Chapter 48
As they watched the enormous beast emerge from the transfer gate in front of them, the members of the Northern Lazarus Guild stood motionless in amazement and fear. As she stared at the being that looked like the embodiment of chaos itself , the dark smoke covering its body was mixing with the massive mana it was creating and gathering all at the same time.
Sebastian recalled that the tower gatekeepers gather information and catalog it into their archives as a way to keep track of the powerful beings that might decide to finally move through the tower floors. These were beings that even gods have a hard time dealing with, as these beings were created. by the same force that made gods gain authority .
Suvari Mila, a level 25 Mage known for her aptitude for evaluation, went pale. Its humanoid appearance concealed a strength that was nearly beyond mortal comprehension. As if it were a toy, snakelike appendages writhed from its body, effortlessly lifting the carcass of a dead troll, a beast that weighed almost a ton.
Because of the creature's immense power, the adventurers—warriors, magicians, and rogues—were unable to move or even twitch their muscles. The powerful aura flowing from the entity incapacitated the most stalwart members of the group, including Sebastian, Terrence, and Ezra. Suvari Mila's voice trembled with barely contained panic as sweat beaded their brows.
"That thing... it has no level, sir," she stammered out, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"What? Is it a player?" someone asked, a note of desperation creeping into their voice.
Suvari Mila shook her head. "What I'm seeing under its race is all question marks, sir."
The gravity of the situation began to sink in. They were faced with an entity of unknown origin and unimaginable power, and it was heading straight for the city. The warriors who had emerged from the transfer gate alongside them seemed just as stunned and helpless in the face of this unexpected threat.
"If that being attacks us, we will be completely destroyed," Suvari Mila whispered, her words hanging in the air like a death knell.
"We must notify the warriors that Lady Riad-dûm Laenaria leads to aid us. About what's in front of us..."
But it was already too late. The humanoid-looking being, having apparently finished its gruesome work of dispatching the remaining monsters, suddenly lashed out with its serpentine appendages and launched itself towards the city. The force of its passage was enough to send the adventurers stumbling back, buffeted by the shockwave. In stunned silence, they watched as the being thundered onward, a harbinger of doom and destruction that seemed poised to raze the city to the ground.
And as it disappeared over the horizon, its purpose clear, the adventurers were left to grapple with the knowledge that they were utterly outmatched and that their only hope for survival lay in reaching the Jin guild forces fast. The sun was rising, and the thundering roar of the Evolce Drake was heard as it was finally awake and would soon come out of its underground nest.
The two guilds finally made their move as they forced their way into the city. They divided the attack force into four; they pushed forward with the aid of the battle wagon. The remaining joined guild players made sure to kill any creature that came to attack them. The monster attack pattern was not organized, unlike before; each monster acted the way they always did. These random attacks were ineffective against the players. Whatever made these monsters attack in the first place was now gone.
The houses along the city were being used as barricades by the players to protect themselves from the monsters, and they used the structure to gain a strategic advantage over the enemy. The guild players quickly realized that they had the upper hand in this hunt and began to move at a faster rate to reach the very heart of the city, where the nest of the Evolved Drake was reported to be.
The monster that witnessed the ferocity of the players took them by surprise, as they had never encountered such a coordinated and determined group before. Each attack was coordinated, and even the scouts and porters were doing their task with efficiency as they made sure the main attack force was regularly checked. These groups were low-rank players, and their skills were non-combat types, but they were fast and agile. These players were equipped with strong and lightweight armor for easy maneuverability. Despite their lack of combat skills, they were able to assist the attack force by supplying them with mana and healing potions.
Charlotte Lazarus, with the help of the Lazarus clan, studied and made ample plans to minimize the deaths within their team. They made sure to never harbor any ill intent toward the White Devil Guild as they both agreed to set foot on the second floor of the dungeon together. Their cooperation and mutual respect allowed them to navigate through dangerous territory and defeat powerful enemies with minimal casualties. This partnership proved to be beneficial for both parties, as they were able to share resources and knowledge to increase their chances of survival until they faced the evolved Drake.
