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The Guild of Gamers: The Game Master by The Dark Wolf Shiro

Game X-overs & Worm Xover Rated: M, English, Fantasy & Supernatural, Words: 85k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 3k+, Published: Sep 11, 2023 Updated: Sep 3

1,149Chapter 13: Chrysalis

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Beans

The Game Master

Chapter 13: Chrysalis

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Topic: A-CLASS EVENT ALERT: BIRDCAGE BREAKOUT

In: Boards Major Alerts

Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Posted On Jan 12th 2011:

It is my displeasure to announce a new major event, one that poses a threat to just about everyone due to the sheer size of it.

Last night, the Faerie Queen enacted the largest cape-breakout in recorded history and opened up the Birdcage. Beyond several of the weaker prisoners who were killed during the chaos, it has been confirmed that every single Birdcage prisoner has been freed and released into the world. Worse still, the Faerie Queen sent them all back to their original haunts, spreading them across both America and the world itself.

It seems that she could have done this at any time, and we have no idea what caused her to decide to finally leave the Birdcage.

There were approximately six hundred of the worst of the worst villains that were imprisoned at the time of the breakout, and they've been spread far and wide. There has been a thread made tracking the status of all the escaped prisoners and their suspected locations (based on the pattern of where Faerie Queen has sent others). [link]

Many have spoken against the Birdcage, for a lot of reasons. Even I've spoken against the idea of just throwing all the worst villains into a big box and leaving them to their fates, as some stories have escaped that place, but nobody wanted this.

These are some of the most dangerous villains in the world. String Theory, Black Kaze, Teacher, Marquis, Ingenue, and of course, the Faerie Queen herself. Each one was sent away for damn good reasons, and now they're all free to wreak havoc once more.

The PRT has made several official statements, [link] but take care of each other out there. If you live in a place that an escapee once called home, stay indoors and keep an eye on the tracking thread. It's going to be rough.

(Showing page 1 of 152)

WagTheDog

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

Of fucking course.

The Nine begin to fall apart so fate itself went 'nah, things are too peaceful'

My city is still dealing with the aftermath of Crane the Molester's cult, and now the bitch herself is free and probably somewhere nearby? Fucking wonderful.

Valkyr (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

Yeah, as a Brockton native, this isn't... great. A lot of people make Marquis out to be this noble godfather style crime boss but he was sent away for a reason.

There's going to be blood, because he's not likely to accept that Brockton Bay isn't his anymore and this was a guy who tangled with the Teeth and the Nine. Not to mention the fact that he killed Kaiser, Iron Rain's older brother. Oh, and New Wave were the ones to take him down to begin with so he's got a lot of scores to settle.

Fuck, wasn't Lustrum in Brockton a few times? I know she had a bunch of followers here.

MadMoxxi (Verified Cape)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

She was. Lustrum wasn't really set up in any one city, and never really held turf.

She did turn herself in in the end, to try and stop her more radical followers, but that was a long time ago, and she's been in the worst place in the world ever since. I doubt being in a mixed gender prison with a lot of violent male prisoners has deradicalised her.

Morgan Sinister

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

It's almost like locking up a bunch of dangerous lunatics up in a barely controlled cage wasn't a good idea. Every time we get even a hint of news from there, it's usually horrific.

But yeah, I'd rather they be in the cage than out here with us.

Space Zombie

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

At least Capes don't need to worry about having the Birdcage held over them like the sword of damocles anymore

AllSeeingEye (Verified Cape) (Verified Rogue)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

No, because now it's proven to be unreliable, Kill Orders will be far more frequent. If the most secure prison can be busted open like this, you think the PRT won't just put the villains down from now on?

Look at their latest announcement. They've basically put a kill order out on every single escapee. They didn't say as much, but read the subtext.

L33T (Verified Cape) (Verified Rogue)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

Oh shit.

I think we're cancelling the next stream, I don't wanna be out playing games when fucking Marquis comes home. This is going to get messy.

Bambina (Verified Cape) (Verified Villain)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

Fuck.

We were on our way to Brockton to try and get in on the wizard games, but I think a detour is in order.

Faultline (Verified Cape) (Palanquin)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

Damn it. We're out of the city at the moment, but I can't say I love the idea of Brockton becoming more of a warzone than normal.

