The next morning, Dawnview didn't just wake up; it woke up with a hangover and a grudge.
Riley hadn't even finished his morning coffee before his interface began to chime with the persistence of a fire alarm. Kipp's messages were a frantic stream of consciousness, mostly consisting of "THEY'RE OUTSIDE," "THEY HAVE CAPES," and "RILEY HELP."
When Riley, Aria, and Sofia arrived at the Alchemy Nook, they didn't see a workshop—they saw a siege.
The narrow alleyway was blocked by four players in gleaming obsidian-plate armor. Their nameplates were framed in the silver-and-blue crest of Iron Reign, the top-ranked guild in the region. Around them, a crowd of regular players hovered, half-hoping for a fight and half-waiting to see if any more Mirage Draughts would hit the window.
"Move," Hayes grunted, his massive frame cutting through the crowd like a snowplow. His white-and-gold armor caught the morning sun, making him look like a holy knight compared to the dark-clad players blocking the door.
One of the Iron Reign players, a Level 12 Paladin named Valerius, stepped forward. He didn't look like he was there to buy a potion; he looked like he was there to buy a soul.
"You're the bow guy," Valerius said, his eyes scanning Riley's Shimmerstring bow with a greedy twitch. "And you're the ones making the 'cheat juice'."
"It's called alchemy," Aria piped up, her Stormweave sparking as she crossed her arms. "And it's 'miracle juice' if you're the one not dying to a boss AOE."
Valerius ignored her, focusing on Riley. "Our guild leader is tired of bidding on the auction house. We want your entire stock. All of it. For the next week. We'll pay five silver per bottle—which is more than fair for a starter-village brew."
From inside the workshop, Kipp's face appeared at the window, looking pale. "Five silver?! Riley, they're threatening to 'blacklist' me from the capital markets if I don't sign!"
Riley didn't flinch. He walked right up to Valerius, Luna chirping a low, protective warning from his shoulder.
"Five silver?" Riley asked, his voice calm. "The current auction price is hovering at twenty-eight. You're asking for an eighty-percent discount and offering a 'blacklist' as a courtesy?"
"We're offering you protection," Valerius countered, his hand resting on the hilt of a very expensive-looking claymore. "Dawnview is a small place. It would be a shame if your 'Chaos Squad' couldn't make it to the next dungeon entrance because the path was... blocked."
The air went cold. Hayes shifted his stance, his hand moving toward his greatblade. Sofia gripped her staff, Lumi's light turning a sharp, defensive white. The newcomers, Jonathan and Rezion, stepped up behind Riley, their new rare-tier gear gleaming.
Riley tilted his head. "You think you can gatekeep a World First team?"
"I think you're Level 9s who got lucky," Valerius sneered. "Sign the exclusivity contract, or we'll make sure your next 'hard clear' happens at the respawn fountain."
Riley pulled up a holographic window—not a contract, but a public broadcast.
"Aria," Riley said. "Are we live?"
Aria grinned, her fingers dancing over her UI. "Streaming to the global forums as we speak. Title: 'Iron Reign Guild tries to extort World First party.' We've got about five thousand viewers and counting."
Valerius froze. His eyes darted to the recording icon hovering near Aria's head.
"Here's the new price," Riley said, leaning in. "Thirty silver per bottle. No discounts. And if I see a single Iron Reign member within ten feet of this workshop again, the price for your guild goes to fifty. Also, I'll release the boss-fight footage for the next dungeon for free to every rival guild you have, just so they can beat you to the clear."
"You... you wouldn't," Valerius hissed.
"Try me," Riley said. "I've already lost everything once. You think I'm afraid of a guild tag?"
The crowd began to murmur, some even laughing as the 'mighty' Paladin realized he was being humiliated in front of a live audience.
"We're leaving," Valerius spat, gesturing to his men. "But don't think this is over, Grant. The capital is a long way off."
As the obsidian-armored players pushed their way out of the alley, Kipp threw open the door, looking like he'd just avoided an execution. "RILEY! YOU'RE INSANE! You just threatened the biggest guild in the zone!"
"I didn't threaten them," Riley said, watching the retreating backs of the paladins. "I just adjusted their market expectations."
Aria slapped Riley on the back, nearly knocking his breath out. "ETHICAL POTION CARTEL FOR THE WIN! Did you see his face? He looked like he'd swallowed a Mossling!"
Kipp sighed, dragging them all inside. "Well, while you were being a badass, Lila and Bram finished the new batch. Forty bottles. And Riley... someone sent a private message. They didn't want the auction. They offered pure gold for the recipe."
Riley's eyes sharpened. "Who?"
Kipp showed him the message. The sender's name was hidden, but the offer was written in a font that only VIP accounts could use.
"10 Gold Coins for the recipe. No questions asked. Meet us at the Whispering Willow tavern at midnight."