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

Chapter 103: The Rankings Changes

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

"I will say it once again." his voice rung again, not giving anyone a chance to reply nor speak a word in refute. "If you as much as hinder me or make this expedition's preparations go to waste, I can assure you that you will suffer in the real world."

When these words rung, everybody felt an icy chill run down their spine as they realized that this guy was actually a [Player] just like them.

But to be the leader of those NPCs...

As they thought of this, they suddenly recalled a certain individual who has the ability to actually do just this very deed itself.

"He's Siva!"

Surprisingly, the first to voice out this realization was none other than Randall.

Like a wave, the realization struck like a cold pail of water falling directly on their heads.

—and the one with the most violent reaction was, of course, Zelga himself.

After all, Siva was his sworn enemy.

"I'll kill you!" he roared. He pulled out his Dragon Sword that was given by Blue Draco and jumped out of the Warship, a booming sound of his Flight Gear kicking up air behind, and he slashed at Siva with full sincerity of chopping him in half.

Siva didn't move and let him come close. Then, when everybody thought that Zelga had attacked so suddenly and so fast that Siva wasn't able to react in time, they saw the target of the attack just raise his left hand and met —no, received— this 600-STRENGTH-stat attack with his bare hands.

"Crazy!"

Everybody forgot that they were still inside the Walled City of Mundus. This was a Safe Zone!

But contrary to the expected explosive sound and someone in red fiery robe being knocked back by the attack, there was only the sound of something metallic hitting a solid rock.

CLANG————!!

And the sword was stuck on Siva's hand while the leader of their expedition force from Jeremiah in a delirious disbelief of his 600 stat attack not only received by his mere hand, but his True Dragon Sword actually not even making a sound when it landed on his red-armored opponent.

Even more frighteningly impossible was the fact that Siva, despite floating in midair without using any flight gear —just like back in Jeremiah— was not even by an inch pushed back by his maximum strength attack.

"Y-You... how did you..."

"I warned you." Siva's voice coldly rung and with a flip of his palm, an eruption of fire exploded from his body and everything —including the Warship behind their group— had been subjected to Siva's [Fire Realm] and punished with its scorching high-grade temperature.

This fire may not take effect on someone with at least 90,000 stats like Ares, but for mere mortals, it was a "fire" hot enough to burn them tens even hundreds of times over.

And to make matters worse, because this wasn't a Red Zone, they can't die to escape the tormenting heat of this infernal fire.

Even more, this was a fire only enough to make them all suffer mental torture but wasn't enough to make them die even they wanted to.

At the same time the Fire Realm erupted, there's a silhouette of a 4-meter large humanoid image that appeared behind Siva.

Like an avatar from hell, it was nothing more than just a humanoid silhouette and yet, seeing this, an image of horror strung up upon their heats.

It was like a Fire Devil, the source of the torturous heat they were suffering from.

Like a [Summon], one of the basic RPG Spells...

Or like an [Oversoul], one of the famous abilities of people who had contracted a [Spirit] from some place somewhere...

No matter what origins they could make to explain "what" this fiery humanoid silhouette with similar shape as Siva to be, they were at least sure of a single obvious fact:

Siva had become stronger again!

......and Zelga "felt" this clearer than anyone else.

To the outside world, nothing changed about the situation of the warship in the sky. But the people in question, everything around them were as red, fiery, and as hellish as true inferno that some of them even began to feel a bit traumatized, never wanting to see or be near any forms of fire again.

An adjustable pain-limiter setting was available for Players when setting up their NLD Console, but to the majority of the [Users], they didn't even know that something like this existed.

By default, merely 30% of every pain they could experience in RPG: Terroa are retained as is. But if modified, they could be set until 70% pain index rendering as it helps hard core, extreme Players to properly feel the game more to their skin. For those seeking more pleasure though, they can manually remove this limiter setting on the core programming unit of the NLD Console and feel a staggering 100% rendering of everything Terroa has to offer.