Answer Key

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

I don't suppose Azuth's rules during the scavenger hunt will get them to chill the fuck out for a while? We've had basically zero cape violence since he announced it on Sunday except a brief fight between the Ronin and Empire which ended as fast as it started

Faultline (Verified Cape) (Palanquin)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

We're heading back for the scavenger hunt, we were on a job when it got called and missed the start.

but do you really think the Birdcage prisoners even know about it?

Saskatchew

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

nope lol

things are going to get fucked, aren't they?

Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

The Faerie Queen turned herself in and went to the Birdcage willingly, I don't think anyone ever considered that she did it because she knew she could leave whenever she pleased.

Be careful, everyone.

GloryGirl (New Wave) (Verified Cape)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

Fuck.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3...

(Showing page 150 of 152)

Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

UPDATE: Teacher has been confirmed KIA by the Guild.

UPDATE 2: Azuth has announced a worldwide bounty on all Birdcage escapees. He is offering entry to the Adventurer's Guild in exchange for any prisoner captured and handed over to him. Somehow, this has been permitted by the PRT and Costa Brown herself. He's also opened a second guild, the Bounty Broker's Guild, which can be found here [link]. His announcement is [here].

I don't know why or how he got this put through the PRT, but it seems to be completely official and legalised. He's also added the remaining members of the Nine to the Bounty Board.

AllSeeingEye (Verified Cape) (Verified Rogue)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

The mighty Bagrat, not knowing something :o

As for why? Isn't it obvious? The PRT can claim bounties as well. This has just become a major payday for any and everyone willing to risk their lives hunting birdcage escapees, plus it incentivises villains to hunt down the birdcage prisoners as well.

You have to sign up to be able to claim a bounty, and look at the rules in the Bounty Broker's Guild. Signing up to become a Bounty Hunter would seriously limit the damage any villain who joins would be able to do, thanks to the Code of Conduct, and if they break it (and Azuth would know if they did), they lose their membership and forfeit their bounty rewards. Hell, break it badly enough and they'll end up on the bounty board themselves.

Once they've signed up, sure they get the rewards from being willing to hunt the dangerous criminals, but they also limit the crimes they can commit because civilian deaths are grounds for expulsion from the guild, as is rape, torture and a bunch of other things.

Azuth took the unwritten rules and actually wrote them down.

Narwhal (Guild) (Verified Cape)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

It seems a little insane given how new he is, but the rumours I've heard is that the PRT is treating him like they treat the Guild. We're not under the direct control of the PRT, even if many of our members have dual loyalties to both the Guild and the Protectorate.

Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Jan 12th 2011:

So, I've done some digging of my own and it seems like Azuth is making a replacement prison to take the place of the Birdcage now that it's been shown to be unpredictable?

Maybe it's just rumours, but that's the word that's going around the PRT atm.

If so, I assume Director Costa-Brown negotiated for a way for the PRT to get involved with the running of said prison so it isn't being entirely controlled by an independent cape, but who knows. Things are weird right now.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 150, 151, 152

– Amelia Dallon (Panacea) –

She knew she was adopted. It wasn't like it was some great secret. She could read DNA for fuck's sake, even if she couldn't read her own, she could put the pieces together. It had made the worst of her desires less damning to her own mind as she threw the excuse 'we're not biologically related' to excuse her lusting for Vicky.

She'd never brought it up, even if she could vaguely remember her biological father. She'd asked about the man she remembered once, and only once. The sheer venom from Carol had caused her to never even dare to bring him up again, and now she knew why.

Sitting in her room after the emergency New Wave meeting, she felt numb as she sat in the dark. Aunt Sarah and Jess had tried to approach her after the meeting, but she wasn't in the mood for either right now.

She was the daughter of a villain. Suddenly Carol's demands that she always heal, that she never stray from the mountain of rules and regulations that her 'mother' placed on her, made sense. No matter how many she saved, Carol always treated her like she was one day away from becoming a villain.

From following in her father's footsteps.

Marquis. One of Brockton Bay's most infamous gang leaders. The father who'd gotten captured after they'd attacked him in his home, nearly killing her in the process. The father who had given himself up to stop her from being caught in the crossfire.

