CHAPTER 5: The Frost and the Ghost
Marcus spawned in Millbrook at 11:45 AM.
The town square had transformed overnight. What had been two hundred confused newbies was now five hundred organized players. Guilds were forming. Merchants hawking goods. Someone had even set up a makeshift bank.
Eternal Dominion was becoming real.
Marcus moved through the crowd. Kept his hood up. His gear was distinctive now—the Shadow Knight armor drew attention. Black as midnight. Etched with red runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Three players tried to stop him for screenshots.
He ignored them all.
The fountain sat in the town's center. Stone. Ornate. Water flowing from a carved dragon's mouth.
Marcus leaned against it. Waited.
At 11:58, she arrived.
FrostQueen was exactly how he remembered her.
Tall. Athletic build. Ice-blonde hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. Her character wore basic mage robes—starter gear—but she moved with confidence that said she knew how to use them.
Her eyes—pale blue, almost gray—scanned the square before landing on him.
She walked over. Stopped five feet away. Crossed her arms.
"Ghost, I assume?"
"Isabella."
Her expression didn't change, but her posture stiffened slightly. "How did you know my real name?"
"Lucky guess." Marcus pushed off from the fountain. "You use FrostQueen in every game you play. Your Twitch channel is under Isabella Volkov. Not hard to connect dots."
"You researched me?"
"I research everyone I work with."
"We're not working together. Not yet." Isabella tilted her head. "You said Crimson Vanguard's leader is all talk. Prove it."
Marcus opened his interface. Pulled up Ethan's public character profile.
[ETHAN "CRUSADER" CROSS - LEVEL 7]
[CLASS: PALADIN]
[GUILD: CRIMSON VANGUARD - 47 MEMBERS]
"Level seven," Marcus said. "After three days in beta. You know what that tells me?"
"That he's been busy recruiting instead of grinding?"
"That he doesn't understand priorities." Marcus dismissed the screen. "Guilds don't matter yet. Levels do. Resources do. By the time guild features unlock in a week, the power gaps will be insurmountable."
"So your strategy is solo grinding until you're overpowered?"
"My strategy is building a foundation before I build a castle." Marcus met her eyes. "Ethan's doing it backward. He's collecting people who want to be part of something big. I'm collecting people who want to BE something big. There's a difference."
Isabella studied him. "You're level twenty. How?"
"Knowledge. Efficiency. Not wasting time on empty promises." He gestured to a bench. "Sit. I'll explain what I'm building."
She hesitated. Then sat.
Marcus remained standing. Pulled up a map interface. Highlighted several locations.
"In three days, a world event launches. The Goblin Siege. Every major town gets attacked by waves of enemies. Most players will defend the towns because it's obvious. Heroic. Good PR."
"But?"
"But the real reward isn't in defense. It's in offense." Marcus zoomed in on a location northeast of Millbrook. "While everyone's playing hero, the goblin king's fortress is unguarded. First team to clear it gets legendary loot and a permanent buff to siege damage."
Isabella leaned forward. "You're saying we should let the town burn?"
"I'm saying the town has five hundred defenders. It doesn't need us. The fortress has rewards that matter." Marcus closed the map. "Question is—are you a player who does what feels right? Or what IS right?"
"That's not a question. That's a test."
"Everything's a test." Marcus finally sat. "You contacted Crimson Vanguard because they're visible. Organized. They look like winners."
"And they're not?"
"They'll win some fights. Ethan's charismatic. People follow him." Marcus's voice stayed flat. Factual. "But charisma doesn't clear raids. Strategy does. Execution does. And Ethan doesn't have either."
"You sound like you know him."
Too close to the truth.
"I know his type," Marcus said. "Leaders who need to be loved more than they need to win."
Isabella was quiet for a moment. "What do you need to win?"
"To win."
She almost smiled. "That's honest, at least."
"I don't have time for anything else." Marcus pulled up his inventory. Showed her the Heart of the Mountain. "See this?"
Her eyes widened. "That's... how did you get a legendary material already?"
"I killed the boss that dropped it. Solo. Level eighteen." He dismissed the item. "In two weeks, someone will figure out what this is worth. They'll offer me six figures for it. I'll say no."