This not only enabled one to actually 'breathe' the air of Terroa, but it also made them feel absolute pain with each and every torturous circumstance their Game Avatar was put into, which in essence actually kills the principle of this entire world being just a mere game.

To Professional Players, 60% was already enough to make them function according to their jobs of earning money through the game; but for all those Hard Core Gamers—not Players— just 70% won't even cut it.

To risk pain in order to fully enjoy the sensations of this another world had to offer —it was worth all and every pain.

Of the 150 from Zelga's forces, almost half of the rest of them have modified their NLDs to 70% and so to them, this "heat" was like the heat of being in a desert that it was torturous, making them want to log out as soon as they can.

Siva didn't stop them and just let them escape but he didn't let Zelga and his core people go, no matter how much they screamed and cried in full agony of their situation.

With another flip of his free hand, the Fire Realm that only these people could feel was brought to 'another place' and only Siva, now without his Fire Lord Set on his body, was left in the entire vicinity of the Warship.

The Warship itself, now empty of its people, was just a floating speck of metal in the sky that, with a single step forward, and a few seconds later, was then brought to Siva's inventory as his trophy.

—and the people in it just earlier suffering the hell of decelerated time and the continuously burning Fire Realm prison.

Siva called this 'prison' his personal «Purgatory».

Inside, a battle erupted between "Siva" and Zelga, along with his minions, but Siva only let the Sword Master using the [Fire Sword] collect battle data for him while he himself took possession of this Warship and went back to the contingent from the Inner Continents.

From the start to the end of the problem, only just a minute or two actually passed by but Siva felt it a lot of time wasted as during this entire time, there was a chance that the Blue Card Legion had been tipped already.

Siva only exchanged a short greeting with Lady Brea and Pistareen then ordered for their entire contingent to move out ASAP.

"Let's go!"

He yelled and after that, he pulled out his own red and orange warship —the [Dindymene]— and flew in the direction of the Blue Card Merchant Group's stronghold in the Walled City.

(AN: Just to make you remember: Tai Long 'was' with Julian until Chapter 096 because its mission was 'only' to retrieve Julian's items in the desert outside of Dakar. Right now only the four [Persona BM-Puppets] are with Siva; Sword Master, Gunslinger, Destroyer, and Smasher. It was already mentioned, but I'll just remind you guys that since "magic" is impossible for both Siva and the BM-Puppets, the "Wizard" persona is now the Sword Master —which should be a bit redundant considering he already had the Destroyer who was programmed to specialize in two-heavy sword style. But of these four, Sword Master has a more "casual" practical use than the rest of them.)

*****

The Blue Card Merchant Group had a 1km large area they solely own as theirs.

People were busy, with some even running here and there. It was just a minute ago that they got a tip that a contingent was heading their way and will make some trouble but they didn't know who it was or what their purpose for coming is.

Nonetheless, the higher ups of the company had already issued orders that they are to hide all their important illegal products and documents and also contact the higher ups immediately when things get out of hand.

ZOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

A monstrously loud booming noise rang in their ears as something very large and also fast headed their direction from across the horizon.

Supposedly, the NanoField isolated the trajectory of its target's object path during travel but it was only that this time, the Dindymene had to travel faster than its normal speed so Siva waived all of the "isolation processing" of the Absolute Domain and just focused on speed, thus the loud sound.

With a snap of the dragged air catching up with the object, the Dindymene stopped and hovered 300 meters above the headquarters of the Blue Card Merchant Group.

It took Siva less than a minute to go from where they started towards this place and with the Absolute Domain active all this time, he was aware that the Bleu Card Merchant Group had already gotten a tip as of lately.

Still, because he didn't want to draw too much eyes on his activities and his purpose here, he had to make this operation civil in any case.

.....or at least, make a member of the Blue Card Legion personally appear here which will make a lot of things easier for him.

After all, he didn't know where the exact location of the Blue Card Legion's main military HQ.

