War Grounds 30 Wisdoom's First Five

*Clap clap!

It was a cheerful beat.

"Alright! I'm so happy to have all of you here! Let's start the briefing, then." Solomon smiled.

"Uhmmm, excuse me, Sol. But, am I already in?" Al just wanted to make sure of things. It's hard to a.s.sume.

"Haha! Of course, you are, buddy!" It was Jack, who answered. He suddenly grabbed Al by the shoulders, pressing him to his side - a manly hug.

"Haha. Yes, you are Al. I trust my sister's recommendation." Sol did not mind being cut off as he winked to Sophia. "Plus, we only have two weeks to prepare before the upcoming Rookie Challenge. It's not a time to be choosy."

"Yup, and we're missing one more member." Patrick reminded. His right index finger pointing upwards, gesturing a 'don't forget the crucial issue.'

"Hehe. That's something we'll tackle in a while. Anyway, I'm just repeating this one for Harvy, Jack and Pat. However, do you already have an idea of what's this compet.i.tion is all about, Al?" Solomon asked.

"Uh-hmm. I'm not really sure about the mechanics as Sophia had just only told me about it, a while ago. Hehe." Al confessed.

"Yup, the truth is that he's only here to use your Battle Station, brother. In exchange, he'll represent WisDOOM." Sophia added. She was giggling.

"Oh? Is that so? Haha! I understand that problem. Buying a 'Battle Station' is not a cheap endeavor. As you can see, our units are currently second-hand ones. Hehe. However, they're still good to go! Going back, the Rookie Challenge is the first one in War Ground's History. It's in conjunction with the celebration of the game's Second Anniversary, since release." Sol responded.

"Yup! I've heard the news that it's gonna be a grand one as Yos.h.i.+mitzu Corporation will not be stringent when it comes to the costs of this event." Sophia added.

"Correct! The grand prize is also enticing. Ten units of the latest model of Battle Station - the 'PXN-10'!" Sol's eyes were filled with ambition as he shared about the rewards.

"Don't forget about the cash prize." Pat b.u.t.ted in.

"Of course! Of course! It's a significant amount. If we win this compet.i.tion, we will split the monetary award accordingly. However, we need five members, and each one's account must not be more than one month old from the day of the compet.i.tion. I've already checked the accounts of these three, how about you, Al? You're qualified to join, right?" Sol asked.

"Yup, I've only created my account yesterday." Al grinned.

"Yesterday!?" The other three players simultaneously reacted.

"Hehe. Yes." Al was taken aback by his to-be teammates' reaction.

"We're competing against famous workshops and guild sponsored-teams. You're aware of this, right?" Pat prodded.

"Alright, there's no need to bicker, everyone. I suggest that we continue tomorrow. It's already getting late." Solomon pacified.

Everyone immediately checked their respective sources of time - the digital wall clock, their watches, or the time displayed on their phones.

5:45 PM.

"I suggest that we do overtime from here on. Although our chances against the big shots are abysmal, I don't want to be beaten into a pulp against others." Pat shared his opinion.

The other two nodded their heads. They have only joined the workshop today.

"Guys..." Solomon was moved. He glanced towards his sister, who returned it with a smile, and at last on the new member - Al Gentrix. "Oh, how could I forget! There are two categories in the upcoming Rookie Challenge - Solo and Team compet.i.tions. Aside from our healer, Patrick, I encourage everyone to join the Solo compet.i.tion. In line with this, we need the last member as soon as possible."

'Dwarf-looking and a healer?' Al was getting a feel of déjà vu as he shot a quick look towards Patrick. However, the hopeful gaze of Solomon snapped him back to the conversation. "I would love to get the feels of playing with the team now, plus I know someone that may fill out the remaining position."

Papa Bear!

"Awesome! Find your station then. Sophia, can you buy us some snacks? We'll be stuck here for a while. Hehe." Solomon excitedly returned to the server area, while the other three walked back to their Battle Stations, leaving Al and Sophia near the doorway.

"Sure!" Sophia shouted in response.

"Hey, thanks for this!" Al shot her a grateful look.

"You're welcome! I'll see you later, then. Don't worry. I'll keep in touch with your mom on your behalf." Sophia winked as she waved her hand. She turned towards the exit.

"Wait! I have an important question." Al gestured a halt to Sophia.

"What's your brother's IGN?" He whispered.

"'Yakouza.' Bye!" Sophia answered simply before leaving. Little did she know, it was more than enough to make Al stay in WisDOOM.

Al once again shot a disbelieving look towards Solomon, who was happily setting up his computer. 'Yakouza, the owner of the Dark Market? The famous underground forger? Is he really this person?'

'Why is he so poor?' It was the first thought of Al.

However, he did not dare to dwell on this issue for now, as there are still some more important things that he needed to confirm first. He immediately opened his phone and sent a message to Osho.

'x'.

