================================

Chapter 046: The Longhorn Fires

================================

Three bloody battle fronts... three groups went in smaller numbers compared to the last.

Maria was being sieged by the Bloody Church and blood currently flows in the streets of the city. It was a horrifying sight.

As Siva's drones flew, the scenes unfold for the eyes of the world to see; the game creators made this game so real it was both revolting and amazing at the same time ...in so many sense.

The graphics, the story, the gameplay, the complex physics of the environment, the AI of the NPCs, all of the visible, audible, and sensory elements of the game were breathtakingly real it ignites many kinds of emotions and inspirations at the same time.

And yet, as amazing as this world is, the sense of death and experience of fear could be traumatizing for many who were not aware of its implications.

RPG: Terroa is a game for hardcore players.

The more realistic its environment, the scarier and more horrifyingly real the experience was.

But even then... the spirit of adventure and the fun of playing games were also heightened to the max.

Siva chose to post it online as an anonymous name and share the sight for those who were thinking of playing this game like everyone else. He wanted all of them to see and know what awaits them here.

Terroa is just almost not a game. And he knew and feel that Terroa being a game world is nothing but scratching its surface.

Now, more than ever, Siva was convinced that this game was created for some other purpose that is not solely as a recreational game.

Although he himself hadn't a care at all for the sight of death and destruction, to the world, just all these red colors alone was enough to elicit disgust and repulsion to the morbid-haters.

Thankfully, Lily was smart and filtered the scenes for Amanda but to the rest of the world, Siva was just a cruel patroller. To add more spice to things, Cortana's voice was also narrating some things but was careful not to divulge any sensitive information that will lead to the world knowing Siva's location.

*****

When the message was sent, Volt's group was then reinforced by Gunslinger and Sword Master, with their retinue of [High Class Minions] surprising the two young ladies with him.

"D-Did you just..."

Volt looked at the rest of them. They knew about Siva's modern pursuit for the arts of Puppetry, but looking at these groups was just... shocking.

What more, on their visions, they could even see a label on each of their heads that doesn't exist in any way within the normal rules of the [game] they should be playing.

Samara, with her improved hover cannons, had her eyes in full circles from the surprise as she tested by removing her Communicator and then putting it back again.

The labels and markers, the beacon, and all of the location data on her visions vanished and returned as he did the actions.

"Oh my Gaaaahhdd~!! This is so awesome! You're plodding on something advanced here, it's actually scary... look just how you remodeled all of these Communicator Devices into something that could display marker labels! These aren't available in the features when RPG: Terroa was first sold to us!"

They were in a sound-only conference. The fight was still happening around them but it was only the two ladies at the far back who had the leisure time to actually talking back to Siva as they fought.

Volt was at the frontlines, screaming and yelling a lot of curses at the tough-as-nut Acolytes that are being protected by their shields.

Now that Volt and the rest's existences, resistance that puts their plan into jeopardy, were exposed, an ambush wouldn't work on them anymore.

They could only fight the Church Followers on a head on clash.

On the other line, Siva didn't sound proud as he explained how he edited some of the original items of the now-broken Human-Terran Alliance and fit them all to be items that his Company will sell when they officially launch in the public.

"So when are you going to release it? Everything's already been prepared by Fuma."

"Are you going to sell these Puppets as well?"

It was a firm declaration.

These Puppets were physical attackers —none of the typical and usual "magicians" that come to mind of what Siva made them sound to be: Mechromancer Puppets.

Especially that [Sword Master] with its large sword that seemed to be an oversized claymore. It was being used like it weight only a kilogram all shields that it smashed into would only last five or size of his attacks before collapsing.

And then there were the blades and the terrifyingly accurate [Gunslinger] who only needs one small moment to finish the owner of the shields with one bullet in the head.

If they didn't know better, these two were of the same brain with two bodies. Their synchronization goes beyond the word itself that even the next set of words available to describe them like "coop" or "coordination" weren't exactly it.

They're movements were synched and all of their attacks were timed precisely and perfectly, nothing that they attacked survived the assault.

It was scary.

"Well, they are Mechs after all." Came Hawkeye's piercing comment.

"Still, even they are scary, it's still a fact that there are at least over two hundred of them in that entire compound not too far away. If they choose to dose us with their spells at the same time, we'd be dust before we even know it."

It was a blessing that what Siva said earlier may be the truth of the matter.

From the looks of it, they were truly looking for something in the City Lord's Mansion and they are focusing their defense in there instead of actually attacking the rest of the city.

Their personnel defense and composition is more tight and concentrated the deeper you go into the City Lord's Mansion's compound.

Volt's team was the first to get close to the location while Thorn and the rest of the Asgard focused all their efforts into suppressing the Acolytes that're routing the citizens of the city.

And all the while... they were wearing the colors of Pistareen's Faceless-masked 'Magic Knights' from the Enchantment Temple.

For the survivors and onlookers, who else would these guys be if not "Voltaire" —King Candidate of the King Test of Jeremiah?

