Ch. 401..410

Chapter 401

"Lina, you have to be careful to not smother people in your sleep."

"But Bis Sis, I didn’t mean to..." Lina looked back up at Maura with pouting eyes.

Maura sighed and patted the girl on the head. "Just be careful next time, okay?"

"Okay!"

With that over with, both of them resumed eating their breakfast. Maura had decided to make a breakfast fit for kings, or at least her father, according to her mother.

There was an egg frittata filled with local herbs and tender, roasted pork belly that melted in your mouth with every bite of the fluffy egg. To garnish there was a light salad that Maura adjusted to use a citrusy berry vinaigrette, using the local delicacy known as relst berries. And to top it off, Maura had pulled out a bottle of morning ale. It wasn’t heavy and it was quite diluted compared to most alcohol, but the gentle warmth it gave the body was a great wake up call along with the meal.

Finally, someone exited the main bedroom in the courtyard. Jack was already dressed and prepared for the day, taken aback to find Maura and Lina with such a feast for breakfast.

"Come on, Jack. If you don’t eat it now, the eggs will get cold," commented Maura, moving on to her next bite.

Jack smiled and patted Lina’s head before sitting down beside his wife. He kissed Maura on the cheek, quietly responding, "Thank you."

Taking a bite of the frittata, Jack’s senses were instantly alerted. He felt his entire body waking up, recovering all the energy he had spent the long night before. It didn’t take Jack long to finish his frittata and help himself to another serving.

Seeing that, Maura giggled, "Don’t forget the salad. If you don’t eat well, how can you expect to keep up with all three of us?"

Caught off guard, Jack’s throat tightened up while guzzling his morning ale. A few drops managed to leak out of his mouth as the hero coughed, pounding a fist into his chest. Jack forced the drink down and glanced a Maura, who was still calmly smiling like nothing had happened.

"Right..." Jack then slowed down a bit, taking more time to savor the meal and notice the balance it had. "You know, this reminds me of your mom’s cooking. It’s really good!"

"Who did it better?"

"Do I even have to say it? I never would’ve thought a salad would work so well as part of a breakfast, but you’ve proven me wrong. That berry flavor goes well with the pork," replied Jack. "You should show her this sometime, maybe she’ll ask for the recipe."

Smiling, Maura changed the subject. "How’s Eliza?"

"She’s still in bed," replied Jack. "She didn’t get much sleep last night and faced the most mental exhaustion of everyone yesterday. So there’s nothing wrong with her sleeping in. I’m sure she’d like to talk with someone other than me, so maybe--"

"Jack, of course we’re going to talk." Maura chuckled and gave Jack’s shoulder a light jab. "If you dropped such a bomb of a decision on me, I’d be even more devastated than Eliza."

With that in mind, Jack asked, "Maura... how do you feel about that?"

"About what?"

"You know... having kids? We never really talked about that..."

Maura hesitated to reply, but stated, "Well, what do you want, Jack? Are you asking me if I’ll--"

"No, it’s not like that," Jack clarified. "I just want to know your honest thoughts. I always thought girls had planned how many kids they would have and have their names picked out, or something like that. And since we’re husband and wife, I thought it was a topic long overdue..."

"... I wouldn’t mind having kids," Maura replied after a pause. "Though, I’m not sure I’d want them right now... But it couldn’t wait too long either, cause you’ll become a god eventually and that means having kids would get more difficult."

"You know you’ll become a god too, right?" added Jack.

"Maybe in the future... But I’d rather we try it before you’re a god, just to make sure I can have at least one..." Maura was blushing slightly, however, her smile and tender gaze remained unmoved. "Is... that okay with you, Jack?"

"Maura, I think it’s an obvious yes. If not, do you think I would’ve brought up such an idea to Eliza in the first place?" Jack chuckled. "Also... Eliza may need someone to rely on other than me. I’ll always be busy, even while the party is resting, so it’ll be hard for me to be there for Eliza whenever she needs help. Could you--"

"Enough stupid questions, Jack. You know Daliea and I will be there for her. We are sisters now, remember?"

"Right... Sorry about that."