"Why?"
"Because six figures is short-term thinking. This crystal builds the best tank armor in the game for the next six months. Whoever wears that armor becomes the foundation of the strongest raid team. That team clears content first. Gets world firsts. Builds a reputation."
Marcus leaned back. "Reputation becomes sponsorships. Sponsorships become real money. Real money becomes a business. Six figures is nothing compared to what comes after."
Isabella was watching him differently now. "You're not just playing the game. You're playing the meta."
"The game IS the meta. Everyone else just hasn't figured it out yet."
"And you want me to... what? Join your non-existent guild?"
"I want you to help me build something that doesn't exist yet." Marcus stood. "But first, I need to know if you're worth the investment. Come with me."
"Where?"
"The Whispering Woods. There's a boss that spawns at noon. Level fifteen. Drops good experience and better loot." He started walking. "Kill it with me. Show me what you can do."
Isabella stood. "Just the two of us?"
"You have somewhere else to be?"
She followed him out of town.
The boss was a Treant.
Thirty feet tall. Made of gnarled wood and moss. Its eyes glowed green in the shadows.
[ANCIENT TREANT - LEVEL 15]
[HP: 4500/4500]
Six other players were already there. A makeshift party. Tank. Healer. Three DPS.
They saw Marcus and Isabella approach.
"Yo!" The tank waved. "You guys here for the Treant? Want to group up? More people, better chance."
Marcus walked past them without responding.
"Hey, asshole, I'm talking to you!"
Marcus stopped ten feet from the Treant. Drew his sword. The black blade caught the filtered sunlight, seemed to drink it.
"Isabella. Take the left side. Hit it with frost spells. Slow its movement."
"You can't just—" the tank started.
Marcus charged.
[DARK BLADE]
His sword ignited with shadow flame. He closed the distance in three seconds. Slashed at the Treant's trunk.
[CRITICAL HIT! -847 HP]
The Treant roared. Swung a massive branch at him.
Marcus ducked under it. Slashed again.
Behind him, Isabella had already begun casting. Ice formed in her hands. She threw it.
[FROST BOLT - HIT! -156 HP]
[ANCIENT TREANT IS SLOWED]
The Treant's movements became sluggish. Predictable.
Marcus exploited it ruthlessly.
[VOID STEP]
He blinked behind the creature. Drove his sword into the exposed roots at its base.
[CRITICAL HIT! -923 HP]
The six-player party just stood there. Watching. The tank's mouth hung open.
Two minutes later, the Treant collapsed.
[ANCIENT TREANT DEFEATED]
[+800 EXP]
[SOULS COLLECTED: 91/100]
[AGI +1]
Marcus looted the corpse. Found a skill book and some rare wood.
He tossed the skill book to Isabella without looking.
She caught it. "What's this?"
"Ice Wall. Rare defensive spell. You'll need it."
"I can't just take—"
"You can. You will." Marcus turned to the six-player party. They were still staring. "You wanted to fight it together. Now you know why that would've been a waste of everyone's time."
The tank found his voice. "Dude. That was insane. How are you so strong?"
"Practice." Marcus started walking back toward town.
Isabella jogged to catch up. "Was that necessary? Embarrassing them like that?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you needed to see what working with me looks like. No hand-holding. No fairness. No splitting glory." Marcus glanced at her. "If that bothers you, walk away now."
She didn't walk away.
They made it halfway back to Millbrook before she spoke again.
"The Goblin Siege event. When does it start?"
"Seventy-one hours."
"And you're planning to assault the fortress with just the two of us?"
"For now. I'll recruit three more before then. Specific people. Specific skills."
"You already know who you want?"
"Yes."
Isabella stopped walking. Marcus stopped too. Turned to face her.
"I need to know something," she said. "This ruthless efficiency thing. The min-maxing. The long-term planning. Is that who you are? Or is that who you became?"
The question hit closer than she could know.
Marcus thought about the old him. The one who'd trusted too easily. Who'd built empires for other people. Who'd died alone on a dirty floor.
"Does it matter?"
