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Chapter 326: Elders of The Union

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Dakar, The Union Headquarters

Seven shadows were assembled in the main hall that was called their [Conference Room] and they are all, right now, in the middle of a conference.

The seven shadows were the Seven Elders that comprises the main thinking organ of the giant creature that is The Union; and right now, they’re all here, with an eight person physically being at the Conference Room itself, hearing them all talk about the event that happened in Dragona.

[Seventh… you sent the entire Manhattan War Fleet to both be a deterrent and a shield to secure the dragon resource but in the end, all of our warships, flagships, and even the Battleship Manhattan itself had been destroyed and reduced to scrap metals. Out of all the nine legions that is also there with the warships that had sunk, only a mere 11,000 people… a legion’s number and not even a complete regiment… sigh… this is almost 50% of our entire forces with the reserve forces accounted… it was a good thing that only 10% of them are our real assets with the rest being mere NPCs. But still, we lost all of our Warships. It will take us around two months before we could even recover just warships’ construction costs alone. I really have to sanction you with it.]

[I have no problem with shouldering all of the cost of recovery of the entire War Fleet to compensate my decision’s results. But what I am more deeply concerned about is this loss. It was a once in a while rare resource and yet, it vanished just like that… outside of storing it on a spatial artifact, no Inventory-capable item could store an object with that size in it. Ole Fifth?]

[I concur. I’ve already contacted our best Artisans and Magic Artificers, and they all said that there is no way there will be an artifact that specialized in spatial storage function.]

[So you mean to say that it’s that black sun that he had in his hand at the time that’s at fault for taking away our resource?]

The one who had spoken was the Second Elder.

The shadows in the darkness bowed their heads as if thinking, and then the Third Elder’s shadow raised a finger and spoke:

[There have been reports of higher-class Demon Commanders appearing in The North and in some areas in our territory and there are actually four in our own ranks that had received a decent reward of a Black Ball capable of supporting 15 Forms. It may be stretching it but perhaps this is one of those instances.]

[Is it in Overdrive form?]

[Aside from that, that giant black ball in his hands back then couldn’t be explained in any other way whatsoever.]

Asked the Second Elder and the Third Elder gave him a glance and a nod.

While all of this talk was happening, Jack, the one who was tasked to sit here for some reason, felt his back full of ice-cold sweat.

“This is not something I should be hearing. The world of the rich people who doesn’t care about money at all is just so…. dazzling that it’s blinding my soul… how I wish I was born on their family.”

Billions of Zentra meant hundreds of thousands of Universal Credits in the real world.

And yet, these people —no, the seventh elder alone, casually said that he will shoulder all of the expenses for recovering what had been lost on the attack that Siva did earlier.

—no, moimportantly…

“It has only been two hours since that happened and yet they weren’t even perturbed by the loss as if it wasn’t something to even mind.”

Again, the power of money these “Union Elders” hold is quite frightening.

These seven, were seven of the richest and the most influential people in the rea world.

Even if they tried to hide their faces in the veil of the shadows in the real world, based alone on the fact that they can expend hundreds of thousands of U-Credits in a whim was proof enough their pockets not only run deep but it’s as vast as an entire ocean.

“In the end, I am nothing but a pawn to them.”

Again, Jack was filled with bitter agony over the fact that he had already antagonized someone like Siva who didn’t care at all about blowing up a War Fleet that bore the flag of The Union.

“Thinking about it, back at Anazon Forest, he did act as if The Union didn’t mean a thing even after I’ve introduced myself to be affiliated to them.”

—it’s either he’s fearless or clueless. Only those two options align with his actions back then.

Jack sighed and listened to the people’s jumbled voices silently, keeping his rampant thoughts all to himself.

After all, he was just an employee in their eyes.

He hated it.

“If I lose just any of the two things I’ve… gotten… from The Legion and Siva, then I would drop in value in their eyes. And not only that, but keeping them to myself as per these guys’ fiats constantly aggravates The Legion and Siva’s hates towards me and me alone. If something happens to me because of it, they’d put the blame on me and in the end, if I wanted to still have their backing, I’m the only one who had to shoulder everything else that comes my way. These guys truly are detestable bastards who wouldn’t think twice about using people just to advance and satiate their own appetites.”

For someone like him (and even Billion, for that matter) who works for money in the shadow of convenience inside a game… to still continuously get support and backing, if they wanted to keep the ‘convenient’ detail in their current occupational circumstances, they had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill under their employer’s wings.

And with it comes the fact that they had no choice but to accept whatever the attitudes the bosses has with their work description(s).

