Ark - Volume 18 Chapter 2

ACT 2 Crime File

“I understand. We’ll do it and immediately report.”

The guards of Lancel village saluted and ran away. As the commander of the war, Ark had organized the troops for different tasks. Once again, NPCs also had levels like users. The Wolrang were level 300 and their abilities were roughly equal to a user with the equivalent level. But those rough estimates were difficult in this situation. Several of the ex-thieves and beast clans had raised their level and learn skills as well. It was important to know oneself as well as one’s opponent. If Ark didn’t have a proper grasp of the military power than he would be unable to map out a proper strategy. So the first thing he had to do was determine the accurate information of his allies. Of course, the NPCs had no concept of things like level but an approximate guess could determine their position.

‘After I grasp the number of allies and their abilities, I can build a detailed strategy…….’

The next place Ark visited was the raccoons.

“Ark-nim, I heard that you came.”

The raccoons welcomed him as he entered their place.

“Will I be able to use the things I requested last time?”

Ark asked with a sense of expectation. Just like the Hermes alliance had always been thinking of Ark, Ark had always been thinking of the Hermes alliance. Ever since the Hermes alliance occupied Silvana, he was sure that he would one day conflict with them. So Ark had visited the raccoons and requested a secret project from them. He thought it was still too early to use but he had no choice in this situation. If ‘it’ would help in battle then he would use it. But the raccoon in charge of it shook his head.

“It’s at the finishing stages but some time is still needed for completion.”

“…..That’s right. It’s fine if it’s not possible but please hurry as much as you can.”

“We’ve mobilized all our staff and have been staying up all night.”

“Then I have another request for you.”

“Please say it.”

“How many members of the raccoon clan can you rally immediately?”

“All the works except for the ones Ark-nim requested have been currently suspended. If necessary then we can rally everybody.”

“Then please work according to my directions from now on.”

Ark spread out a map and explained it to raccoon in charge. As expected, the emphasis was on the defense of the main buildings. Through the information obtained, Jewel’s main goals was not slaughtering the residents but the magic tower, Ark’s store and looting the village. There were hundreds of people so once the confusion fight started than he wouldn’t be able to 100% stop them. So Ark’s top priority were some countermeasures.

“Please create a barrier using steel plated wood around the main buildings. How long would that take?”

“It is a good idea. If we assemble it onsite than 2~3 hours should be enough to create a barrier around one building. The design won’t take that long so it will be mostly assembly time.”

“Then get started straight away. Their goals are Ark’s shop and warehouse, the magic tower and the town hall so those should be your top priority. Come find me when you are done. If possible, you should also build a barrier around the village.”

Ark explained while pointing at the map. Of course there was no meaning in building the barriers if the village fell. But by placing the barriers around the main buildings in advance, some degree of defense was possible through guerrilla attacks. However the money used for the war preparations was provided from the village’s public funds. Galen had appointed Ark as the special commander of the village so he had the authority to use the pubic funds. Naturally even the commander couldn’t embezzle the funds so he had to provide receipts to Lancel village. Ark had finished settling the payment when Ark remembered and asked.

“Ah, can you also check how this can be used?”

“Huh? This is…..?”

<It is impossible to confirm the information on Fire Draconian skull>

Ark had taken out the skull left by Lumines. He couldn’t check the information or price of the Fire Draconian skull in the auction room at Paradon. But if it was the raccoons then they might be able to figure out its purpose. The raccoons had made accessories using unidentified special ingredients in the Underground World. The raccoon chief looked at it a while and showed some interest.

“This is a very unusual material. It is the first time I have seen something like this. But I have a sense of how to handle it. I know there are other tasks needed but can you leave this with me?”

If the NPC showed this response then it meant he could use it somehow.

“Will it take a lot of time to work with it?”

“If you leave it with me then I should finish it sometime this evening.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Ark considered for a while and nodded. Since the information and price was unknown, it would be difficult to sell. But if the raccoon chief created something from it then it was possible to sell that item. Even though the processing cost was 200 gold, he wanted to see the results. The more expensive the processing cost was, the higher probability there was that the finished item would be good. So Ark entrusted the Fire Draconian skull to the raccoon chief. Once the raccoons built the barriers, the defense of the main buildings should increase quite a bit. But if the worst case situation appeared and the village was occupied than it would be for nothing. In the present state, the chances of the worst case situation happening was very high.