Jess had even admitted that Marquis would have probably beaten them if he hadn't been too busy trying to protect a cupboard, which Carol had aimed at when she realised he was trying to defend it. A cupboard that she'd been inside.

She knew Carol wouldn't have told her if she hadn't been forced to. In fact, she was fairly certain that even with his escape, Carol hadn't planned to tell her a damn thing but Aunt Sarah had forced her hand. Carol was furious at Jess for telling her the truth of how New Wave, the Brockton Bay Brigade at the time, had taken down Marquis.

She wasn't naive. They were scared that Marquis would come looking for her, but more so, they were afraid that she'd go looking for him. Carol had demanded that she be given a full-time protection detail, but Amy knew her adopted mother well enough to know what Carol feared.

Vicky had reassured her that this changed nothing, as had the Pelham side of her family. And they were her family, despite everything. Marquis might have sacrificed his freedom for her, but he was still a brutal villain with a lot of blood on his hands.

Jess had been the one to tell her what Marquis was really like. Sure, he had his code of honour, but he'd killed dozens of heroes by the time he was taken down. He would execute his own people if they failed him. He didn't kill women or children, but that didn't stop him from carving a bloody path through Brockton Bay's cape scene. He was in the Birdcage for a reason.

She didn't know why Carol hated him so much, but the pure vitriol that came from her was so intense it genuinely shocked her. She knew Carol had issues, but it seemed like Marquis' freedom had intensified them tenfold. She couldn't tell if Carol wanted to flee, hunt Marquis down and gut him, or chain herself to Amy to make sure that she didn't get any ideas about meeting her father.

What a fucking shitshow.

– Taylor Hebert –

Every piece of common sense in her body told her not to get involved.

Sure, she'd gotten a summon from the class fairy, but she was just a civilian. She'd done her research, after getting the congratulations message, and learnt a little more. Azuth had secretly released eighteen of these 'fairies' into the world, and only made the announcement after the first one was found.

It wasn't found by her.

Apparently, some Ward in New York had found the first one, becoming the Flying Trainer of Corviknight. Corviknight looked so much more intimidating and cool than Heracross. The PRT had quickly announced Flechette's new position and membership to the Adventurers' Guild. They already had merch.

Apparently, there were sixteen more 'types' out there, still to be claimed. The post had mentioned that the Flying type and Bug type had been claimed, but thankfully didn't name the finders.

From what she'd learnt (from Uber and Leets geeking out), Azuth had taken inspiration from a Japanese series that wasn't really a thing on Earth Bet due to Kyushu getting obliterated and the company failing in the aftermath, but was still a thing on Earth Aleph. Apparently, Corviknight was not from the games, but the types were clearly taken from Pokémon. She'd seen a lot of speculation on the gaming boards over which Bug-type Pokémon the Bug Trainer had acquired, with many suggesting Scyther or Butterfree.

Heracross was a bug/fighting type that loved honey and was a powerful physical attacker. Frankly, her giant bug partner was goofy but kind of adorable despite being a giant beetle.

She could have just unsummoned him, hid her guild emblem and called it a day. It would have been safer, right?

Sitting in the Adventurer's Guild in Astera, she briefly cursed herself. She was so laughably out of her depth, but for the first time in years, she felt like she could actually do something. This felt right, as she looked over the offered quests.

She was only a copper-rank adventurer, so she couldn't hunt any of the more dangerous monsters, but that was for the best. Azuth claimed that death was not so final in Astera, but she had no desire to find out for herself.

She'd actually finished her first quest rather easily, because being a bug trainer came with more than just Heracross. The ancient forest was full of an abundance of wildlife, including the vespoids, which she'd easily taken control of, and her quest was simply to hunt jagras, the lizard-like leopard creatures. Having control of a dozen cat-sized wasps with paralytic venom made life a little easier for her. Sure, she'd got bitten and scratched a few times, but the basic armour was enough to protect her from the worst.

Not the Great Jagras, which she avoided wholeheartedly, but the smaller and more manageable types. Sure, it didn't pay that well but between that and some gathering quests, she'd saved up a decent amount of guild points in a single night. Heracross did the heavy lifting, the vespoids could be used to track her targets down across the massive forests, and she hadn't had to do much.

