Chapter 07

Commander Elsass

[Unidentified heat signature detected!]

The warning not only alarmed the TGG command’s operators and console officers, it also sent problematic shivers on their Guild Master’s spine.

The 160m large intimidating blue and orange themed flagship of the TGG, the Camarilla, had five guardian fleets with seven escort warships leading them. It was hovering at a height of 27km from the ground, above a lake, 130km away from the main battlefield, and was surrounded by countless Cyclones in their jet fighter forms. When seen from afar, they looked like sprinkles of sesame seeds above a large rectangular bread.

Inside this large ship, the command bridge located in the belly of the hull, attached to the mainmast that took a cannon on its upper tip, was a spacious room that had four divisions of panels in a diamond formation, with a partition of only the [email protected] image of the on-going war. Back faced from the ship’s captain, 6Er0n1m0, was the operators typing many things and confirming messages on their respective consoles.

Reports came and 6Er0n1m0 confirmed them all except for the last one, who, the person elevated 2ft from his captain’s podium, sitting in the Commander’s Chair behind him, who faced the 180 degrees all-view window with a frown listened with antagonistic aura.

6Er0n1m0 felt that he was being pressed down by a giant hand just from the glare of the Commander on the [email protected] images of the war.

[Location 135! Distance, 270km. Estimated speed is 150kn and dropping! It’s headed towards the battlefield sir!]

“Is it the reinforcement?”

6Er0n1m0 asked and put a firm downing glance at the console operator who leaned his head to the captain at the middle of the diamond console formation.

The operator felt like melting as he bowed back to his console and replied to him with a trembling voice.

[Un-Unconfirmed sir. Its ID signature says that it is a ship under The Union’s flag. This identification came from the ones we received from the sponsor, sir.]

“Weapon scanners.” The Commander, Elsass, the Guild Master of the Titan Goliath Guild ordered and his firm tone and stern expression, paired with the ever calm suppressing demeanor was enough to put even the esteemed captain of the Camarilla to cower back.

[Six Bloodymary Cannons detected! Referencing in the database confirmed! It’s the Miranda!]

“Miranda?!” The name actually surprised Elsass, “In what heaven’s name does that Witch have to do with this war?” who made all the NPC and User operators to feel the changing of the sides of their war.

[Sir! Incoming transmission from Rogue.]

And now that man? Elsass felt like punching the captain for an unknown reason as he ordered for the Signal Officer to patch the transmission on the main display window.

[Commander Elsass.] A dark figure of a man in a dark background spoke with an edited gruff voice.

“Rogue.”

[I see that you are still in good shape.]

“Enough with the pleasantries. The Miranda came from the Sylph’s side of the horizon. I would actually assume that you also something to do with this until you tell me that you, again, have nothing to do with it.”

He tried to be as intimidating as he can but the mien of this Rouge person doesn’t seem to be affected by it at all. Instead, he looked like he was having a smile in that dark shadow with only his human outline seen.

[You are right to assume, but with the wrong point. I have nothing to do with it. Actually, I called because if my sources are correct, it would seem that you’ve just let the Ayala sunk. Didn’t I say that you have to deploy every ship you have and destroy that fortress as soon as possible? It only needed you to take one single order and yet you still did not heed my advice. Or am I not so clear enough about the price of disobedience?]

The last remark made everyone who was hearing the calm gruff voice gulp in the degree of hostility coming from the Rouge. Actually, its calm and steady tone was what added to the feeling of enmity from its authority and it was even a wonder just how Guild Master Elsass could remain composed.

“It’s not that easy. If I deploy everything I got in one shot, it would leave the Camarilla defenseless and who knows what traps the enemies had set in anticipation of that decision.”

[Commander Elsass.] The tone this time was solid and painted with the threatening feel one would feel when facing a lion in the wilderness.

The feeling passed through from the silhouette on the screen into the chest of every person hearing it and from its gruffly calm tone calling the name of their Guild Master, the sense of danger that defied the feel of a game vanished.

[I gave you one order. You just have to follow it. Is it not hard for you to understand that? Or are you just suggesting that the Sylphs who stole your precious MOD and killed your girlfriend’s oh so precious avatar are actually so strong that it was a mistake to avenge her?]

“You do not use her name like that!”

The shout from the commander’s chair echoed from all sides of the spacious room and the startled operators all looked at him with eyes of understanding.

It was just a few months ago, in a hunting quest from the fourth prince of the Kingdom of Romania, to find a lost NPC adventurer, the prince’s friend, Elsass’s best team along with his girlfriend who he met online, set out to complete it. The adventure was broadcasted live in national TV in ORB for the next three weeks, and after the part where the team defeated an S-ranked monster to advanced forth, his girlfriend was gifted by a Special MOD.

But then, just a few moments after, in some oddly, devastating turn of events, an ambush team from the Sylphiadora Guild came and wiped out the exhausted members of the TGG’s hunting team.

The broadcast was cut and the quest failed.

Right after that, the prince who had sent the errand for was so angry to receive the death of his friend and ordered that the Titan Goliath Guild be branded as the traitors who let his friend die.

One mishap led to another after that failure and they even came to the point that they lost the trust of their clients who was asking and even begging them before to be invested upon to go into adventures and discover new places to build as a tourist destination.