‘Now, the remaining problem is……’

The next place Ark went to was his store. Although he had mobilized the residents, the main axis of the battle was Ark, Shambala and the helpers he recruited Bread and Redian. Despite the disadvantageous battle, Ark had some hope because of them. The users who belongs in the top 1% of New World! They were an unexpected power that Jewel couldn’t expect.

‘I have to organize the Lancel troops around them.’

After Ark finished his business, he decided to join them at Ark’s store to discuss the measures.

Ttukttuk, ttukttuk, ttukttuk!

When he approached the shop, the booming sound of hammers could be heard.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, Oppa!”

Roco then came running out of the store. Then she explained with a pleasant smile.

“We’ve been preparing too. I couldn’t hear such talk and continue to stay still.”

The moment Shambala had mentioned a war, Roco had closed the store door and boarded up the windows and doors with thick wooden planks.

“This is slightly better.”

“……It is better than nothing.”

“Don’t worry Oppa. I’ll protect the store somehow!”

“Yes, no matter what happens we’ll protect it with Manager-nim!”

Ulmeok and Sapjil cried out while holding a pot and a golf club. They were also equipped for combat in their own way. He honestly didn’t think it would be very helpful but it was 100 times better than them running away. Roco had educated her staff properly. No, maybe their loyalty increased when Buksil started to also earn money from the business.

“Okay, you should hide the expensive items deep inside the warehouse as well as layer them inside your bags. Those guys attacking the village have probably brought chaotic scrolls bit it is better than leaving them in the warehouse.”

“I understand, Chairman-nim!”

Sapjil and Ulmeok ran towards the warehouse.

“By the way, did Shambala and a couple come here looking for me?”

“Huh? There hasn’t been anyone looking for Oppa.”

“How far did those guys wander?”

Ark spoke in an irritated expression so Roco smiled.

“They seem to be a little late. Have a cup of tea with me in the meantime.”

“No, that……”

Ark restlessly surveyed the area before coughing and approaching Roco. After hesitating with an awkward expression, he searched through his bag. It was the Poco Poco doll he bought Roco from Paradon. But his hands shook nervously when he tried to grab the doll. His tongue had also become stiff.

“This is…..just……”

It wasn’t unreasonable for Ark to hesitate. Since the only women Ark had really interacted with were Roco and Lariette, this was the first time he had deliberately given a female a gift. In addition, the Poco Poco doll wasn’t a simple gift. The Poco Poco doll had a built in device to record voices……after much wavering, he decided to personally record a message but now he hesitated once he actually had to give it.

“It’s nothing. Once the battle spreads then I will have to supervise the whole village. The situation is urgent so you should take as much care as possible.”

Ark eventually spoke ambiguously after a while and scratched his head. Yes, he used this situation as an excuse for giving gifts. But Roco couldn’t understand his inner thoughts and just shook her head.

“Don’t worry. This store is Oppa’s and my…..hum hum, no, this place is also important to me. And do you remember what I told you before? Recently I’ve been training in different melodies with the ghost. While he seemed to teach ridiculous skills at first, I learnt some good things. If those guys try to attack this store then I’ll give them some trouble.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“I’ll use the melody skill I just learned to punish them.”

Roco elatedly explained the skill she learnt not long ago. Ark who listened to the explanation was suddenly surprised and asked.

“Eek? Is there really that skill?”

“Yes, I’ve tried it once and it worked out quite well?”

“W-wait! Then can that skill affect the whole village?”

“To be exact, it is different from giving an effect to the village. Because it is music. Thanks to the maximum output range, it is able to be applied to quite a large area. But it isn’t a buff or an attack magic…..”

Ark eyes shone brightly at Roco’s words.

‘This is a huge weapon that I never even imagined!’

Roco didn’t think the skill was that big a deal. She thought it was just a good skill for playing fun tricks. But despite not being an attack magic, the skill could exert an enormous effect. Ark instantly started planning strategies to take full advantage of Roco’s skill. When almost all of the strategy was prepared, Shambala, Bread and Redian finally arrived.

“Have you finished visiting the entire village?”

“Ah, we saw it. It’s so lively that I want to defend it even more.”

“I agree.”

Bread and Redian replied absent-mindedly. The sight of cats and dogs living so peacefully in the village was an enjoyable sight to them. Then Bread belatedly noticed Roco and asked Ark.

“Oh is this the first time you’ve met? This is…..”

When Ark tried to introduce them, Bread went forward and stopped him.

“Wait a minute. Hrmm, hrmm, I got it. You’re Ark’s girlfriend!”

“W-what are you saying?”

