"It has been months since Presley departed for Darkin Kingdom to find a way to remove my curse," Jenny narrated.
She tried to recount the events that Kane missed while in her gloomy face.
"Honey had two primary goals in Darkin Kingdom. The first is to save Morgana Synderium himself and hope she safely retrieves her Authority from me. And the second... is to save Ikagami Tetsuya's son."
"His son?" Kane asked.
Brahmian responded,
"His son used to be part of Rashina's Reconnaissance Team. But when Rashina defected, we had no news regarding Tetsuya's son. Presley assumed that Rashina captured him to her own advantage."
Kane reacted,
"Ooooohhh, it makes sense how the Empire's Greatest Swordsman and Founders of the Sparrows suddenly waged war against Morgana."
"But these are all assumptions. It might or may not be true. For all we know, Tetsuya could've just been trying to avenge the Emperor after being killed by Morgana."
"That's possible."
"Regardless, Presley went to the Darkin Kingdom, leaving Jenny here. Upon reaching the place, they encountered Rashina Synderium and faced a problem upon using Anti-Paragon technology."
"The what?"
"It's a Tech developed by the Zeiraoh. It messes up Player specs like Player UI, Fuzzy Screen, and Controls. Presley's companions bought him time to run away while they all fought and died against Rashina. After they respawned, one came here and told us the news. They presumed Presley was still alive and stuck there and couldn't communicate via DMs."
Kane looked very fascinated at the Anti-Paragon Technology, completely disregarding Presley being stuck in that Kingdom.
"So, where can I buy that technology?"
"Focus! We're talking about Presley here!"
"UUUUUUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Jenny suddenly burst out crying.
"W-Wha-Why?!" Kane shouted.
Jenny replied,
"H-Hick! I-It's because... t-the-the Rankers said that there's also a possibility that Presley faked his death to run away as he doesn't want to stay with me anymore!! UAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Brahmian kept patting her back to console her.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Why did they have to say that to her?! Hmph! Stop crying, you know Presley's not like that."
"Uuuuaaahhhhhh!! B-B-But w-w-what if it's true?!?!"
Kane suddenly screamed,
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"W-What?! What's going on?!" Brahmian asked.
"I-IF IF PRESLEY IS GONE... THEN M-M-MY... MY QUEST REWARDS!!"
WHACK!
Kane tightly grabbed Brahmian's collar and started shaking him.
"THAT CAN'T HAPPEN!! I NEED MY REWARDS!! HE CAN'T JUST LEAVE!! GIVE ME HIS LOCATION!!"
Brahmian replied,
"I-I told you he's stuck in the Darkin Kingdom!! That's our only lead!!"
"How are you sure?" Kane asked.
"Zodiac Mage Vicente, also called Taurus, was missing for months. His last known skirmish was against Rashina's forces during the Siege of this Fishing Village."
Kane twitched upon hearing that.
"Wait, isn't that the time when we first met? And I was with him until you killed me!"
"Is that so? Anyway! The Rankers assumed Taurus also infiltrated the Darkin Kingdom and couldn't leave due to the same Anti-Paragon technology."
But Kane waved his arms in the air.
"Wai-wai-wait! That doesn't line up at all! I already defeated Rashina Synderium!"
Jenny and Brahmian sprang up from their seats.
"Y-YOU DID?!?!?!"
"Damn, right!! I whacked that bitch!! She used her ultimate skill on me, but I deflected it back at her!"
Brahmian questioned,
"Even if that's true, why is Presley still missing?"
Jenny gasped,
"Isn't it weird how his companions returned and Presley didn't?"
Kane agreed.
"Ummm, well, yeah. Rashina's also long gone. Why can't he just go back? Why can't he just kill himself so that he can respawn?"
Jenny gasped after Kane's statement as she realized Presley could've just committed suicide to respawn back to Tanyang Village.
"M-Maybe he really left me!! UAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
She began to weep again.
WHACK!
This time, it was Brahmian who started shaking Kane up.