Maura sighed and smiled back at Jack. "But I’m glad that you’re not forgetting about her... That shows that you’re not ignoring us after all."

"I may get busy, but I wouldn’t dare ignore you, not on purpose," admitted Jack, scratching his head.

Jack looked back to his plate, wanting to hurry and finish his meal, but he found it emptied and licked clean. Maura noticed the same thing with her plate. Both of them then looked to the side, finding the culprit patting her belly, satisfied with the meal.

"Well... I guess I’m off to handle a few things. I’m sure the elven messenger will arrive soon and I’ve got to deal with those two councilmen as well..." stated Jack, getting up from the table.

"Sure thing, Jack," Maura took Jack’s plate, stacking it on her own. "Then I’ll wait for Eliza to wake up."

"Don’t cause too much trouble while I’m gone, Lina!" Jack shouted as he neared the courtyard’s exit.

"Don’t worry, Big Bro! I’ll be good!"

Exiting the restricted area, Jack strolled through the guild. He caught the eyes of many, especially the newest recruits who were speechless as the former ancient hero walked past them.

On the way to his office, Jack found Ilgor leading a young, pointy-eared woman with a petite build. Smiling, Jack called out to Ilgor, "Is that the elven messenger?"

Noticing Jack, Ilgor nodded. "Y-yes, Master-- I mean, yes, Jack."

"Since she’s here, I’m guessing it’s for me. I can take the lead from here," stated Jack waving off Ilgor with a thank you.

The elven woman followed Jack, twiddling her thumbs every now and again. When they entered Jack’s office, she sat down and sighed while Jack took his center seat.

"So, what has Gwendon decided?" Jack asked bluntly.

The woman coughed to gather herself and answered, "Chief Gwendon wishes to meet with you, Master Jack. He didn’t mention anything about terms you may have discussed prior, but he did say that he was interested in discussing some sort of agreement between the Leisure Guild and Korten."

"Okay... I guess that’s a start." Jack nodded, thinking about his words. "How soon is he willing to meet me?"

"Actually... He’s already in Gilga," replied the woman. "We arrived late last night and rented an inn just outside of the guild. He and some of the elders have come to meet you, Master Jack."

"So he’s taking the initiative this time... I can admire that. Tell him that we can start discussions immediately. He and the elders are welcome to stay in the guild as our guests should they wish, and we’ll be glad to host a meeting in one of our conference rooms. Would that be ideal?"

"Thank you, Master Jack." The elven woman heaved a sigh of relief and stood up with a bow. "I’ll inform them immediately."

"Then I’ll have the conference room prepared ASAP," stated Jack.

"Um... yes." A bit confused by Jack’s expression, the elven woman lifted her head and left with a smile.

Jack then contacted all the big shots he had under him. With the elven elders arriving as well, the least Jack could do was bring some of the big guns of the Leisure Guild. How else could he silently intimidate Gwendon and the elves?

Chapter 402

Without announcing it to the city or the citizens of Gilga, the Leisure Guild silently welcomed the elven chief and six elven elders. They were led to a large conference room, easily able to fit everyone.

As Gwendon entered the room, he noticed a row of people sitting on the opposite end of the table.

Those people all stood up out of respect for the elves. Jack stood at the center of those men. On one side was Tralon with the new leaders of the Leisure Guild: Vixus, Kims, Kaldor, and Zariff who attended as Kaldor’s assistant. On the other side of Jack was an empty seat followed by Argyle and Hurmot, the leaders of the two subordinate guilds under the Leisure Guild.

Seeing that line up startled Gwendon and the elven elders. They had heard rumors of the ancient, legendary hero that had returned and quickly deduced that hero to have been Jack, the man that visited them not even a week ago. That was the main reason they found some interest in meeting with Jack.

But to see the powerful lineup already under Jack’s control, their hearts tensed up for a second. They knew immediately that in terms of strength, the guild alone could easily rival a nation, like it could during ancient times.

"Jack, thank you for allowing us to meet so suddenly," Gwendon bowed his head.

Jack nodded back to him. "It wasn’t any trouble at all. Let’s all sit and talk, be it about possible deals we can make or just sharing information. There’s no need to feel pressured while you’re here."