And while his forces were focusing on routing the Acolytes who're sacrificing the citizens of Maria, the man himself headed straight to the City Lord's Mansion to try to stabilize the situation.

Everything was going smoothly.

——aside from the fact that they were met with the tight defense of the invaders.

CRACKLE~!!

After a flash of light and the sound of electricity on an open wire, Volt appeared close to Samara and Hawkeye, his face covered with the faceless mask of the Magic Knights did not hide his rebuke.

"Enough talking already! I'm dying here!"

He was panting and his shoulders were heaving up and down. But while he does look tired, his voice still carried with it vigor.

He was clearly enjoying his new-found powers that Siva gave him. He was finding more and more ways to employ and implement the [Call of Lightning Ability] of the Dragunov.

—and when paired with the natural freezing aura of the [7th Frozen Heart Blade] —the reward of Siva's duel with Kladis in Alexandria, the domain of ice generated with Volt's moving around affects all of the enemies close to him, leading to Hawkeye and Samara dealing damage to the affected ones and lowering their numbers one by one.

Still, their progress was slow. But it was still better compared to the fact that they have to expend a lot of their Stamina and Mana to dodge and block the attacks coming from over twenty enemies at a time.

Another flash of electricity and Volt was off again.

Volt was the only one active while Siva talked and shared the strategy to the rest of them. He flashed here and there leaving trails of electricity upon his path —but that and Electra's [Lightning Form] were worlds apart if put in the same table.

Samara and Hawkeye took the cover and support-fire role to back up Volt.

"Siva, can you send someone to wake up Agatha up there? We can't last any longer here without her healing magic!"

It is always the ones in the back who could read the flow of battle more clearly so Samara gave out the suggestion when she noticed the stalemate on this side of the battlefield tilting towards the side of their tightly condensed enemies.

——and then———

"Whoa... that's scary! Why am I always being put into situations like these? First it was in Hagonoy, then sneaking in into Rewloola, then here! Why are you so hard on your friends?!! HOLY SHIT!!! I was almost burnt to crisp! Siva, hurry! GET AGATHA IN HERE ASAP!!!"

A fit of laughter rung in the Comms and the heavy pressure lightened up for the Asgardians.

Samara snapped at him in the Comms, "If you don't want to burn then don't get too deep into their file, you Mormon!"

"Shut up! I'm dying here!"

"Did YOU just tell me to shut up? You know what I am cancelling that date this weekend. You go out by yourself. Hell if I care."

"Retreating... RETREATING!!!"

And the heavy mood the gory scene gave them is turned into that of the game.

Sometimes, even with their Visual Graphics Engine on their Options Panel set up in the lowest levels, it was a fact that the world of Terroa is 90% reality in every human sense.

Because of this, it wasn't unusual for players to be sometimes caught up in the mood, the flow, or the situation in Terroa that they occasionally forget that they were still fundamentally playing a game.

...or perhaps it was Siva's situation's influence on the core members of the Asgard that they felt they were fighting for their lives every time and forget it was all still just a game.

It was moments like these that makes Siva think of some important matters he sometimes forget.

These people around him right now, his helpers, all of them are still people that're actually not in the slightest related to his issues.

And now that he thought about it, their relationship in its entirety was really like a boss and employee.

Siva had given out rewards and compensations for their troubles and for the rest of the unsaid words they have between them, it was untold gratitude.

No matter the different reasons they have for still sticking around his issues; Heller's pursuit of fights that can excite him, the TOS Guild's "justice", or all those "friendly" reasons Volt and rest have towards him... it was still all just part of it.

That's why Siva had to do his best to return their grace with as much sincerity on his part as he can.

—no matter if it was breaching etiquettes or not...

——no matter how "unneeded" it was...

———regardless of propriety, modesty, or copious amounts of decorum his reasons has underneath...

————he had to compensate them just for their presence here alone.

It was the reason why he was guilty.

Because Siva knew that what had happened to him may happen to them as well... or even worse.

He knew that he was still underestimating the fury of the UNICORN or Panorama Corp. if he so much as destroy whatever plans they have in Terroa.

—nonetheless... I will save Baron!

At least Siva's conviction never waned even a bit.

*****

There are ten of them BM-Puppets in their location which included the Gunslinger and Sword Master; it was a force to be reckoned with.

But even then, their progress was slow and there seemed to be no end to the number of enemies holing up in the City Lord's Mansion. Whenever they take down three, another wave will come and reinforce them.

Without the help of the BM-Puppets covering their retreat whenever in a pinch, they would have long been defeated... Game Over...... and they would have to wait three in-game days before they could go back with either a new Avatar for Siva's [Unique Ability] secret, or with the same Avatar but one or two or more items missing in their inventories.

SHOOOFF~!!

Volt staggered back after narrowly escaping a spell and drank a Red Potion to recover his peak state.

