Please enjoy the read.Tell me what you think about the chapter down on the comments.More chapters coming. I'll try to work out the lacking chapters for the last week.
PS.
Sorry about the slow release guys, it's because I don't have a computer right now. As you may remember it burned up...
Sigh... I don't have a smart phone... I don't have a computer...
You know, I sometimes think that this is what the other people say as "The heavens are jealous of geniuses" --ehem-- (no conceitedness intended)... but... please understand that I am doing my best to give you guys the chapters you need.
As of today, in order to be able to write, I am just renting and/or borrowing cousins' laptop whenever they aren't busy with it and adding in many other factors, the releases for chapters might become from 5 - 7 chapters a week to 2 or 3... depending if I have (1) money for renting a computer in a net cafe or (2) my good hearted cousins/friends will let me borrow their laptops whenever they aren't working something on them office-related.
That said, am I just pitiful or what?
You know, I'm only human and I really wanted to write but I really do feel that the heavens are against me. It's painful you know. It's one thing for me to lose my phone as it breaks upon usage after so many years but even my computer, the one and only lifeline I have in getting a chance to be able to write and live a life... breaking down as its motherboard burned in the middle of me using it...
I just can't help but tearing up, you know.
Hahaha... the heavens... yeah.. God's challenges, you may call it, but it's one thing for him to take away all my guns, but even the bullets... sigh... just how will I fight back?
Well, anyways, I really apologize for this delayed chapters.
Also, I would like to bow my heads on you guys and literally get on my knees to ask for your help to gather up some small change to be able to buy us a computer. It may sound presumptuous of me but I beg thee, dear readers, I hope you could help me out.
This is for all of us. With our own computer, we can write faster and we can also develop the story for our other pending projects more smoothly.
Anyways, for your donations, if you still don't have an account in Patreon, you can use this link to create an account: https://patreon.com/invite/qrozbd or if you just want to donate some change, you can send me some donations over my Paypal:
nathanreddd@yaho.com
Guys, I ain't asking you to force yourself to donate. I know I am asking too much but as a compensation for the trouble, I have prepared some rewards for you back in Patreon.
Thanks for the future and I am sorry for the long rant--as always--
Please enjoy this chapter and if you have something to say, please send me a message or jot it all down on the comments section.
Please enjoy the read.
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Chapter 52: Resplendent Edge
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Apus Epirus
Another day has gone and, just like yesterday, Kladis went to the tree to 'barge' in on her resting spot.
Just like how the past few days has gone, Scion still sat under that tree in her most perfect beauty, bathing in the light of sol reading a book.
Seeing the incoming man, she couldn't help but frown.
"You're here again." She scowled and closed the book, using it to point at him. "You are breaking your promise on purpose."
Kladis sighed heavily as he changed into his casual attire and silently lay at the other side from her.
Unlike yesterday that he paid some energy for banter, today, Kladis seemed to be more tired than he was the last time that, when she took a sneak look, she found him sleeping and just barely hiding from the light of sol.
"Is war... really that taxing?"
In Terroa, you can sleep and thanks to the superb technology of the NLD, the body-avatar connection shuts down, letting the body go into a very deep sleep and clean up the neural facilities thus rendering sleeping here in the virtual space as helpful as it was in the real world.
As such, many players only choose to eat in the real world and sleep inside the game, maximizing time and efficiency especially when in the middle of a hunt.
Scion also understood this logic and that's the reason why she bought many books to read inside the game.
For a good few moments, she looked at his face as he sleeps and that frowning expression reminded her of the time when Rex was still recuperating.
Back then, Rex was really in a lot of pain. She could only comfort him by being there almost each and every time. Especially at that time when he woke up and his very first action was too visit his baby brother. Just imagining his appearance at that time when he saw the unconscious brother broke her heart.
