staring out through the porthole as the world below slowly brightened.

Just when he thought he’d be flying solo, the sound of fast, heavy footsteps echoed from below. A female warrior emerged, sprinting up the ramp with a two-handed sword strapped across her back. She leapt aboard just as the airship began to lift from the platform.

"Hey there," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "Looks like it’s just the two of us, huh?"

She tapped her ID, and her name flashed into view: Moonlight Beauty. The words shimmered for a moment, accompanied by the kind of self-assured grin only the truly confident wore.

"My name’s Moonlight Beauty. I’m a lone wolf—just driftin’ around. What about you?"

She dropped onto the bench beside him like it was nothing and tilted her head, curious.

"Featherlight," Ryan replied evenly. "Guild master of Flowing Light. Interested in joining?"

The moment she said her name, something clicked in Ryan’s mind. He’d narrowed his eyes, quietly surprised, and wasted no time offering her a guild invite.

Moonlight Beauty might’ve been unknown now, but in the future, she’d earn the title of Berserker Warrioress—a PvP legend. She once soloed a team of five top-ranked players in a match that left forums ablaze and fans breathless. The video of that fight would become iconic in PvP circles.

Her guild, Warrior’s Den, would go on to form one of the top arena teams in the game, steamrolling nearly all opposition.

People hailed her as the greatest female warrior of her generation.

She was famous for her razor-sharp control and relentless aggression—an unstoppable force in duels. And yet, despite all the glory, she vanished at her peak during the game’s 70-era, quitting Kingdom Forge without a word.

Rumors swirled. Some said real-life troubles pulled her away. Others claimed she’d simply had enough.

Ryan didn’t invite her just because of her PvP reputation—her skill in PvE was just as remarkable. Even before joining a guild, back when she was still playing solo, anyone who had teamed up with her came away impressed. Most agreed her combat instincts and precision outclassed even many guild elites.

"Wait—you’re Featherlight?" Moonlight Beauty blinked in surprise. Her voice carried a mix of curiosity and admiration. "You can create a guild already?"

She hesitated. "Didn’t they say you needed Honored reputation with Stormhold Fortress to do that?"

"I already hit Honored," Ryan said casually. "I’m inviting you to join."

Before she could respond, he sent the invite.

—

Featherlight invites you to join [Flowing Light]. Accept?

—

She let out a soft, startled "Ah," as the message popped up on her interface. Her cheeks flushed slightly before she tapped the button.

And just like that, Moonlight Beauty was now a member of Flowing Light.

"...It’s just the two of us?" she asked, her brows rising as she glanced at the newly unlocked guild panel. The lone member count surprised her.

"Yeah," Ryan replied with a faint smile. "I don’t plan to make this a big guild. Just a few elites are enough."

He spoke with the quiet confidence of someone who knew where he stood.

In his previous life, he’d watched his old guild fall apart—eaten from the inside by politics, ego, and people he couldn’t manage. He wasn’t interested in going through that again.

Ryan understood his limits. He wasn’t a charismatic leader or a master organizer. He couldn’t just "level up" leadership like it was another game mechanic.

What he was good at—what he had always been good at—was combat. Control. Precision. The game itself.

Other things? Not so much. Maybe someday, but not yet.

The two fell into a quiet rhythm. Ryan stopped moving, his eyes locked on a fixed point—Moonlight Beauty realized he was checking the forums.

She turned her gaze outside.

The airship soared through the sky, clouds drifting past like cotton, and a shimmering violet energy barrier coated the vessel, shielding it from the screaming winds outside. It all looked surreal, yet peaceful.

With nothing else to do, she opened her interface and dove into the forums too, scanning the usual chaos of trending posts.

But Ryan wasn’t reading the forums at all.

He had pulled up his talent panel, deep in thought.

Yesterday’s Glorious Achievement had earned him two Auxiliary Talent Points, and now he had to decide where to place them.

His next few moves would thrust him straight into combat—he needed every edge he could get.

Ryan decided to double down on PvP.

Because of his previous investment in the Righteous Pursuit talent within the Retribution tree, he needed ten points across the first two tiers to unlock the next tier.

After a moment’s deliberation, he invested a point into a core skill: Edict.

—

Edict: Increases the critical strike chance of Fist of Light and Radiant Light by 3% per point. (0/5)

—

The moment the point was confirmed, the change was immediate—Fist of Light and Radiant Light now had a 15% increased critical strike chance.

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Combined with his existing 10% base crit, his attacks now had a 25% chance to critically strike—an enormous spike for this stage of the game.

And with that final point spent, the third tier of the Retribution talent tree unlocked.