But a moment later, a pair of spells was coming for his location and he employed another escape after a quick charge of the Dragunov Core at the back of his hand.

To where he appeared, a red-cloaked Swordsman came with a charging stab.

"Duck!" Hawkeye's voice came from behind him.

Volt didn't think, question, nor turn his head. He did the command and lowered his body. A bright blue arrow flashed passed above his head and hit the sword of the attacker, making him stagger back three steps.

"Hah!"

Volt leaped and stabbed the man but he didn't die immediately and instead grabbed the blade and put his own life as bargain to deal a slash to take Volt down with him.

Another flash of light burst forth. It was on Volt's left hand. A Spark Grenade crackled as it went off, stunning the Swordsman mid-slash, charging Volt's 'aura' of [Disintegrated] NanoMechs that then gave him the opening for the killing blow.

As the [Frozen Heart Blade] in his hand froze the Acolyte's wound, his heart stopped and his face under the mask twitches once before totally paling and losing all colors. His eyes rolled back.

He was dead.

But Volt didn't have time to rejoice to his survival.

He didn't linger and flashed back to his allies just in time that a bright earthen yellow Magic Circle put the entire area he was on before into a loud CLAP! as an Earth Prison Spell locked the corpse of their ally within it—and Volt too if he was a single instant slower on retreating back.

"Damn that was close..." he hissed and panted as he stared at the endless number of the enemies that blocked their path towards the mansion.

Now was a lull, a standoff to catch their bearings.

"How are we going to get pass through here if they can reinforce their numbers endlessly? There's just too few of us here."

"We need someone with a powerful AOE Spell to create an opening on that blockade." Samara said.

Even she, with her Siva-ized upgrades, was having it hard with their enemies' thick defenses.

Her cannons aren't as useful as she thought they'd be in this densely packed opposition.

"My [Morrigan Cannons] aren't Mana-based but I'm already casting spells and firing volleys at the same time for a while now. We need Cassiopeia's firing rate and that Little Witch's destructive power if we wanted to deal them some serious damage."

She heaved to catch her breath and dodged back, in front of them was a group of eleven red-cloaked Acolytes; their Shield Barrier Spells shone with a transparent glow of its quality while they charged their spells as they prepared to bring them down.

Volt and the other two backed off, "Damn it, they're suicidal. Did you see that earlier? The guy grabbed my sword like a zombie!"

With their numbers using the same Tier of spells at the same time, add in their distance to one another around the mansion, one can only imagine just how tough braking through in this formation was.

Then there was their fanatical suicidal disposition to add in the mix... the sheer intimidation aspect of that thought brought more pressure to them.

Even Siva who was far away, had to rely on the bombardment of the Artillery Cannons in order to deal with this kind of defense in the underground cave in Horbe.

Without it now, however, even he with his ability to destroy a city was feeling the true pressure of the power of the Bloody Church.

His voice rung and it was heard by every member of the Asgard... making them ask the question of 'how' upon themselves.

Yet, Siva wasn't finished,

*****

When Siva spoke, Thorn also frowned, "What are you planning?"

Siva had mandatory prerequisite to all Asgardians to always wear their Communicators when they are undergoing missions tasked to them.

The area occupied by the City Lord's Mansion was not that large but it was still a significantly big area when compared to the size of the city and who was living in it.

Four kilometers...

...including the four courtyards, guest region, the mansion's territory, maze garden, and even a small mountain 300m high that's complete with its own river and small prairie for the City Lord's mock-hiking recreation.....

The place was a large place indeed for the private dwelling of this provincial-level nobility.

And yet, on the map of the area on their visions, the "red zone" Siva was talking about was actually so large that it was unimaginably horror-inducing.

Thorn couldn't help but shiver at the prospect of what Siva was about to do.

"RUN!!!" he yelled and every Asgardian took up in the air with their flight gears... escaping the Red Zone on their visions.

Those who were deeper in the blast radius was in a frantic escape. They didn't dare to fly up in fear of being caught of it so they flew-dashed on the land, not minding the enemies that came to stop them or even attacked them from behind.

A timer began to count down on their visions in its bright red number.

Far away, some of them even saw a label of Siva flying high up in the air... but they didn't linger on as they thought of their leader's words.

None of them have yet to see Siva's limits when it comes to pure destructive ability but they've seen him kill a Dragon from inside its body... and even ordered the destruction of a Battleship from the very rulers of the territory they were currently in.

These Asgardians didn't doubt that Siva's red zone will really burn the lands asunder.

"Quickly!" Thorn was frantic.

On their visions, the red dots indicating enemies huddled up, converging like honey bees to their hive while their allies, green dots on their map, and those local heroes —blue— were already alerted to the plan as they too backed off far away from the indicated red zone.

Volt and the rest were already far away and just as the counter on their visions ticked for the last ten seconds, another large group of red dots began to appear over the edge of their maps —enemies are coming from outside the city!

"Enemy reinforcements!" shouted Cramer.

"Intercept them!" ordered Thorn.