She saw that video of how Rex risked everything to save his brother, punching the back window of the car with his bare fists until it cracked... his lacerated-up-to-the-tendons fingers... the throat wound that had all the signs of having something big and sharp once piercing there... the medical records and investigations all showed his struggle to get out of that burning car and knowing the reason how and why Rex did everything to his power to save Baron is all the more the reason why she can't help but to be attracted to his epic achievements.
Not knowing when, as soon as she noticed that she's been staring at Kladis, she sighed then slapped herself as the sound of it woke up the man and gazed at her flushed appearance.
"Hm? Were you looking at me?" he asked, smiling handsomely.
Raising a brow, she bickered, "I wasn't!" and then she turned back at her usual spot and opened the book to force her mind and forget her embarrassment.
It was one thing being curious on how he looked like when he was sleeping but being found out was another and it was really embarrassing, especially when he's been teasing her non-stop these past few days.
And yet, whenever it happens, he'd always rest in the same spot as if she didn't exist and then sleep very peacefully until it was time to get back to work.
It was in this manner that Kladis had spent his breaks and each time he takes a short nap, she'd get curious at the reasons why he was tired and take sneak peeks.
But... for the last few times, she's always been getting caught and each time, she'd get embarrassed from the way he teases her.
The embarrassment, it was piling up, and it was getting to her more and more.
"I still don't get why they have to go to war... can't they just talk it over peacefully?"
Ever since she saw the news on TDT regarding the war that the Blue Card Legion started against the city of Alexandria, she'd always wondered the reason why everyone had to violently send their message across.
Yes, there was an attempt to negotiate but they only did it once. If their intention was clean and pure, shouldn't the attempt to negotiate things over be tried at least three times?
Even Liu Bei, as a formidable tactician and ruler, still chose the more peaceful path and visited Zhuge Liang three times before they landed on a compromise.
Scion never really understood how war works. She only knew that in a war, in-game or not, there were always casualties and these casualties on both sides will never miss to be the reason for a loss of some kind.
As such, even though she didn't really fully understood the reason for this war, she still understood that with whatever reason it was that they attacked the city, it was all for the sake of a plan.
"In this plan, Rex is connected. Helping them get that sword will lessen one enemy for Rex in the future. I have to do what I can to help Rex."
Both Kladis and Gats had already revealed their intentions and plans to battle against Rex in the future because it was connected to the quest and mission they were pursuing. So, to help lessen him one enemy, she agreed to their compromise.
Thinking up to this point, Scion opened the book again and began reading. On the title of the book, there were the three immortal words.
––the words, no matter the era, had always presented the best reference and guideline for any strategist and tactician.
She was reading this because she wanted to learn.
Her goal has always been one thing...
"I need to help Rex save Baron but... where is he?"
She had contacted Alice before but even they knew less of the exact location of Baron within the game.
All they knew is that he was somewhere in The North and so while they are looking, or waiting for Volt, who was with Rex, to divulge his location, she will try to be stronger in some way and become a source of help for Rex in the future.
"This book will help me." She said and caressed the page as if it was a delicate flower.
She has no idea what she was entering or where this deal would lead her in the future and so, in order to be useful to Rex someday, she will try and learn the very thing that everyone in this game world was playing.
Art of War
These three immortal words, it embedded itself in her mind. It was the guideline of a great strategist.
"I will resolve problems using peaceful means. I may not be as useful in combat but I will bank on my ability to learn to be of help to him in the future!"
She gritted her teeth and focused her mind, immersing herself on the insights of Sun Tzu. (Pls read note #1)
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"Brace yourselves!"
A flash of light brightened the portside and the Mana Shield that protected Jack and his surviving crewmates perked up for another magic impact.
Jin knelt down as he was the only person who had received 50% of the brunt. The rest may have been carried by the other surviving crewmates but as he was the only Barrier Magician in their team, adding the fact that he's been online for more than 12hrs now, the mental fatigue was piling up.
