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Volume 4

Chapter 25: To North!!

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Unlike his usual landing on any place, Siva came down on a ramp in the Hangap Port Area made only for the ones using Flight Equipment.

Eyes immediately pointed at his direction, a cowboy in a plain white poncho coat of soft fabric, fluttering in the wind as he came down. He stood there for a few moments before he looked back and finally proceeded to go down the ramp.

“Hey…”

A player with four inclined differently designed wizard staffs on his back and a fifth one on his hand came to greet him.

Siva, as he wasn’t in the mood to be treated like a dirt of a newcomer again, only glanced over the man’s way as he noticed four others following him.

Siva’s hand moved to his guns and when the Wizard saw this, he stopped and took a step back, raising his hands in surrender.

“Oh, sorry if we look like suspicious people. I’m Six and these are my crew. Actually, we came here in this City on a special mission and when we saw you, we just couldn’t help approaching you as you are a unique player. Would you mind if we talk?”

Siva glanced behind and let a newly arrived player with a flight wing passed by him.

“Are you going to invite me to join you?” he asked.

The man scratched his cheek with a finger in reluctance and he cleared his throat.

“Yes. Uh, well, truth is, while you were landing slowly we saw your guns on your thigh and immediately knew that you were not an ordinary player. Gunslingers are not common players, so if it’s alright to ask, would you like to join us on our mission?”

“—Oh, if you’re worried about rank, it’s alright. We’re all A-ranked monster hunters. And we knew by your flight armor that you are also the same as us.”

“—That’s right. There’s only two models of Flight Armors available in the game. The first is the bulky one that you can buy and re-design on NPC-shops and the other are the ones you are using, «FA-Special Series» that’s only available from an NPC that gives an A-Rank Quest in Mandol in the south of Espada.”

After the two other wizard looking players with the same “staffs” on their back like their leader spoke, Six took an open palm very timidly.

“Actually, we’ve been going around the city for the past two days looking for players that are special and strong enough to hunt with us. So seeing you for the first time earlier, we just gotta try asking.”

Siva thought for a moment.

These people are all Wizards and looking at their staffs tied on their back, its weird shapes, and the way they all carried themselves, it looks like they were all using the same fighting style in a group.

It wasn’t an uncommon thing for an entire party to be composed of a single fighting style.

Terroa is just like that kind of game.

As in-game mobs are powerful beasts with attacks that really hurt. The players all get to be scared before they react in an incoming assault. That said, as there already players who had overcome the fear, their fighting styles are well adopted by newbies, therefore giving birth to the over-saturation and commonness of fighting styles.

Siva had seen that happen in his travels. And in the net, there are a lot of players who had adopted that same style as to not get left behind in the flow of the game.

In fact, one thought Siva concluded about these guys is that reaching A-rank while using a unified fighting style is really impressive. It only means that their teamwork is superb. If he is added to their party, then he might actually just hinder them instead of being a help. So why do they need him then?

“I’m sorry, but I am also in the middle of a mission. I came here in the Hangar port to report on that mission that I’ve just said. Please excuse me.”

As Siva apologized, he made his way through them.

That’s when he noticed that there were a few others more gathering in the Hangar Port area that had their eyes on him. He wondered why and stayed cautious.

As he was making his way through, all the more he had noticed that all of them had their own cliques and even parties while those who seemed to be solo joined up on others who are still looking for members. His doubts rose into suspicion as the people gathered had reached almost close to a hundred and seemingly gathered near his destination.

Sure enough, when he reached the office, a group of bulky men from Atlas Race, hunters in the same group went out of the manager’s office.

“Just what’s going on?”

Siva had lost all his worries about not talking to the Book Keeper and then he entered the office meeting the eyes of the fat and bearded Tekz NPC.

“Oh, you’re back! Well?”

“Sorry, I failed to invite people in. something came up and I had to deal with it. So, about that mission?”

“Hmmm… you seem to be strong enough. Of course you can join the mission.”

—join?

Siva’s suspicion turned into worry.

The same mission prompt appeared on his vision and Siva pressed the (YES) button and saw the change.

[Mission]

“Finding Hero”

Rank “A” difficulty

In the Kingdom of Bosnia, a coup had forced loyalists of the Royal Family to escape with the princess heir but on their way to escape in Galleon, a group of thieves killed all the men in their group and sold the women as slaves. Now that the coup is over and the loyalists won, the wide search for the princess of Bosnia is in effect. A trusted intelligence had been received that the princess is last seen traded south of Ravendel. A hefty price is promised to be awarded to those who will accept the noble act of rescuing the heir.