In fact, he even expected that nobody in the Blue Card Merchant Group would know where Gats had hidden his base; because if he was Gats and he didn't want the world to know that he was the Guild Leader of one of the largest Player Guilds in RPG: Terroa, he also wouldn't want people to be aware of it and invite troubles by making them spy on his supposedly secret base.

And so if he creates enough trouble for the entire Blue Card Legion for taking away their business' HQ and causing damage, there's a large chance a big wig of The Legion would appear in here.

He was betting on it. That's why he was here.

Siva didn't personally come but he had already told Gaia the entire framework of the plan so he let her drive the operation on the grounds herself, with the Gunslinger and Smasher, wearing crests reminiscent of Gaia's Circle of Magi, as escorts, while he stayed, monitoring everything from the commander's deck above and giving instructions to her ears thru the Communicator Device.

With his Liberty Drones scattered by the Faction Alliance through the city, there was almost not an inch of Mundus that could escape Siva's grasp.

He waited a few seconds more searching over the voices inside the Business Group, even locking the space and isolating communications signal by hacking the local Signal Towers and replacing it with his own.

It didn't take long before he got the news that he didn't want to hear.

The Blue Card Merchant Group had been tipped.

—it was those bastards!

Siva clenched his fists as he thought of those in the Prison Realm —ah, no— since they all took the oath in Bardavon before meeting in the Elf Forest, then perhaps it was those bastards from the High Seats in the Terran Alliance.

After all, they didn't take the oath to keep the intel they received from him a secret to their confidants.

"Our operation has been leaked!" Siva roared in their communications device. "It's those from the Terran Alliance back in Bardavon! They told their people about our plan and this led to the spies of the Bloody Church to take notice and prepare for our arrival. Take them out now!"

Gaia, Hugo, and Prince Duren felt the anger and urgency in Siva's voice and so they didn't linger on and dallied, jumping off the fences and thru a few defenses before clashing with the "guards" of the Blue Card Merchant Group.

"You cannot do this! We are a legit business!"

"We have a law to follow!"

"You are violating the law of the republic!"

"City Lord... City Lord! Help us!"

Gaia walked in with the escorts, as well as all the people who came from Terrafirma.

An old NPC walked out of the building and held out a [Pardon] stamped by The Republic —it was the "country" that owned Walled City of Mundus.

The NPC held out the [Pardon] with full dignity as he stared at Gaia's group who approached with a wide stride on each step they took.

"By the power of the contract, we demand—"

And yet before he could finish his words and put a threatening howl, Gaia cast a spell and burned the said contract and kicked the old man on the floor, an action outside of her usual temperament.

She declared to the rest of the Blue Card People who was unable to accept what just happened. It was the 'President' she just kicked in the chest!

"Listen up, all of you! By the power of the Terran Alliance, you all are branded as traitors of our entire civilization! For the capital crime of allying yourselves with the Bloody Church who are allies with the Demon Armada, there is only death to all of you! To those that will resist, you will be killed without exception and an opportunity for salvation to those who will surrender right now. You only have five seconds to decide. If you do not comply will immediately pronounce you guilty and kill you where you stand!"

Gaia's announcement was cold and ruthless and it didn't allow for any refute nor did it consider any form of denial.

There was only compliance and nothing else.

"Mad! This is utter madness!"

"We demand explanation!"

"Fuck with that nonsense Terran Alliance! The Republic will seek justice for us!"

Gaia couldn't blame all of these people for not being aware of the existence of the Terran Alliance because for millennia, the Terran Alliance had never stepped forth in the surface to make a foothold in this place... for reasons known.

But Gaia didn't give them an inch, "Five seconds are up. Those who had surrendered shall now be granted a fair trial and those who will resist shall now be killed without mercy. Death to the traitors!"

"""DEATH TO THE TRAITORS!!!"""

An Elf, known for their innate beauty and elegant racial characteristics aligned with tranquility and a sense of serenity as their traits, declaring death to all of them, was a deep contrast on their image it made them stare dumbfoundedly at her.

