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Chapter 276: Panorama’s Big Problem

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There is an ever increasing problem right now in RPG: Terroa that more and more players are beginning to notice.

All available Quests and Missions are becoming too hard to complete!

This problem may not affect the general populace of players yet, but in the long run, only veteran players will become strong while the noobs will be getting harder and higher-requirement initial quests and missions to tackle in the future.

It is a future where new born babies are required to acquire a Vulcan Cannon to kill a Predator.[1]

But will the new born babies (noobs) be able to use a Vulcan Cannon on the spot without growing up first and having stronger arms to carry it?

Of course not!

But the circumstances will force them and that will only lead for the noobs either endlessly frustrated or totally quitting the game because of the unfair and absurd level of difficulty.

No amount of mental preparation would make the players understand WHY… just why and HOW it was so that upon starting a “game” that should be enjoyable and recreational, was already in Dante Must Die Mode difficulty upon starting it?!

Even the catchphrase of “90% Reality” of Terroa will not bring upon the proper acceptance rate of such ridiculous difficulty setting.

As such, this problem is really a big one because Panorama Corp. that’s supposed to be regulating and preventing this possibility can’t even control their game’s flow anymore.

They cannot interact with the world…

They cannot tamper the creation of these absurd high-requirement initial quests and missions…

They cannot regulate the events happening left and right…

In short, they really can’t control their creation.

Yes, this may not affect veteran players that much right now but it was sure that it will affect them as well when they reach a certain rank on the future.

This is happening because the supposed planned first appearance of S-Rank Quests and Missions were being discovered ahead of time, contrary to predictions, because it was pioneered preemptively by Siva when he defeated the Ancient Guardian Emperor back in Anazon Forest.

No, to be more precise, it was all thanks to Siva’s [Killing Zone] bridging the gap in the difference for power by a total of 70%.

In the initial predictions of Panorama Corp., there should have been at least a 3-year margin since the release of the game before the total number of “really capable” S-Ranked players reaches the suitable level of ability in tackling S-Ranked quests and missions.

It should be duly noted that [A-Ranked Quests] have rippling aftereffects, whether they fail or not, that could affect an entire continent.

Such rippling aftereffects affect some quests and missions without discrimination.

And in this regard, what about those quests and missions that are yet to be discovered?

Many adventurous players spend time and effort to have the clues and leads to these quests and missions, but they are doomed to meet a dead end because the next leads and clues are either under the rubbles or have been annihilated on Siva’s wake.

Alexandria… for example.

So what about those in the middle of completion?

What about those that’re still being unearthed?

Two or three groups meeting dead-ends within a territory, region, or country, are still in the allowable bracket with minimal rippling aftereffects…

But right now, because of Siva pulling out world-shaking events one after another, these kinds of [dead-end] phenomena are affecting hundreds or even perhaps thousands of supposed-to-be quests and missions in Terroa by the minute.

Yes, it may create high-rewarding quests and missions, but like how it was spoken of in the first place, because of the high-requirements of these quests and missions, no matter how high their rewards are, only veteran players have the chance to actually unlock and tackle them.

And even in those veteran players, only those meeting the requirements can actually initiate these missions and quests.

—this sums up the situation that’s facing the players of Terroa at the moment.

This was a problem with no easy solution.

Also, when the already few numbers of easily accessible quests and missions dwindled to the extreme because of monopoly, even veteran players will be forced to stoop low to avoid the harder difficulty and shorter time-restricted missions…. taking away the missions that should have been available for weaker players to get.

So where does this lead?

When noobs has no easy mission to lead them and teach them the ropes in RPG: Terroa, the noob players will be forced to go outside the walls without a proper guide and direction.

While some of them can do that with confidence, just like how Siva did, it must be understood that not everyone have Siva’s desperation, his Battle Sense, and his ‘luck’ in selecting an initial ability that complimented his capabilities.

Fighting these Predators and Monsters was only possible in their dreams.

It was easier said than done.

With the graphics and bloodlust effects these predators and monsters emit upon seeing a prey, weaker players would be forced to die weak while those lucky or brave enough would either die or escape the forest, to never be able to come back there because of the trauma.