It means 'false alarm.'

There are three things he needed to do before the night ends. First, tell SARS to focus its a.n.a.lysis on the Orc's Capital City of Frahim, then, invite Papa Bear to WisDOOM, and lastly, confirm the IGN of Patrick.

'Ha.s.ss....', Al deeply exhaled as he moved towards the nearest available Battle Station.

...

Al was just about to mount his phone in the gaming helmet when he suddenly remembered something - Sanitary Practices! He immediately stole a moment to smell the gear.

Phew!

He sighed an air of relief. 'Good thing that they're taking care of the units here.' He was impressed by the odorless smell.

'Let's do this!'

Although the fatigue was still there, he found a new sense of hope for the game. He needs to get stronger as soon as possible! For his dad, for himself, and his crush - Sophia!

[Welcome to War Grounds.]

Character: Udil

Level: 10

Rank: Rookie III

Race: Human

Cla.s.s:?Hidden?

[Loading Complete.]

Al was currently in the main gate of Alistor City.
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The noise of the city was back, but it was not normal. One could smell anxiety among the traffic of players and NPCs. They were restless.

'A guild war is really coming soon.' Al noted. He immediately tried talking to SARS.

"SARS! Hey! You still busy with your Open World a.n.a.lysis?" Al asked.

[Open World Phase 2 a.n.a.lysis....13% Initial Completion. Welcome back, Al Gentrix So Strong.]

"Wow! That's really taking quite some time. Hehe. Hey, can you stop that for now, and instead focus on the Orc's Capital City of Frahim? I've received some leads that the item is a drop from the City's World Boss."

[Ok. However, I won't be able to a.s.sist you in the next eight hours.]

"Oh. Is that so? No worries. Hehe. Thanks, SARS! You're the best!" Al grinned. He'll finally get a feel of his character's strength under his control.

[ Shut up, Flatterer! ( -_- ) ]

"I miss you more, SARS! Haha! Bye!" One down. Al immediately opened his contacts.

Character: Papa Bear

Level: 4

Rank: Rookie III

Race: Orc

Cla.s.s: Charger

Status: Online - Playing in Open World

'He's leveling so fast.' Al noticed.

[ Hey, buddy! Are you interested in joining the upcoming, 'Rookie Challenge'? We're still missing one member. ] Al sent a message.

[ Hey, dude! Wow! You're leveling so fast! What's your secret? 'Rookie Challenge'? What's that? ] Papa Bear quickly replied.

[ Gathering of strong newcomers. ] Judging by the att.i.tude of Papa Bear, Al Gentrix only needs a few words to bait the former.

[Well, you're really good at finding the right one. Count me in! How do I join?] Papa Bear shamelessly replied.

[I'll keep in touch. Wait for my update, any minute from now.] Al quickly responded.

'Now, there's only one thing to do.' Al grinned.

Ping!

[System Message from WisDoom.] A notification from the workshop's server application popped up.

[Opening Message...]

"Hey, Al! Glad to have you here! Welcome, once again. This is where we'll communicate with each other in the meantime as I'm still working out the voice-app. So, we'll just type for now. By the way, what's your Player ID Number? Jack will invite you to the party. Let's start first with a 'Ranked Mode - Party' match to get a feel about the team's synergy. Hopefully, you're still in the Rookie rank :D" It was Solomon, who sent a message.

"Thanks! Glad to be a part of this group! 06101997 is my Player ID Number. I've already contacted my friend, and he's willing to join!" Al quickly replied.

"Awesome! Just invite him to the party, once you're in. Have fun! I'll spectate the group here from my station. Cheers!" Solomon responded.

Al closed the pop-up chat group and returned his focus to the game.

[You have received a party invite from Macca. Do you wish to accept?]

[Hey, Al! Jack here.] The player named Macca sent a message.

[Party Invite Accepted. Leaving Open World Mode...]

Al was returned to War Grounds' lobby. He was immediately greeted by the interface, which showed him the members of the party.

Team Leader: Macca

Level: 6

Rank: Rookie II

Race: Goblin

Cla.s.s: Ranger

Member1: SwitchFoot

Level: 5

Rank: Rookie II

Race: Savage

Cla.s.s: a.s.sa.s.sin

Member2: CancerIsLife

Level: 5

Rank: Rookie I

Race: Dwarf

Cla.s.s: Priest

Member3: Udil

Level: 10

Rank: Rookie III

Race: Human

Cla.s.s: ?Hidden?

Member4: Waiting for the other party to accept...

"You again!?"

"You again!?"

Two similar messages simultaneously appeared in the party's chatbox. The messages came from Al Gentrix and Patrick Gadlock - Udil and CancerIsLife in-game, respectively.

[Papa Bear has joined the party.]

"Hi, guys! Your carry is here! Fret not!" Without reading the previous conversation, Papa Bear immediately debuted in the party with a self-praise greeting.