Chapter 393 Royal Labors
Within the Western Country of the Devastators, Warlord, the leader of the Super Guild The Devastators was conducting a meeting with the staff of his guildmates and leaders. They were all seated in a round table where the guild usually held all of their important meetings and made all of their major decisions.
Warlord led the meeting and was speaking with enthusiasm, "So, the next Dwarven Ruin will open in less than an hour, we already agreed with Heaven Dawn and Blood Rage to a truce."
"How can you be sure that they won't go back on their word, they did that twice now." Satan Slayer said. He had both his hand folded in front of him.
"Well, I made sure that they won't. Some of their members had made a blunder, and now they are busy defending more of their territory against the Qin army." Warlord said grinning.
"Oh, the sleeper cells," Valentine said.
"Yeah, our agents in their guilds are causing problems and now the other guilds need to stop the assault on their already stressed borders. They won't be able to spare powerful troops to contend with us. But we can't be fully sure that they won't be sending less powerful groups to harass us." Warlord said.
"If they don't send their strongest units, they'll never be able to cross to the dwarven ruin we discovered," Valentine said.
"Yeah, you haven't told us yet, where is the dwarven ruin you discovered?" A Beast tamer by the name of Rodrigue spoke. If Ralph was here, he would recognize the Beast Tamer as the same person that was with him when Dave raided the first Raid Zone of the underworld.
Due to the lack of Ralph's assistance to the Super Guild, Rodrigue managed to climb up in rank to be admitted into the Super Guild's VIP room. He had a say in the guild's decisions and he was exerting this right.
"For security reasons, we decided to keep the location a secret. We want to attack the ruin when we are ready and make sure that we don't give time to our enemies to prepare if they found out about our movement." Valentine said.
"Yeah, I understand, but it would be better to share the location with us, we would know where it is so we can be nearby when we'll start the assault," Rodrigue said.
Warlord frowned, he knew that as he had placed Sleeper Cells in the enemy guilds, the others could do the same to him, and Rodrigue was acting the same as a spy seeking information.
"Don't worry about that, just be ready. In one hour, we'll assault the dwarven ruin." Warlord said.
Rodrigue shrugged, he looked around and asked, "Where's Blaster, as I remember he was promoted to the A-20 Unit as a captain. Shouldn't he be here?"
Valentine looked at Warlord, nodded then replied, "Blaster is undergoing a secret mission for the guild."
"Bullshit, he's with that Skelly guy, I mean if I were him I'd have skelly join the guild ages ago. That guy is supplying skelly with secrets." Rodrigue said with a huff.
"What do you mean by that?" Warlord asked.
"What? Isn't it obvious, Blaster is that Ruster David guy's school buddy, I mean how would you explain the failure to the raid of the first Raid Zone if Ralph didn't warn him about us coming? If he didn't talk, we could have taken over the underworld, our guild would have been the rulers of that zone and we could be swimming in wealth." Rodrigue added.
Valentine concluded that only a spy would reveal another as a spy to get the heat and attention off of himself. But he had a bit of reason backing his words. If Blaster truly did inform Skelly about the attack on the first Raid Zone, they would have taken the area and by now, would have ruled the world of Conquest.
"Enough of that, I don't want to hear Ifs, and suppositions. Things have already happened, we can't change them, we'll adapt. Now, for the teams that will be joining the Dwarven."
Warlord began by naming the teams and was suddenly interrupted, not by a person, but by an earthquake that shook the palace in the middle of Icathia the golden city and the HQ of the Devastators.
The seated players fell from their chairs as tools, books, and shelves shook and fell to the ground, the walls groaned and the roofs threatened to fall.
Shouts and screams echoed through all of the city. The shaking lasted for a dozen seconds then stopped as if nothing happened. Warlord was shaken as he looked at everyone in the room.
He first thought that the earthquake happened IRL, but as it seemed the cracks were in the building in-game, it was probably an event. Warlord stood up and went to the window. The city looked like it was burning, smoke rose up from many areas of the city, and some buildings had fallen.
"What the hell was that?" Satan Slayer asked.
"I have no idea," Warlord said.
A moment later, a stream of notifications appeared in front of the players.
***
Congratulations to the player {Kis'Shtiengbrah} for defeating the Abyssal Dragon of Terror.
For being the first slain creature of the tier Unholy, the player {Kis'Shtiengbrah} has been rewarded the skill.
