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Volume 5

Chapter 213: Strong Arms

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D’Catch behind Thorn was aghast. He wanted to say sorry but felt the hand Thorn used to hold his sword tightened, trembled, and shook in anger. The marshal could only swallow the words he wanted to say.

“He does indeed have a character of a leader. It seems that I underestimated him. This battle with The Legion wouldn’t be an easy ride for us…”

The marshal couldn’t imagine if these words were of praise or evaluation of a worthy opponent, but it was clear that these were enough to rouse the ire of the Bishop or perhaps, as the Bishop said, of His Majesty.

“Did you see that?” Thorn suddenly asked. D’Catch was about to reply when a panel popped out in front of Thorn and a man’s face was there to reply.

“He’s a fucking dead man.” Volt’s angry voice rang.

Marshal D’Catch was startled.

Did I just see the Venerable Bishop make a video call?

I thought Immortals doesn’t need to use the technology of the NPC Human Race?

As if to know his thoughts, Thorn turned around and smiled apologetically at the latter.

Removing his mask, he said, “I’m sorry, Marshal, but the play ends here. The stakes at the moment are very serious that we will need to change some details on our plan and put our trust in your role in this battle.”

“T-Trust, Your Eminence? What are you…?”

Startled, shocked, surprised, the marshal was stuttering trying to maintain the integrity of his mind as well as find ground of the things he just heard at the moment.

“I am no NPC, Marshal, my name is Thorn, Guild Master of the Tower of Sol… and…” at this point, the Bishop pointed at the giant golden figure. “Currently, you are in the company of Siva ‘The Destroyer’.”

Thorn was a famous man and there were news of him being with Siva and another slightly famous person in the Central Continent when they escaped Dragona.

Of course it was easy for him to connect the dots since he was a former member of The Legion who closely monitored the situation around Siva.

But this level of revelation is just out of any normal chart of proportions.

It’s like planet Jupiter suddenly got a face and smiled at the astronauts on its orbit.

Or like Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer was found out to have died of cocaine overdose.

—that level of out-of-scale shocking revelation!

No matter how smart and intelligent he was, Marshal D’Catch is still undeniably shocked. Just think about it, who is “Siva” in the current RPG: Terroa?

He’s the modern version of introverted superman! He can battle a dragon alone!

“You mean you’re…”

“I am indeed Thorn of the TOS Guild, Marshal. And the ‘Majesty’ we’ve been referring to is Siva. This is his warship, Akhenaton, which appeared in Warjillis just a few days ago. Everything around you is under his command, including me and the people in the islands, although… it’s only you and Rentaw of the Hydra Society that knows who really His Majesty is.”

Of course, after the shock, with his experience and mental strength, D’Catch only needed a few moments to stabilize the shock in learning the connection of the events and happenings around him.

“My god… this… wh-what about this war? Why did you come here? What do you mean trust? If Elder God Donar is Siva, then from Warjillis to here… are you perhaps allied with The Union?”

“No, we’re not allies of The Union.” Thorn shook his head and then explained, “There is a serious matter that pulled us to come here. Lives are at stake and it is the reason why I am requesting you to please trust us in this endeavor of halting the attack in Alexandria and also helping us rescue someone that Kladis kidnapped inside Apus Epirus.”

Lives are at stake?

Rescue someone? Did the Supreme Commander order someone to be kidnapped?

Also… in this kind of game, lives are at stake? Why does it sound like it is something that’s not part of the game we’re playing?

Many thoughts ran in the marshal’s mind and all of them wandered at the direction of incredulousness with skepticism.

RPG: Terroa is but a game, why would some lives be at stake here? Is he talking about the [life] of an avatar?

As if to read his mind, Thorn looked at the horizon and his breathing was heavy. “The story of us coming here is something that once you discover shall haunt you until your sleep. That’s why I am asking you, will you trust us and lend us a hand? You know, by telling you this, we are taking a gamble and this gamble involved you as being someone we can ask for help being a part of The Legion just a few hours ago.”

D’Catch staggered a step back in hesitation. His black mustache twitching, his face sweating and his bald head formed beads of crystal sweat.

“Your Emi —no, Thorn… of the TOS Guild… I am rather confused. Why would there be lives at stake inside a game? Yes there are times when danger calls for the possibility of a [Game Over] but those are part of this game. Why do I feel like when you say that lives are at stake, you meant for real lives are at stake? Is this it?”

His eyes then focused and he stared at Thorn, speaking after a long gap in silence, “Is the cause that you’re talking about... a noble one?”

Thorn sighed and smiled warmly at him, “Yes. Siva may look and act violently but it is because he had no choice. His family member is undergoing a DNI Therapy in this very place and if you know the gravity of this situation then you will understand how and why Siva is very agitated right at this moment.”