She'd never been big on games herself, doubly so when she was the one who had to actually run around the massive forests and fight deadly creatures, but there was a certain appeal to this. Maybe she just enjoyed no longer being weak. Emma and Sophia had constantly called her weak, a crybaby, a pushover, but she was the one who just slew a pack of jagras, wasn't she?

What had Emma ever done?

There was something addictive about this. Watching her points go up, her rank slowly improving as she got closer to the next tier. She wasn't even close to reaching Iron, since she was taking 'safe' quests, low risk meant low rewards, but slow and steady won the race, right?

Feeding Heracross some of the honey they got in the ancient forest, she actually giggled slightly as she watched the glutton lap it up. The biggest threat they'd found so far was the honey, because the goofball would rush in to grab some even if an Anjanath was in the area.

That had been the closest they came to losing, because her gluttonous partner accidentally gained the ire of a Pukei-Pukei, the poisonous chameleon wyvern, taking great offence to their presence in his territory. She'd managed to distract it with the vespoids, getting away from the infuriated monster.

As she lounged, she went over the potential purchases with a curious gaze. She'd not looked beyond what she could afford, what was currently unlocked for her since she was at the lowest tier, but it was nice to know what possibilities she had in the future.

There were plenty more bugs she could learn to summon and control, and the ability to unlock new skills for her 'class'. She had considered buying the vespoid summon but since all her hunting was done in the ancient forest, where vespoids were plentiful, she hadn't seen a point. Sure, it would let her summon them in Brockton Bay, but why would she want to?

The ability to become a Bug Trainer was unlocked for everyone now that the class fairy had been found, but it was both expensive and locked behind Platinum rank, so she'd really gotten lucky.

Then there were all the potential perks and powers. There were far too many things for her to list, but it sold her on the fact that she couldn't just leave this alone. This place was safe enough, all she had to do was come here in her free time, and she could get some things that would seriously improve her life in the long run-

Her musing froze as she found something locked behind Mythril rank. It was so laughably in the future that the very idea of her reaching it as a part-time hobby was utterly absurd.

She was Copper, barely a tenth of the way through the lowest rank. She'd have to get Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and then Mythril. Nobody was becoming Mythril by doing 'safe' quests, or by spending a few hours a week playing around in a forest.

But there, on the screen, stood a simple word that changed everything.

Resurrection.

Price varies.

She read the description, then read it again. She convinced herself it meant something else, that it couldn't do what her wildest dreams had wanted for years. Then she read it a third time and felt her entire body go numb at the realisation that it did exactly what she was hoping.

A resurrection of a single person who had died outside of the games. Azuth was idly promising the ability to buy back a dead loved one.

Like her mother.

"I see you've taken to adventuring, Miss Hebert," a soft voice said, making her jump and almost command Heracross to attack in a panic as she turned to face the most infamous face in the world right now. Azuth stared back in amusement, his elven form standing before her with grace and confidence. "My apologies, dear guest. I didn't mean to surprise you. I merely wished to warn you that a certain mousey knight is on her way with Flechette, and you are unmasked. I will tell nobody, of course, but I cannot promise that the other Guild members will do the same."

Taylor went to reply before she froze, looking down at herself with an increasingly reddening face at her current… outfit. The armour set, as ridiculous as she felt calling it that, was more like a dress that Emma might have imagined herself wearing if she became a hero. Far too vibrant, the cream outfit had bright pink and orange bands, and was designed to look like… butterfly wings.

…It was the best outfit she could get, since her powers made finding the parts much easier than usual, so she could get the surprisingly high-tier outfit for surprisingly cheap! It- it was for the stats, not the look!

"I see you found the Butterfly armour set. I suppose gathering the parts required for it must have been rather easy for you," Azuth said, his voice smooth but clearly amused at her reaction.

"I- wait, they're coming here?" Taylor asked in a panic, making Azuth nod. She didn't bother pretending that Azuth hadn't known her name and face since the moment she'd found the fairy, but she trusted that he'd keep quiet about her identity. She certainly didn't trust the PRT to do the same.

Flechette rubbed her wrong, but maybe that was because she was another darkly dressed female ward with a crossbow.

As she went to run, Azuth held out a hand and clicked his fingers, her helmet (the fluffy headband and antenna) shifting into a full faced helmet as she let out a sigh of relief, feeling the ability to toggle the outfit enter her mind.