The monster that they were now hunting was not really that hard to kill when it was still a virtual game; it gained a small amount of sentient knowledge and was about to evolve into a stronger dragon. Its mana core will reach 10 thousand points. Two high-level battle archmages can match its power when it comes to delivering powerful magic attacks, but that was a game; now the playing field is different, and many high-level mages and warriors faced the monster but ended up losing and only gave the drake superficial wounds, and it just continued to rest under the city.,
News about players directly hunting the dragon, not waiting for the scenario related to it to happen, was a useless action, as the dragon was never seen active and moving outside of its nest. Scenarios have a time frame that the tower follower perfectly likes, like when it was a game.
This information keeps coming out of online forums on a daily basis , as many keep forgetting they are no longer inside the virtual game.
Many pointed out that those who died might still be unaware they were no longer playing a game , which led to unnecessary risks being taken by players. It is important for players to remember that the consequences in real life are much more severe than in a virtual game.
Those who awakened their skills randomly had to enter an academy to get proper training and guidance. This new batch was more aware of the reality they were in, as they never played the game. Those who graduated from the player academy were seen to gain higher survival rates and success in the game compared to those who did not receive proper training. The only issue was their new players have low combat skill awakening.
The skill blessing these new players gain is raw, and skill lacks any actual combat experience. This often put them at a disadvantage when facing more seasoned players in the tower. With this many new players, they were very cautious and hesitant to engage in battles, leading to lower success rates in the tower hunt and quest clearing.
The Lazarus clan knew this well and recruited guild members who were new and lacked battle experience but were seen to have a high survival rate. They gained fame not because of their battle prowess but because of their strategic thinking and ability to survive in difficult situations. This unique approach allowed the Lazarus clan to thrive in the tower despite their members' lack of combat experience.
Many guilds now saw what the Lazarus Guild had done; many guilds laughed at this idea , seeing only it as a foolish strategy. However, as the Lazarus clan continued to succeed and gain recognition, other guilds began to reconsider their own recruitment methods and strategies. The Lazarus clan's unconventional approach ultimately paved the way for a new perspective on guild recruitment and training.
Among the guilds that followed Lazarus's ways were the playerss association White Devil, the Golden Lotus, the Lion Guild, the Silver Star , the Moon Oracle, and the Earth Defender Guild.
Nearly sixty percent of the registered players enter the tower to gain fame and riches; the remaining forty percent, like those who are part of the players association and players serving on the government, remain to secure the safety of the non-players from the monster that escapes the tower's confinement.
The confusion of living inside the tower and the real world was taking its toll on the people; that is why the gatekeepers are strict in implementing the tower's guidelines. As many players continued and tried to manipulate their stats by adding artifacts and illegal items created to bypass the towers over years, many succeeded, but this changed the towers scenario dynamics and led to alter the main scenarion to a more dangerous and unpredictable one.
Countless scenarios were triggered because of these errors. Many players that were able to gain from these cheats were now hiding as the gatekeepers were now cracking down on any suspicious activity. The once safe and controlled environment of the tower has now become a battleground for those trying to exploit the system.
And the biggest deviation was heading toward the city. As his AI was making all the necessary arrangements so that Dane would now be seen as an error but part of the main story. Sebastian, with his 50 guild members, and alongside Lady Riad-dûm Laenaria, whose soldiers ran toward the city, the devastation the unknown humanoid-looking being was causing was unprecedented. The soldiers serving Lady Riad-dûm Laenaria were unaware of the being Sebastian and the rest of his team saw.
They could only tell that a power being was also hunting. The problem was who it was hunting. The battle mage that was part of Lady Riad-dûm Laenaria's force confirmed what he was seeing: a mana residue that was left of the ruined road was too dense and heavy.