Gwendon chuckled, not sure if he should believe that with such a line up before him.

One elder spoke up, asking, "First and foremost, I believe we would all like to verify that you are indeed the ancient hero of recent rumors, the Legend of Trodar. Is that true? And if so, how can you prove it?"

"I can vouch for him."

That new voice entered the room as the door opened and closed. Eedaj then casually walked and sat himself in the empty seat beside Jack. He continued, "Do you need me to verify my identity as well? Or have you already figured it out?"

Gwendon’s jaw opened to speak but no words came out. It was easy to understand who that grey-skinned elf was. With the knowledge he and the elders had mixed with the stories of what took place a few days ago, Gwendon and the elders instantly felt a new level of invisible pressure fall on top of their conversation.

Standing up with a full bow, Gwendon took a deep breath before stating, "Eedaj, your excellence, I know I was not part of the generation that ignored your people, but please allow me to apologize for the contempt that we had for them."

"If that were true, why did you say my people and not our people?" replied Eedaj, causing the elven chief to bite his tongue. "I don’t hold a grudge against you or the current generation of elves, so don’t worry about that. That grudge is for someone else."

"Th-thank you, your excellence." Gwendon remained bowed as he accepted Eedaj’s words.

"That’s enough of that, and no need to speak so highly of me. I’m not as pretentious as Lyrun."

While the elders were taken aback and unsure how to respond to that, Gwendon sighed and smiled. The light in his eyes was a bit brighter as if he was relieved to hear that.

"Anyway, is there anything, in particular, you’d like to discuss? Or do you have any more questions? We’ll do our best to answer them," Jack asked, resuming control of the meeting.

"Yes." Returning to his seat, Gwendon looked to Jack. "Before discussing this deal of exclusivity that you were seeking, we have a few questions about yourself, the guild, and the intentions of the guild."

"Fair enough. Ask away."

Another elder spoke up, "Jack, if our information serves correct, you’re not as strong as you once were. Why is that?"

"Simple. I had to start over from scratch," stated Jack, startling everyone, including those on his side of the table aside from Eedaj. "To surpass my former limits, I needed to start over. And since I received divine assistance to do so, the potential and abilities I currently possess heavily outweigh my former skills, apart from temporarily having a lower level. But my level is still rising and will soon surpass my former level. Does that explain enough?"

That elder sighed and nodded. "Yes, that explains plenty."

"Alright, next question." Jack looked at all the elves, wondering who they had planned to speak next.

"How strong is the Leisure Guild currently?" asked another elder.

"That’s a great question, one with two different answers. One answer is for public record and to maintain the public view of the guild and the other answer is for our personal records, keeping our trump cards hidden," explained Jack. "Which answer would you like?"

"Hmm... How about both?"

One corner of Jack’s mouth arched up as he shrugged. "On public record, everyone you see before you are our strongest experts. As for the quantity of members, that’s hard to say as we’ve had a sudden influx of new recruits since the events a few days ago. I’m sure you can imagine why."

The elves carefully eyed Jack as that same elder pried further, asking, "... And the answer for your personal records?"

"That’s something personal, so how could we share that with anyone not directly affiliated with us." Jack laughed, causing the elves to all frown. However, Jack added, "But to speak metaphorically... should an event similar to the destruction of Federal City take place here in Gilga, we should be able to ward it off no problem."

Their anger instantly shifted into curiosity. Gwendon and the elven elders were extremely intrigued by such an answer.

It was obvious that having the public protection of a god was outstanding, especially compared to the rest of the world. And even though Lyrun technically resides in Estonya, he doesn’t do anything or truly offer any protection to the elves, something only the elven chief and elven elders new about.

"You’re saying that Gilga could ward off such an invasion without issues?" Gwendon asked to clarify.

Jack chuckled. "Gwendon, I’ll tell you something that most aren’t privy to know. I’m preparing for an invasion far worse than what happened in Federal City, so of course repelling such a minor attack would be possible."

"Jack... What do you mean by that?"

"How long do you think the other gods will remain hiding now that I’ve already started gathering the long-forgotten Neutral Gods?" asked Jack, stumping Gwendon. "And let’s be frank. I’m sure you’re all smart enough to realize that the Godly War centuries ago never truly ended. Right?"