"It does to me." Isabella's expression was serious. "I've worked with cold, calculating leaders before. They win fights. But they also burn through people like ammunition. I need to know if that's what I'm signing up for."
Marcus considered lying. Saying what she wanted to hear.
But lies were how Ethan operated.
"I'm not interested in friendship," he said. "Or mentorship. Or building a family." The words came out harder than intended. "I'm interested in winning. In being so far ahead that no one can touch me. If that sounds like something you can work with, stay. If not, don't."
Isabella crossed her arms. "That's really your pitch? 'Work for an emotionally unavailable taskmaster or leave'?"
"I prefer 'work with.' And yes."
She laughed. Actually laughed. "You're terrible at this."
"At what?"
"Recruiting. Ethan probably gave applicants a whole speech about dreams and potential and believing in each other."
"Probably."
"And you're offering... what? A seat at the winner's table and nothing else?"
"A seat you'll earn. That you'll deserve. That no one can take from you." Marcus met her eyes. "Ethan offers belonging. I offer achievement. Choose."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Isabella smiled. Small. Genuine.
"Fine. I'm in. But on one condition."
"Which is?"
"Be honest with me. Always. I don't care if the truth is ugly. I care that it's true." She extended her hand. "Deal?"
Marcus shook it. Her grip was strong. "Deal."
"Good." She released his hand. "Now tell me about these three other recruits. Who are we looking for?"
They found the first one an hour later.
A dwarf warrior. Username: IronHide. Level 9.
Marcus had been watching him for thirty minutes. The dwarf was grinding wolves alone. Methodical. Efficient. No wasted movement.
More importantly—he wasn't trying to show off. Wasn't streaming. Wasn't socializing.
Just working.
"That one," Marcus said, pointing.
Isabella looked. "He's alone. No guild tag. Why him?"
"Watch."
A pack of three wolves spawned. Most players would back off. Wait for them to separate.
IronHide charged all three at once.
Used his shield to block the first attack. Bashed the second wolf with his shield edge. Swung his axe at the third in one fluid motion.
The wolves died in fifteen seconds.
"He's good," Isabella admitted. "But there are lots of good players."
"He's efficient. There's a difference." Marcus approached the dwarf.
IronHide saw them coming. Didn't stop working. Killed another wolf while keeping one eye on their approach.
Smart. Cautious.
"Help you?" IronHide's voice had a Scottish accent. His character's red beard was braided with metal rings.
"You're wasting time out here," Marcus said.
The dwarf's eyes narrowed. "Come to insult me or make a point?"
"Both. You're level nine after three days. That's good. But you could be level twelve if you knew where the real experience was."
"And you're gonna tell me out of the goodness of your heart?"
"No. I'm going to tell you because I need a tank for a raid in three days. You're competent. That's rare."
IronHide stopped killing wolves. Turned to fully face them. "You're Ghost. The Shadow Knight everyone's talking about."
"Yes."
"The one who solo'd the Ancient Golem?"
"Yes."
"The one who's level twenty while the rest of us are still in the single digits?"
"Twenty-one now. But yes."
IronHide grunted. "And you want me to tank for you?"
"I want you to join a team that will be first for every major accomplishment in this game. World first raids. World first legendary clears. World first everything." Marcus pulled up the map. Showed IronHide the goblin fortress. "Starting with this. Three days. Five-person team. We clear the fortress while everyone else plays hero in town."
"That's suicide. The fortress is designed for twenty players minimum."
"Designed for twenty average players. We're not average."
IronHide looked at Isabella. "You're with him?"
"For now," she said. "He's abrasive and emotionally stunted. But he's not wrong about the strategy."
"Gee, thanks," Marcus muttered.
IronHide considered. "What's in it for me?"
"First pick of tank loot. Priority on legendary drops for your class. And a reputation as the tank who did the impossible."
"Reputation doesn't pay bills."
"It does when sponsors start calling." Marcus pulled up his phone. Showed IronHide the NeuralTech contract. "This happened because I'm visible. Because I'm doing things no one else can. Join me, and you'll get the same opportunities."
The dwarf stared at the contract. Then at Marcus. Then at the fortress on the map.