“Eh? You’re not? But you guys give off a positive energy? Huhuhu, you’re still young. There’s no need to worry. Although Redian and I are already like that. We have a sticky relationship……ouch!”

Bread had been smirking impudently when he suddenly shrieked and fell down. After kicking Bread, Redian sighed and muttered.

“I’m really sorry about him. I’m Redian and that stupid person is Bread.”

“It’s okay.”

Roco grinned and replied. Redian looked at Roco before smiling and nodding.

“Though that fool sometimes gets it right as well.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Redian smiled subtly and shook her head. After the group exchanged greetings, they moved the meeting to the second floor of the shop. Ark provided Bread and Redian an overview of the situation in Lancel village. Bread murmured with a serious expression at the end of his explanation.

“When I heard this I guessed that Raiden was involved…..he finally took such a bold move? That fellow might be shabby but he is as persistent as a snake. He absolutely won’t start a war until he is sure about it. He would have perfectly investigated Lancel’s present state beforehand. He would only take action when he judged that the odds were 100% in his favour. But you don’t have to worry. Because you have me.”

Bread laughed and praised himself. Redian just sighed and shook her head back and forth.

“I don’t know where that confidence comes from…….”

“No, Bread and Redian will definitely play a considerable role in the upcoming war. Unlike Shambala, Raiden won’t be expecting you two. Your power will be able to change the tides of the war.”

“We appreciate the compliment but we’re also users. There is a limit to how much we can against all those people.”

“That’s okay. It doesn’t matter whether it is 100 or 1000 people.”

“You should be quiet!”

Redian said to Bread in an irritated voice. Ark looked at the two of them before talking again.

“Of course, I also don’t think you two can go against so many people. But we also have something in our favour. Those guys still haven’t realized that we know about their plan to attack. When they arrive at Lancel village then we’ll be able to cut down a considerable amount of their power without fighting.”

“Decrease their power without fighting? How?”

Ark laughed at Shambala’s question and looked at Roco. Then he explained the strategy he just devised using Roco’s Minstrel skill. Shambala, Bread and Redian simultaneously looked at Roco after hearing the plan.

“Oh, a Minstrel? That’s an unusual profession? No, did a Minstrel originally have this type of skill?”

“New World is indeed wide. Even though I’ve seen considerable amounts of skill and experienced many things, I’ve never heard of such a skill. It will indeed be able to inflict a large blow on those guys. But we can’t expect a decisive effect with just that. Even if those guys suffer a blow, it still won’t make up for the power difference.”

Redian started organizing her thoughts.

“As expected, the biggest problem is the difference in troops. The most number of troops you can gather from Lancel are 300 people. On the other hand, they currently have 300 people as well. If the support army arrives then the difference will be huge. With fewer troops it won’t be possible to fight as well as defend the village.”

Redian was a magician and she grasped the situation instantly. Of course Ark knew that the biggest problem was the lack of troops. In a war, the most important thing wasn’t level but numbers. In addition, Ark didn’t just have to protect the village. Unlike Jewel’s group, the Lancel troops consisted of 90% NPCs. He had to minimize their losses in the fight. But in this situation it was impossible to minimize the sacrifices of the NPCs. Let alone be able to keep the village!

“There is a method.”

At that time Ark spoke with a smile. After obtaining the information for Lancel village, Galen hadn’t been doing nothing. He instantly concealed the information that the village was being attacked. If rumours of a battle spread than the users would run away from the village. Since the secret was concealed, users were still crowding Lancel. They numbered around 300~400 people! Yes, Ark’s secret intention was to drag the users into the battle. Of course, 70% of the users gathered in Lancel were level 100-150. When compared to the level 250 average of Jewel’s group, it was at least a 100 level difference. It would be hard even if a couple of people attacked one person. However, 300~400 users were enough to be a threat. Moreover, Ark didn’t care if users died. So Ark was going to employ the users as a shield for Lancel.

‘Even if they don’t play an active role in the battle, the good points of low-level users are that they are cheap to employ. Even if level 100~150 users entered the ware for 10~15 gold, it is possible for them to help. Even if only 70% of them were employed because of the merchants, that is still 200~300 people. If I add the troops of Lance village then it is worth a try!’

That was the countermeasure Ark thought of when flying to Lancel from Paradon. Of course, hiring 200~300 users would still cost 3,000~4,000 gold. However Ark had permission to use the public funds of Lancel village so cost wasn’t a problem. After receiving the mission, Galen had delegated full power to him. It was possible to grant users rewards based on their contribution like JusticeMan did when cleaning up the lawless port. When Ark presented his idea Redian instantly nodded.