In a way, they are all the slaves of society and the ones in control of that pyramidal society are the ones like these ‘Elders’ with mutilated voices hiding in the cover of the darkness of the room.

Slaves like Jack Stone and Billion had no choice but to listen to their masters.

Because they are just ‘ordinary’ citizens without any kind or form of innate ability when they were born, they can only choose to resign to the paved path the predecessors of society had already bid their own time walking in.

—a ‘follow the crowd’ mentality bred from the day one is born from in this society is hard to erase.

Even in Terroa, such mentality exists.

Society was just made that way.

It’s like a lake and the water is the people; the lake itself is society… and they are trapped inside.

Sometimes whirlpool forms inside the lake. These are ‘opportunities’ to go to a new lake... a new and undiscovered frontier, full of challenges and filled with danger; a quagmire filled with gold that only those brave enough will challenge; and only those with ability or is prepared enough to face it will get any reward in turn.

But funnels are ultimately funnels, filtering those with enough qualifications, pitting them together until the last one with the strongest and highest of qualifications survived.

Thus, in this large lake called society, a whirlpool is like a separate world —or in Jack’s terms, an entirely separate trade— with those caught in its flow the challengers, and the ones at the bottom of that funnel-like whirlpool the pioneers of that new trade.

“In the end, it’s either you follow an existing path or you pave your own path yourself. But the huge difference between them is that the first one will have less requirements and an already ensured lifestyle… while the other will have a need for me to not only invest time, but also have to require me to expend valuable resources. But without the so called ‘qualifications’, to actually succeed in its trades will have to only end as a pipe dream. So I, myself, have no choice but to look up to them and accept whatever direction they lead their own whirlpool to.”

To be swallowed by a new whirlpool called “Siva” or to dominate that whirlpool by their already long established and systemized flow.

“It is a contest.” Jack wasn’t new to this world, just like Billion, and he knew as well that of the two he was currently looking at, either of them has what the other lacked. “Siva doesn’t have resources but he has his audacity and momentum, as well as that fearless characteristic of his that doesn’t back down no matter what; while The Union doesn’t lack any resources but lacked people, or at least someone with Siva’s characteristics.”

But—

Of course, Jack Stone is the most aware of it all just how frightening Siva’s momentum is.

“It hasn’t been that long since we met but now, he was already strong enough to actually threaten even us, The Union. I guess winning against that Forest Guardian wasn’t merely luck.”

He had seen that video countless times.

Siva defeated the Forest Guardian in a rather sly and tricky manner but in a practical perspective’s point of view, he won that Duel Mission fair and square and that he didn’t deviate from the actual rules of winning against the opponent.

“The rules to win against the Forest Guardian are summarized as to just fighting it alone. But it was never said that contending against it on the field that it was an expert with is the only way to win. I sincerely think that Siva won fair and square.”

Siva won by putting a bullet on the enemy’s head.

Who told his critics that it was dirty?

Honor?

For someone like Siva, his desperation back then and his genuine anger when he realized what had happened… Karim and I saw it well… he wasn’t a Player or a Gamer…

“He is in this game for something else.”

[—so that leads us to a conclusion. We must get him to our side at all cost.]

[Agreed.]

[I concur.]

[My support is in this.]

[Just tell me when to move.]

[The Scout Corps will be ready any time.]

[First Elder, what do you think?]

Apparently, while Jack was reflecting on his own thoughts, the discussions inside the [Conference Room] had already gone into its climax.

When they have already landed on a conclusion, Jack was, like a stone, listened to them and waited for further orders.

Prompted, the silent ‘Elder’ in the middle of the seven shadows gazed at Jack.

Jack can’t see their faces but he could feel the gaze piercing through his body like a sword.

[You have history with Siva. What do you think will be his reaction to our proposal? Will he submit to the control of The Union?]

Jack raised his head and answered in a stiff and coldly detached tone, “No.”

There were groaning sounds coming from the seven shadows and he knew that the six who had landed on a conclusion were dissatisfied with him.

[Well, the reason why you are allowed to be in this place is because we wanted to know an outside opinion from someone who is both an associate and a third party on these matters regarding Siva; so I give you permission, explain to us why you do not think he will join us.]

“Because of his goal.” This was what Jack knows of and honestly feels about Siva’s actions.

He and Karim, especially Karim, felt that Siva’s will towards this game —the reason he sought after the Excalibur back then– is because of something else and not the shallow and arrogant views that these people has regarding the Grand Quest.

“I don’t think he’s after the Grand Quest either.”

All of the world’s declaration and assumptions on the things that started in Dragona… were all lies that envious and incompetent jealous bastards had started to create trouble for Siva.

