Chapter 143

Chapter 143 – The Frozen Land (2)

3 .

The blizzard was sweeping across the frozen land, and the blizzard wasn’t just satisfied with blinding the intruders .

[A powerful coldness has swept over you . All Stats will be decreased by 10% . ]

[After 19 minutes, you will get frost bites . ]

[The powerful cold has swept over your armor, and the coldness will decrease its durability . ]

[The powerful coldness has swept over you, and your senses have been dulled . ]

This had never been experience anywhere on Warlord before . The intense cold was more terrifying than imagined . In this terrifying cold, two Users were facing each other . Sohank and Sinclair ignored the terrifying cold . They held swords that was almost impossible to determine the market prices . These expensive swords were pointed at each other .

This was their second meeting .

Of course, their first meeting hadn’t been under such a dire situation . It had been a long time, since the two had met… They met during the time when the combined level of both Users were barely over level 100 . It wasn’t a long meeting . They just knew about each other’s reputation . Since they were just curious about each other’s reputation, they looked each other’s face, and they parted after shaking hands . That was it .

There hadn’t been any subsequent meetings . Most of the 30 great guilds asked for help from the Hands guild, but the Hydra guild was firm in not negotiating with them . Hydra guild put the most importance on gaining and protecting secrets . Of course, this was the stance they would take .

Even after such a long gap between their meetings, they didn’t share any small talks . They were in a situation where they had to kill each other . They had no doubts in their hearts .

Strikers .

They always pierced through whatever that is in their way in the front lines . They was no reason why they should pay attention to their surrounding .

They only had one task to do here .

‘I’ll kill him . ’

‘I’ll end this . ’

They had to find a way to kill the other User . That was it .

4 .

There was why this frozen land was so harsh . There was no place to hide from the blizzard . If one stayed still, one would receive a penalty . Moreover, when one reached the point of getting frostbites, one’s HP started to decrease . If one wanted a true rest in this frozen land, one had to make a shelter with one’s hands .

The method was unexpectedly easy .

Igloo .

One had to gather a lot of snow to make a mound, and one had to dig in like a rabbit . The igloo was surprisingly snug .

Natal was within this snug space, and the felt disgusted at sharing the same space with the User next to him .

‘The new officer of the Big Smiles, Apollo… . ’

Apollo was standing next to Natal .

‘I remember seeing his portrait, but I never thought he had such a skill . ’

To state the obvious, Natal wasn’t in the same Igloo as the other man, because he liked the other User .

It had been about two week since the Hydra guild had crossed to the other side of the Terube castle . The Big Smiles guild was close on the Hydra guild’s tail . The two groups were within a distance that could be travelled within 24 hours . It took 24 hours for the field to reset . Basically, the Big Smiles guild was able to see the track left atop the snowfield . The chase had basically ended there .

‘At a glance, he just looks like a greedy big… . ’

The chase was pointless . The only thing left to do was to fight . This was why the two guilds agreed to a guild war .

The losing side would give up on exploring the Northland . Each side would pick a champion, and everything would come down to a 1on1 battle .

This wasn’t anything special .

An all-out guild war… .

In the past, the Big Smiles and Triple Wing guild had put their existence on the line as they performed a guild war . However, that kind of guild war rarely occurred . However, the guild war that was occurring right now happened quite frequently between the 30 great guilds .

It didn’t make sense to fight an all-out battle for an owner-less mountain . It was better to determine the owner of the owner-less mountain through a single combat . This was the most profitable way to come to a decision . At the same time, if the 30 great guilds shed their bloods to claim ownership of this mountain, a third party would be reticent to object to the result .

When the deal was made, everyone except the combatants moved far away from the battle site . If one watched the battle from up close, it would just increase the probability of something disgraceful happening .

Above all else, this was a courtesy given to one’s opponents . There would be no recordings allowed for this battle . This wasn’t for personal glory . This was a fight for one’s organization . There was no reason to clap for the winner, and there was no reason why they should console the loser . The only thing that needed to be recorded was the result of the fight .