It was suffocating him. He was third among the strongest battle mages serving Lady Riad-dûm Laenaria, but the mana this said being was so potent, no living being can withstand it. As they were all running and following the train left by a being covered with burning embers and thick smoke, he further explained that mana should be like water—it flows freely and smoothly—but this mana residue felt more like sludge ready to engulf everything in its path.
"Even a dragon mana can't come near this kind of energy; it's heavy and oppressive," he warned, causing a chill to run down the spines of all who heard him. The battle mage's power was unmatched, but the mana residue on the broken path was different, and many were having a hard time channeling their own mana through it. Just to continue their run.
As they came near the city limits, they never saw or felt the being's presence, as it vanished without a trace. It was ahead of them, and based on the 100-meter trail, it took the mana it was emanating and carved a ten-foot-wide broken road path , as if a 100,000-pound bulldozer had plowed through. The group exchanged worried glances, unsure of what they were up against but determined to press on and confront whatever lay ahead. The air crackled with tension as they cautiously advanced towards the city limits, their hearts pounding in anticipation of the unknown threat lurking in the shadows.
Sebastian saw that the East Lazarus Guild was nearing the heart of the city. The main road leading to the city was wide and could be seen even if they were 20 meters away, hiding among the tall grass surrounding the abandoned city..
It was like a scene depicted in a movie where the city was left in ruins as plant life consumed the streets and infrastructure, while the surrounding area that was once filled with open farmland was now overrun by tall grass, giving the appearance of a forgotten world. Sebastian had already given out his orders not to engage the enemy; he'd done so as he wanted to honor his promise to never interfere with the East Lazarus and White Devil Guild-sanctioned quest. He came just to ensure his cousin will gain the upper hand if she needs it.
Mary Kaye was the one who asked for help, so his guild wasn't dishonoring their agreement with the East Lazarus Guild. Sebastian sent thousands of gold coins, but it was worth it just to see his cousin complete the mission all by her own guild.
Sebastian guild mages had already activated cloaking spells to hide their presence and barriers to protect them from stray monsters. As they knew, the empire of Solnara Cererindur, king and citizens, was watching the events unfold. They were watching King Deryth Cererindur and his wife, Queen Nimriel Cererindur, and consorts Maisha Cohnal and Aranel Finrod, with all their servants and staff intently watching.
Sebastian wasn't prepared like Charlotte and Mary Kaye. He can just in case something happens. Interfering with a sanction quest from the king can lead to a huge penalty, so they plan to act only as a last resort. He wanted to join the quest, but he was rejected as the Northern Lazarus Guild was stationed at the land of the Holy Holy Empire of Álfheim.
King Deryth Cererindu was a businessman and saw only opportunity toward those who were stationed at his domain. The guilds that were currently participating established their guild based on his land. King Deryth Cererindu values loyalty and respect towards his kingdom, making it clear that any interference with his sanctioned quests will not be tolerated. This strict policy ensures that the guilds operating within his domain adhere to his rules and regulations.
Their presence was a clear violation even if they came from the same guild family.
Sebastian noticed that the environment that was disturbed with the thick mana was not getting any negative reaction; most of the time, miasma will soon start to form in places with such dense mana residue. But they notice the suffocating and oppressive atmosphere seems to be contained within the broken path, not spreading beyond its borders. And was slowly dissipating, turning the area into a lush and vibrant landscape. It was as if the mana residue was being absorbed by the surrounding nature, rejuvenating it in the process.
As the lowest creatures in the tower that feed on the mana residue, the small creatures were forming and were now thriving in this specific path on the land. The land near the city of Lúthien is a wide-open flat land with small, irregular hill and rock formations and filled with tall but dry grass but lacks any other animals that graze the wide land.
Because monsters dominated the place and killed all the docile farm animals, the creatures that came out were slimes, as these creatures thrive by eating anything. But eating dry grass made them grow smaller and weaker because the grass lacks nutrients and essential mana particles needed for their growth. As a result, the slimes in this area were smaller and less aggressive compared to those in other regions where they had access to a wider variety of food sources.