{Aura of Terror}
***
***
Congratulations to the player {Kis'Shtiengbrah} for unlocking one of the End-Game content
{Dragon Age}
Due to the Death of the first Dragon in the game, the world event [Dragon Age] has initiated.
The sleeping dragons all over the world have sensed the death of one of their kin.
The Dragons have decided that humans have become a danger to their kind, and for that, they have decided to emerge from their slumber.
Be careful, dragon wrath is unsurmountable, and cannot be predicted. There are a few dragons that are benevolent, a few that are neutral, but most of the dragon kind are ruthless and will stop at nothing but the death and destruction of all man-kind.
***
***
To keep the game in a fair-player friendly environment, a few areas have been charted as player-friendly, the dragons will not assault the capitals of the four world corners, but anything beyond is fair play. Be careful as you wander the world, it has just become deadly beyond measures.
***
"What the fuck did he do now?!" Warlord shouted.
The rest of the players were awestruck as they saw the notification, they were woken out of their stupor by the loud roar of an ancient being.
Looking ahead, Warlord noticed the top of one of the mountains that was always standing tall in front of the capital of the Western Kingdom crumbling. The mountain shook even harder, causing mild vibrations in the ground. Then a winged creature emerged from the top of the mountain, it looked much larger than the Abyssal Dragon, and instead of scales, it had stone and rocks as skin.
The dragon in the distance screeched loud then took off to the sky.
"Shit, this's gonna be an apocalypse," Valentine said.
***
Dave looked around himself, there were large swaths of dark purple fog covering the sky and the forest he was in.
Limbo was a world where the dead player would go to once they have fallen.
He died a few moments earlier, not due to an attack, but because of the shock from having slammed Durandal into the ground, the reverberations from the weapon had broken every bone in his body and had instantly sent him to his death.
Dave hadn't had the time to read the death notification when several ethereal hands latched onto him. They tightly grabbed at his body and began dragging him into the ground.
Dave panicked and began struggling to get himself off of the binds. He tried to use his skills to get himself loose, but his skill set was grayed out.
More hands latched onto him and he was abruptly pulled underground the dirt-covered his vision and he was engulfed in darkness.
Dave gasped as the light came back as suddenly as it had disappeared. He found himself in a familiar location. He looked above himself and saw an enormous black crystal hovering and rotating slowly.
"The Death Heart? I'm in the underworld." Dave said to no one in particular. His suspicion was confirmed almost immediately as he saw the hanging broken moon and noticed that he oversaw the whole of the Dead Realm from the top of the Bone Palace tower.
"Yes, you have died, Childe," a familiar sound echoed right next to him.
Dave barely fought the urge to yelp in surprise, he turned and saw the Undead King standing next to him. The ruler of all the undead looked over the vast lands of the undead in a patient gaze.
"I thought I should have been sent to Limbo and stayed there," Dave said.
"You would have if you had not been in your Undeath form," the Undead King said.
"You belong to the Undead, you're entitled to some of our advantages. The disadvantage that the livings receive does not apply to our kind, Childe." The undead king spoke in a calm tone.
"Yeah, that's great," Dave said.
"Childe, do you know what you have done?" The undead king said.
Dave frowned, he looked at the notification screen and sucked in a deep breath from between his teeth saying, "Yikes."
"Yikes? We never heard that word before," The undead king said.
"Oh, it's just a saying, so I kinda started an apocalypse?" Dave asked.
"Dragons do not frighten Us, However, they will make your task much harder. Still, I admire your power. You have defeated a dragon, all by yourself where not even Dortha would find himself capable of slaying such a creature."
"No way, Dortha is pretty strong," Dave said humoring the Undead King who Dave thought was obviously overreacting to the situation.
"No, His majesty speaks true, I could not have defeated such a being," Dortha's voice sounded right behind Dave.
Dave shuddered but managed to keep the shaking as he smoothly turned to face Dortha, the Beast.
"That was just luck, I couldn't have done that without the use of the [Balance Breaker] Chapter. And there's only one of them. I can't do that again even if I wanted."
"Doesn't matter, you proved that you have a strength comparable to an Abyssal Knight," Dortha said.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Dave asked.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a promotion," Dortha said.
"Uh, no, I don't get it, Promotion, there's only Abyssal knight rank left for me. I can't be an Abyssal knight, I'm not strong enough." Dave said.