Hearing this, the colors on the marshal’s face drained into a complete paleness. His eyes widened and he put a hand on his face as if to support his mind.

Of course, as a player and a user of NLD, he was also aware of the things that were connected to its very scandalous and also illustrious development.

DNI Therapy was the medical approach for the NLD.

Because of the high risks involved, it was critically accused by over 95% of the experts of the medical world and it was also because of this that many extremists are boycotting the introduction of the NLD device in the commercial industries.

In fact, the family of the creators of the NLD was once featured in the news saying that extremists planned to assassinate the family to pay for the price of them destroying the lives of others because of the game.

The accident in NLEX that killed the Kingsley Doctors, the inventors of the NLD, aroused many suspicions in regard to this matter.

And since the Kingsley Doctors are also the ones who advocated to the use of the DNI Therapy for comatose patients, then all the more DNI Therapy became a talk that is greatly connected to the NLD Gaming Platform.

“My god… what fool would do that to someone?”

“A syndicate.” Thorn replied without hesitation. “Siva was obligated to be strong. The syndicate behind him is taking his family member as a hostage.”

Syndicate. From this word alone, D’Catch thought of many extreme criminal possibilities.

With it, he essentially thought of those movie-like circumstances where a good person had his family member(s) taken as a hostage by a mafia group to force him on doing many bad things on their stead.

“You mean… Siva… is being forced to be here?” Thorn didn’t reply and only nodded. The marshal found this fact hard to swallow but when he saw Thorn’s expression and thought of the answer to his question earlier, then weighing the seemingly desperate manner that the Akhenaton rushed to this side, and finally to the way and manner of the person addressed as His Majesty…

…and finally on the fact that they needed to keep the identity of ‘His Majesty’ as being Siva…

There really was no reason to doubt that the team he chose to join had a noble cause for coming here.

No.

Siva’s cause was more than noble.

It was a desperation forced by the circumstances that is beyond the logic of what this game’s players have when entering the game.

“But… Terroa is just a game world, right?” D’Catch suddenly felt fear for the poor person who was taken hostage here with the DNI Therapy. He then, “Who was trapped in Alexandria? Who did the Supreme Commander kidnap?”

Thorn bit his lip, hesitating to answer the question.

Volt, who’s been listening, interjected. “Tell him. I feel that he can be trusted.”

“Alright.” Thorn exhaled and said, “It was his baby brother, a 3-year old kid. And since you now know, the person behind Siva’s avatar is none other than the son of the inventors of the NLD, Rex Kingsley.”

BANG!

In the marshal’s mind, a crashing force had seemed to choke his soul into burning.

My god… this is beyond cruel.

It’s just plain brutality!

And what more, Rex Kingsley? Wasn’t he the survivor of that terrible accident that killed his parents? News said that he indeed has a baby brother but after his accident, he actually disappeared. So it turns out he’s been held by a syndicate to their bidding.

Thinking about this point, D’Catch realized something.

It is indeed a feasible plot. RPG: Terroa had a monetary exchange system that allows players to exchange in-game currency into real-world credits!

By having someone work for them for free, they’re indeed creating money without having to lift a weight.

“Wha—”

For some reason, something in his heart seems to want to cry for the poor fate of the person under Siva’s avatar, Rex Kingsley.

The hand that he used to cover his face covered his eyes while the other was clenched into a fist.

No one was ignorant of how strong Siva was.

Everyone, including him, had praised his combat ability that can fight against a Dragon from head to toe…

Strong people wanted to duel him…

Weak people revere him…

The jealous ones want to erase him on their path to glory…

And for those who are in between, Siva is an icon and as well as an outsider that meeting him once would be enough to smile about for a lifetime.

D’Catch was someone on that class. For him, Siva is a person worthy of praise as well as an iconic player that inspire the pursuit of real strength in battle.

But… who would have thought that he carried such a burden on his shoulders?

No wonder he was so strong!

“That’s why I ask for your help, Marshal. Please, at all cost, make use of this small force that we have patched together and stop the Blue Card Legion from further damaging Alexandria. Not everyone must know of the reason why we must stop them but please trust that the more damaged the city was, the greater the threat it poses on Siva’s brother.”

Thorn, knowing the full story, knew that he shouldn’t be telling people about Siva’s, Rex’s circumstances.

Not only was it rude, it was also very dangerous. But at this moment, does he have a choice? If this syndicate loses the only lifeline they have with Rex, Rex wouldn’t have any other reason to work for them.

What more, given Rex’s strength, inside and outside the game, this syndicate will be in danger of being exposed… or even worse, revenge…

As such, Rex, seeking help to avert the worst should be said to be on the syndicate’s benefits.

The marshal’s palms had long since been covered in sweat. The mustached general closed his eyes and inhaled deep, drawing his hands to his sides, calming his chaotic mind and heart.