"You faggot! Why did you have to say it to her face?!?!"
WHOOOSH!!
Kane also grabbed him back, and they both started shaking each other.
"WAAAHHHH!! YADA YADA YADA!! Brahmian, don't you think this whole scenario is weird."
The merchant stopped.
"What now?"
"Rashina, the main invader, is gone. Why hasn't any Synderium returned to the Throne? Why is the Darkin Kingdom still functioning? Why hasn't Arcanos also done anything since one of their main contenders is gone? Why are Presley or Taurus still missing?"
Brahmian's eyebrows creased.
"Beats me."
"A Hidden Final Boss awaits us!"
"W-What? Where did this come from?"
"There's definitely something going in the Darkin Kingdom! I know it!"
Brahmain looked up and down at Kane's battered and naked body.
"W-Well, you definitely looked like someone who had lots of troubles. So, what's your plan?"
"First, I need a Sword Case."
"S-Sword Case? Not an armor or a weapon?"
"Yeah, and that too. Do you have a bikini armor?"
Brahmian was taken aback.
"B-B-Bikini armor? Y-You mean the one that women use?"
"Yeah, I heard they got good stats even though they are impractical."
"Huh? W-Wha-Why do you want that? Also, that's probably locked behind a character gender-exclusive item. But I can tweak one for you if you want to. Is it still for Level 7?"
Kane paused for a moment.
"Uhh, yeah. Level 7."
"What's with you and Level 7? I think you also asked for Level 7 items when we parted. After these past few months, you're still asking for Level 7 items."
"My objectives are beyond your understanding. Level 7 weapons is the secret key!"
But the look on Brahmian's face was in full-blown disbelief.
'How the hell is this guy roaming in Lvl 100 areas?'
Seeing how Brahmian seemed stuck on Kane being Level 7, Kane tried to change the subject.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
"Back to rescuing Presley, the two of us will infiltrate the Darkin Kingdom, and then Jenny and her party can wait at Rainsleif."
The merchant pointed himself.
"What do you mean? I'm not a combatant, and we can't infiltrate that Castle alone!"
Kane grinned and took out his messaging virtual panel.
"Don't worry about that. I'm gonna call... some backup! Huehuehuehue!!"
Kane gave a final nod before going outside the pub for a moment. He opened his message box and called Aries.
BEEP! BEEP! CLACK!
"It's been a long time, Kane."
"I've been... quite busy."
"Yeah, the Amasino Mountains suddenly got a haircut right after you left Rainsleif. The Miranda Kingdom suddenly had its Towers collapse. I hope you have nothing to do with those."
"Ehem... ummmmm, forget that. I got more juicy news. I defeated and banished Rashina Synderium WAHAHAHAAHA!!"
But there was silence on the other side of the call.
"Uhhh, I'll repeat it. I DEFEATED AND BANISHED RASHIN—"
"I heard you the first time. But it's hard to believe she's gone when nothing has changed in our predicaments."
Aries was very doubtful as Kane could only deal single-digit damage toward him, and he suddenly defeated Rashina.
"I forced her to spill the beans! Morgana is currently held in The Darkin Kingdom, and they're nearly complete in fully extracting her Authority. I really defeated her, even with her possessing the power of two Gods."
Aries' eyes widened.
"Hmmm, only a few people knew about her true powers. People knew she yielded the power of both Light and Thunder. But no one knew they were both Divine Powers. Her initial power came from Irelia. And the other came fr—"
"Zivel. The Fallen Elemental God, Zivel. She possessed the power of the Indarian Electro."
Aries glared at the floating voice chat box as process whatever Kane said. There was no way Rashina would talk to Kane about the secrets of her power.
"Only the Goddess knew this information. Rashina probably also didn't share this with you. Are you saying you witnessed her power firsthand while battling her?"
If Kane had told the truth that the Legendary Dragon Nizhul was the one who spoke of Rashina's true power, it would've been less believable.
"It is what I said. What more do you want me to say for you to believe me?"
"What about her Authority? Did you get it?"