Bad luck, as the members called it, but to him, it was a huge catastrophe. They lost their home base, their castles were overrun by opportunists, they lost precious members, and there were also members who quit the guild with some even quitting the game.

Then, the worst blow of all was that his girlfriend never contacted him again. Not once. Right after what had happened to that quest.

Elsass was so devastated that he swore revenge to the Sylphiadora Guild.

And at that moment, a certain Rogue lent a hand and offered to rebuild his lost and devastated pride in just a simple exchange of doing what he ordered him to do.

He immediately accepted the deal and signed the contract that had the conditions of limitless power over strong NPC troops, access to underground markets run by Black NPCs, and even learn of certain information about the game that was not available through normal kinds of players. Rogue gave him the life of a supreme ruler and his image as a strong player slowly aroused to the point that he was considered one of the Powers.

The TGG began to stand up again, recruitment of strong players aroused other users to join the cause that revolved around the idea of “revenge” to the culprit of their guild’s demise.

As TGG’s power grew even stronger than before, old and new members of their guild started to gain the spotlight. Tourist companies began to hire them again, and they eventually earned another base in the Central Continent of Espada, establishing a stronghold as large as half of the country of Romania.

They waged war against those who took everything away from them. The guilds who was once their enemy had become their most trusted allies and those that are once feared by the other large Powers accepted the strong arm that TGG offered. They defeated all their enemies, gained back their lost castles, and through all of their profound victories, Elsass had gained what he had formerly lost. Yet still, his girlfriend never called him. No emails. No phone calls. Not even a poke.

In all corners of the world, the Titans were feared and respected. Elsass won back his pride and began to stand tall with his head held high.

And yet, with all of his greatness, the TGG is still secretly under the orders and commands of the Rouge.

Then, when he was about to burst in anger and bite the hand that fed him, the Rogue who gave him the chance to have everything he had now finally gave a go at his most awaited target. The Third Power of the Eastern Continent, the Sylphiadora Guild.

And from there, one fortress after another, all of the things that led at this moment, Elsass was feeling a bit intimidated by the pressure that the Rogue gave.

[Elsass. I think you are forgetting your place.]

And at that moment, the Rogue’s eyes shined gold as if a monster and his teeth as white as light beamed in the dark shadows of the video.

[Commander, I only have one wish of you and that is to destroy the enemy you’ve always wanted to destroy in your whole career. Is it not already a gift that you’re blessed with a strong military force and loyal comrades, or are you going to destroy their trust by holding back and letting them die?]

Elsass pursed his lips and secretly cursed the fact that he had to follow a suicidal command.

But the price of disobedience, as stated by their contract is not only going to put the shame to the TGG but would actually put everyone under his command to also share the price of his pride.

And with this, his lips almost bled as he replied to the image of the man, “Yes.” wearing a pained face and a shattered pride. “I will commence the all out attack.”

The Rogue smiled and his white teeth beamed a cold and sinister feel. [Good. I’ll await your results.] then the line was cut and the screens returned to the images of the war.

Elsass fell down on his Commander’s Chair and the person beside him, the TGG’s Second-in-Command, 6Er0n1m0, stood up from his captain’s chair and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Should I give the command to move out?”

Elsass looked up and sighed as he held his head.

“This is suicide. Even with our numbers, victory is still not assured.”

“But they made Victoria quit and abandon you.”

That comment really hurt and had a sting of reality with a punch of truth along with it. Elsass sighed again and had a pained expression when 6Er0n1m0 left his side and returned to sit down on his Captain’s Chair.

And when he was about to give a command, “Wait.” Elsass stood up with a dignified look.

His firm expression made the NPCs and Users in the command bridge feel excited. Their hearts beat fast as they saw once again the person dedicated to the rise of the once fallen Titans have that same determined look that made them follow him without questions.

“What’s your orders, Commander?” 6Er0n1m0 asked in a proper subordinate manner.

“Broadcast this message throughout our forces.”

“You heard the Guild Master! Connect all our lines to the open channel! Make even the dreaded liars the Sylph was hear who the Titans that they challenged really are!”

The operators’ hands moved, their consoles became livelier, the Signal Officer who had three subordinates on his command became the busiest group as they tried to patch their communications line to connect with the enemy’s. They set up multiple firewalls as a security measure and then summoned a camera ball.

“Ready?” 6Er0n1m0 asked Elsass and the latter nodded that bid a countdown to the main [email protected] screen up front. Close eyed, Elsass awaited the count to finish and he firmed and fixed his bearing to fit the proper dignified intimidating image of a commander.

5...4...3...2...

When the red dot on the camera ball became green…

Elsass opened his eyes and began.

“To all Titans out there…” Elsass paused and the crew in the command bridge panicked as the words came into an abrupt stop. They all looked up but then sighed, because what they saw wasn’t a face that came into a defeated realization, but instead, it was a face full of bloody spirit and eyes that really meant war. “To all the Titans who was belittled and lied upon! I call upon you all to FIGHT and defend your honor! Defend your pride! YOU ARE a TITAN! Do not spare their lives… TRAMPLE THEM TO THE GROUND!” Elsass materialized a staff then hit the ground in a hard stomp and along with a cry, the sound of endless machines echoed like a loud thundering roar. “FOR VICTORY!”