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Volume 4

Chapter 19: That Night, The Morning After

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When Siva came back, he was wearing his White Mask as the «Volume Hunter» from Aarun.

He was greeted with cheers and he himself wondered why. He just went on and just went to sell his haul but heard the news itself from the NPC trader.

“You came from the West side?! Wow! Hey, have you heard? There is a rumor about a spirit in that Forest in the West where you came. Were you by any chance attacked or assaulted by the angry spirit last night?”

Oh? Siva felt surprised that everything was going very smoothly. In fact so smooth that it was doubtful.

And yet it wasn’t as though he didn’t like it. If they’d only realize how desperate he is by now, then it’s no wonder how crazy the ideas that’s been running on his mind as of late is.

Late in the sense that it’s just last night.

With the ears of other players listening, Siva cleared his throat as the plan that entered his mind took its first challenging step. But he helped himself to make sure that no voice of excitement would escape his mouth.

“Are you talking about that Spirit with dark wings?” he asked as the players exclaimed in affirmation.

“That’s him! Did you meet him?”

“Or did you beat him?”

“He assaulted us last night too!”

“Maybe he ordered something on you too!”

“That boss-mob looks really strong!”

“Wait, did you really, actually meet it?”

With all the excited voices, one of the noobs who just happen to be able to leave an impression on Siva took a front and asked him straightly.

“Did you defeat the Forest Spirit?”

“Sadly, no.” Siva hissed with seriousness. The low tone he used complimented the image of regret he wanted to portray. “That boss is too strong for me. We fought for only a few minutes but…”

Siva hesitated at first but gulped down the fear as he pulled his cloak’s loose sleeve to show them.

The crowd gasped and the NPC yelled in surprise.

“By the Gods!”

“I was cursed.” Siva announced. “For the Forest Spirit is far stronger than any opponent I have faced, I only managed to run away with my life thanks to the special help of my guns and experience.”

“So how did you get away?” Asked a curious female.

Siva turned to that direction, careful to not show more than he already did with his mask under his cloak.

“I used what skills I have been using to get away in all my dangerous hunts. I used blind and run tactics, as it was most effective against angry mobs when alone.”

Clamours and nodding murmurs began to spread in the crowd gathered in the Monster Trading Center.

As Siva had successfully built up the mood for his plan and his goal for the lie, he swallowed again as he piled up the momentum to take the next daring step.

When he felt that the time was right, his body trembled as he recalled the memory when he was taking a bath.

“Ah! Aaaargh…!! G-Graaaaahh!”

He screamed and convulsed, hiding the activation light of the «Disintegration» function of his Dragunov.

As smoke and the dark aura began to escape the sleeves and holes of his cloak, the frightened people and NPCs took their distances away.

Then, one player who understood what was going on yelled with his realization.

“He’s been cursed!”

While another player whose been mesmerized by his story, probably a hopeful noob, added a scream.

“He took a hit for us!”

“Quickly, healers, anyone!”

“Heal him! Do it now!”

“Dispel the curse!”

The roar of the crowd began and the Healers also came to his rescue. They cast their spells to him and Siva was subjected to the light of their Magic Spells.

But the smoke of his aura didn’t vanish.

—of course it won’t. It’s my plot!

Siva continued to shake as he collapsed in the ground, his scream of pain so ever evident. He removed his mask and he tore up his sleeves, the black skin revealed on his whole body, partnering it with yells of pain.

“What’s happening to me?!!”

“By the Gods,” the NPC Trader yelled. “You have been cursed by the Forest Spirit!”

Siva stopped convulsing, his trembling body seized to move. He opened his eyes and saw the people looking at him wearing faces that wanted to know how it felt.

“The pain… it-it’s gone.” He said. “My Skin! No! No!”

Siva stood to his feet and checked his torn up clothes and body, his upper shirt in pure black skin, bare with no traces of muscle lines but the emblem of the Blood Dragon God’s slave.