After a moment, a resolution flashed on his face as he gave a firm and snappy salute at Thorn.

“I am 2nd Lieutenant Tash Armstrong of the UNICORN Special Forces in real life. In the name of the noble house of the Armstrong Family, I shall give my all and not allow anything bad to happen to this poor soul of Siva’s brother! My Black Mustache Unit is at your beck and call, sir!”

Hearing the name, Thorn was actually surprised as he seemed to have realized something. “You are the Tash Armstrong? Captain Emilia Armstrong’s brother?”

“Hm? You know Nee-chan?”

“E-Ehem… L-Let’s just say that we will sure to meet in the future. At the moment, I will be relying on your ability to lead these warships to victory and stop the attack of The Legion to this city.”

“Hai… oh, may I just ask… who did the Supreme Commander kidnap?”

“Ah. That Kladis…” spoke the name with hate. “He really dared to almost rape her. That person that Kladis had kidnapped is actually Rex’s girlfriend, her avatar is called Scion.”

Hearing such news, the mustached commander’s eyes glittered with red-colored rage, steam came out of his nose, and his body which was actually a grown man’s muscle-filled physique, began to shake and quiver.

It wasn’t from fear or anything but, from Thorn’s eyes, it was from this man’s passionate esteem.

—the Armstrong Family is really like that.

Thorn could only think to himself.

“Don’t worry about anything leaking from my side, sir Thorn…!! I can’t believe I’ve been following the commands of such a vile man! I’ve seen how he treats the women in the castle base but I never once saw him mistreat a woman!”

“Aye… that is because Scion’s beauty, well… let’s just say she’s really one of a kind.”

“Hai!” D’Catch gave a salute. “I shall do my best!”

Thorn was actually happy and gestured for D’Catch to stop the military formality with a hand. “Thank you for understanding our circumstances.”

“I’m glad to be of service. I am actually quite pleased to be under the command of a good person who is willing to go the distance for a friend.”

Thorn somewhat lost for words and helplessly smiling.

After the almost comical last part of the serious revealing of secrets, Thorn faced the horizons and then spoke to Volt, “As you’ve heard earlier, this Kladis is really someone with ability. I can feel it on my bones. He’s not someone like Hagrid and although he’s not as big as and more frighteningly-looking than Hagrid, I feel that he is stronger than him by many levels… both in his ability to lead troops and as well as a fighter. From our conversation earlier, it may be short but I saw it clearly. Not only there is no hesitation in his eyes, there was also certainty and ruthlessness on his decision making ability.”

“Such an evaluation…”

“It may be an overboard but it’s better to assume the worse than to expect the less.”

“Ah, Thorn, there is a battleship that entered the city and is bombarding the shields. It’s currently being broadcasted live right now. Damn… I may need to go there myself and help stabilize the defense from outside the barrier. This might cause you to change some details of the plan.”

Thorn thought for a moment, “What about Siva?”

“I already told him. He’s going to attack the castle to draw all attention so my job to halt the attacking force on the wall would have to be slightly altered into having to do an infiltration mission to that large battleship and destroy some things as much as I can.”

Thorn blinked, “Can you actually do it? I mean, that sounds like something impossible to do…”

“Heh… do we have a choice? But, well, we have Siva’s items and his secret tricks. Looking at it in a different light, the larger the target, the bigger the BOOM. The original plan was for me to intervene in the attackers in the wall but with that Battleship around, things may not turn out the way we wanted it to.”

“True. Just don’t get a Game Over.”

“Roger that. I’ve already told Ren and he agreed so I will be focusing here then. I leave the Final Sword to your care.”

Following this reply, the video call terminated. Thorn then glanced at the right side of his vision, to the right hangar bay island. From there, on a private warehouse in a corner, a small Cyclone flew with great speed towards the city’s direction.

Thorn held the hilt of the sword in his waste. Siva’s Black Ender was with Volt and what he had was Siva’s magic sets and looted S-Ranked blade weapons.

This ability of his wasn’t much help in a warship battle but he planned to face Kladis one on one and give Siva the chance to smash the castle into pieces as he did so. The problem is the number of troops under that Kladis’ command. Thus, he will really need the Acolytes to mess up the opponent’s forces.

He himself knew that this is easier said than done so he turned his head sideways towards the marshal and spoke with seriousness on his tone.

“We’ve already entered the 60km mark. From here on out is your stage, Marshal.”

“I shall do my best.”

“If you can win, then win. If you can’t win then delay or damage them as much as you can but don’t get yourself killed.”

“Hai.”

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Thorn vanished after he spoke and with him leaving the vanguard units, he appeared in the plains with the platform in the island behind Akhenaton.

Looking up, he saw the warships of the now fortified Black Mustache Unit taking an even higher altitude than the already high 6km altitude of Akhenaton.

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The generals are playing…

Where does the flag of victory lay?

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