"Uhhh... you never taught me how to harness Authority from the Synderiums."
Aries gritted his teeth in disappointment.
'Did this guy really let Rashina go away with it? Or did he obtain it and is just lying? Why am I asking this? Him defeating Rashina was absurd from the get-go. She's obviously the one who sliced the Amasino Mountains. Could Kane defeat someone like that? Whatever answers I'm getting will probably not make any sense.'
After a few seconds of contemplation, Aries went with the flow.
"Let's say that's true. Since you mentioned the Darkin Kingdom, you want us to attack it, right?"
"Yes! Isn't it the perfect time to attack since Rashina is gone, and Arcanos is busy with the fiasco in Miranda Kingdom!"
The Zodiac Mage contemplated his next words as he gazed directly at the eyes of Kane's goofy profile picture in the floating virtual panel.
'It's a shame, but it works better for us if he doesn't have the Authority. If he's actually hiding the Authority, chances are he's also aiming for Morgana's Authority. In that case, he'll easily have two Authorities, which would be problematic if he had ulterior motives.'
Being suspicious of everyone was one of the traits the Aries learned while being the current Ruler of the Zodiac Mages. He was not far off as Kane indeed had ulterior motives. He might've not taken Kane's words at face value, but Aries had to decide.
"Fine. I guess it's about time for the Final Battle. Let's end this once and for all. I'll assemble the Rainsleif army. Expect my call within the next 24 hours. I'll also send you some Zodiac equipment. Just acquire it via mail. Don't worry, it's free."
"Sweet! I do have one final question. Have you ever heard of the Arcadian Armageddon?"
Those words surprised Aries.
"Yes. It was a prophecy claiming that we Paragons would destroy the entirety of Arcadia. As a Veteran Player, we treat it as a lame prophecy made by the Old Fallen NPC Gods of Arcadia. It's a propaganda made to strike fear in the rest of the populace after their downfall."
"What about the Bridge?"
This time, the Zodiac Mage was even more flabbergasted at this question.
"The Bridge is a popular Arcadian rumor that they believed could connect Arcadia to our Reality. If the VR Set connects us to Arcadia, the Bridge connects Arcadia to our world. Of course, that doesn't make any sense. How can they appear in our world? They are just video game characters."
It did sound unreal, but it was enough to satiate Kane's curiosity that day.
"Do you have any more questions?"
"Nah. I'll wait for your call."
"See you soon."
BEEP!
Kane giddily walked back to the pub as he successfully convinced Aries to assemble the army. Unknown to him, Aries remained on guard toward Kane despite indulging most of his requests. The call might've ended, but Aries continued staring at Kane's goofy picture.
"He has Demon powers. Defeated Rashina Synderium. Forced her to reveal her powers and Morgana's location. He also took Kaldwin's son under his wing, my very rival. Ever since he came here, weird things began to happen, as if someone was playing a game on me. Huff...."
WHOOSH!
Aries then shifted the virtual panel to Sonaya and pressed the call button.
"Assemble the Zodiac Mages."
***
- Floor 99 of the Ashaka Magic Tower, Rainsleif -
After Kane's call, all the available Zodiac Mages immediately regrouped at the highest accessible floor of the Magic Tower. Only three of the twelve Zodiac Mages were present in the Sanctum.
[Zodiac Mage Sonaya "Scorpio" Glades]
[Zodiac Mage Craig "Capricorn" Fox]
[Zodiac Mage ??? "Aries"]
This was no surprise. Most Zodiac Mages never returned after Irelia sent them out for the Grand Expedition to locate all the possible successors of the Imperial Throne. But it was weird that Averus was missing.
"Where is Averus?" Aries spoke.
Sonaya replied,
"His son, Spencer, critically injured his other son, Simon, and Councilor Ester's son, Darren. So, he's in some sort of a mess nowadays. I did give him a notice."
But this raised some red flags for Aries.
'Another coincidence. Averus missing? Spencer attacking his brother? What is going on?'
He then faced Capricorn and Sonaya to ask them a question.