“Yes, if we use the plan you mentioned before and hire 300 people then we can overcome the difference in numbers. No, now there is no other way.”

“Okay, then I’ll start collecting the troops.”

Ark finished the meeting and exited the store. Then he walked to the plaza where a lot of users were gathered.

“See, doesn’t it fit? Ark’s Store has closed its door.”

“Hrm, then it must be true. The atmosphere of the village also seems strange lately.”

“There’s no time to be doing this. Did you see the video? They’re ruthless and don’t care about other users. We should go before sparks fly for no reason.”

“Sheesh, I quite liked this village.”

The buzzing noise of many upset users could be heard.

‘Video? What does that mean?’

Ark rushed to a user and asked.

“Wait a moment. What do you mean? What about a video?”

“Eh? Haven’t you seen it yet? It is…..”

The blood drained from Ark’s face as he listened to the user’s speech.

————————————————————————————————–

“T-this……!”

Hyun-woo looked at the monitor with a devastated expression. From the monitor a combat scene in New World was taking place. Several hundred videos of battles occurred in New World each day, but the video Hyun-woo was watching now wasn’t an ordinary video. After being posted for only 1~2 hours, it had already reached 7000 views and drew serious attention from users! The reason was because the video didn’t show normal gameplay but that of a crime scene.

“Aaaaack!”

At that time, someone in the video started bleeding and collapsed. It was a user not a NPC. Yes, the ‘crime file’ showed the Haruna camping ground which was a small village in the southern mountains of Schudenberg where users were being attacked. It was a video of users attacking an NPC village, something previously considered taboo in New World. The users invaded the village and murdered NPCs. Their faces were covered in masks but Ark instantly knew their identity. No, to be exact he knew the user leading them. The archer moved his hands at a tremendous speed and shot arrows which scattered like an evening shower!

‘Duke……!’

That archer was indeed Duke. The players Duke was leading were the support army for Jewel’s group. But why was Duke invading a small village like Haruna a day before the invasion of Lancel? The reason was obvious in the next scene. The small village only had 10 NPCs but it sold supplies and gave simple quests to complete in the area. It wasn’t much but there were 20~30 people resting in the village to inspect their equipment. After Duke raided Haruna, most users managed to escape. However, some users with a strong sense of justice stayed behind to help the NPCs. But the NPCs died from the overwhelming power and the users were surrounded by Duke’s party.

“These bastards, are they insane attacking an NPC village? What’s the idea?”

The users had been driven to a critical condition. Then the masked Duke snorted and replied.

“Heh, you’re the stupid ones. You should’ve escaped with the others but your strong sense of justice made you stay behind to help the NPCs. Are you thinking that you won’t lose a lot of experience if you die since you’re low level? But I’m not that good natured.”

When Duke raised his hand, his party members simultaneously took out a scroll.

“Huk, t-that is…..!”

The users’ faces paled when they saw the scroll. The scrolls Duke’s group were holding were the [Peel], [Robbery], [Seize], [Unfortunate] etc…..it was a set of chaotic scrolls.

“I’ll make you shed tears of blood and regret this!”

Duke clenched his fist firmly and the party simultaneously activated their scrolls. At the same time red light emerged and the effect of many scrolls piled up on the users’ body. If he was killed like that than half of his equipment would fall! The users were panic stricken and tried to run. But Duke just laughed and killed the users one by one.

“Aaaaack!”

Then the users’ items fell thanks to the effect of the scroll.

“We won’t forgive anyone who opposes us.”

Thus Duke killed all the users and collected their loot. Then another member of the party muttered.

“Now, shall we go to the place called Lancel?”

‘That Duke bastard…..!’

Ark glared as Duke’s part disappeared.

-This is a video I risked my life to hide and shoot. New World is so frightening these days that users would even attack NPC villages. At the end they said they are visiting a place called Lancel…… If anybody is in the area then it would be good to leave early.

That was the comment attached to the video by ‘Information Source 24 hours’ who posted it. However Hyun-woo didn’t believe the comment. The user who took this video wasn’t ‘Information Source 24 hours.’ No, he would’ve never been able to hide and take the video. The battle scene and voices was too clear for the user to be hiding.

‘Perhaps….no, it is definitely Duke who took the video and gave it to someone to post on the bulletin board!’