Solutions to group up together becomes a public answer to this “need to become strong” but that still only patches up the wound of being unable to get missions and have proper guides and proper compensations to getting stronger for a short time before they all realize what the real problems are.

Usually, Panorama Corp. can control this rate by giving out events and manually manipulating the generated quests and missions using the Janus Main Console.

But that’s where the main problem lies.

Terroa is heading in a direction not controlled by anything anymore.

Not only the Panorama Corp. technicians are not able to take back their control over their Janus System, and in fact, not known to them, not even the world of RPG: Terroa is under the control of Janus anymore.

So even if they get their hands back in the Janus System, it would have been useless.

To be precise, it’s already in the hands of the players, and of course, Siva, the last living God.

Because Janus is dead and Cold Janus, his other half, do not have the [authority] and thus cannot meddle in on the matters of the Terran Universe, it was the players who will create history from now on… but, what does this all have to do with Siva?

Answer: his awakening will decide Terroa’s future path.

*****

[Quest]

“Glorious Zeta”

Rank “C” Difficulty

The chalice of the Blood Dragon God has been full but the curse of the keeper is still active, except that his mind is still intact. In order to prevent the resurrection of the Blood Dragon God, the chalice must be hidden along with all its brothers so that his followers won’t be able to lift his seal.

When the keys are together, only, that the curse of the black smoke skin can be lifted and the keeper of the Blood Dragon God Chalice be free of this task.

Once there was a rumor of a great Wizard who knows all things about dragons. His name is Zeta and he lives in a cave near the place where the Sol meets his twin and collides.

Requirements: Win the Duel

Rewards: Unknown

Accept Quest?

(Yes?) — (No?)

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“So it was like that…”

Closing his eyes, Siva let out a deep sigh.

He expected it but when he first saw the C-Rank Quest Info of [Glorious Zeta Quest], especially the flavour text that served as clue to finding this said Dragonnaire Wizard called “Zeta”, and most especially the circumstances on how he got this [quest], he had a premonition that this is not an easy task to accomplish.

Because one: the only clue mentioned was as vague as your grand ancestor’s memories, and two: because it was a Quest, unlike missions with definite time limits, it was bound to be completed based on the player’s own pacing.

There was no issue even if Siva took his time.

.…and time was the only thing Siva doesn’t have.

“I’ve never spent a lot of time searching for any leads to finding Zeta because I was pressed by the urgency of Baron’s situation and the fast flow of the things that had happened ever since I got this curse and stepped a foot in Tiara. I expected that searching for him will be hard but I never actually expect to get a lead on his whereabouts in this manner… much less learn that he’s been dead for twenty thousand years…” Siva was shocked and glad to hear this news.

Twenty thousand years… twenty cycles… that was exactly as long as the earliest written Human Historical event in the real world…!!

Ever since he set foot in The North, everything had been but a roller coaster ride for him. And as much as he wanted to run away from them and just focus all his attention and efforts into his goal, the obstacles and the people that stands in his way were still too much for him to handle with the little strength he has in him.

“What more… ever since that night in Loire when I saw that ‘other me’, everything around me began to get blurry as secrets and conspiracies started to drag me into their messes one after another…”

That night in the City of Loire triggered all of the noticeable changes in him and his surroundings, but it took a GIANT turn for the worse as soon as he set his foot here in The North.

First, he was ambushed by Pegasus’ minions…

Then he met Samantha…

He was kidnapped and brought in Dragona…

Dreamed of an unfamiliar yet familiar battlefield…

Triggered many changes in the game world by rampaging in Dragona…

Then he met a Dragon Kin…

Hunted a Demon Commander…

Created a short-lived cult…

Made enemies with one of the largest guilds in the game…

Then he fought with Demon Generals…

Established an organization…

Learned about Mefisto and his past…

And finally, now…

“Haaaaaah…”

Siva learned some secrets that concerned his real life and cleared some information to the accident that happened in Lausanne four years ago.

“From beginning to end, I was never a normal person and whether I wanted to or not, I will be dragged back in this world inside this game either by Janus, by Augustus, or by Pegasus himself…”

He could only sigh and utter it deeply and long…

Siva, right now, has a new set of memories, new goals, and new and even larger priorities.