"Thanks," Taylor mumbled, watching as Azuth chuckled and patted the curious Heracross on its shell. "I… am I reading this right? Could this truly bring someone back from the dead?"

"You're thinking of your mother, I take it?" Azuth asked, his voice both knowing and sympathetic. She flinched back, hating how much he seemed to know about her. "It could. You're in luck, Annette Hebert would be on the cheaper side of resurrections. It comes down to their power, in the end, and while she was a fantastic teacher, that does not increase her 'price'. Bringing back capes is far more taxing on my powers, and thus far more costly."

A part of her took offence at that, the idea that her beloved mother was seen as 'cheap' compared to a cape. The logical, smarter part of her told that part to shut the fuck up because it would be hard enough to get the points for a cheap resurrection and she didn't want to consider what a costly one would look like after Azuth gave her the number for her mother's return.

Something told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking, an amused smile on his handsome face. But then, he always seemed to know more about everyone and everything, didn't he? That was his entire act, the all-knowing wizard.

And yet, could she even achieve it? She was just… her. Little Taylor Hebert who couldn't even stand up to three bitchy classmates. Mythril was the third highest rank. It was a tier for true heroes, who fought and bled their way up the ranks, not some little girl who stumbled into a fairy by dumb chance. It felt like an impossible goal, outside of her reach no matter how hard she tried.

"I understand your reticence, Miss Hebert, but know this. I did not simply set the class fairies loose into the world to be found by random chance. I enchanted each one to be found by people with potential. The Bug Fairy did not come to you by chance, nor was it so easy to capture by luck. Had you lacked potential, it would have avoided your attempts to capture it, as it had several others already," Azuth explained softly, making her freeze at his knowing tone. "You need not climb to those heights alone, as many others will be making similar climbs. In a single night, you've finished four quests. Four 'easy' quests, yes, but four excursions where you achieved your goal and every optional objective. The climb is not so insurmountable as you believe. I have faith that the class fairy did not choose poorly. Two more have been claimed, one by Flechette and another by a rogue. It is not a coincidence that you find yourself standing here."

Taylor went silent as he gave her a soft smile, kneeling down to feed Heracross something he conjured out of thin air. Whatever it was, Heracross clearly loved it as her partner practically vibrated with happiness.

"The class fairies were enchanted to find people who would mesh well with their particular type. Flechette found the Flying one because of her desire for freedom, something the ability to fly has represented since long before capes were a thing," Azuth explained.

"So, I'm like a bug?" Taylor asked bitterly, making him chuckle.

"Is that such a bad thing? For all the reputation they get, are bugs truly so terrible? Spiders can bring down foes a hundred times their size with a bite. Butterflies delight people across the world. Even the Cockroach, one of the most hated bugs of all, is known for its ability to endure. I do not see being similar to an insect as an insult, do you?" Azuth asked as he stroked Heracross one last time before he rose, turning and giving her a bow.

"I look forward to seeing what wonders you achieve, Miss Hebert," Azuth said simply, and then he was gone. As fast as he appeared, the guild hall was empty again, with only her partner for company.

She caught a look at herself in the mirror, clad in her Butterfly armour as his words ran through her head. She'd thought it was beautiful when she'd seen it, too beautiful for someone like her. And did she not find Heracross cute? Were bugs truly so bad?

As the doors opened, she watched as the Mouse Protector herself walked in, waving her arms animatedly as she loudly told the amused Flechette a story, before she stopped with a squeak, seeing Taylor standing there.

"You must be Buggy!" Mouse Protector said cheerfully, dashing over so fast Taylor barely had time to respond before Mouse was climbing on a confused Heracross, poking and examining him. "And who is this handsome fellow? I'm the Mighty Mouse Protector, defender of rodents and all things cheddery, utterly cheesed to meet you."

As Mouse gave a dramatic bow, her ears bouncing wildly, Taylor couldn't help but let out a giggle at the ridiculousness of it. She really acted like that all the time? Still… Azuth's words rang even truer as she considered something. Rodents weren't seen kindly either, and yet here was one of her favourite childhood heroes, proudly declaring herself for them.

"I'm Flechette, NY Ward and the Flying type trainer. You must be the one who found the Bug class fairy, huh?" Flechette greeted with a friendly wave, clicking her fingers as the massive black raven with wings of steel appeared.