Siva doesn’t care about this game at all.

Jack clearly believes in this from the bottom of his heart. He told them, “When we fought against him back then in Anazon Forest, when he said that he was after Excalibur despite only being a B-Ranked Hunter, he was clearly in a rush.”

[Isn’t that only normal? The Anazon Forest is very large and that there is a limit of activities before everything enters the timeframe when the Forest Guardian becomes active. What is the difference between his rush and your hastiness back then?]

Jack couldn’t tell them that it was a warrior’s hunch or something like his instinct as a man who saw the resolve and weight on his eyes back in the cave when they were drinking.

Gin, his trusted aide, asked him if he’s really okay with betraying Siva’s trust.

Jack knew that he wasn’t talking lightly of that time since he and Karim were his buddies back when they were still nobodies in society.

They knew how society works and they knew the kinds of people who dwells in it.

Siva showed a rare kind of man who could create a storm with his every action. He pioneered the era of S-Ranked Quests and Missions and though he personally feels that it was still too early in the game where the players’ highest attainments are group victories against S-Ranked Monsters, the great dawn of this era had all started because of Siva.

His eyes back then spoke of it… and yes, it was only his personal hunch and it wasn’t a big reason enough to be presented to this panel as a reason.

So what then?

How can he preserve his position while also not offending and antagonizing these people, as he conducts on the role he was brought here for?

[Well? Is there any reason at all?]

Jack could feel his butt burning. He was stuck on his seat and had no choice but to face forward.

[What is this goal you are talking about?]

“I don’t know, sir.”

[You don’t know?]

[Ridiculous.]

[Why are you even here?]

[Useless.]

Of course, he would draw their ire. The reason why he hasn’t been discarded is because he was holding on to the Light Sword and the Excalibur. If he loses one of them, his value will drop but he’d still be an important asset.

In fact, he was being paid because of it and that’s the reason why he could recover the former strength of the Helium Guild on its peak.

This is his family… this is his friends’ guild. He is not alone in the guild and they depended on him.

—and their livelihood depended on The Union as a great deterrent backing to fend off the enemies they had made in the past.

The First Elder raised a hand and the commotion died down, [Tell us then, Jack, why do you think so that he will not join us despite our might as an organization that represents the real world Union and as well as a great power inside this world?]

World…

“Ah, that’s it.”

Suddenly, Jack recalled a single line that he and Karim had once talked about. Karim, back then in his last moments facing the barrel of Siva’s gun, told him that he felt as if Siva was living in this word and this world brought him pain and agony.

A flash of inspiration dawned on him, “Because he was chasing after something that was miles away from what we are currently looking at.”

[That’s irrelevant.] Spoke the Second Elder, [Even if we say that Siva is a man of virtue, if we present him an offer that he can’t refuse, would he still be able to hold his head high against us?]

And then the Fourth Elder said: [What man would not be enticed with piles and mountains of money right in front of him? We only need him to work for us while maintaining his own pace… at least offer 50% of all of his assets while we give him real-world money as compensation. It’s a fair trade for any adventurer, if you ask me.]

[More importantly, I can’t see the difference Siva has from any other great names in this game.]

The Fifth Elder was really doubtful of everything that Jack was saying. He was even thinking that he was purposefully making things hard for him.

Jack couldn’t hold it in any longer but he knew that he still must maintain decorum so he played his words with as much careful deliberation and tone to every syllable as possible.

“Sirs, if I may, have you all gone to any adventure in this world… even ones that is easy to solve?”

[Are you insulting us?!!] The Fifth Elder raged. [I am... we are your employers! How dare you speak to us like we are in the same level?!]

—that’s why you can’t understand.

Jack wanted to vent it out but he held himself in.

The rest of the Elders roared their own insults and comments but the First Elder remained silent and continued to watch the calm Jack on his seat.

When he raised a hand, the commotion died down but he himself was angry as well and it was evident on his tone.

Still, as the head of this council, his job is to never take his eyes away on the bigger picture of things that he can think of.

He asked, [Perhaps this goal you are talking about is not related to the game?]

It was just a hunch on his part, drawn from his own experience as someone who had withered the storms in the Economical Industry. It was a very harsh battlefield on its own; ones with very strict and harsh environment.

One move can cause a country’s downfall; the world of economics is the real world’s own bloody battlefield.

Jack was startled and he raised his head to look at the Elder with a gaze of conviction.

“Yes!” his voice was high. “When we met him in Anazon Forest, he actually defeated a Lapis Lazuli on his own right after an ambush. He looked very savage at the time, like having a Game Over is not an acceptable thing… like dying here is equivalent of losing something precious in the real world. At least… at least that’s how I feel about him.”