"Is it just me... but from what I know, Averus had been a very absent father. Am I the only one finding it weird that he's suddenly caring for them conveniently at this very point in time? Don't you guys think there's something wrong here?"
Meanwhile, Averus was at a hospital, holding the hand of the unconscious and badly beaten Simon. He was unaware that Galadus was watching him from afar with the Kaldwin Heirloom Sword he had taken from Spencer.
***
- Slaver's Den -
RING! RING! RING!
RING! RING! RING!
CLACK!
Casper answered the phone.
"Baron Casper Wollimer, speaking."
"Are you sure about it, Baron?"
Casper looked left and right first to check if anybody was around.
"I'm sure I told you not to contact me this way, Mister Abaloz."
It turned out he was talking to one of Rashina's Generals, the Demon Lord Abaloz – the same man responsible for the transformation of Munyan and Finn Welmann.
"Relax. No Zodiac Mage will be left to arrest you after this. So, are you sure that the Zodiac Spy's information is correct?"
"Yes. I confirmed it myself. Aries just called the Council. Like the Spy said, they will probably attack Darkin Kingdom in the next 24 hours."
Abaloz laughed for a few seconds.
"I guess this is it. The fate of the Synderium Empire will be sealed on this final battle."
***
- BACK AT TANYANG FISHING VILLAGE -
"It's a great plan! We will bait Aries and the others into attacking the Darkin Kingdom to rescue Presley. After finding Presley, we will run away and infiltrate Rainsleif since no one's guarding that Tower anymore!"
Kane advertised his plan to the reluctant Brahmian and Jenny. Despite their hesitation, Brahmian and Jenny agreed to Kane's plan since they had no choice.
"It was easier said than done, but yeah, let's do it," Brahmian said.
But Kane changed his demeanor and asked them the same question.
"Have you ever heard of the Bridge or the Arcadian Armageddon?"
Jenny voiced,
"I never heard of the Bridge, but the Armageddon is a prophecy by our Ancient Gods about the Paragons wiping out all of Arcadia in the future. Scriptures all over the abandoned ruins were found by both Paragons and Arcadians stating the Armageddon. For us, it's just a baseless rumor now. But who knows?"
Brahmian interjected,
"It was implied that the Fall of the Old Gods was caused by the Paragons, which is probably true since they were killed by either the Founding Players or Arcanos. But the property states that the same thing will happen to the rest of Arcadia."
It was nearly the same answer that he got from Aries.
***
It's been a week since Leon died. No one was found guilty. All 32 suspected employees who left the building were proven innocent. Their only clue was the footage of a masked perpetrator hacking and destroying the servers.
As Yeonwoo purposely wore soles that increased her height and a foamy jacket that made her look bulkier, no one could pinpoint that it was her.
They located her escape route to a destroyed bathroom cubicle. They presumed the perpetrator escaped through the sewers as it was connected to an open manhole two blocks from the HQ.
Most of their data, including Kane's and Valkyra's footage, were corrupted.
"So, we have nothing?"
A robotic voice behind the screen spoke to the heavily bandaged Denjiro.
"Yes. Forgive me."
"Take care of yourself, Denjiro. We must admit defeat on this one. We never expected a coordinated attack from them from Arcadia and the real world. For now, we will lie low until you return here with Leon. Let us first give him a proper burial."
"Thank you for your understanding."
BEEP!
Denjiro disconnected from the video call, but Arcanos Director Aedolas and Mikaela remained, sitting in the roundtable at Arcanos Main HQ.
The robotic voice continued,
"Aren't you gonna explain yourself, Aedolas?"
Aedolas just bowed his head.
"I made a grave mistake. I just thought that by Leon meeting his daughter, he'd strike a deal with us to spare his daughter in exchange for him passionately purging the rest of the cyberterrorists. I didn't know that a third party took advantage of this."
"I hope you learned your lesson, Aedolas. In my generation, we lost our very own Arcanos Director Diego Montero. But we paid it back to them tenfold with the help of Mikaela's mother and wiped most of the Roxinnians."
