Chapter 119 - Prelude the Great Battle (3)

7.

“Go!”

At Sohank's shout, Natal started running away with Bagel on his back. Natal didn't hesitate at all as he moved his feet.

The Corrupted Centaurs wore full armor that made them look more knightly than most knights.  Sohank didn't show any hesitations as he faced 10 Corrupted Centaurs.

‘Even if I die, it'll only be for 48hrs.  Let's do this!’

Instead of running away, Sohank used his Charge skill to run towards the approaching group of Centaurs.  Sohank was charging like a mad bull, and he used Body Slam to send the leading Centaur flying.  The Centaur was 4 meters long, and it was 3 meters in height. The massive body of the Centaur was thrown backwards just like that.

At the same time, the Centaur closest to Sohank thrust its spear accurately towards Sohank's head.

Shweeek!

The sound of destruction coming towards him was frightening.

Ggahhng!

Sohank's response to the sound of destruction was to use the Heading skill.  Instead of avoiding the spear coming towards his head, he used Heading to deflect the attack.

It was inelegant, but the result was indisputable.  The spear bounced off his head, and the Centaur showed an opening.  Sohank didn't miss capitalizing on the opening that was created. Several skills were stacked on the sword, and Sohank swung it towards the Centaur's forelegs.

Kwah-jeek!

Sohank's sword strike broke both its forelegs. When the Centaur lost its use of its forelegs, it fell over.  Sohank punched the fallen Centaur's head.

Ggwahhng!

It was a single punch, but the Centaur’s body shook uncontrollably as it lay on the floor.

It was a level 170 Unique Skill exclusive to the Fighter class.  It was called Concussion Punch.

The skill had the powerful effect of causing a Stun status, and the skill was worth its price.  It was such an expensive skill that one had a hard time acquiring it even if one had money.

Of course, Sohank possessed a skill that was more expensive than the Concussion Punch.

“Awooooo!”

A wolf's cry exploded forth from Sohank's mouth.

Howling!

It was a level 190 Unique Skill exclusive to the Fighter class. It was the last skill one could get as a Fighter Class, who had gone through only the 1st Advancement.

It had the effect of adding an additional 10% damage to the monsters in the surrounding for a limited amount of time! It also reduced the damage the User took by 10%!

At the same time, it gave the Fear effect to the surrounding monsters.  It also had secondary Option of pulling the aggro.

Currently, there were only two Fighter class Users in Warlord who possessed this skill.  The skill was possessed by the First One Sulwoo, and the Second Head Sohank.

Several Corrupted Centaurs had ignored Sohank as they were about to chase after Natal, who was running away with Bagel on his back.  The Howling had the effect of focusing all the attention of the Corrupted Centaur on him.  

In a flash, Sohank was surrounded.

Sohank laughed at his own situation.

‘Mission complete.’

Sohank's role was to make sure there were no pursuers following after Natal.  Natal understood this fact, so he immediately stopped running.  He checked up on Bagel's condition.

“Are you ok, Bagel-nim?”

When meeting with Prince Dean, Bagel had observed decorum as he took off the heavy armor he always wore.  Instead,  Bagel had worn luxurious clothes one might see on an entertainer.  However, Prince Dean wasn't there to greet Bagel.

“I'm all right. I avoided the critical blow.”

“Still, you are bleeding heavily.”

“If such a flesh wound could kill me, someone else would have already taken my place as the caretaker of the Terube castle walls by now.  Moreover, I refuse to die by Agardo's hands."

Sir Agardo.

He was a blonde haired knight, who was known as the left hand of Prince Dean.  He had disguised himself as Prince Dean, and he had been waiting for Bagel.  Bagel tried to observe etiquette by kneeling on one knee with his head lowered.  As soon as Bagel was raising his lowered head, a sword stabbed towards Bagel's heart.

In that brief moment, Bagel avoided the attack.  As a result, Sir Agardo's sword pierced through Bagel's shoulder instead of his heart. Afterwards, Bagel let out a counterattack, and he was able to escape the room.  Natal and Sohank had been on standby, and they attempted to escape with Bagel.  Natal let out a sigh when he exited the castle.

‘I was fortunate.’

[You've earned the Title 'Those who Helped Bagel Escape'.]

[You've earned the Title 'Bagel's Savior'.]

[You've earned the Title 'Observer of History'.]

At that moment, the consecutive Announcement rang out in his ears to announce the three titles he had earned.

Sohank used the Voice Talk to speak to Natal.  Sohank was far away from Natal now.

- Natal! Did you also get the Titles?

Sohank's voice was still overflowing with energy.

“How are you faring?”

- I did well in taking down five of them, but it seems I'll be taken down soon!

Even though he was about to die, Sohank's voice was upbeat.  Sohank was that type of a person.  If he died, he died. He'll just catch up on dramas he missed for the next 48 hours!  This was how he played the game.

Of course, from the Hyrdra guild's perspective, this trait worried them the most about him.