Heracross shuddered, but then he was very weak to flying types.

"I am. I'm… err, I don't have a cape name," Taylor admitted after a moment, embarrassment flooding her as Mouse nodded grimly.

"It was easy for me, I got in before anyone could steal the good names. I'd come up with something before the PRT slap something stupid onto you," Mouse warned playfully. "I think they do it to make the capes come in to try and get it changed, personally."

"I don't plan to be a cape, outside of here. I just have Heracross here," Taylor said quickly, making Mouse shrug.

"Meh. Make one anyway. Better to pick your own, if you're going to stick around," Mouse advised easily. "Word will spread, and they'll stick you with something stupid if you don't have a name to go by, or worse, you'll get named by PHO."

Mouse playfully shuddered at that, making Taylor smile slightly.

"I'll think about it," Taylor promised, in slight disbelief that she was talking to the Mouse Protector. She'd been too angry to fangirl over Miss Militia, but now there was no Sophia involved, just a famous cape giving her genuine advice.

"For now, you're Buggy. Call it a taste in what will happen if you don't come up with something better," Mouse said with a grin, making Taylor sigh and Flechette chuckle. "So, I take it you've been questing away in the good wizard's playground?"

As she confirmed that she had, she looked at where Flechette was wearing the same copper emblem that she was, while Mouse Protector proudly had her Bronze emblem attached to her outfit. She'd seen the recordings of Mouse Protector's first quest, during her studying phase, and knew that Mouse and her party took down Anjanath and all got promoted to Bronze for it.

"Perfect. The rest of my party is busy, so you can fill in. I promised the most powerful flashlight that I'd put one of his Wards through the ropes, but bigger parties means bigger quests and more cheese when we're done!" Mouse said, throwing an arm around her shoulder, making Taylor freeze.

Instinctively, she went to turn down Mouse's offer for a dozen or so reasons, before she snapped her mouth shut. She didn't have to make this climb alone, and going with Mouse would help get her rank up faster.

"I'm telling Legend you called him a flashlight," Flechette laughed, making Taylor pause as she processed that, but Mouse Protector just laughed.

"I've called him worse, to his face," Mouse said shamelessly. "And if the disco ball has a problem with it, he's welcome to try and stop me. Anyway, Buggy, you coming with?"

"...I'd like that," Taylor finally said, making Mouse Protector grin.

"Gouda. Let's get that cheddar! So, why are you dressed like a giant butterfly?" Mouse asked innocently, making Taylor freeze. "Maybe I should call you Butter, and we can be the Dairy Duo!"

"Please don't," Taylor said instantly, getting a laugh from both before she paused. "Call me Chrysalis."

"Chrysalis, huh? I like it. Don't worry, Fletch. We'll get you a proper adventurer outfit instead of that boring PR one. I mean, the skintight bodysuit is a cliche but its so boring. We'll find you something fancy, ooh maybe wings since you're the flying type trainer?" Mouse rambled, ignoring her mortification as Flechette laughed and joked, but it was too late to go back.

She was officially adventuring with Mouse Protector and a Ward.

Wait, if they were starting their questing did that mean it was already morning?!

– Solomon White (Azuth) –

I know what I did wasn't particularly fair.

Dangling resurrection in front of Taylor was like hanging a piece of steak outside the cage of a starving tiger. It guaranteed that she'll not stop until she gets what she wants, what she needs.

Taylor Hebert is known for her stubbornness and escalation, and I can't afford to not take advantage of her particular brand of madness. With the chance to bring back her mother, she won't stop until she gets to Mythril, and that obsession is going to make me a fortune of energy that I can use for my own ends.

Especially with the Birdcage being opened up, I'll need every drop I can get. I can feel the influx that my actions have already had, setting those bounties is the equivalent of pouring chum into a tank of piranhas, because everyone who wants my attention, who wants a piece of the games, now has a way to get it. Across the globe, capes are moving into action as they begin to hunt the Birdcage escapees.

The Bounty Broker's Guild and their rules will limit some of the damage, but I'm not naive enough to think that this won't cause bloodshed. I'm building my own prison where I'll turn all the captured prisoners into energy farms, with Costa-Brown's express permission.