Since Gwendon and the elders were speechless, Jack continued, "Rather than get caught up in an imminent storm, I’d rather spark the storm myself. That way I can at least guide the storm in a more favorable direction. And though Korten’s hidden forces might be the strongest of all the nations thanks to the long lifespan of elves, can those forces compare to the Chaos Syndicate or the Adventurers Association? That’s what every nation is probably wondering right now. Whether there’s a way to survive or not? Or better put, whether there’s a need to ally with one of those two monstrous powers or not, and which one to pick?

"My answer to that... Why not have my own power that can surpass them?"

The elders were carefully taking Jack’s words in, trying their best to process them. At the same time, Gwendon eventually asked, "Then... are you trying to propose something?"

"I’m fine with having a trading pact, even one without exclusivity, but would that be the best thing for Korten? We’ll be fine here in Trodar, so that’s enough for me, but would a trading pact alone give Korten what it needs most right now?"

Sighing, Gwendon shared a look with the elders around him. When they all eventually nodded, Gwendon proposed, "Jack, if Korten was to ally with the Leisure Guild, would you be able to guarantee our safety and protection?"

Jack scratched his head put on a pondering face for a moment. He then replied, "Yes, and no."

 

Chapter 403

"Yes, and no."

Jack’s answer left the elders baffled, but Jack added, "The reason I say both yes and no is very complicated. If you want to discuss that further, then it will have to be between Gwendon, myself, and Eedaj. Is that okay with you, elders?"

The elders all looked to Gwendon, giving him a variety of looks.

Taking that in, Gwendon replied, "I’ll agree to a more private meeting, but I’ll still have to gain the consent of the elders before agreeing to any sort of deal between us."

"That’s fine," stated Jack. "There are just some details that I don’t believe should be shared with anyone but the elven chief. As for everyone else, there’s another conference room beside this one or a lounge on the opposite side. Feel free to wait in either of those places."

Taking their leave, those on Jack’s side of the table were the first to exit. The elven elders followed. Now, only three men remained at the center of the long conference table.

"So... what did you wish to speak about?" asked Gwendon.

Jack sighed, interlocking his fingers and laying his arms on the table. "Should you share any of the unmentionable details I’m about to speak of, I’ll make sure Eedaj personally deals with you. Do you understand, Gwendon?"

"Right..."

With the elven chief beginning to sweat, Jack got straight to business. "Like I hinted at before, at some point the war of old will resume between the gods. However, this time the Neutral Gods won’t be sitting on the sidelines. As the chosen champion of Daruun, the god leading the Neutral Gods, it’s my duty to act on their behalf. Would you like to know the aim of the Neutral Gods?"

As Gwendon nodded, Jack continued, "Their aim is simple. To have peace. Unlike the other pantheons, the Neutral Gods aren’t bound to follow the orders of their leader. Each Neutral God can act for themselves, allowing them to coexist peacefully and not be influenced by the power-hungry desires of other gods."

Jack noticed Gwendon in deep thought, so Jack asked, "Have you heard of any tales about Ancient Trodar? Have you ever heard about any of their wars or skirmishes?"

"No..." Gwendon tried but failed to recount a single war or major battle involving Trodar before the Godly War.

"My point exactly," stated Jack. "Trodar was the only neutral state, meaning it was the only nation to worship only the Neutral Gods. That’s why I’m again gathering the Neutral Gods to Trodar, attempting to bring back that era of peace.

"But to do that, we’ll first be faced with another daunting war between the gods. And since I’m getting involved this time, neither the Holy Gods nor the Chaotic Gods will come out unscathed. There’s a chance that peace can only be realized after the other two factions are destroyed," mentioned Jack, stunning Gwendon further. "Should that need arise, then I’ll have to make sure it happens. Do you realize now why I said both yes and no?"

Gwendon swallowed some saliva and sighed. "... Because of Lyrun?"

"Correct," Eedaj answered in Jack’s stead. "And why would Estonya’s allegiance to Lyrun bring trouble, since you understand why his presence might interfere with our alliance?"