Mikaela nodded and grinned at that statement.
The mysterious robotic voice continued,
"You get what I'm trying to say, Aedolas?"
"Yes. I will make sure they will pay."
"We have no clear suspect except for Leon's daughter. Saga Haegen is incapable of killing her father. Her character can't even stand a fraction of the Cyber Sage's power. Something else happened. Let's leave the investigations to Verdyn. I'm sure he's the one who hurts the most at his master's passing."
But Mikaela interjected,
"What about the Synderiums? The GM15 Guild? And everything that Leon worked hard for?"
"His efforts weren't for naught. We're closer to finding the Bridge, thanks to him. As for the rest, we'll have to leave everything on our Zodiac Spy. Our priority still remains the same. The Bridge."
It has been a week since that incident happened. But they caught no one. Arcanos had no choice but to continue their operations. The workforce returned to normal, and most investigations were already called off. Only a few investigators remained in the case.
The server room was repaired, and employees were back on the clock like nothing had happened.
Everything returned to normal, like this Guard stationed outside the Female's locker room. Although almost a terrorist attack happened last week, this guy was just sleeping with earphones on, as if the recent events didn't affect him.
PHACK!
In the locker room, a weird banging sound could be heard.
PHACK! PHACK! CLACK!
CRACKLE!
One of the lockers started to shake.
PHACK!
A hand suddenly burst out of the wall behind one of the lockers.
CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!
The hand slowly pushed the locker away. Since the locker only had a few things inside, it was light and could be easily moved.
Once there was enough space between the wall and the locker—
BAAANNNGG!!
A large chunk of the wall was shattered with a strong kick!
Yeonwoo, who was in a tight suit, appeared behind the wall. It was actually a fake wall. Yeonwoo emerged from the makeshift room that was so small and narrow that she couldn't even sit inside it.
She went out along with her big duffle bag.
ZIP!
Yeonwoo opened the bag and immediately emptied 4 bottles filled with yellow fluids in the locker bathroom. She opened the unlocked utility locker, taking out a plastic box, a broom, and a crowbar.
She pulled a signboard from her bag with an 'Under Construction' label and placed it on the door. She didn't even bat an eye on the sleeping guard beside her.
ZIP!
Yeonwoo unzipped her tight suit and strolled around the room, clad only in her underwear, while playing loud music on her phone. She raised the crowbar and swung it at the wall.
PHACK! PHACK! PHACK!
The guard was startled by the commotion. He stood up and knocked at the door.
"Hello, anybody there?"
No one replied.
"I-I'm going in."
WHOOOSH!
He opened the door but was quickly perplexed by the changing Yeonwoo, still in her underwear. The guard bowed at her and apologized.
"I-I'm sorry, ma'am."
"Can't you read the sign?"
The guard glanced at the door sign and gasped upon seeing the 'Under Construction' label.
"Y-Yes. I-I'll leave now."
The guard swiftly left the room and closed the door.
PHAM!
As soon as the guard left, she continued ramming the wall.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The guard contemplated his actions as he returned to his post.
"When did this construction start? And they let a lone woman do the job in her underwear? Ah, never mind! I might get flagged for sexism if I brought this up."
The guard sat back in his seat, placed his earplugs back to his ears, and started blasting loud music.
Upon clearing the wall, Yeonwoo cleaned the room and returned the locker to its place. She walked further away and smiled as it didn't look like the room underwent reconstruction. Yeonwoo proceeded to completely undress and went inside the shower.
A few minutes later, Yeonwoo left the locker room in her office clothes with full makeup on. She locked eyes with the guard and smiled at him. The guard just awkwardly smiled back. An employee passed by and recognized her.
"Good Morning, Miss Yeonwoo, you're a bit early."
"Yeah, I'm feeling good. Good Morning."
After hiding in that room for an entire week, Yeonwoo finally got out like nothing happened.
~ End of Chapter 142 ~
Initial Release Date: August 26, 2023