Though there was a security system set up to avoid these kinds of scenarios, there was still an option to disable it. The consensus there is that one must [buy] the right to disable this security feature from Panorama Corp. and then sign up for not only an Insurance Account but to also sign up his/her account to be a premium waver of rights.
Since one is disabling his/her security feature, one must be aware of the medical implications of such actions.
In exchange, the full feature of the NLD will be used and there was no restriction to the online time.
This was the same actions AG had applied for Rex and Baron's accounts.
Karim immediately retaliated with a swing of his glaive and the polearm extended softly and swiftly, slashing the incoming melee.
"Carry him! We're getting out of the city!"
Jack was in the middle of their party. Of the original 20+ crewmates of the Helium guild in Shelter 96, only eight of them had survived. Many were killed by the members of the Blue Card Legion while many were killed during the skirmish that happened behind the fight between Jack and Volga.
Clicking his tongue, Karim posted as a rear guard while he protected the retreat of his crewmates.
"There's just too many." He looked around and counted at least over two hundred people. If not for Jin's AOE barrier magic, they all would have been wiped out long ago.
"You're not getting away!" shouted a familiar voice and when they looked around them, they saw Volga diving with momentum towards their direction. "You dishonorable prick! A duel is an honor between men and you dared trick me to get away! Catch them!"
"It's your fault they got away from our encirclement I the first place!" spoke a girl beside him. "If you only followed the plan, they wouldn't have gotten away!"
Volga had no words to say back at her for he knew that he had been duped and this caused their trap to be broken, leading to the core members of the Helium Guild running away from their net.
"I won't let you!" Karim hissed between gritted teeth and he poised himself to hold his ground, only leaning back slightly, yelling, "Go! I will block them!"
Jack looked back and said with apology, "Make sure you survive!"
Karim smiled and faced the incoming Volga, "I will, captain, so don't forget that you will owe me that beer at the usual spot."
"Heh. I'll make it worth the time."
After this short exchange, Karim closed his eyes for a moment to focus his thoughts and from his body in the middle of the street, a wall-like aura escaped from his shoulders causing the pursuing team to slow down into a halt.
"What are you doing?!" shouted the blonde woman to the NPCs on her command. "He's only a single man! Kill him!"
"Hmp. If you want to pass, then be prepared to die and be split into two."
Opening his eyes, a look of determination could be seen on Karim's face as he faced fifty or so women with blonde hairs as well fifty or so members of thick-armored flying knights under Volga's Legion.
"Tsk. I've had enough of your pathetic heroisms!"
When the woman spoke, she unsheathed a slender sword that glimmered with a dark blue blade under the daylight and she dived down to the street.
"Face your death!" she yelled and dashed towards the imposing blade of Karim.
"Hah!"
~~DING!!
Karim's glaive clashed with the woman's rapier and the resulting metallic collisions created a resounding ringing on the ear that lasted for a very long time.
But their clash didn't end there. Not even a second passed, the slender sword on her hand guided the glaive's blade to her side as she stepped in, tracing parallel to Karim's polearm.
Karim's expression was calm and he didn't mind her going for an instant kill as he, to her surprise, took a step in of his own and using his left palm pushed her right upper arm, completely immobilizing her entire momentum.
"This...!!" her eyes widened in surprise to this very simple yet very frightening movement.
Karim's push had rendered her attack neutralized before it was even unleashed and not only that, his right hand moved as well, the rear part of the polearm weapon with a small blade made an arc and went straight to slash her throat.
Their eyes met and since Karim was a tall Atlas, and paired with the natural domineering charm of their race, the cold eyes that looked down at her caused her mind to reel with crisis.
Moving at her quickest speed, she leaned back and narrowly let the blade pass her throat then struggled to complete the arc of her slash while delivering to kick his staff away from her.
SHOOF! SHOOF! SHOOF!
Three quick backflips later, she was already 20m away from him. The other blonde female knights that followed her all looked at her with worry on their faces. None of them expected that Karim would be this strong.
