Our prime time was around 2 AM in Australia, where Oblivion and Euthanasia were based. Respectively, their activity peaked during our morning and noon. Of course, they had Poles, Scandinavians, and Steel Guard who played in our time zone, and we had NAVY, but all of that took a back seat when you needed to engage all forces to the max. No matter which way you look at it, we were inconvenient enemies for each other. Raid leaders took pains to pick the worst possible timing for their enemy to be attacked, trying to wear each other out. To fight efficiently, both sides needed to forget about their real-life businesses, work, and family, and spend almost all their time in Sphere, interrupting their biological cycle. Everyone knew that it couldn’t last forever. It was a war of attrition, and those who gave out first would lose.
At 3 AM, we pretended to stop attacking and leave the game. Let them climb out of their capsules and go to sleep. The meeting I had been so insistently invited took place two hours later.
The attendance was surprisingly high: I counted about five hundred players in the raid. Many nicknames were familiar: top brass of the Northern Alliance and some members of NAVY and Hird. Two-thirds had no clan tag and were part of the deserters who had left the alliance before. Were they coming back? Knowing Komtur, I assumed that it was a calculated move.
“Who are they?”
“They’re ours. We slowly removed those players from our ranks to avoid drawing attention,” Komtur said, confirming my suspicions. “We’re still outnumbered, true, but never outgunned.”
“What’s the point?”
“We’re watched by the enemy oracles, and there aren’t enough amulets for everyone. Concentrating too many alliance players at the same time would put a spotlight on us. There’s another reason, but it’s too early to discuss it yet.”
“Just so you know, this is a top-secret operation,” Olaf added. “Nobody knows anything. There’s more at stake than you can imagine.”
“All right. So why did you contact me?”
Komtur and Olaf exchanged looks.
“Your task is simple. You need to survive and use your super sword to destroy one item.”
“Again?” I sighed, wary. The attempts to use me and my sword to solve problems were starting to annoy me. “I’ll tell you what, Olaf — the admins contacted me with a similar offer. I refused. The Law of Balance is no joke; you must realize this.”
“Don’t worry. The Balance won’t be hurt.”
“I don’t think so. Listen, I don’t want to go in blind!” I said sharply. “Let’s do it this way: you come clean about this operation, and I decide whether I want to get involved. There’s no other way.”
Olaf let out a whistle, shaking his head in disappointment, and turned to Komtur.
“Cat, don’t you trust us?” the clan leader asked, narrowing his eyes.
“It’s not about trust. You see, everyone’s always trying to use me. Tormis warned me against getting into such stuff.”
“I see. Well, this time, we’re acting as instructed by your deity, Cat. Remember how you pointed us at Panther? This is the continuation of that story.”
“What story?” I frowned. “Captain was a spy, and you kicked him out. For some reason, not right away, but — ”
“You’re right to listen to your god, Cat,” Olaf spoke up. “Still, no offense, but leave analyzing his words to others. Do you remember what he told you exactly about Captain Panther?”
I searched my memory, thinking back. The God of Shadows had transformed into Captain twice, hinting at his role. The first time, in the temple, he told me, “I’ll give you some advice, Cat. You are hunted by powerful enemies. They won’t back down. You can’t defeat them. But victories aren’t always won through strength. Take a closer look at the company you keep. Someone there can tip the scales of your war.”
“Exactly!” Olaf nodded. “He said that someone could tip the scales of war! Don’t you get it?”
“Did you convert Panther? Will he be on our side?” I asked. Actually, I had expected something like that — our leaders’ behavior regarding Captain had been too weird.
“Well, it’s a big question who... Well, it’s a long story,” Komtur said, grinning. “We’ve been working him for more than three months. Sorry, but your revelation didn’t exactly shock us. It was clear from the beginning that he was a Pandorum spy. Such a shady character with such a curious record... We made all sorts of inquiries about him. Unlike some people, he gave us his complete profile. We found nothing! He was clean. No suspicious contacts!”
“So? It means he communicated with them in another way, like real life!” I snorted.
“Yes, it was obvious. It raised flags. He was under close watch. We actively worked with him.”
“Then I don’t understand what he was doing in Condor as a part of the alliance!” I finally snapped. “Actually, we had a chance to hold the castle!”
“Cat, oh Cat. You don’t kick out a discovered spy. You nurture and cherish them, feed them disinformation, and try to convert them.” Komtur gave me a gentle smile. “A good enemy spy is often better than two of ours. And with