With swift moves, he summoned his mask, cloak, and repaired his ruined Ryodan Polo. The NPC Trader approached him and the Healers and the crowd started to come too.

“Are you alright, traveler?”

“That bastard! So that’s what it did to me! When I used my Ultimate Skill on him, he cast a painless spell on me and we parted. I thought it was a delayed spell so I panicked and run away. I didn’t know that—”

“Volume Hunter.” A player approached him and she held her hands on her chest, teary eyed. “It is our group that perhaps unleashed the Forest Spirit’s wrath upon you. Please forgive us and let us make it up somehow.”

“No… I —wait, I remember the Forest Spirit talking about his revenge or something. I didn’t listen to it but perhaps you did.”

Siva initiated the prompt to the main topic before any other noob tries to drag it away. Swallowing his shame, he pulled more effort to sound more convincing to the people in the vicinity.

“…! That’s right! It talked about finding a thief guild that stole its treasure!”

When the girl turned to announce the problem, a song of victory began to play on Siva’s mind.

“It’s the Helium Guild!” Screamed in the back and the rest of the crowd followed.

“Damn those bastards! So that’s why The Destroyer is going after them in Anazon Forest!”

“So that’s the reason why The Destroyer hunted them!”

The understanding became a volcano, a train of angry roars exploded in the noob-dominated crowd, leaving trails for Siva’s story to take root and follow.

“Now with their thievery, we are the ones paying the price of their failed mission!”

“Find them!”

“Hunt them down!”

“Kill them!”

“Present them to The Destroyer!”

Sympathizers born from a dubious plan! Through the shield of joy, pangs of shame had no effect on Siva.

Honestly, it is not what Siva wanted to happen. What he wanted is to plant the seeds of understanding to his condition to the NPCs and players. He needed to access the library and do his research but was afraid to trigger the «World Antagonist» effect of the Malevolent Aura.

So in order to get there, he needed supporters in case he is cast down by the hammer of Thor by Harris’ troops.

To counter it, he needed to prove something and this is the plan that needed to make that happen. He needed to access the Book of Legends no matter what so that he could proceed with his quest to remove the curse.

“I don’t want to have this curse forever. I have to find a way to get this off. I need to go to the library!”

And just then, on the corner of his eye, he saw Guard Captain Harris approach with his men in tow.

This is it. This is the moment of truth! If his plan failed then he would be branded a demon and be hunted. If not, then goodness gracious, he did succeed with his all so brilliantly rushed plan!

“What’s the commotion all about?!”

The NPC Trader greeted Harris. “Guard Captain! ‘Tis the hero who wanted to defend the freedom of the hunters in the forest last night. But as he fought the angry Spirit of the Forest, he was cursed. Look!”

The NPC pulled Siva’s sleeve open and Harris gasped alongside Siva’s own held breath.

“You’ve been cursed!” Harris exclaimed. “Did anyone tried to dispel it?”

Siva’s eyes burst wide open.

It is true, after all, that some abilities and skills work in a different manner according to circumstances. Even as much as to overshadow an ability’s effect. Thinking about it, NPC AI algorithms differ from one another according to their life’s status. Thus their AI’s attitude algorithm also differing in effect.

In this case, as the «World Antagonist» effect of the Malevolent Aura said that;

---Every noble in every country will recognize you as a demon and will issue an immediate execution upon the sight of the cursed form.

--Knight Orders and Guardian Forces will immediately issue an execution command upon first sight of the Keeper’s cursed state. (This effect lasts as long as the Malevolent Aura is active)

—then it means that according to priority, if he was “seen” in the cursed form “before” the deed of his plan, then he won’t be saved from the execution command because of the PASSIVE effect of Malevolent Aura.

But in this case, as he preempted that scenario with his “heroic deed”, the PASSIVE priority of the «World Antagonist» effect of the Malevolent Aura was ruled over by his recent activity therefore creating this setting where the cursed form was ignored.