Jack could feel his hands sweating. Just how and why in the freaked out world did he let go of his emotional reins?!

Truthfully, the ambush on Siva happened a long time ago before they even met in Anazon Forest, but for an emotional and dramatic embellishment’s sake, he just had to add in that detail.

Well, all these were information that you can get if you dip in your nose deep enough to investigate the matters regarding why Siva was in that forest at the time… and Gin just had to do it.

[I see.]

But contrary to his expected wild reactions, the seven elders didn’t make any sound that might put Jack on the expected hot spot position.

Instead, the Fifth Elder even murmured, [If it’s that way then indeed, it might be a little troubling.]

As a warrior in the business world, if you don’t have an open-minded and flexible mentality, then you wouldn’t survive a day in the market. Products are made and exchanged 24/7 and if you can’t keep up because of your stubborn ideals, then you are nothing but a feeder, inflating the money that was floating around in the world, ready for harvest by those flexible and open-minded ones.

[Do you have any idea what it is, then?] asked the First Elder.

Jack genuinely bowed and shook his head, “I am sorry but aside from trusting my instincts as a man who had clashed against him, and my trusted right hand man who had exchanged blows with him and told me the story of his loss against a B-Ranked Hunter, all I can say is that Siva is here for a very different reason and that all of his actions and all of his exploits were all intended for certain very specific goals.”

[Perhaps we will have to investigate his real world background this time.] said the Fourth Elder.

[Shall I give the command straightaway?] the Sixth Elder asked.

The First Elder looked at Jack who was still on his knee and then glanced at the direction of the Sixth Elder, giving him a nod.

[This meeting is adjourned.] he finally said and the images in the six other elders disappeared except for the First Elder who addressed Jack, [If you are able to, reach out to Siva… or at least, use a few of your contacts and tell him our willingness to bring him to under our wings.]

“I shall say so, sir.”

[Then I leave it to you.]

The shadow vanished, the room lighted up, the door opened, and Jack stood up to turn around to and see his ‘right hand man’ walking towards him.

“You seem tired?”

“Does it even show in my avatar?”

“Well, your face does. What happened?”

“What happened my ass! You already warned me about this but I didn’t listen… now, they want me to make contact with him and persuade him to be under the same wing.”

“Oh.” A wry smile showed on Karim’s face.

Jack sighed a long one and then tapped the man on his chest with his back hand, “Anyways, why’re you even here? What about my request for you in Jeremiah?”

At this point, Karim’s expression became solemn.

“I needed to discuss it with you. There seems to be a few changes on our plans.”

“What do you mean?” Jack felt alarmed.

“That dragon that appeared in Alexandria? —well, apparently, it was sent there by one of the King Candidates named Zelga. He’s a Human.”

Jack frowned further, “How do you know this?”

“From a trusted resource.” Karim replied and he swiped the air to show a picture of a female knight who was unusually taller than average.

“She your girlfriend?”

Karim laughed, “Get serious. I met her when I was visiting The Mansion to get my Talismans. Well, I wouldn’t have approached her anyways for not for the fact that I overheard her speaking to a weirdly dressed player.”

When he swiped the air again, Karim showed Jack a snapshot of a man wearing a ragged blue cloak with a weird heart-shaped tattoo on his face.

Jack gasped when he saw him, “That’s Julia! Why is he… no, wait, don’t tell me…”

“Well, I changed my appearance and this is the first time we are meeting so his Initial Ability would not work on me. But thankfully, I was there and I saw this earlier… the two of them were talking about this matter. If not for the fact that I heard her mention our two target’s names as witnesses as well, I wouldn’t even be interested with her. So after they talked, I approached her and pretended that I am on the two’s side and as well as a confidant of The Union, warning her that what she was doing might end her career. I could tell that she is just plainly innocent and so after I played my cards right, I got the information I needed.”

“Evil.”

“And that’s not the worst part of what I learned.”

“There’s more?”

“Yes. And you will be very surprised.” Karim gave him wide grin.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. I’m excited.”

“Alright. Alright. Well, it turns out, The Mansion would be throwing their own card on the King Test this year.”

Jack blinked, “Well that’s new indeed.”

“Guess who it is.”

“Someone we know?”

“Close to, in fact.”

Jack inclined his head, thinking, but didn’t really gave it much thought and surrendered, “Who?”

“It’s Volt… from Siva’s team back then.”

Jack laughed in irony. It was a loud, self-mocking laugh but still carried enough force that their four shoulders shagged when Karim joined him.

“Holy shit…”

“Yep. What are the odds…”

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The King Test is coming!!!

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