“If you hold out a little bit longer, the support team will be there!”

- I don't think I'll be able to hold out any longer.

Sohank was Hydra guild's best fighting power.  The very best Items and Skill Books they gained was given to Sohank first. For the Hyrda guild, he was like a walking treasure box, yet he treated himself without much care.  This frustrated the other officers of the Hydra guild to no end.

‘Shit.  I still need more time until the support team arrives.’

Sohank and Natal were the only two allowed to participate in the meeting with Bagel and Prince Dean.

Still, they had prepared a contingency plan.  There was a support team on standby, but they were a long distance away.

As with any business,  it wasn’t easy for the support team to arrive on time.  They only moved if something went wrong.  The support team stayed in place until that actually happened.

If Natal’s calculations were correct, the support team needed 5 minutes until they would be able to arrive near Sohank.

- The support team is here!

“What?”

Unlike Natal’s prediction, the support team arrived immediately.

- Uh? Why are you guys here so early?

Sohank was surprised.

- We received an order from the First Head.  When Prince Dean insisted on a private meeting with Bagel, we were told to go to the agreed escape route.

“You should have told me about it earlier!”

Natal yelled out as if he was angry, but there was no signs of anger on his face.

‘As expected of our guild, everyone is quick thinking.’

He had just escaped danger, so there was no reason to feel bad.

“What's going on?”

Natal looked as if he was talking to himself.  Of course, Bagel didn't understand what was going on, so Bagel asked Natal a question.  

Natal shut his mouth.

“It is nothing.  I was just talking to myself.”

“This situation is urgent.  These facts.... We have to notify the Secret Society.”

“I'll inform them.”

When he said those words, Bagel immediately handed over its Secret Society Ring, and a letter soaked in blood.

“Please deliver this to Ahimbree.”

[The Quest 'Prelude to the Great Battle' has started.]

“Yes.  Of course, I will deliver it to him.”

That moment was the start of a new age.

8.

[This is an announcement.]

‘Huh?’

When Hyrkan connected to the game, an announcement immediately arrived.

‘What kind of announcement?’

There were usually two types of announcement.  The first type was from the creator of Warlord, Tobot Soft, sending out an important announcement.  The other instance was when there was a change to a currently progressing Quest. If it was an issue regarding an electronic gear, Hyrkan would have known about it before he accessed the game.  He was one of the numerous Users, who gathered and organized new informations before he connected to the game. This type of information gathering was a basic of basics for those who earn their keep through playing this game.

This meant this was an announcement related to a Quest.

‘Can it be?’

Before Hyrkan could check the exact content of the announcement, he already had a hunch on what this was about.

Moreover, Hyrkan's hunch was right on the money.

[NPC Maeung and every quest related to him will be restricted from progressing.]

Progress Restricted!

This wasn't just any NPC.  His progress in the Maeung's Quests was restricted!

‘Someone stepped on the Prince Dean's tail.’

It was the start to the great battle.

‘Who was it? It couldn't be the Storm Hunters, since they were on the same Quest Route as me.  Was it the Red Bulls?  Or was it some guild outside of the 3 great guilds?’

Hyrkan had his suspicions, but he decided not to act based on his suspicions.

He didn't have much time.  Hyrkan wasn't the only one, who noticed the change.  A great number of Warlord Users probably realized what was happening, and they'll immediately mobilize.

If everyone suddenly moved at the same time, the person who got up first would beat the traffic jam.  He had to go meet Maeung before the traffic congestion occurred, and he had to receive the new Quest.

This was why Hyrkan was running full tilt towards the Bulkas mountain range. He had been waiting for this.  There would be confusion caused by Maeung's disappearance, and he had the secret note given to him by the Bulkas' Ranger.

9.

It was a forest.

This forest was like the Elven villages.  Only select Users could enter it. However, Users had come to the circle around the forest like a pack of hyenas.

“Shit! I lost it again!”

“It seems they are planning on taking everything.  Isn't this a bit too much?”

They had come here to eat the scraps, yet they were left to sucking on their thumbs.  Of course, they vented their frustrations.

Moreover, the people online were also in an uproar.

- Isn't the Maeung's side incredible?  Someone caught sight of Ballista and the Storm Princess moving together.

- I think all of Red Bulls is moving on towards here.

- Hahoe Mask! The Hahoe Mask has appeared!

The Main Scenario Quest had been progressing on the down low, and this moment was when the front-runners were revealed.

This information caused a ruckus, and it was impossible for the user base to stay composed.

Those who carried out the Main Scenario Quests faithfully gathered in one place to fight the Immoral Prince. The atmosphere between them was frigid.

Even though some of them saw each other on a regular basis, they didn't even give each other a smile.

It was the same when Hyrkan appeared. Usually, the reaction to Hyrkan's appearance was quite predictable.  Usually, the Users became surprised as they conversed with each other or they glared at him with an annoyed expression.