"Tsk. What are you standing there for? Chase the target I'll handle this!" Clicking her tongue, the blonde female knight yelled angrily at her underlings and following that, they also flew in pursuit of Jack.
"You shall not pass!" Karim roared and following his bellowing voice was the shaking of his polearm.
He artistically did a singlehanded roll and finished it with the back short blade piercing through the paved ground of the street.
WHOOOOMMM~~
The air around Karim vibrated as the polearm's many intrinsic designs lit up as if coming to life. As the air vibrated bluish aura seeped out of his shoulders and everyone saw an almost invisible flash of red light came from Karim's direction and went straight to the encircling batch of knights under Volga and the female knight that went to pursue his commander.
"Not good. Look out!" the female knight screamed but she was too late. Screams of pain rung as over 40% of them reacted slow and was directly hit by that almost invisible attack.
The next thing they knew, the polearm that had glowing red details had changed form into a very distinguishing look of a Slitherin.
"Rune!" shouted Volga.
"No." the female knight corrected him. "It's a MOD's effect and if my memory serves me right, there is only one [Rare MOD] that can do this magic effect."
Talisman... generally wasn't an item that grants a person magic ability. Only Tier-2 Talismans and up are considered to be [Magical Ability]-giving items.
The rest are just stat, physical, or even effect-enhancing items equipped by players to imitate the effects of a magical ability.
Every [Tier-1] Talisman only gives a person basic abilities such as controlling slight wind pressure, heat up metal to a scalding temperature, or even do a slight increase in movement speed of a person, making a few things float, control direction of already moving objects, and etcetera...
[Tier-2] Talismans are more useful and if combined from different Tier-1 Talismans can make basic magical effects such as fire balls or ice bullets, though their overall effects to the user or against an individual is almost negligent.
In short, the higher the Tier of the Talisman, the better its effects, the rarer their required materials, the harder they are to create.
That's where the [MOD] items comes in to play.
MODs, or Magic Ornamental Devices, are items of unknown origins that can't be used by themselves but gives tremendous effects when used on a weapon(s) as its vessel.
Of all the items in Terroa, MODs, aside from Runes, are the only items that directly give any individual magical abilities.
Whether it was a strong magic or not depends on how they are used. Even a player using [Rare MOD] can bring down a player using a [Legendary MOD] if the latter doesn't know how to properly use it.
As such these are items coveted by all.
Volga's eyes lit up. The female knight's eyes also lit up as their greed had been ignited.
"Prince Volga, I will allow myself to be your woman for an entire month if you give him to me." She said with hissing anger on her tone. "That MOD is mine."
Before Volga could even process this sight, he was already given an option. And this knight, she was one of the most beautiful female NPC in the entire Apus Epirus and also one that had her own pride.
He and she had always been in bad terms but it's not even a secret that her beauty is something that can be said to be only next to Genevieve and Scion in terms of quality.
For this prideful woman to propose this condition meant that she sees this Rare MOD as something beyond just an item that could cause a war between countries.
But, Volga is also like the venomous Kladis when it comes to women. Their only differences is perhaps he doesn't have luck and patience and that he was the kind to force his way in just to get what he want unlike Kladis who takes the route of soft yet hard.
"I'm not stupid, Hilda. One year." He relied calmly.
Hilda, the female knight, snapped at him. "You are taking things too far! Giving you a month is already giving you enough face. Don't get carried away! The mission given to you is already in the verge of failing... don't think you can escape the Master's wrath when he sees your failure."
"Hmp. Failure or not, I will still get this MOD. Either you submit to my condition or we both get nowhere standing here like dumbfounded chickens."
Of course, Volga was compromising but since it's already gotten in this messed up situation, why not gain more treasures despite his failure?
Hilda gritted her teeth and glared at Karim. "Fine."
Volga let out a smile as he swiped the air to send a [contract] to Hilda. Hilda bit her lips as she pressed to confirm and that's when Volga bid a wide smile as he dashed forth towards Karim, followed by his knights and Hilda and her own battalion.