The reason Duke took the video was simple. Jewel and Duke thought that the users would be a variable while they attacked Lancel village. Because they were low-level, they didn’t really have to worry about the death penalty. Duke made the video and distributed it in order to account for the users. They would feel fear after seeing the scene of the user being murdered and having their equipment stolen. Normally users who participated in fights like this had a low chance of dropping equipment. If hired by NPCs to participate in a village defense war then there was no need to worry about being chaotic. That’s why Hyun-woo came up with the idea of hiring users. But the situation had changed with the video of users’ equipment being plundered. When thinking about it with common sense, that wasn’t possible in a battlefield with hundreds of users but the effect of the video was sufficient. There were no users who would participate in a battle where they could lose equipment for 10~15 gold. And the effects of the video were already appearing in Lancel. Duke’s goal was to scare users away from the village by proclaiming that Lancel was their next target. The users wouldn’t accept Ark’s invitation to become hired mercenaries anymore. It was indeed a clever trick to use the video!

‘……Jewel and Duke are starting to use their heads.’

It was different from the time where they just believed in their level and blindly rushed in. However, in this situation he couldn’t applaud them.

‘7,000 people have already seen this video. There is still one day before they will attack Lancel so the people who watch the video will be able to get in touch with their friends. The plan to hire mercenaries for Lancel village was impossible! In addition, approximately 200 people had appeared in the video with Duke. When added to Jewel’s group, it is 500 people. There is no way we can defeat such a number without the help of mercenaries!’

In this situation, the only way to hire users was to pay them enough to cover the cost of lost equipment. Even if they didn’t have that many equipment since they were still low levelled, it would still be at least 200 gold. Hiring a level 100~150 user for 200 gold? It was a ridiculous price. Even if they managed to defeat Jewel’s group, the cost of hiring the 300 mercenaries was so much that Lancel would still perish.

‘Is this the end? Is there really no other way?’

Hyun-woo felt complete despair. The video had perfectly blocked one of Ark’s plans. It was a game strategy that would be impossible to use in reality. Then a random business card thrown near the monitor caught his eye. Hyun-woo who had been without ideas felt a sudden flash as he looked at the business card.

‘This business card……wait, maybe……yes, I can use this method! But will it be in time? No, fortunately there is still one day before those guys will attack. That should be enough time! I just have to persuade this person and drag them to my side!’

The storm of sparks finally settled inside Hyun-woo’s head. Hyun-woo had a breakthrough and instantly ran towards the telephone. And he called the number on the business card. With a small smile of satisfaction on his face, Hyun-woo talked on the phone for a while. Hyun-woo’s proposal worked. Now the only thing left was time!

“The battle will begin tomorrow. Can you come before that?”

“Giran contains some of my personnel. If they ride horses then they can arrive within 3~4 hours.”

‘That’s it! That Duke bastard, you dared play a trick with the video? Then I’ll crush your hard work in the same way!’

Ark disconnected the phone with flames burning in his eyes. A breakthrough was found in a place he couldn’t possible consider. It was 19 hours until the Lancel defensive war would begin!

————————————————————————————————–

“Ark…….”

Jewel spat out in a bitter voice. Over the past few months, every day had been dismal for Jewel. It was because of the failure of the Seutandal conquest war. The Seutandal conquest war was like a chance passing through the sky above Jewel. If Seutandal had become a colony of the Hermes alliance as planned then the profits obtained would be terrific. And gold in New World was cash in reality. Just like any gamer, Jewel’s dream was to become a tycoon from the game. But that dream had been destroyed right underneath his eyes. All because of Ark! Jewel still clearly remembered the failure of the Seutandal conquest war. He wasn’t able to forget. How could he forget a winning lottery ticket being torn right in front of him? Since then Jewel’s only goal had been to destroy Ark.

‘And I’ve finally made it.’

Jewel looked at the users gathered in the cave. It was a secret society of the Hermes alliance formed to destroy Ark’s home base of Lancel village. When Duke’s support army was added, there were 500 of them! Only 100 people had been required to destroy the village in the mountain.

‘I should have done this earlier.’

In fact, he had found out a long time ago that Lancel was Ark’s home base. During the Seutandal conquest war, unidentified NPCs had appeared through the dimensional gate from Lancel. The NPCs of that village ruined the plan to conquer Seutandal! Besides, there was a store in the village called Ark’s Store. Jewel’s pent-up anger burst after he confirmed that fact. The siege of Silvana and the Seutandal conquest plan, Ark kept on shooting pepper spray at the Hermes alliance. As a result, the Hermes alliance received thousands of gold worth of damage. And those losses had gone into Ark’s pocket. That’s right, Ark’s store was created with their money. Jewel had determined to go to Lancel village straight away after confirming that fact. However, Jewel’s request had been rejected by Raiden.