‘I never expected him to be a genius tracker . ’

At that moment, Natal wasn’t thinking about the guild war, Sohank or Sinclair . He was thinking about Apollo .

In truth, when Natal received the portrait, he hadn’t even known that Apollo was an officer of Big Smiles . Moreover, he didn’t want to waste space in remembering him . According to the information gathered by the Hydra guild, he wasn’t anything special . He could be ignored .

However, a pursuit team led by Apollo had caught up to the Hydra guild in just a week .

Natal was shocked when he saw the Big Smiles’ guild symbol on Sinclair’s chest, but the more surprising part was the fact that they had been tracked down so quickly .

“I’m guessing you are a new officer . ”

This was why Natal had created this space .

‘I have to find out if Apollo is the genius tracker or maybe it’s someone else… . I have to find this out . ’

Sohank was fighting for his guild with his life on the line, so of course, Natal had to use his own method to fight for his guild .

There was no way Apollo knew what Natal was thinking . Instead of an answering, Apollo smirked as he slightly nodded his head .

Apollo was overbearing as he sneered at Natal .

‘Does he have something?’

His smile made Natal nervous . Natal was Hydra guild’s Eight Head . The User in front of him was a new face to the Big Smiles guild . His position and reputation was all relatively new . There was no reason why Apollo should be looking at him in such an overbearing manner .

In other words, there was a high chance that something allowed Apollo to act in this overbearing manner .

Natal didn’t get mad . He just continued the conversation .

“Your skill is great . I can’t believe you guys were able to track us down . There had been a great distance between us . ”

“I just chased after someone that was very careless with his pouch . I wouldn’t call that as having a great skill . It wasn’t hard at all . ”

After saying those words, Apollo overtly sneered at Natal . There was no deep reason behind his smile .

‘Hydra guild isn’t that great . ’

Apollo was able to raise his nose high into the air with impunity against a Head of the Hydra guild . It felt awesome .

‘Careless with one’s pouch?’

Natal had the opposite reaction when he heard Apollo’s words . From Natal’s disordered thoughts, a new suspicion was starting to build .

‘Perhaps?’

Kah-ahng!

The ongoing blizzard was colorless .

Kwahng!

The ongoing blizzard looked drab .

On top of the white snowfield, Sohank and Sinclair was fighting a fierce battle . The snowfield was being greatly disturbed . Sword Energies was sent forth every time the Cool Time ended . The Sword Energies had the power to demolish the ground . No matter how severe this land was, it was impossible to maintain its pristine condition when the sword strikes impacted on the ground .

The harsh lands couldn’t stand up against the sword strikes, and of course, the armors worn by the two Users couldn’t be in a good state after facing such attacks .

At the very least, the armors were maintaining its original shape . The continuous attacks had laid bare the two Users’ arms and shoulders . It was hard to call those parts as being armored . The helmets were also dented and split open .

However, the swords they held were fine .

Both Users had the best weapons one could acquire . They didn’t care if they fought with no armor! This was the resolve that befitted the two of the greatest Strikers in Warlord .

However, the part that was tormenting them the most wasn’t the damage inflicted by others .

[You are frostbitten . Your health will quickly deteriorate . ]

[In 10 minutes, you will be in a critical condition from the frostbite . ]

[The coldness will start dominating your body . All Stats have decreased by 20% . Your movements have slowed . ]

These wounds could easily be resolved by a Priest’s Buff and Heal Skill . However, without the administration of a Priest, the prior wounds were turning into critical wounds .

Moreover, the two had promised beforehand . They agreed not to use any consumables .

‘There are too many variables changing on this stage . Nothing good will come from taking my time . ’

‘I shouldn’t wait for luck to shift towards me . I have to end this with my skill . ’

The two didn’t want to lean on luck . They wanted to resolve this using their own skills . This was evidence that they were confident in their skills . At the same time, if luck was on the other’s side, it would mean the other User had no chance of winning . This was the evidence of how much pressure was on them . One could never predict as to who the Lady Luck will smile on .

The battle continued as no one could easily seize the victory, and they were close to reaching their limits . They unconsciously started wishing for luck to be on their side .