"Because... if another godly war broke out, then Korten is a likely target," reasoned Gwendon. Also, with the perspective of the Leisure Guild rising with the aid of the Neutral Gods, Gwendon realized something else that startled him even further. "Are the syndicate and the association under gods as well?"

Jack smiled. "So, you finally figured it out, huh? If that’s the case, what would you have to do as the current elven chief? What decision would you need to make in the possible future?"

Swallowing more saliva, Gwendon replied, "Eventually, should we ally with you, I would likely be forced to abandon the alliance to side with the association and the Holy Gods..."

"Or?" Jack lifted his eyebrow, waiting for Gwendon to mention his second option."

"Or... Or we would have to leave the protection of the Holy Gods for the Neutral Gods at that point..." admitted Gwendon, struggling to imagine the situation could be so serious.

Eedaj spoke up, "I’ll give you my honest opinion, Gwendon. I don’t trust Lyrun. I firmly believe that he had something to do with the Greis elves being scattered and hunted down. Also, I’ll admit that Lyrun’s been a master manipulator since before he ascended to godhood. In all of your interactions with Lyrun as the elven chief, has he ever been cold to you?"

Thinking back, Gwendon shook his head. "No."

"Has he ever been warm to you?" asked Eedaj.

"... No..."

"Has he ever spoken his opinion plainly or does he like to beat around the bush till you understand the bigger picture that he paints with his words?"

"... We’ve never spoken like we are now, so no." Gwendon had plenty of thoughts rushing through his head at that moment, beginning to question many things.

Jack inserted himself back into the conversation, stating, "Gwendon, I’m not asking if you’ll outright abandon Lyrun or the Holy Gods. But before I can agree to any sort of partnership between Korten and the Leisure Guild, you’ll have to decide what your answer will be to that eventual question. Would you rather ally with the god of your ancestors, the same god who is impossible to read or understand beyond face value, or with the pantheon of Neutral Gods, who I can introduce to you personally and you can meet with like we are now with Eedaj? Which option is better for Korten’s future, regardless of tradition or what the elves might think at the moment? What’s better, going to war over empty traditions or fighting for your personal freedom? The war is coming so, no matter what, you’ll eventually be faced with some sort of question along these lines."

Finished with their side of the story, Jack and Eedaj let Gwendon sit and marinate in thought. A minute passed. Five minutes passed...

After ten minutes of thought, Gwendon sighed and looked to Jack. "In the case that your offer is the best option that we decide on, how can you guarantee more protection than the Holy Gods?"

"An excellent question," chuckled Jack. "In total, there are seven Neutral Gods, but Daruun won’t be doing anything so there are only six able to act in Kartonia. That’s compared to ten gods in the chaotic and holy factions each. But... what if we suddenly gained an influx of new gods? And what if there are some gods, either chaotic or holy, that aren’t willing to die for the cause of their faction and would rather join the Neutral Gods? In that case, what do you think would happen to the balance between the gods?"

"Then... their previous balance would be destroyed," reasoned Gwendon.

"Actually, the balance has already been destroyed, all thanks to the Godly War long ago. Right now, they’re trying to keep the scale from tipping in favor of the opposite faction." Jack then started to laugh, stating, "That’s why I’m simply going to destroy that scale, throwing everything off balance and forcing them to face the consequences of the war they started long ago. But by the time that happens, it may be too late for us to help you."

Gwendon sighed, unable to say more.

Jack sighed too, shrugging off his seriousness. "No matter what happens, I wish Korten the very best and hope that, should you decide to remain with the Holy Gods, you’re not so unlucky as to war with Trodar. Being that unlucky could mean the end of your entire nation and possibly your race."

The casualness behind Jack’s comment only made it dig deeper into Gwendon’s side. And since Jack was the same outstanding ancient hero known to rob from all the gods and contend with entire nations or guilds on his own, the weight of Jack’s words was almost unbearable. Gwendon felt Jack’s pressure almost as much as Lyrun’s influence over Estonya, making the elven chief want to cry. Such a decision was something Gwendon wouldn’t even be faced with in his nightmares.

 

Chapter 404

The three men remained seated in silence for another five minutes. Jack was about to ask the others to return to the room, but Eedaj spoke up.