"Three days?"
"Seventy hours now."
"Five people total?"
"Including you, yes."
IronHide shouldered his axe. "I'm either going to regret this or make a fortune. Screw it. I'm in."
[IRONHIDE HAS JOINED YOUR PARTY]
Marcus dismissed the notification. "Good. Meet us at Millbrook tomorrow. Noon. We'll go over the strategy."
"Wait, that's it? No bonding exercises? No team-building?"
"We're not friends. We're colleagues. Show up prepared. That's all the bonding we need."
IronHide shook his head. "Isabella's right. You are emotionally stunted."
"And you're both hired. See you tomorrow."
Marcus logged out at 8 PM.
He'd gained two more levels. Found two more recruits. Started building something that looked almost like a guild.
His phone showed seven missed calls from Sarah Chen.
He called back.
"Marcus. Finally." Sarah sounded stressed. "We need you in the office tomorrow. The CMO wants a progress report."
"I'm busy tomorrow."
"Make time. This is important."
Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose. The real world kept intruding. "What time?"
"Nine AM. Sharp."
"I'll be there."
He hung up. Checked the beta forums.
The top post made him pause.
"CRIMSON VANGUARD REACHES 100 MEMBERS - FASTEST GROWING GUILD IN BETA"
Ethan's smiling face filled the thumbnail. That practiced grin. That fake warmth.
Marcus opened the post.
"We're not just building a guild," Ethan wrote. "We're building a family. A community. A place where everyone matters. Join us and be part of something bigger than yourself."
The comments were overwhelmingly positive.
"Ethan seems like such a genuine guy!"
"Finally, a guild that cares about people."
"Applied! Can't wait to be part of the Vanguard family!"
Family.
The word made Marcus's jaw clench.
A private message notification appeared.
From: Crusader
Marcus stared at it. His finger hovered over the delete button.
Then he opened it.
Crusader:"Hey Ghost. Saw your name on the leaderboards. Impressive work. We should talk. Crimson Vanguard is always looking for talented players. Interested in joining something special?"
Marcus read it three times.
Ethan was recruiting him.
Didn't know who he was. Didn't recognize the name. Just saw a powerful player and wanted to absorb him into the collective.
Marcus's hands shook. Not from fear. From rage so pure it felt like ice.
He typed a response. Deleted it. Typed another. Deleted that too.
Finally:
Ghost:"Not interested. Good luck with your guild."
He hit send. Closed the message. Blocked Crusader immediately.
Then he opened a new document on his laptop.
ETHAN CROSS - TIMELINE UPDATE
DAY 3: 100 guild members. Focused on recruitment over leveling. Currently level 7 (14 levels behind me). Has not acquired any hidden classes or legendary items. Is vulnerable.
NEXT MOVE: Goblin Siege event. Ethan will defend Millbrook. It's the heroic play. The visible play. He'll want the glory.
COUNTERMOVE: Take the fortress. Get the real reward. Let him have his moment in the spotlight while I collect actual power.
Marcus saved the document. Added it to the VENDETTA folder.
A text came through.
LILY - MOBILE:Movie night Friday? I'm thinking horror. Your choice.
Marcus smiled. Small. Genuine.
MARCUS:Yeah. I'll bring snacks.
LILY:You're the best brother ever. ❤️
He set his phone down. Stared at his reflection in the dark laptop screen.
The man looking back at him was harder than he'd been three days ago. Eyes colder. Jaw set.
Becoming the weapon he needed to be.
But for Lily, he could still be a brother.
For three more days, he could still pretend to be normal.
Then the Goblin Siege would start.
And Ethan would get his first real glimpse of the ghost haunting his future.
Marcus closed his laptop. Went to bed.
Dreamed of burning castles and stolen crowns.
And when he woke up at 6 AM, he logged back in.
Still nine souls to collect.
Still a fortress to scout.
Still a brother to destroy.
One day at a time.
One piece at a time.
Until there was nothing left of Ethan Cross but a cautionary tale.
Marcus smiled in the darkness of his apartment.
Then he put on the headset and disappeared into the game.
The ghost was hungry.
And revenge was a feast best served methodically.