“Of course I want Ark to pay for it. But the priority is to concentrate on using the lawless port to recapture Seutandal. Moreover, Ark is closely linked to Seutandal. It might become complicated if we touch Lancel village in vain.”

That had been Raiden’s reply. It was one of the reason they didn’t touch Lancel despite knowing of its existence. However, the lawless port created by the Hermes alliance had been destroyed by Seutandal’s navy. Thanks to that, the Hermes alliance was quickly buried in a huge pile of debt. They invested money in the lawless port and its facilities since they would receive the profits back if it operated normally.

“It fell, we’re ruined!”

Raiden completely fell into a state of panic. But Jewel thought the destruction of the lawless port was a chance.

“I have a way to solve this.”

“A way to solve it?”

“There is no way to recoup the loss using normal methods. But we have a lot of troops. Then can’t we use the troops to make money?”

The method proposed by Jewel was to create a secret society offshoot of the alliance. If those users raided villages and plundered the loot then it could recoup the loss!

“But the probability of normal NPCs dropping items when killed…….”

That is why I suggest plundering the town. Didn’t we previously occupy the valley village in Seutandal? We didn’t get items from the NPCs but we confirmed that we could steal items from the stores. That was only a small village in Seutandal so we should get considerably more profit from villages in the continent.”

“If you do such a thing and a problem occurs…..”

“The members of the secret society will withdraw from the guild beforehand so there won’t be a problem.”

“Would members of the alliance want to join the secret society?”

Invading a NPC village was a level of crime different from PK. While users would become chaotic if they PKed, they would truly become a bandit group if they looted a village. Raiding a village was classified as a special crime so they would gain an absurd number of chaotic points. While Jewel would receive some experience as the leader of an attack group, the members of the bandit group with such high chaotic values wouldn’t be able to play the game normally. If they died at the hands of a guard then they would be rotting in jail for at least half a year. But such penalties already didn’t matter to Jewel. As long as Lancel village was destroyed and Ark was dropped into the hell of despair then Jewel was prepared to accept any penalty.

“I am already prepared. And if sufficient compensation is promised then other users will apply. Once the proceeds of the loot are distributed and the alliance recovers from its losses, the alliance will help the secret society members level up and give them equipment.”

It was similar to a gangster in a crime organization who willingly went to jail for sufficient compensation. If the alliance recovered its losses than that wouldn’t be a problem. As long as they weren’t stuck in jail, the chaotic value would even decrease when completing quests.

“The method’s not bad.”

Raiden said with an enthusiastic expression. Whether it be reality or the game, money always played a huge role. The plan of creating the lawless port to handle stolen goods and earn money had failed and now they had a massive pile of debt. In the end, Raiden accepted Jewel’s request and the secret society filled with 500 members was created. Yes, the origin of the secret society was to save the Hermes alliance from the huge pile of debt. However, Jewel had established the society with one goal in mind and he borrowed its strength to attack Lancel. It was a plan to stab Ark to death. Of course, the secret society’s first target was Lancel. Raiden also agreed with Jewel’s plan in that regard.

‘Ark, now it is your turn. I’ll smash everything of yours to pieces. But this is only the beginning. As long as the secret society exists you can never run away.  I will kill your fellow colleagues and any NPCs who give you quests. You will realize your big mistake in making an enemy of the Hermes alliance. Hahaha!’

“Hahaha!”

Eyes suddenly concentrated on Jewel after he burst out laughing. The laugh had escaped his head to emerge from his mouth. Jewel coughed and pretended ignorance.

“Hum hum, is everyone assembled?”

“Yes, all 528 members have connected.”

Jewel nodded at the report and stood up. He took a deep breath before speaking quickly.

“I don’t need to say it again, but our goal is the resurgence of the Hermes alliance. However that will not be possible without a big achievement first. Ark and the people who follow him are the cause of our crisis. If we don’t destroy him then there will be no future for the Hermes alliance. Is there anyone with any doubts?”

“No!”

“For the glory of the Hermes alliance!”

They hadn’t connected to New World in three days while waiting for this chance. All the members lifted their weapons in the air and shouted out their frustration.

“Okay, let’s go!”

Jewel led the 500 players and advanced towards Lancel village.