"Gwendon, I know it goes against everything the elves have done up to this point, but I hope that you’ll side with us in the end. I don’t want to you go through the same thing I did. And though you may not consider me as one of you, I still consider you as my people too," stated Eedaj, startling both Gwendon and Jack. "Please, consider this carefully. I hope that you’ll be willing to join our cause and seek our protection when the time comes."

"I... I’ll consider it carefully," replied Gwendon, shook beyond belief.

Jack added, "How about we at least enter a trading pact to begin the relationship of the Leisure Guild and Korten. That way you’ll understand that we don’t hold any ill will against Korten. As for our future relationship... that will be determined by you. What do you say?"

The elven chief sighed and gave Jack a half-smile. "I think a trading pact would be fine. Are you after exclusivity?"

"Can I even ask for that, given that you could just up and break the pact at any time?" Jack joked.

"Right... then let’s call everyone back in."

While everyone started to file back into their seats, Gwendon felt awkward. It was made very clear by Jack and Eedaj that the Leisure Guild was not only willing to ally with Korte but that they were seeking it out. However, it was also made perfectly clear that Korten was in a situation that Gwendon had never expected. And that situation was far direr than anything that Gwendon had ever handled as the Elven Chief. No matter what he chose, Korten, along with the rest of the world, would get enveloped by the storm to come.

"Right," Jack resumed control of the meeting, "according to what we just discussed, the only thing that we can agree on at the moment is to form a trading pact between the Leisure Guild and Korten. Does anyone here disagree with that proposal?"

The side of the Leisure Guild was quiet while the elven elders were puzzled. They looked to Gwendon but were startled to finding him nodding, agreeing with Jack’s statement.

"Excuse me," one elder spoke up, "wasn’t the Leisure Guild interested in an alliance?"

Jack nodded. "We are, but at the moment Korten is unable to make a commitment of such magnitude, not without possibly breaking said alliance later down the line. So, why should we agree to an alliance that could break before it’s even announced to the world?"

Still baffled, another elder added, "But Jack, we’re more than able to offer our--"

"The reason why I spoke personally with the chief is because he’s the most privy to information from Lyrun. That information keeps you from fully committing to the alliance as a nation and is the reason we cannot agree to an alliance at this time. Should that change, we’ll gladly form an alliance on a moment’s notice," reasoned Jack, getting the elders to all look back at Gwendon’s troubled face.

Jack continued, "That being said, we’d still like to form a trading pact to maintain a good relationship with Korten. There won’t be any terms of exclusivity, but we’ll offer higher prices for your goods and momentarily pay the tariffs and entry fees should your people wish to come sell merchandise in Gilga."

"No exclusivity... That seems more like the Leisure Guild and Korten would be acquaintances and not be on good enough terms to form an alliance, doesn’t it?" stated one elder, trying to repaint the picture and blame the Leisure Guild to an extent.

Before Jack replied, Gwendon answered, "What they are saying is perfectly sensible, given the circumstances between the Leisure Guild and Korten. The one at fault for not forming the alliance is us, not the Leisure Guild. I’m sure they could enter a trading pact with anyone and aren’t desperate for our business, so blame Korten for falling short and not the Leisure Guild for disagreeing."

Taken aback, the elders were all speechless.

Jack and those on the other side of the table were surprised but glad to see that Gwendon was indeed mature enough to be the elven chief.

"Since you agree, Gwendon, Eedaj and I have some important business to handle," Jack stated. "I’ll leave the details of the pact to the men here. Argyle and Hurmot are from our subordinate guilds, the Fat Goose and the Celestial Crane. Should you have any items you’re seeking to sell for a high price, they’re the ones to speak with. To deal directly with the Leisure Guild, you’ll speak with Kaldor and Zariff, our treasurer and assistant treasurer. Should any of your people or merchant long to visit Gilga or sell merchandise here, Tralon and Vixus will be the ones to speak with. They’ll organize any lodging needed and a space to sell goods.

"Now, if you’ll excuse me’’" Jack stood up and bowed to Gwendon and the elven elders before heading to the door.

Eedaj stood and followed, nodding to Gwendon before closing the door behind him.