But as much as he wanted to dedicate time to clear his head and set the right orders in all of his priorities, it wasn’t the best time to actually doubt his initial plans and he knew that he had to focus on saving Baron first above anything else.

Therefore, he had to get free of this curse as fast and as early as possible… and save Baron.

“Zeta… is twenty cycles been dead and that is an astonishing twenty thousand years. In that time period, many cities and empires rose up and fell, who knows if the place where the Sol and its twin meets have been changed as well. It’s no wonder that the search for that place is hard. I should just be glad that The Oracle helped me on shortening my time on searching for clues on how to get this curse off.”

Thinking up to this point, he stared at Eleanor as he gave her a nod.

“Tell me then, how should I help The Oracle?”

While the real people around him, including Scion and even FlowerLord, all felt surprised by this unusual unperturbed calmness in him, Eleanor became flurried as she bowed her head on the floor again and hurried spoke.

“She is planning to tackle her tribulation and have also requested another person’s help in regards to this task. I wasn’t told on how you could exactly help her but she had prepared the means on how you will know that it was the right time and place. I was also told that no matter what, you must know about the oracle she had divined. Regarding Zeta, that is, if only she was as strong as she was a few tens of millions of cycles ago, she would have been able to pinpoint his exact location in this small world but she has really ran out of authority to use and as such, she could only pinpoint his general location somewhere in the southern side of this world’s six surface continents…”

“Hm?” Volt and Thorn felt something was odd on her sentence but they didn’t make a sound on it and only exchanged glances and a nod.

It was also something that FlowerLord, on the side, had taken notice of.

Siva didn’t react as much as those three and only bid the girl a nod and then prompted her to continue.

“I have some knowledge in the territories in the Southern Continent of Heartilia and in regards to what you specifically seek, although the continent is large, unlike this continent, navigation in The South is much easier than in this continent’s always freezing climate. We also happen to have a temple in there and so you can use that place as your headquarters. The Circle will save no expense in giving you and the organization you are leading the best treatment.”

“The South…” Siva’s mind worked.

In the memories of his ‘life’ here in this world, he had not spent that much time here in this so called ‘small planet’ of Terroa. As such, he had no helpful information regarding its lands and territories.

He could only really give a nod and assent to the offered help of Eleanor and The Circle of Magi.

But then, he recalled, “That’s right. You said you were going to request someone else’s help. Who might that be?”

Eleanor, standing with grace and reassuming her elegant and dignified presence, she spoke to Siva with a respectful tone, “As far as The Oracle’s divined words went, she had spoken of you having met him already. His name is Gabriel, the emperor of the Empire of Tiara.”

“Him?” Siva was surprised. He had indeed met this emperor.

Wait. The Oracle could even divine that?!

Siva also had a business to take care with him so he welcomed this coincidence of a trip.

“Alright, I cannot delay my quest to finding Zeta and it also just happens that I have a business to take care with Gabriel. When are you planning to visit him?”

“I originally planned on visiting him after meeting you but apparently, we don’t know where he is right now.”

Siva glanced at Akhenaton who only awaited his order and wondered if he should tell her where she could find him.

After battling at this thought for a while, Siva gave her a nod and said, “You can come with me then, I will be visiting him after I take care of some things on my end.”

Eleanor gave him a delighted and excited smile and it was the kind that could even entrance the two men who stopped playing pool when she did.

It didn’t matter if the place was an awkward place to have a serious meeting like this but it couldn’t be denied that it actually helped lightening the worries of an awkward silence when things did not conform to the ideal conclusion that Eleanor had feared to happen.

Siva didn’t let the moment die as he gave Akhenaton a nod. The immortal-turned-ship-turned-butler was a unique existence and whether Janus had planned everything or not, Siva knew how to actually use him to the fullest of his current capabilities.

“Akhenaton, please prepare a room for her and her company in the castle. Eleanor, I wouldn’t take that long so you can prepare to leave after maybe two or three days. You can freely roam the castle as much as you can for the time being.”

Eleanor gave him a respectful bow, “Anything you wish, My Lord.”

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They are going to see Gabriel…

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