Rewards: Eye of Pluto, Book of Spells, Gilgamesh, The Lucky Nine, Oracle Shoes, Bosnian Principality

Failure: The Wrath of Bosnia

Time Limit: 15 days

“A rescue mission?”

Siva frowned, invisibly, at the manager and the latter did a long sigh.

“Unfortunately, it was put in the Merc Union’s Table as Priority-1 mission. I don’t know what the Bosnian Kingdom is thinking but to think that they are giving away these rewards is also a matter of fact. I myself is going to enter my own men to get these rewards.”

A competition between NPCs and players.

Siva unknowingly smiled in irony as he realized that this is such a mission with a ridiculous setting.

First is the way to find the mission. Second is the fact that it was a mercenary mission and a rescue mission to boot. Third is the competition between NPCs and the players for the rewards. Then lastly is the irony of its difficulty which is actually keeping track with Terroa’s unique gameplay.

Just like the feeling a mercenary would get, Siva now understood why he was approached and why the people outside were looking at him in mixed antagonism and wariness.

Is he was playing alone, then it means that he is going to aim for all the price of the mission.

Now that he think about it…

“Manager, there’s still three more hours until the time limit of the mission acquisition, is there a reason why I am able to accept it and still wait until the time is up?”

“Ah, curious eh?” The manager caressed his beard. “It is a good question if I should say. So I will answer. The reason is because the person who contracted the Merc Union is going to personally send you all to the place of your beginning. From there, though, you will all be going your separate ways.”

Ravendel, no doubt about it.

As Siva though of this, he recalled what he know of the place. Greens and ice are what’s in Ravendel. There are parts where it’s frozen and there are the parts where the greens are lush.

To the place where these two parts meet, a beautiful city was built, Walls of Ravendel, the name of the city represents the entire region itself.

“So I still have time to prepare.”

“But do be cautious, traveler. Ravendel may sound like a beautiful place in the books but the truth of the place is far from the written. In the North, only the kingdoms in the South and West are hospitable to people. The rest of the continent will reject you both personally and naturally. And I am not speaking of them figuratively.”

He got a wink from the short manager and he brushed his weird with his fat hand.

“I will remember your warnings.” he said and left.

Outside, he was greeted by the same sets of eyes from the mercenaries who feel the competition. They all now heard the same stories and things he heard from the NPC Quest Giver and so when he came out of the place so is the start of antagonizing possible opponents.

In this kind of atmosphere, being a solo player is the worst possible thing to do.

Siva made his way out of the 1st Hangar Port Bay and then saw the same group of people in bright robes and distinctive weapons looking around.

When Siva approached them, “Did you guys perhaps took the same mission I just did with the manager?”

Six smiled warmly at him. “Yeah, we did. So you’re also a lucky one eh. We learned of that mission when I accidentally opened a bottle of wine I found in a secret treasure chest in a dungeon. There was a letter on that bottle and so, here we are…talking. What about you?”

“Number 6 of 10. I was just looking for a way to go to Tiara when the manager opened the topic of mission and invited me.”

“Wow, that’s certainly a lucky strike.”

Siva looked around them and chuckled wryly with the comment.

“And I bet some of these people did the same.” he said and opened up an open palm. “Anyways, do you mind if I take you up on that offer earlier?”

Upon the mention, the smile six had until now doubled in its wideness and he shook his hand vigorously.

“It’s our pleasure!”

“I hope we get along well.”

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Siva spent the next few hours buying stuffs before he received a communication from Six.

[It’s ten more minutes.]

“I’ll be coming back then.”

Weirdly, Siva was feeling glad that he would be going to Tiara way faster than he had anticipated.

He had no plans on completing this mission. He plans to ditch it out. In his mind, he apologized to them in advance and so made his way back to the Hangar Port bay area in speeds with accordance to air traffic rules of the city.

When he arrived, he met up with the overly keen Six and his crew of numbers Five to Two. Basically, he’s like number one as there are six of them in this team.

“It’s time.” He was greeted.

Siva noticed that there are more eyes focused on him than in the office. Antagonizing, even murderous and ill-natured intents were flashing from their eyes.

His skin tightened, he felt the pressure, and so he made a smile. Perhaps, once they are in Ravendel, these eyes will turn into swords and spells and will try to erase the possible enemies to lessen the competition. It doesn’t have to take a genius to figure that out.

It’s human nature to be greedy, and knowing of all the rewards of this A-ranked mission, especially that «Rare Item», Book of Spells, its even more worrying if these people won’t attack each other once they get there.

