Following the boy to a secluded corner of the campus, Lohan tried his hardest to remember his name.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldnât remember it at all.
"Heâs even better than I am at hiding his very existence in class."
Lohan thought, surprised.
The boy didnât even answer roll call, so Lohan didnât know which of those names was his.
But he didnât let it bother him. Remembering the boyâs name was just a matter of basic courtesy; considering the boy was excited to talk to him, as long as Lohan didnât get embarrassed and acted naturally, there was nothing to worry about.
After a few minutesâ walk, they finally reached a secluded spot not only far from anyone else, but also far enough from the campus cameras and recorders so that their words wouldnât be recorded.
The boy stopped with his back to Lohan, breathing in the less polluted air of that corner of campus before turning around with a serious look, yet one filled with a camaraderie that Lohan had never seen anyone else look at him with in person in this world.
"My name is Devon Baker," he began, extending his hand firmly. "I know we havenât spoken this semester, but after what you did to Julianâs projector and the way you reacted to that gas... man, I was sure. Youâre playing too, arenât you?"
Lohan kept a neutral expression as he looked at the boy, but his [Instinctive Perception] picked up the vibration of Devonâs Mana.
Now with much more experience in this and higher levels in this Evolution, Lohanâs sensitivity was not only stronger, but he could analyze the boy with far greater precision beyond simply calculating the increase in passive biomass gain from the Mana the boy expelled.
His energy was stable and dense, confirming that he possessed a Rare Base and a level of bodily synchronization far above the average of the other students.
"I donât know what youâre talking about, Baker," Lohan replied cautiously, still feigning disinterest.
Devon let out a short laugh, but it was mocking. "No need to hide it from me. Iâve been playing Elysium since day one, and I know a Player when I see one. I was lucky enough to get a Rare race and an Uncommon Class with extremely high magical affinity, which greatly improved my perception in the real world, and I can feel the Mana flowing through you, Hayes. And this feeling that you... you exude an incredible mix of different types of Mana that Iâve never felt in anyone... not even in the many students from the Upper Zone Iâve gotten close to."
Lohan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the boyâs accuracy.
Devon continued, excitedly: "I spawned in Novata Village 1,512. The grind there was insane, but a small group of us Low Zone players managed to reach the Open World yesterday. I have a group of people from the Lower Zone like us who share the Elysium Helmet; weâre planning to start our own guild in the game, something just for us, so we wonât get trampled by corporations like the Hogue Group or Vance and to show the power of the Lower Zone."
He took a step forward, his eyes shining. "Which village do you spawn from? Whatâs your class? With the reflexes you showed, you must be a Rogue or an elite Assassin. Dude, players from the Lower Zone are super rare; Iâm sure that if I told my buddies about you, not only could we meet up and help each other in Elysium, but in real life too!"
Lohan was touched by the offer. He saw Devonâs potential. He was a Rare-tier player from the Lower Zone, an asset that Astralis Requiem would desperately need when its new members arrived. However, he couldnât simply reveal that he was Halon, the name currently on every playerâs lips for being the first to supposedly appear in three global announcements.
"I appreciate the invitation, Baker, but... my situation in the game is a little different from yours. I donât spawn in an ordinary village," Lohan said, choosing his words carefully. "Actually, Iâm already involved in a guild project. A project that aims for exactly what you want: total independence."
Devon furrowed his brow, his excitement giving way to doubt. "Involved? With whom? Hayes, if itâs with the Upper Zone folks, theyâll betray you at the first chance. The group Iâm putting together is entirely made up of trustworthy people from the Lower Zone..."
As he said this, Devon paused hesitantly, looking around to make sure no one was nearby, and only then approached Lohan, covering his mouth with his hands so that even lip-reading wouldnât work, and whispered. "Besides me with a Rare Base, our group has another Player with an Uncommon Class, two girls with Rare Bases, and our Leader with an Epic Race... You wonât be missing out on anything by joining a group like ours."
Hearing that, Lohan was surprised that their group was so advanced in terms of the rarity of their membersâ Bases, to the point where he was certain that if it werenât for Lisa, he would definitely join this group.
Lohan then looked out at the gray horizon before replying. "Iâm not dealing exclusively with people from the Upper Zone. Iâve already looked into our groupâs funding sources, and the people there are different. Even though Iâm from the Lower Zone, people donât care, or treat me differently even though Iâm the Guild Vice President."
Devon was surprised by that, staring at Lohan more intently and trying to discern if it was true.
Lohan continued. "Our group has more than enough resources for any need outside of Elysium, and even in Elysium it will only be a matter of time before we reach the level of Guilds that are receiving full investment from Major Corporations. Instead of you inviting me, why donât you and your group consider joining my guild? I can guarantee you wonât be treated unfairly, regardless of where youâre from."
Devon took a step back, crossing his arms, torn between interest in Lohanâs proposal and the uncomfortable feeling of being underestimated. "You want me to abandon my plans to join the Deputy Leader of someone whose level I donât even know? Iâm Level 9, Hayes. Almost no one in our zone has gotten this far without sponsorship. Who is your leader? Whatâs the name of that guild?"
"I canât say the name yet for real-world security reasons," Lohan lied partially, trying to protect his identity from Halon. "But Iâve been in the Open World for a few days now with our Guild President, paving the way for the members to come, while I continue to strengthen myself and farm silver coins."
A silent standoff formed between the two.
Devon didnât want to give up his leadership and autonomy for a vague promise, and Lohan couldnât risk revealing that he was one of the owners of Elysiumâs most famous guild before being absolutely certain of the truth of what Devon was saying.
Hearing about how rare it was for the core members of Devonâs group to be together, Lohan was really tempted to bring them into Astralis Requiem, but he didnât know how to broach the subject and convince them without revealing more than necessary.