She knows she fucked up. She knows this is on her for not taking my warning seriously. Sure, I made a few concessions, with her having the power to veto me from putting certain villains onto the bounty board, and me sending several of the class fairies into places where they'll be 'found' by capes that Alexandria wants. PRT heroes, mostly. Five of the eighteen are going to the PRT, which is fair enough. The rest are mine to distribute as I please. Another way for me to bring certain figures of interest into my games.

I won't let the escapees cause any more chaos than necessary. I might have indirectly caused their escape by taking the drawback, but they shouldn't enjoy their freedom for too long.

My prison is going to make the Birdcage look as secure as a fucking revolving door.

As I watch their quest start, I feel one of my scavenger tickets about to be found. I set it up that way so I could… veto some people, but as the soon to be victor approaches the hiding spot, I hesitate.

Looking forward, I see the path he'd take, the 'party' he'd take with him when he wins, because nobody in Brockton Bay can pry the ticket from his hands. And despite everything, I sit back and let Marquis, newly escaped from the Birdcage, find the ticket.

Oh, Faerie Queen, what games are you playing? He didn't find that by chance. She told him where it was. But how did she know? Ciara… I underestimated you.

I won't do so again.

— Bonus Scene — Lisa Wilbourne (Insight)

Life was pretty good for her.

As a rogue, she made a fortune with her power, selling her knowledge to the highest bidder, all while avoiding the worst of the cape scene. Sure, she had to make some deals for her own protection to stop her from getting grabbed by one of the gangs, but that was par for the course as a cape. Hell, the Ronin only had the ABB on the backfoot because she'd read the ABB like a book and fed the intel to the Ronin in exchange for protection. She was nice and safe in her highrise in Brockton's Little Japan, because she knew how to play this game better than most.

Or she had until the wonderful wizard of Brockton had flipped the board and replaced their game of cops and robbers with his own DnD campaign, turning them all into players, bosses or just NPCs.

Trying to work out Azuth, who was resistant to her powers, had been something of a frustration to her since his arrival, because she hated not being able to read people. It was too damn dangerous in this business to not know all the players and what cards they were hiding.

And yet, she was left flummoxed by every move the chaotic teen made. And she was sure that he was a teenage boy behind that all-knowing mask of his. It felt like she'd been on the backfoot since he'd shown up, unable to keep up with his nonsense.

But she knew potential profit when she saw it.

The boons he gave out, the powers he shared. It was all so damn tempting, but again she was left out of her depth. She'd spent every waking moment since he announced this damn scavenger hunt looking for one of the tickets, and failed completely. Fucking Thinker resistant bullshit.

Well, it was probably better than the Simugh snatching up all three.

And then, as she was going out for some food, she'd stumbled on a fucking glowing fairy that nullified her need to even look for a ticket. Of course she was the one the Psychic fairy picked, as she had read the announcement on how the fairies worked, who else would be fitting for it?

Who better to be the psychic trainer than a mind reader?

…she was still pissed off at Azuth.

"Can you at least attack?" Lisa asked, staring at her summon with a tired sigh.

"Wobbuffet!" the giant blue monster replied cheerfully, saluting her with its weird arm, the black tail swishing behind it.

"That was a no, wasn't it?" Lisa finally asked.

"Wobbuffet!"

Author's Note: Taylor is wearing the butterfly armour from Monster Hunter Wilds. It's as silly as it sounds. Still, surely putting the Queen of Escalation on a crusade for points won't be a bad thing, right? Giving Taylor a goal she'd kill for always goes well.

…someone hide Aster.

Written: 26/06/2025

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The Advance Chapters

Diamond: Celestial Farmer Ch10, The Unbound Ch16, The Unbound Ch15, The Necromancer Ch09, The Damned Ch01

Plat: Celestial Farmer Ch09, The Origin Ch05, The Unbound Ch14, The Cursed Ch07, The Unbound Ch13

Gold: Sorcerer's Legacy Ch11, The Unbound Ch12, The Unbound Ch11, The Dungeon Master Ch05, The Gambler Ch16

Basic: The Game Master Ch14, New Game Plus Ch10, The Tamer Ch20, The Celestial Farmer Ch08, The Occult Ch10

Quest: The Celestial Inquisitor Ch34-38

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Chapter 923 - 13