Free MMORPG: How a Computer Game Becomes Deadly Serious by Emile van Veen Page B

guards stationed there.
    “Phase one concluded. Execute two. Go, go, go!”
    On cue, one of the members of Team Q left his station at the gate and moved up to the entrance. Like a relay race, the one guarding the door moved up to the position of the other member of Y, who ran up the stairs to secure that floor.
    “Phase two ready.”
    “Execute three, go, go, go!”
    The two of Team Z sprinted up the second stairs and exploded onto the floor above. An incredible burst of violence killed the two guardians there in a matter of seconds. Next, onto the main target, total surprise and again an explosion of extreme violence.
    “Phase three concluded. Execute four, go, go, go!”
    Now, Drimm came into action. His responsibility was to make sure that they had a clean getaway. He ran up the path and stopped next to the building. He drew his gun and started to sweep the area with his eyes. No enemies moving. Only a few moments later, he was passed by team Q, then team Y and after maybe twenty seconds, team Z.
    When he was sure that everybody was clear and that there was no pursuit, Drimm, too, ran to the road below and to safety.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    Rebecca had swept the areas close to the main road that ran from east to west twice now. They were standing near their starting point again. She had opened the zone map and they were discussing where they should go next. Robert suggested they follow the main road to the north that ran just to the west of Splintertree Post, whereas Rebecca thought they should go to the coast all the way to the west.
    “We’re now close to where I want to go,” he pointed out. To stress his point, he tapped the screen with his finger.
    “True, but we can fly to the Zoram Strand. While we do that, we have another sweep from above.” She sighed. “Your guess is as good as mine. Let’s try your suggestion first.”
    She turned Killermage around and veered to the north when they reached a junction. Robert was studying the mini map.
    “There!” he shouted. “I saw a golden dot on the map, but it’s gone now!”
    Rebecca turned the horse around and trotted back the way they had come. Close to a place marked ‘Raynewood Retreat’ on the map, two golden dots appeared on the mini map. Rebecca moved her mouse over the dots.
    “Bingo!” She checked the names against the printed list again, just to make sure. “Yes, here we have Frakk and Caliburr close together. I think we can assume that the others are there as well.”
    Robert cheered and put a hand on her shoulder. “Well done!”
    “We still don’t know what they’re doing here. They’re at Raynewood Retreat, but what the hell are they up to? I can barely remember the place, I believe there’s only one insignificant quest that involves it.”
    “Can we get closer?”
    She waited a moment before answering. “Yes, we can, but they will see us as well. And we’re just as much out of place as they are. If we assume that they‘re doing something in secret, they’ll be alerted by the sudden appearance of a level eighty mage. There can be only so much coincidence, and we might want to save an accidental meeting for another time.”
    Robert felt like a balloon suddenly deflated. “So we came here for nothing?”
    “In a way.” Her response made Robert feel even worse. Tired he stared at the screen.
    Suddenly she hit her hand on the table. “No! I disagree. We saw that they are behaving strangely. For nearly five years I have been playing this game, and I have never seen a bunch of level eighties crowding around a level twenty-six building before.”
     
     
    ***
     
     
    They were all standing just outside the back garden again. An Elder Shadowhorn Stag had wandered into the grounds, but everybody ignored the huge beautiful deer. They were all focused on Pharad.
    “Well done. We had it down to four minutes, forty-one seconds in and out.”
    One of the members of team Q cheered.
    Pharad continued as if he heard nothing. “Remember, we