The entire exchange between Hilda and Volga lasted for a few moments and when Karim saw the attacking horde, he clicked his tongue and changed his pose.
His polearm slanted, supported by his arm and his back, knees bent, his left palm facing his enemies, he roared as he focused his energy to his armed martial art's path to face them all.
"You! Shall! Not! Pass!" Karim's voice boomed as he brandished a sweeping motion.
But before he could even hit Volga, the target made a smile and followed with a flash.
"...!!" Karim was surprised but there was no time to show it for as soon as Volga disappeared, Hilda's blade was already following behind the afterimages of Volga. "This is...!!"
The slender double-edged blade in her hand was arching with a pale blue light as it went straight for a deathly strike to stab his heart.
"Hah!" Karim's fist bumped in front of his chest to stop the stabbing blade and this action completely surprised the advancing Hilda.
TA~~~NG!
A dull hollow sound of a hammer hitting a tank's armor spread in a moment lasting almost forever.
Her blade was stuck between his fists!
"Strong!" She exclaimed but didn't back down. "But I am strong as well."
Within that frozen moment, her body also started to release a bluish aura –a sign of using a Rare MOD.
"You..." Karim's eyes gleamed with savagery as he felt the pressure released by her glaring eyes. "I'm sorry, Captain, I let one escape."
With his words radiating in his mind, he tapped the sword away from his body and kicked nowhere at his right side.
Instead of laughing at this stupid move, this action frightened Hilda and she quickly pulled her rapier to defend on her upper left flank.
CLANG!
A solid sound of metal against metal rung and the vibration rattled her entire being as she was forced to take a few steps back.
Karim never ceased and he, not holding on his pole weapon, did simplistic movements like raising his elbow, his knee, or rocking his head side by side and then back and forth, turning his hips, twisting his body. With each and every movement he made, silhouette of his red-glimmering glaive slashed off one knight soldier after another.
Should he spare the female knights and be a great gentleman?
No. That would be a sin to his enemy and himself.
This... is a battlefield!
He's a warrior with one foot in his coffin, fulfilling his heart and as well as refining his martial arts to the most effective training grounds ever.
Winds picked up wherever his glaive passed. One head would fly, another's arm would fall, a body will be chopped in half, and someone will be crushed to the ground like mashed potato.
Karim was fulfilling his promise to the very best of his ability.
Hilda could only stare.
A torrent of slaughter was happening in front of her and her hand that held the sword was shaking.
She watched as the red-glowing nameless glaive danced like a ghost to kill her subordinates. No one could pass through his defense whether it was in the sky or the ground.
"You..." she gritted her teeth and hissed, "don't think you are invincible in this place!"
She raised her sword to eye level and then prepared for a piercing attack. The blue aura escaping her body blended with her blue sword. She understood where this strength of his was coming from.
"I can't win if I don't stake my life on the line. This is the unfair world between mortals and immortals."
Her words were only spoken to herself but it felt like it was cursing the heavens. She... was intently referring to the players as [immortals].
With one finial exhale, the blue-bladed rapier in her hand flashed with a resplendent light. She had now staked her life to prove her sword. There is only one path out of this.
To live and become stronger––
––or to die for being weaker.
"This is my sword." She said, honoring the man's devotion to his unyielding vow. "Resplendent Edge –First Form– Hundred Piercing!"
Pausing for a moment when he felt his enemies backing, Karim gazed at Hilda.
Weapon at his back like an imposing general, Karim invited her with his left hand.
"Come."
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"You shall not pass!"
That line... is... epic.
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NOTES:
#1 Historically, there were two 'Sun Tzu' but they are father and son and is collectively addressed as Sun Tzu, meaning Teacher Sun. Their works are both also called [Art of War]. For further referencing, please google: The Art of War
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Next chapter: The lost soul wanders...
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