And then, the time for the mission acquisition turned to zero. From the glass window of the office, the door in the back opened and a red full cloaked man walked out.

His hands were together as if a monk and the hood that covered his face made his whole face inside hidden in the shadows. The Siva saw the manager gulped as he saw the Wizard and when he stepped outside to greet the hired mercenaries, the 1st Hangar Port Bay’s large bay doors closed and the whole 200 meters high 500 meters square large area was bid in the Lightstone Dim darkness.

“Are you all?” the hoarse voice in the hood sounded of a man. From the height and his posture, the Wizard inside the full-cloak came from either Gonn or Atlas Races.

He looked around them, measuring them eye to eye, as his eyes finally settled on a direction where Siva was and passed.

The Wizard continued.

“I believe you are all aware of the mission that was in your hands. Do as you are told, bring the princess in the Kingdom of Bosnia alive and you shall be rewarded as promised. Fail the mission and you shall be subjected to the full wrath of entire Bosnian Kingdom. You shall not escape and you with all those around you shall never live a normal life ever again as long as your feet are in this land. So, those of you who are not ready to take the risks, step out of the circle under your feet.”

At the prompt, Siva looked down and was astonished to the sight of the magic circle.

He saw an AOE-type of this before but seeing that it was in an individual-level cast in this number just proved that the consequence in case of failure of the mission wasn’t a joke. A magic of such level is a cheat, only possible and only doable by an NPC Wizard.

A few men and women walked out of the circle and a smile of haughtiness escaped those of the ones with the confidence to their skills and strengths.

Of course, a secret mission (or if this is really a secret mission) of such grand scale needed skills that meets the standard of the difficulty. That’s one reason there is the ‘ranking system’ in quests, missions, and monsters.

“Now that that’s done, you may go.”

The Wizard waved his hand the people who stepped out of the circle in their feet vanished with teleportation lights. Siva looked around him and saw that at least a good quarter of their initial numbers were reduced.

“Are there any one else who wants to go…? None? So all of you here are those confident enough to complete the mission huh, very well.” at this point, the Wizard took off his hood. The first things Siva’s eyes focused on were the tattooed lines on the man’s face. “My name is Falcon, I am a member of the Circle of Magi and I serve under the flag of the Kingdom of Bosnia. I am now going to take you all to where your mission will begin. From there, you are all free to do what it is you’re going to do but make sure that you will bring the princess alive.”

Falcon’s eyes were staring at each one of those whose brave enough to meet his eyes. And Siva, who was one of them, felt the heavy pressure coming from the man.

“He was no joke.” he uttered.

As Siva was in the far back of Six’s party and was on the furthest left side, seemingly isolated from the rest of the crowd, he felt that someone tried to approach him but felt something pointy on his back.

He gasped in surprise.

“Don’t make a noise.” A woman’s voice came behind him and her hand hugged him from behind.

“What the…?!” From the surprise, Siva turned around and tried to give her a push but instead, he was met with a hand that swiftly and smoothly took the mask off, and placed her lips upon his.

His mind went blank, he was holding his breath.

And when the girl’s lips parted from his. “Rex, you’re in danger.”

Her words instantly sent two things on his mind.

One, she knows him.

Two, what the fuck is she talking about?

“Why did you come back here, Rex?”

The voice of the Wizard echoed. The circle under their feet intensified.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who’re you?”

At his question, the girl with a white domino on her face removed it and Siva saw a face he somehow felt he knew but can’t recall.

“You don’t remember?”

“Who are you?” He insisted.

“Oh my god, it’s true…” The horror in the girl’s expression was evident. She covered her mouth with her hands and fixed her wide eyes at him.

The light on their feet was almost blinding and Siva’s heart felt more eager to find answers here and now.

“What’s true? And who the hell are you?”

His loud voice caught the attention of the other people and from the closest one of them, Six and his group all pointed a finger at their direction.

“It’s Samantha!” Six yelled.

A sudden memory flashed through Siva, memories and images —all unfamiliar to him, and yet felt nostalgic.

“Samantha…?” Siva murmured.

He was unfamiliar with the name but he remembers the feeling of knowing it. And along with that is the sense of familiarity as he continued to murmur in shock.

“—Pegasus?” Siva looked down on her in shock that he even knows the surname.

“There’s no time!” She yelled and took his hand.

Six’s hands reached out to them but Samantha grabbed him first and pulled him away. The light on their feet activated and all of the people inside the Hangar Bay vanished, leaving only the manager and Wizard alive.