It’s because the “target” of the cursed form are Nobles and Guard Captains, it means that the one with the priority here is the “target” of the effect.

Siva also “targeted” the same target of the «World Antagonist» effect with a “deed” to “favor” his condition so the PASSIVE effect of the Malevolent Aura was ruled by the latest deed —although it’s just temporarily.

He had this doubt before when he fought the Dragon in Hagonoy.

At that time, B-ranked monsters were also attracted to the fight because of his Killing Zone. But even though it was being continuously cast, there are times that when a monster was hit by the Dragon, their hate would be directed towards the Dragon, not Siva.

He had a theory that it’s because of the Priority of the strength difference. The Dragon is far superior and far more powerful than him, creating the PASSIVE detail, but when the Killing Zone is cast, or re-cast, the hate is immediately transferred to him. As long as the Killing Zone is active.

Meaning, there was a greater priority on difference of the prowess and perhaps, ranks and levels, making the attention of the monsters go back to whose the bigger prey between the two, or the PASSIVE effect —in that case is the Dragon, when the cast “effect” —in that case is his Killing Zone, is cancelled.

Priority in happening and effect.

The first PASSIVE authority cast can be dominated “temporarily” by a second effect. That’s what he came to notice in Hagonoy’s events.

Such information was vital and Siva was thankful he’s aware of this information himself. Thus the grounds for this plan.

What he didn’t expect though is that this plan of his would actually work. It’s just pure luck!

“Yes! Yes we did.” The healers who helped him earlier spoke and stepped forth. “But it seems that it didn’t work as this black Aura in him still continued.”

Harris nodded and spoke in a firm expression.

“It is still good news that there are good hearted people in the City like you, Hunter. Tell me, how do you plan to go about this curse of yours?”

Siva’s heart couldn’t find any place to put his joy. His ears twitched to the prompt that Harris’ eyes made.

“It is true I don’t want to stay like this forever. But if I just wear this cloak and wear a mask, would I interrupt other people if I want to go to the library?”

“I believe not.” Harris shook his head. “For your good service to the Great City of Loire, I shall warn the guards to not disturb you in your pursuit of the cure to your curse.”

Siva smiled broadly on his hood and shook Harris’ hands. “Thank you! Thank you very much!”

“Such reward is just for your invaluable service.”

After Harris had settled the commotion, he parted with the crowd and took the guards with him. Siva’s heart was pounding on his chest, his plan succeeded with just a miniscule of an embarrassing price to pay.

One thing he also understood here though, is that there are also ‘rewards’ that NPCs give out of usual everyday activities. Siva’s even surprised to realize that the ‘just’ reward he received may sound simple to other players but to him, with his circumstances, it was a big reward comparable to the permanent lifting of his curse.

Rewards can be big or small depending on perspective.

It is true that there are more things this game had to offer than just the regular fight and get reward scheme.

The NPC Trader approached Siva and he shook his hands vigorously. “Do not worry about the prices of the monsters’ materials you’ve delivered. I shall give you a good price for all these goods. In exchange for your brave efforts to not let my business die.”

With a perfectly placed good lie and a superb story to a play, such rewards were too good to be true.

And just when Siva feared the Karma that would back stab him someday, he dispelled the thoughts as he took the hand and held it tight.

“I shall take this very gratefully. Do not worry, that fight with the Forest Spirit will not end. I have given it a hard time last night, I don’t think it would return quickly after being injured that bad!”

“Whoa! Awesome!”

“Such skill!”

“Aha! So this is the «Volume Hunter» of Aarun!”

“Many strong players are born in Aarun lately!”

“I want to go there too!”

Siva ignored the excited claims of the noobs and other intermediate players around him and just pressed the prompt for the transaction with the NPC Trader to be completed.

He made his way through the crowds as they all talked about the things that happened. He ignored them all as he made his way to the Great Library of Loire.