Outside of the conference room, Jack took a deep breath and looked to Eedaj. "I didn’t know you still cared about the other elves."

Nodding, Eedaj walked and talked with Jack, "I would only wish that level of destruction on my enemies. Also, I don’t want them to be sacrificed to push Halmut’s aims further. It’s something that almost happened before, but never took place thanks to the unexpected ending of the Godly War."

"That... Lyrun would sacrifice his own people?" Struggling to understand, Jack asked, "What makes you so sure?"

"The elves were made into a great military power during the godly war. The Holy Gods relied on them heavily for many tasks. That dwindled their numbers greatly, barely leaving them with enough people to run the nation," explained Eedaj. "One wrong move and the entire race could’ve been erased."

"That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think? Without much proof, I’m not sure Lyrun would be--"

"Jack, you have to trust me, as your father-in-law." Eedaj remained calm but the serious look in his eyes silenced Jack. "In Lyrun’s case, it’s best to predict a crueler outcome. He’s not so kind-hearted as everyone has always believed.

"At least keep that in mind, Jack. And should there ever be a time where Lyrun tries to make a deal with you, refuse it. Okay, Jack?"

"... I’ll definitely keep that in mind," replied Jack. "I should probably get going now. I need to go deal with those slimy councilmen and use them to make a public announcement."

"Alright, then I won’t take up any more of your time. Thanks for listening, Jack."

The god and the hero went their separate ways, one heading toward his home and the other heading toward the guild’s underground prison.

Along the way, Jack couldn’t help but wonder what was really going on with Lyrun. With two Neutral Gods differing in opinion and Daruun warning Jack to not look into it, Jack’s curiosity about Lyrun was growing by the second.

To get his mind off Lyrun, Jack took a detour on the way to the guild prison. A long detour.

Jack still went underground but in a completely different part of the guild property. After making sure he was alone, Jack entered the treasury and opened the vault. It was filled to the brim with items that were both basic and nearly priceless in Modern Kartonia.

Jack grabbed a few guild storage rings, one for every level up to lv. 70. That way his bestial storage might eventually fit Dragov and he could do many things. He fiddled with the lv. 50 ring for a second before he stored that as well. Then, Jack began opening every chest that had come from the storehouse.

 

Chapter 405

Each and every chest was scoured by Jack. The hero didn’t overlook a single coin in those chests, let alone the items.

He found all sorts of guild items and a few treasures that some might be jealous of, but Jack remained unsatisfied. Double-checking the chests, Jack was again left disappointed.

Finding no success, Jack returned all the items back to their chests and resealed the vault as he exited. Jack began to rummage through his thoughts and memories, searching for a clue. And again, Jack struggled to change his disillusioned expression.

Eventually, Jack telepathically called Tralon, ’Tralon, I’ll be quick. Do we still have any of the custom items that I made myself?’

’One second, Jack... We’re finishing up," replied Tralon, unable to give Jack an answer just yet.

Impatient, Jack groaned and asked, ’I just need to know, do we have any or not?’

’I... Jack, just give me a few minutes.’

Unhappy and grumpy, Jack returned to the main building of the guild, heading for his office. Once there, he started thumbing through all the books on each shelf. When that proved fruitless, Jack started to inspect his desk and it’s contents.

He had never really gone through the desk since his return to the guild, only using it for discussions with important people. And he was again disappointed to find hardly anything at all.

Jack realized that Tralon must’ve cleaned out the desk before officially returning the office to Jack, which only made Jack more impatient.

’Finally, I can talk.’ Tralon’s voice filled Jack’s head. ’What are you looking for, Jack?’

’All I want is any item that I made myself, not something I had others make for me,’ answered Jack. ’Do we have anything like that?’

’Hmmm... that’s hard to say. You were always very particular about keeping your most personal items on you at all times, remember?’ stated Tralon, getting Jack to sigh.

Running through his memories, Jack tried to come up with some sort of solution. ’Come to my office, Tralon. We’ll talk easier here.’

’Right.’

Jack’s mind was running full steam ahead while Tralon walked to Jack’s office. By the time the old mage arrived, Jack’s head was practically steaming he was so heated and anxious.

