Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 137: Ripples in the Dark - The Chains of Consequence

Drake Ashborne sat at his desk, his fingers interlaced beneath his chin, his expression as unyielding as stone. The endless stream of private messages bombarding his notifications went unnoticed as he succumbed to the whirlpool of chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind.

Haxks Starfrost... just what exactly is he? At level 43, how did he manage to overpower dozens of players single-handedly? Jace never stood a chance. It's bad enough that our guild is now tied to this debacle, but the manner of Jace's death—so swift, so merciless—has only added insult to injury, deepening our shame even further.

"Don't worry," the Vice-Guildmaster reassured with a confident smile. "It's not as bad as it seems. We can still salvage this."

"What's the damage?" Drake asked, his tone calm and collected.

"Our members are more eager for revenge than feeling any real shame, but as you'd expect, the situation online is less stable."

"Of course," Drake muttered. "Those vultures are always waiting for an excuse to stir up trouble and spread negativity."

"We haven't received any word from our allies yet," the Vice-Guildmaster remarked, a frown flickering across her delicate face. "It's hard to tell whether that's a blessing or a curse, but before they make any moves, we've already taken action on our end.

We've got a specialized team working overtime to spread misinformation across social media, SO's community boards, and other key platforms. The narrative we're pushing is that Jace wasn't actually part of the guild—he just claimed to be in order to get close to Haxks without intervention from the other players. Lucky for us, he didn't have the guild's name or emblem visible during the raid, so this story shouldn't be too difficult to sell."

"And what about Jace himself?"

The woman tossed her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist, her voice cool and collected as she continued. "He was expelled from the guild shortly after the incident. Beyond the fact that his removal fits neatly into the narrative we're pushing, his actions were completely unacceptable.

The way he groveled for his life without even attempting to put up a real fight—it's a disgrace. Someone like him has no place in our ranks."

"Well done," Drake praised, which brought a smile to the woman's lips.

"As for your younger brother, Osten, he's been instructed to take down the post with those fabricated claims against Haxks—it could easily be perceived as a direct assault from our guild."

The man's expression hardened at the mention of his sibling. "Good," he said, his gaze intensifying. "The fewer people who know what he looks like, the less chance there is of him getting tracked and snatched up by a rival guild.

It's unfortunate that we stumbled here, but Haxks has made it quite clear that he won't be swayed or broken by anyone—not easily, at least. I've already made the arrangements. It's only a matter of time before the right person steps in to handle things for us."

***

On a moonless night, shadows blanketed the distant mountain, casting the grand manor atop its peak into a spectral silhouette. It loomed over the valley below, a silent predator surveying its domain. The town sprawled beneath, every street and rooftop aglow with warm, golden lights, a sea of brilliance that rivaled the stars scattered across the endless sky above.

A figure cloaked in darkness lingered on the manor's balcony, his gaze cast downward, tracing the patterns of life bustling far below. Yet, for all the town's beauty, it held no allure for him. Until he could claim all the world had to offer, this panorama—its flickering warmth and vibrancy—remained no more than a distant mirage, unworthy of admiration.