‘I don’t care what it is . I want you to make a mistake . ’

‘I can’t lose here no matter what . ’

At that moment, luck favored one side .

Kah-ahng!

Lady Luck smiled on Sinclair .

They were swinging their sword, and the sound of steel rang out as their swords collided with each other . Then a goosebump inducing sound like grinding teeth was heard .

Ggee-dook ggeee-dook!

Sohank was starting to be pushed backwards .

Why was he being pushed back?

Instead of questioning his fortune, Sinclair let out a mighty shout, and he started pressing harder against Sohank . Sohank’s arms flew backwards without him willing it to do so, and Sohank’s chest was revealed . Sinclair executed a Body Slam .

Ggwah-gwahng!

Accompanying the loud sound, Sohank fell over backwards . Sinclair stepped on the chest of the fallen Sohank . He didn’t make any small talks . Sinclair reversed his sword, and he brought it down . The sword headed towards Sohank’s chest region .

Ggee-ee-ee!

The armor let out a sharp sound . It was the sound of steel being cut .

Poohk!

One could here the flesh being pierced .

When an expert reached their limits, one critical blow was enough to end the User .

‘I won . ’

Sohank suffered a Game Over . The first one to realized this was Sinclair, and at that moment, he was satisfied .

‘Finally, glory is in my hands . ’

The satisfaction he felt was appropriate .

He had fought and won against a tough opponent . Moreover, it allowed him to achieve something he always wanted . He had suffered, and fought hard to feel this senses of satisfaction . Of course, he was content .

This feeling of contentment stole the tension from Sinclair’s body .

‘It’s cold . ’

He hadn’t felt the cold before, but now he felt it . It was as if his skin was being cut… No, it wasn’t that cold . Still, it was cold enough that it didn’t feel good .

Sinclair turned his head to look at the raging blizzard . When he pierced through this blizzard, he would return to where everyone had stayed behind . He thought about the glory that would unfold in front of him . There was a smile around Sinclair’s lips .

At that moment, the sight in front of Sinclair’s eyes darkened .

[You have died . ]

As Sinclair’s world became dyed in black, he heard that short phrase .

6 .

Two piece of news was delivered to both Natal and Apollo .

Natal received an apology from Sohank . Apollo received a message from Sinclair saying he’s been ambushed by someone .

When they received those messages, both of them smashed through the igloo at the same time . Natal gritted his teeth when he came out into the blizzard .

‘We lost everything . ’

Sohank had lost . Now the Hydra guild will have to retreat from this frozen land . They’ll have to return to the Terube castle wall .

They would be returning without gaining anything!

Natal thought about the time he had invested for this exploration quest . It wasn’t a loss that he could just get over after being sick to the stomach .

“Everyone gather!”

Apollo was swept up in his rage . At Apollo’s shout, the Big Smiles guild members gathered around him . Apollo shouted as if he wanted Natal to hear it .

“How dare you screw me over!”

Natal had become despondent, so he was having a hard time understanding Apollo’s reaction .

“We won the match! So why did you take revenge on him?”

Natal thought for a brief moment when he heard Apollo’s question .

In such a volatile situation, Natal didn’t have much time to think . Moreover, the questions he could ask at this moment was limited . Natal worked his brain hard in that short amount of time to come up with the most forthright and effective question .

“Is Sinclair dead?”

“Do you plan on dodging the blame!”

Apollo’s rage allowed the disarticulated thoughts inside Natal’s head to start piecing itself together like puzzle pieces . The thoughts inside his head started finding its old pattern .

Ha ha .

Natal couldn’t help, but laugh .

On the other side, Apollo was getting ready to immediately start a small guild war . It had been a one on one battle . They had won fair and square, yet a third combatant had interfered . Now Sinclair was dead . Apollo couldn’t stand idly by .

As the atmosphere was getting harsh, Natal swallowed the sneer he was about to direct toward Apollo, and he spoke .