However, everyone was silent as they focused their attention on Hyrkan. They merely registered the Hahoe Mask as a new rival in their minds. Even the Storm Princess, who had been going crazy wanting to beat Hyrkan with her own two hands, was standing still.  

What other explanation was needed?

Hyrkan was also acting in a similar fashion.

He looked at the noteworthy Users.  Even though the Stormhunters guild members were present, Hyrkan didn't get angry.

‘It's the Storm Princess and Ballista. Have they started dating? Or did they start dating at a later date?’

Everyone just too note of who was present here.

They kept their mouth shut as they waited.  Several more people were joined the pool of rivals. After a brief amount of time, Maeung finally appeared.

“Prince Dean has finally revealed his evil influence!”

After he appeared, Maeung went into a one-sided speech.  

“I don’t have the time to get into the details.”

First, Maeung made sure no one would ask him questions.

“Prince Dean... No, the Immoral Prince used the power of Corruption to form the Corrupted army.  Moreover, this army is filled with powerful and scary beings. This horde will move to swallow this world.”

The Users gathered here had invested a great amount of time, effort and money into the Main Scenario Quests over a several month span. In the end, they were being gathered under the same coat of arms.

One would expect them to feel despondent, but no one present here fidgeted from being let down.  The anxiousness of waiting for a new mission blew away any let down they would have felt.

“Ours first task is to save the continent from this war!”

The Users were listening to the speech with serious expressions.  This was evidence that the Users present weren’t feeling letdown.

“Furthermore, our second task is to defeat the Immoral Prince!”

Most of the Users had a smile as excitement overtook their expressions.

“Our third task is is to save the world from the fear caused by the power of Corruption!”

[The Quest 'Great Battle' will start.]

He couldn't help, but also be excited.

‘Oh oh oh!’

‘I'll be the protagonist this time.’

This was a scary venture, but at the same time, they were the selected few.  They’ll be given a chance to open a treasure chests with incredible value.  

Who wouldn’t feel excited by such news?

There was exactly one person who wasn’t.

‘Ah.  I remember now.’

Hyrkan was the only one who didn't have an excited smile on his face.  His lips turned down as it settle into a frown.

‘At the time, the Users ignorantly launched attacks, and it had been quite the spectacle to see them wiped out.’

Hyrkan knew what would happen.  The great battle that'll start from this point was much more difficult than any battles everyone in this game had experience before.

This was the reason why Hyrkan was confident in himself.

'I have good enough odds in this great battle.'

10.

[This will be the start of Warlord's second Main Scenario Quest.  It is the last chapter of the 'Immoral Prince' chapter!]

[It is the Great Battle!]

[Those with the bracelet can participate in the Immoral Prince Raid.  Let us find out who possesses the bracelets!]

[The Hyrdra guild revealed the identity of the Immoral Prince. Exclusive interview!]

The start of the great battle created a bigger ripple effect than expected. Of course, the portion of the media that focused their topics around Warlord talked about it.  However, even the media that had been disinterested in the game quickly moved to push out articles related to Warlord. In Japan, the news programs reported on contents relating to the great battle.

Even those who had been disinterested in Warlord were paying more interest now. Of course, the Warlord Users and the fans, who enjoy watching the game, wouldn't stay calm for this.  They all gathered online, and their interest was intense like a molten lava.

- Yes.  This is it!  

- This Main Scenario Quest is a jackpot. Aren't normal Users able to participate?

- We can't participate in the Immoral Prince Raid, so how is this a jackpot for us?  It was the same with the Corrupt Count.  In the end, didn't the Users, who already have a lot, benefit the most?  This is a really dirty game.  I don't know why I play this game.

  ㄴ This bastard will be cut down by the Immoral Prince in 3 seconds.

      ㄴ I predict 2 seconds.

            ㄴ I bet my V gear that we wouldn't be able to last 1 second.

- I’ve never fought a Corrupted monster before.  Just being able to fight them will be a reward in itself.

- I feel the same way.  Always, will we be able to gain the Pursuer of Corruption title from fighting these Corrupted monsters?

- There is a rumor that says the Corrupted Items will start dropping again!

- Really? It'll be a jackpot if Corrupted Items appears.

The Warlord Users were a hopeful bunch.  No...  They were filled with romanticism more so than hopefulness.  The Main Scenario Quest was like a story from a different world, but they became filled with romanticism when they realized they would be able to enjoy a part of the Main Scenario Quest.

- The Corrupt Arrmy has appeared at the Bulkas mountain range!  They are level 100 monsters!

- Wow! Let's go immediately and kill them!

- I'm gathering a team to fight the Corrupt army.  Anyone above level 100 may join.

The Users were full of romanticism, and there wasn't a single inkling of fear as they charged into battle.

However, when the romanticism inside the battlefield....

- What the hell?  Why are they so strong?

- The difficulty level is fucked up!

- Warlord is really a dirty game.

...immediately turned into lamentation.