Yet the loud roar from the soldiers of the Inner Continent who personally understood the wicked cruelty of these traitors' betrayal was enough to shake the walls of the Merchant HQ and wake the innate sense of fear hiding deep in the arrogance of the people of the Blue Card Merchant Group.

Every person who surrendered were brought by Siva to a different but similarly made Prison Realm for the trial while those who were left either made their last hurrah and denied their crime in the end.

Whether they are just tools or not, they were part of the Blue Card Legion and if they get damaged, the leaders will surely come.

Even when only one of them comes, it is enough.

As such, Siva made it look moderate enough that it wasn't going to attract the ire of the public.

Besides, without showing his face, this entire operation became a legit purging operation of the Terran Alliance... led, even, by two High Seats!

Who can say this wasn't legal?

To the City Lord of Mundus, he could only turn a blind eye to this mess as he saw that the person who had actually attacked the Blue Card Merchant Group was none other than the very person who led the Enchantment Temple: Pistareen.

He may not recognize Gaia or Hugo, but he knew the rumours about the power of the Enchantment Temple. The "Mansion" had never ever once put their finger on anything and yet they did now.

The City Lord knew this mess wasn't as simple as him dipping his fingers to the cruel battlefield of a commerce war. Actually, he deduced, it may even be connected to the King's Tests of Jeremiah just on the fact that there're about 30 men and women among them in the front that wore the striking Knight Uniform of the Wall of Jeremiah.... with a tall woman at the fore of this group.

—the King Candidate: Lady Brea!

Brea may not be as influential, resourceful, or as "bright" as the other King Candidates like Zelga, Longyun, or Tabata who had backings, but right now, she was shining at her own spotlight as she led a group of people in the offense, brandishing the flag of Jeremiah fighting against evil traitors of Terroa that defected to the evil Bloody Church.

With the image of the Bloody Church imprinted to the citizens of Terroa, not only Jeremiah, but she also garnered the overwhelming support of other affected citizens of Terroa's Surface Continents.

As this information was broadcasted into the local Net of the Kingdom, a commotion broke out and a surprised citizenry hailed both doubts and utter admiration to the bold move of Lady Brea to brave danger and get into the frontlines to fight the evil scourge eating away at their Society from within.

It was an actual purge!

Many doubted where she got the insider Intel that made her a member of this expedition group led by The Mansion, but no one doubted the ability of the old people in the Enchantment Temples to get their information.

The obvious impact of this wave was directly seen on the rankings. Brea's name leaped out from the bottom of the rankings directly into first place.

*****

Elder Blue Draco held his sword tight as his gums threatened to bleed and his teeth shatter on how hard he clenched his jaw.

"What the fuck is that bastard doing?!!"

Alas, Draco didn't know that right now, the entire contingent made up of less than 10,000 soldiers and Knights of the Wall of Jeremiah were trapped in Siva's [Purgatory], feeding the Sword Master a lot of valuable battle data of fighting thousands of people alone only using a single sword and a Fire Avatar that repeated his attacks.

With the difference of equipment and 'awareness' of the battlefield, and the mission of "gathering data" and not winning the fight, the Sword Master escaped very dangerous situations while dealing killing blows to useless units one by one.

Inside [Purgatory], an endless cycle of battle was unfolding and of them all, "Siva" wasn't a bit tired while the contingent were slowly being exhausted by the excellent aggression.

By now, Zelga already knew that Siva was toying with them but as much as they wanted to escape this fiery place, they can't and unless they kill the person who brought them here, they knew they'd be trapped here forever.

As such, the battle continued on in a high pitch.

*****

In The Union, the Seventh Elder's face contorted into an ugly scowl and he threw many objects into the wall and roared in anger. Outside, the janitor was looking at the door with an odd stare while at his side was a new employee, "What is it?"

"Nothing." The floor manager shook his head.

"We're done here." the new employee said. "I'm an intern so my shift is short. I'm done in my area now. Wanna grab some chow?"