“It wasn’t us . ”

Instead of answering, Apollo glared at Natal . When they heard Apollo’s words, the Big Smiles guild members took out their weapons, and they started their Magic Casting . As if they sensed something was about to go down, the Hydra guild started getting ready for battle too .

“Even if we had lost, we wouldn’t have been such an underhanded losers like you . ”

“Where’s the proof?”

“Proof?”

Natal retorted with a question to Apollo’s words .

“Do you have proof that we attacked Sinclair?”

“If you look at the circumstances…… . ”

“You made a judgement after seeing only the circumstances . You only have circumstantial evidence yet you are willing to break the deal by attacking us?”

At this point, Apollo closed his mouth .

“I’ll say it again . I accept our defeat . The Hydra guild will pull out of the Northland . ”

Apollo’s thoughts became complicated as Natal continued to speak .

The victor, Sinclair, had died from a sudden ambush . If one looked at the circumstances, the probability of the Hydra guild being behind the plot was high . Apollo determined the probability to be 99 percent .

On the other hand, the Hydra guild had just admitted defeat, and they were going to pull out of here . It would be foolish to ignore the previous deal to attack the Hydra guild first . It would be a burdensome act .

Moreover, their victory wouldn’t be guaranteed by attacking first . It was a situation where the two guilds had lost their Ace Cards, and none of the other cards could guarantee a victory .

In the end, Apollo had achieved the desired result .

‘I gained what I came here to gain . ’

He had carried out a guild war against the Hydra guild, and he had won . Apollo’s standing within Big Smiles guild would change after this .

In such a situation, he didn’t want to force the issue .

‘Did they really not do this??’

Of course, he still had questions . If the Hydra guild hadn’t lashed out from their loss, then who killed Sinclair? Sinclair had been clear in his message . He said he had been ambushed .

Was he attacked by a monster? Or was there really a third party?

Natal was the one that resolved Apollo’s worries .

“We’ll find the answer when we get to the place where the two had fought . ”

Apollo yelled out instead of answering him .

“Stand down!”

7 .

When the fierce battle died down, the battlefield started to be covered by snow .

This was why when the Hydra guild and Big Smiles guild arrived at their destination, they could barely see the traces left behind by the battle . Instead, they saw the two corpses lying next to each other, and someone was standing over them like a guardian .

It was a single User…… He was wearing leather clothes lined with white fur . In the blizzard, it was hard to make him out . However, Natal knew who this User was .

‘It’s the Hahoe Mask . Yes, if it was the Hahoe Mask… . ’

There was only one User that would conspire against the 30 great guilds by himself .

“Who are you!”

One didn’t need to ask the question asked by Apollo if one had a decent head above their shoulders . One would be able to assess the situation .

“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen each other . It’ll be more convenient for me if you are a little bit more quick on the uptake . ”

“Hahoe Mask?”

It was as Natal had surmised . The User in front of his eyes was the Hahoe Mask .

The Hahoe Mask had set this up . When he saw Sinclair with the Big Smiles, Hyrkan wanted them to fight Sohank and the Hydra guild . It worked out better than expected . They readily fought each other, and they died easier than he had expected .

At this point, Apollo and Natal diverged in their actions .

“How dare you, Hahoe Mask! Do you think you’ll be fine after you meddled against the Big Smiles?”

Apollo raged .

On the other hand, Natal thought over the situation .

‘He didn’t really have to reveal his role in this . The fact that he revealed himself… . He plans on taking further action . ’

Instead of facing the conflicted Natal, Hyrkan dealt with the raging Apollo .

“I don’t have a good relationship with Big Smiles . Moreover, didn’t you try to fuck me over in the past? Now I see you were from the Big Smiles . ”

Hyrkan’s finger was pointing at Cho-oohroong . It was impossible to see his face, since Cho-oohroong was wearing his helmet . However, Cho-oohroon unconsciously turned his gaze away when Hyrkan pointed at him . It was to be expected . There was something to feel guilty about .

Hyrkan’s finger slightly moved to point at Apollo .

