MMORPG: Ascension of the Strongest Spirit Master
Chapter 45: A Small Gamble

Chapter 45: A Small Gamble

"As for proving my claims," Vlad said with a soft chuckle, and after a short pause, he added, "I know that your guild is currently exploring a hidden domain, and one of your great discoveries is broken pieces of a very special armor,"

As Vlad spoke, the cold, almost amused expression vanished, replaced by a sudden sharpness, a look of alertness and restrained calculation, as if every word he said now mattered far more than she had expected.

"I know the Lion’s Armor is a quest item, and not just any quest, but part of a chain that started at Unique grade, and there is a good chance it will finish as a National or even Continental-grade quest," Vlad spoke, then fell silent, lifting his cup and taking two slow sips of his honeyed tea.

Angela stared daggers at him but dared not say a word, knowing now that the person she had thought was a rare talent was likely the scion of a great guild.

She had assumed V would ask for an astronomical price to join her guild, expecting demands of gold, titles, or influence.

Now, she saw the truth with a slow, sinking dread. Vlad had not come to join her guild, he had come to take something from her, and whatever it was, it would cost her far more than gold.

"I also know that Marin and his old group aren’t bound by the death contract, which means if they wanted to leave, each one would have to pay a hundred million game points," Vlad said calmly and then added. "A hefty sum, yes, but we both know there are things out there worth far more than that."

He let the words settle for a moment before continuing.

"I think that alone should be enough to make you take me seriously, and you already know what you should do if you want to prove me wrong," Vlad said with the calm smile that never left his face before he drank his cup empty and stood up.

"Marin has been with me since the beginning of my journey in Ascension. We climbed the ranks together. Our friendship may not span years, but it’s real. Genuine." Her eyes narrowed. "He only learned about my background a year ago, long after our guild had already reached the top fifty."

"So tell me, why would he betray me now?" She paused, her gaze locked on Vlad. "For money? Power? Influence?"

Angela’s voice was cold and level, but beneath it lay something sharp, wounded trust or denial... it was hard to tell.

"As I said," he replied casually, "Give him the death contract. If he and his original band accept it, then I am nothing more than a liar whom you are free to curse and forget."

He shrugged, careless and unbothered, and turned to leave. His steps were quiet, but the weight of his words lingered behind him like a shadow that refused to fade.

Angela had countless questions about who Vlad was working for, who had betrayed her trust, and what he truly wanted, but none of them mattered right now.

All that mattered was whether he was telling the truth, and as he had pointed out, there was a very simple way to find out.

The death contract Vlad referred to was exactly what it sounded like, a contract of death. Unlike standard agreements, which merely imposed penalties or fines when broken, the death contract carried a far harsher consequence.

The complete erasure of a player’s character and a permanent ban from the world of Ascension.

There were no appeals, no second chances, even if one had an astronomical amount of game points to pay Lucid to look the other way because the contract explicitly stated that the player could only return to Ascension if they had not violated the terms of the agreement.

That’s why a death contract was final and absolute and used only when trust had to be enforced by fear.

Angela watched as Vlad left, part of her aching to stop him and prove in seconds that he was wrong, that Marin, whom she had known for three years, was a good man, loyal to her cause, and incapable of betrayal.

But she did not because she knew, as the heir of great power, that people always have hidden motives.

So even though she still took Vlad’s words as some calculated ploy, perhaps orchestrated by one of her brothers, other candidates for the clan’s throne, or some other party meant to sow doubt between her and her most trusted ally.

Even so, no matter her beliefs, it would be extremely foolish of her if she did not act on his warning, not after Vlad had proven that he knew things he had no business knowing, things only those most trusted by her should ever have heard.

But before she had a conversation with Marin, she needed to know why her most trusted ally would even consider betraying her. Maybe she was wrong, but she couldn’t help but think it had something to do with the current chain quest her most elite guild members were doing.

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"Well, that went well," Vlad exhaled, the words barely above a whisper. "Now let’s just hope Marin always planned to betray her and didn’t change his mind after getting his hands on the Sun Eater."

The chain quest the Crimson Angles were trying to complete would eventually become a national quest, the third highest grade a quest could reach, just behind the continental and world grades.

The quest was divided into two parts: first, finding the legacy of a man called the Lion, and then completing his trials to receive many rewards, which included a sovereign-grade spirit name, some legendary artifacts, and a city.

Not just any city, one atop a Titan.

A four-hundred-foot ancient giant built using arcane technology, a relic of immense power and dread, was lost to time.

While not a war titan, it was no less valuable. It was capable of traveling across the continent using its phasing technology, which was almost as good as teleportation and cost a fraction to use. Then there was also its Nullbound Shield, which offered an incomparable defense.

Though the Titan did not have any fighting capabilities, one should not forget it was a massive giant of unyielding iron, and by just walking, it could level a city.

With its phasing ability, it could move through most city shields, and since its main advantage was carrying a city with a capacity of 100,000, its destructive capabilities were also great.

As for why Vlad believed that Marin always planned to betray Angela’s trust, and he did not just decide to do it after he got his hands on the Sun-Eater, it was because of how things developed after his betrayal.

Marin had left the Crimson Angles and joined a lower-ranked and weaker guild, Sovereign Spear, only to start a war with his former guild and go on to win it.

A war he had no right to win, and yet, somehow, he did.

Everyone knew that he must have gotten support from one of the great guilds, most likely from the first-ranked guild, the Crownless Sovereigns.

But the name’s resemblance was just a facade, and in truth, Marin was a pawn of a hidden power. A Guild that only came into existence in the fourth year, The Silent Accord, instantly after its creation, eighteen strong and top-fifty-ranked guilds, including Sovereign Spear, joined it.

The Silent Accord instantly became one of the great guilds.

It was still possible that Vlad was wrong in his assumption and Marin’s loyalty had not been bought yet, but he was willing to take the gable and risk looking like a fool if it meant removing a potential threat to Angela.

Angela had a chance to control one of the seventy-eight seats of power and already had control over a powerful guild, and soon should get her hands on a great relic that would only boost her influence and power.

So, to ensure she achieved all that and more, Vlad needed to ensure she had the best people around her because, at the moment, he held little influence, and his power was his future knowledge. If things went wrong, he might not be able to save her from her downfall.

This is why the little gamble was worth it, and he was sure things would pan out as he expected.

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