The undead king laughed heartily, then said, "Childe, If you so wish, We can make you an Abyssal Knight now, We are the King of the Undead. Our word is beyond all" The Undead King said.
Dave thought for a moment, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The undead king was offering him to become an Abyssal Knight.
He sure did level up a lot after the Death of the Abyssal Dragon, right now, he was the highest-level player of all of Conquest, undisputedly. And with the title of an Abyssal Knight. He will get to lead an army a hundred times the size of the one he was leading right now. An army that could swamp the Qin kingdom, destroy it under its foot and march onward for the rest of the world.
The undead king was offering Dave immense advantages.
Dave sighed, thought for a moment then said, "Thank you, your majesty, but no. I'm not ready yet."
The undead king looked at Dave in a bewildered gaze, he was silent for a long while and before he could speak, another voice sounded nearby.
Dave's nerves were almost fried due to the incessant arrival of new people on top of the roof of the Bone Palace.
"I have told you, your majesty, he will not accept," Samael spoke. The ghoul had arrived like a ghost.
"Indeed, it is as you said, why? Childe, why refuse such power. Would it not suffice you?" the undead king said.
Dave grinned and said, "To be honest, it would be great. But, I don't think I deserve it. It would be unfair, I mean the tradition is for Doom Knights to become strong enough to contend with Abyssal Knights for their position, only this way can the legion truly become stronger. By striving for the top. If I was offered such a position out of nowhere, I won't be deserving it, and I don't think I'll be as happy about it as if I would if I earned it." Dave said.
"Wise words, Childe, you have succeeded." The Undead King said in a grin.
Dortha tapped Dave on the shoulder and said, "You have a good heart, Kis'Shtiengbrah, I had feared that power would have blinded you. I feel proud to have one such as you as a comrade."
"Kis'Shtiengbrah, well-chosen," Samael said in a smile.
"I don't understand," Dave said looking at everyone.
"It was a test, if you had chosen to become an Abyssal Knight, the Undead King would have been disappointed in you. His Majesty wanted to see where your loyalty lies." Dagla spoke this one also appeared out of nowhere.
Dementi arrived also, and three more silhouettes hidden behind shadows stood behind the Abyssal Knights and the Undead King. Dave thought that these were the Abyssal Knights he didn't meet yet.
"Kis'Shtiengbrah, today you have proven to us, that you are a true member of our legion. We give you one last task." The Undead King said.
"Defeat the Kingdom of man known as Qin, break the Ash-Demon's chosen one, and come meet us for your coronation."
"Coronation?" Dave asked dumbly, then a notification appeared in front of him.
***
New Quest: Tier SSS
-World Impacting Quest-
Royal Labors
His majesty, the Undead King of the Undead Legion has given his decree!
Kis'Shtiengbrah, has been given The Royal Labors.
First Labor:
Defeat the Ash King's Chosen One.
Second Labor:
Craft the Undead King's Armor.
Third Labor:
Defeat the Kingdom of Qin.
Fourth Labor:
Create a kingdom of the Undead in the Overworld.
Once all Labors have been completed, you shall be chosen a successor.
The reward for completion of the Undead King's Labors:
Formal Adoption from the Undead King.
Title, Prince of the Undead.
Rank: Abyssal Knight.
1,000,000 Gold.
***
"Huh?" Dave stared dumbly at the Undead King, and said, "You're kidding right?"
"We do not jest regarding matters as crucial, Childe," The undead king bemusedly.
Dave turned to Dagla, he couldn't believe what was going on. "But, I can't be that I just told you I was not strong enough to become an abyssal Knight, now it's Abyssal Knight and A royal adoption?!"
"Ha! Yes, Kis'Shtiengbrah, we have agreed that you're the one who is most deserving of such a treatment. But don't worry, once you have taken care of those labors, I believe that you will be a match to any of the Undead King's abyssal Knights, even without the Forbidden Chapter." Dortha said.
Dagla waved his hand and a black teleportation vortex appeared behind Dave.
"You need to leave soon, Kis'Shtiengbrah, you have left your weapon in the Wilds," Dagla said.
"Ah right, it's still there," Dave said.
"Yes. Go and finish what you started Childe, beware, the Ash King's Chosen one had survived the attack, you might find difficulty, but you have to prevail," The undead king spoke.
And suddenly Dave was sucked into the vortex.