“I also fought with you before . Your watch went to funding a good cause . Thank you . I always receive contributions from you . I’m sorry . ”

“You bastard…… . ”

Apollo’s body was shaking as he was about to lose his temper . Then Hyrkan’s finger moved towards Sinclair’s corpse, which was lying by his feet .

“Also, I have a personal grievance with this one . ”

This was the first time Natal opened his mouth .

“Are you talking about Sinclair?”

Sinclair .

This was the first time Hyrkan had heard Sinclair’s character name . Hyrkan smiled as he nodded his head .

“This guy attacked me with the intent to kill before, but I got him with the Watchman Style . ”

Watchman Style?

Everyone unconsciously dwelled upon that word . Several Users had puzzled expression on their faces . Hyrkan saw their expressions, so he answered after glancing at Sinclair .

“If you don’t know what it is, you can ask Sinclair . No, he could be listening to this conversation in real life right now . The watch you gave me was contributed to a really good cause, Sinclair . Thank you . Ah . Also, I want to congratulate you for killing Sohank . You’ll become so famous that it’ll be hard for me to get your autograph . Aigo . I’m jealous . ”

As Hyrkan spoke, the Users that were quick on the uptake realized that Hyrkan wasn’t just giving a simple explanation .

“Well, let’s get back to the main topic . Apollo . You said I’ll regret messing with the Big Smiles . Didn’t you say that? From my experience up to this point, I’ve been pretty much unharmed after messing with the Big Smiles . ”

It was a provocation .

“In truth, even if I did say I won’t mess with the Big Smiles, the Big Smiles guild will still pursue me . I’m about to pass by you, while licking my fingers after a meal . Are you really going to let me just walk away, Apollo? What if I summon twenty Skeletons to dance Beyonce’s Single Lady in front of you? Will you just watch? Huh?”

“Son of a bitch…… . ”

It was a clear provocation .

“It doesn’t’ matter if I mess with Big Smiles or not . There won’t be any significant changes to our relationship . I guess this answers the question you asked me before . ”

Hyrkan was creating a situation where Apollo and the Big Smiles guild had to attack Hyrkan .

“I’ll immediately…… . ”

It seemed Apollo was unable to hold back his anger . He was about to explode . However, the one to stop the explosion was Natal .

“Hahoe Mask . I’m pretty sure our relationship with you isn’t to bad . Am I deluding myself?”

“Hydra guild has never messed with me . ”

Natal narrowed his eyes . Hyrkan gave an additional explanation .

“First, Sohank’s loss was legitimate . Sohank can confirm this truth . I didn’t cause his death . ”

‘However, you bastard set it up so that our guild would clash with the Big Smiles guild!’

……Natal didn’t say those words . He didn’t have proof . Circumstantial evidence wasn’t proof in Warlord . Moreover, the Hydra guild was the one, who chose to battle the Big Smiles . They weren’t pressured into making that decision .

Of course, Natal didn’t plan on backing off so easily .

“Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

Natal once again tried to agitate Hyrkan . Natal gave off the impression that he didn’t care about the lack of evidence . He appeared as if he was going to thoroughly punish Hyrkan .

Up to this point, Hyrkan had a playful atmosphere around him . However, the atmosphere around him changed drastically at Natal’s forceful words .

“If you don’t like my answer, then I’m fine with it . I request a guild war . ”

He had declared a guild war .

Everyone had a blank expression on their faces . This proposal was too unexpected .

‘Guild war?’

‘Does this mean the Hahoe Mask has a guild?’

However, everyone came to their own answer to those questions .

‘Ah . ’

‘Oh my god…… . ’

What would a guild battle with the Hahoe Mask mean?

“The method of battle will be a group battle . The stage will be here . It will be on this frozen land . The losers will lose all claims to the Northland . The two guilds could attack me in order, or you guys can cooperate with each other . Either option is fine with me”

The Hahoe Mask had just requested a guild war against the 30 great guilds by himself .

This was why Hyrkan didn’t need to explain himself any further .

“We’ll fight until one side is entirely eradicated . ”

Ssooook…… .

With those last words, the Skeleton Warriors that had been hiding in the snow started to reveal themselves one by one from behind Hyrkan .