As the evolving drake under the city was consuming the remaining mana particles in the area, unknown to the drake, the mana that was supposed to come from the dead monster didn't get consumed while it was generating and evolving. Because it did not have access to the necessary nutrients and mana particles, the drake's evolution was stunted and slower than expected.
This imbalance in mana consumption and evolution led to a unique and unpredictable outcome for the creature. This was caused by Ward and Mikos's intervention, as the two made sure to harvest all mana particles in the surrounding area without telling Dane, as he was focused on other matters, like killing any monster that crossed his path.
Ward harvested the mana core as fast and swift on his serpent form and quickly punctured and collected the cores with surgeon precision, and the remains were tossed inside the dimensional storage that already has the same transfer magic of the sack bag, while Miko dissected the mana core and stored the raw, pure mana into Dane's mana engine to evolve it to its highest potential and control, regulate, and enhance its power output. The process was seamless and efficient, allowing Ward and Miko to quickly move on to their next objective without delay. its use so the tower gods won't notice him and he'll be seen as part of the thousand and random scenario.
And because Dane's body was reconstructed based on the towers law , Dane gained a body that could continue to evolve depending on the mana he gains. The moment he took out the restraints of his limit, he assumed it was related to his privilege to access the separate system the main tower granted him.
The modified scripts he created to adjust his stats required him to remove the system restraints, allowing him to adjust his player stats. As a programmer, these actions were normal and a daily occurrence in his day-to-day job. As the main developer of the Arcane Crusade virtual game , he usually does create and modify scripts regularly. However, the consequences of removing the system restraints in the game were only done if an error or bug was detected, as it could potentially disrupt the balance of the game and affect the player experience.
Removing these restraints is done so error and bug fixes can be implemented efficiently and effectively. Therefore, he proceeded with caution and made sure to thoroughly test his modified scripts before implementing them into the live environment.
As he tested the adjustment to his player stats, it was the start of the drastic changes. Even when the tower's main system finally noticed this anomaly and removed him from the cursed forest and adjusted his stats to the lowest settings, it was already too late.
The moment he stepped foot into the cursed forest without the system restraining him from overriding the scenario, Dane had already created another storyline branch that was not connected to the main one. Dane actually created another main story; this new main story is slowly eating the original story.
Even though he was a key architect of the core narrative, he and his team prioritized allowing the main system story to dynamically respond to player choices and actions. They envisioned a world where the overarching plot wasn't a rigid, predetermined path but rather a living, breathing entity capable of evolving based on the collective impact of the player base. This concept, fundamentally rooted in the interconnected and reactive nature of the web itself, fueled their desire to create a narrative that felt genuinely collaborative and emergent.
Ward and Miko were created to utilize all their knowledge to assist Dane in the best possible manner. Dane trusted the two, and they allocated all their combined knowledge of the tower scenario, as they could still access Dane's former and older memory. This was when he was still Damon Lzarus. They made sure Dane would dominate the tower and truly be free.
And for the two of them, being the strongest even among the gods was the only way to be free, as they knew those gods did this just to justify their power and gain entertainment. Dane was the only person that was fully synchronized. With the power the gods used to create the tower and everything inside it.
The vast, endless ocean that powered the tower was nearly limitless , but Dane is the river vein that was able to connect, flowing through and assimilating with the ocean effortlessly, just because he was curious about the limits of his new life.
The smoke-like mane covering his body was now more refined; the smoke-like appearance was no longer seen. The mana covering his body was seen as solid, like it was made of metal and leather armor. Dane's request to look fierce was included in his new look. Dane didn't even notice that she removed his normal human clothing and replaced it with the formless armor. Miko created seven different types of armor that Dane could use so he could fully utilize his skill in fighting, hunting , defense , and exploration. Even if his healing abilities were limited, Miko made use of medical knowledge that she gain from hacking into the player association medical clinic were he recuperated before entering the tower the second time.