“I have a message from the Legion of Man. Just letting you know, I’m a messenger, and bear you no ill will.” The man looked about nervously. Alan gestured for him to continue.

“Their message is as follows: Stop messing with Earth politics. Or else.”

“Or else? Or else what?”

The man shrugged. “I don’t know, that was it. I should get back to the Game.”

He turned around and left.

Feeling rather unsettled, Alan finished his meal, then went back up to the penthouse. How had the Legion of Man tracked him down in real life? And how did they tie him to any of his actions? What did they actually know? The Enforcers made sure no actual violence happened in the real world… right?

He stepped out of the elevator, and found Icewolf waiting for him, sitting behind a wooden desk in a corner of the room. Alan couldn't remember if it had been there before.

"Hello Alan, it seems you've had quite the eventful Tutorial. You definitely took my words to heart. I doubt any other player has acted as brazenly as you."

Alan took a seat opposite Icewolf, trying to recall his advice. Treat the Game like a game, or something like that.

"So," Icewolf said, drawing out the syllable, "what are your next plans?"

"Well, it was recommended that I join this Black Rose guild, so I thought I'd check them out," Alan said.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Icewolf asked.

"What?" Alan paused. "Oh, you mean the debt I owe you? I've been making tons of money, I should be able to pay you back in a matter of months."

"No, that wasn't the plan," Icewolf said, slowly shutting his eyes, gripping the edge of the wooden desk. Alan shifted his seat backwards. "You were to take the Grasshopper to Mars, and then complete a few tasks for me there."

"Look, I can still help you with whatever you want, just on Khersath," Alan said. "I don't understand what the big deal is."

"The big deal is that I expected you to help me on Mars, not Khersath!" Icewolf shouted. "It's like I handed you an airplane ticket to LA, dropped you off at the airport, and then you ended up on the moon. There are tasks I need done on Mars, by someone I trust. I have people in Khersath."

"Do you have people in the Black Rose guild?" Alan asked.

"No."

"So let me try to join them."

"No, as soon as you reach Khersath you need to take the first ship back to Sol," Icewolf said.

Alan stared at Icewolf for a second, then said, "I'm sorry but I don't think I can do that. Unless you can tell me what's so important on Mars, I have it on good authority that I will become much stronger as a player if I join a well respected guild."

"Good authority?"

"A Chief Administrator."

Icewolf paused.

"And they told you to join this guild?"