"Jack, is something wrong?" asked Tralon. "Why do you need any item like that? You can’t even wield any of those."

Sighing, Jack opened his eyes and replied, "I don’t want to equip anything, I just need a custom item that I made. It can be any level and even have little to no value. It could lead me to something really important."

"Oh, any level?"

The dissatisfaction on Jack’s face began to fade as Tralon retrieved something from his pocket dimension.

"I hardly use that spell anymore, but it’s only to keep my most prized possessions safe. Though I don’t want to part with this, it’s not like it can come with me after I die. If it’s of use to you, then go right ahead."

Tralon held in his hands a plain-looking purple ring. It was only lv. 15 and barely qualified as a high-tier item. The forming of the ring was crude, but the natural luster of the pearl-like purple stone was still visible. There was nothing fancy or desirable about the ring, but it made Jack laugh to see it again.

"You still have that?! Why did you keep that junk?" Jack laughed.

"Well, it was the first item that you ever gave me. Though it’s worth nothing, in terms of monetary value, the ring marks the beginning of my adventures by your side, the greatest turning point of my life," stated Tralon, chuckling along with Jack. "Honestly, I’m not sure why I kept it way back then, but I’d now argue it’s my most prized possession. But since it was yours to begin with, you can have it back."

Holding out the ring, Tralon sighed and smiled at Jack.

Sensing how much it meant to Tralon, Jack remarked, "Don’t worry, I’ll bring it back eventually. It shouldn’t take long."

"I’d like that."

Jack reached out to grab the ring, feeling a sense of gladness that Tralon treasured that crap item and a sense of anxiety to learn if he’s old body had an ancient tomb.

’Jack, Jack, Jack...’

Abruptly, a flash of light filled the room. Jack found himself able to move, but Tralon was frozen where he stood. And, for some reason, that ring was no longer in his hand.

"Jack... Didn’t I tell you not to worry about your old self for the time being?"

Turning toward his desk, Jack replied, "Daruun, what gives? Can’t I at least look into it a little bit? What’s so wrong about--"

"I know what you’re thinking, Jack," Daruun stated, sitting in Jack’s seat and leaning over Jack’s desk with a serious look in his eyes. "You should be glad that I was still around visiting my sons and daughters."

"Come on, Daruun. You can’t expect me to not look into my old self. At least let me know if I have a tomb somewhere," argued Jack.

Daruun shook his head. "It’s to keep you from learning that very thing that I’m here now. Would you like to talk about it? We’ve got all the time in the world."

Jack didn’t know what to say, not until he saw Daruun flick the purple ring into the air and catch it in his palm. Defeated, Jack grabbed a chair from the side and placed it across from Daruun. "Alright, then let’s talk about it. But it seems I was right to assume my old body has a tomb, seeing that you’re--"

"Jack, allow me to speak first," interjected Daruun. "Let me say a few things about why I’m against giving you this ring without a proper warning. In the end, the decision will be yours. Just hear me out and ask your questions first. Will you agree to that?"

"... Yeah, I’ll agree to that." Jack nodded, eagerly wanting to know why Daruun was so persistent about the topic.

It was the first time Daruun had actually stopped Jack from acting on his own, something Daruun didn’t do even when Jack had made a mistake that resulted in the eventual death of Keela. And given the fact that Daruun hadn’t left Kartonia yet meant that the God of Fate had been waiting for this moment to speak with Jack.

With all that in mind, Jack was sure that he had stumbled upon something great. It could either be a great travesty or a great triumph, and the only way to find out was to listen carefully.

 

Chapter 406

"... Yeah, I’ll agree to that."

Daruun nodded and sighed. Then, Daruun stood himself up. "Jack, you’ll want to stand for this."

"Come on, Daruun, I think I can handle the news. Besides, aren’t I supposed to sit for startling news?" Jack joked.

"Very well."

Suddenly, a flash of light filled the room, taking the two of them far into the clouds over Kartonia.

Jack felt himself falling, landing firmly yet softly on his rear. He stood on that platform of cloud and chuckled, "Oh... Now I get it?"

Daruun smiled, glad to see that some of the previous tension of the conversation was gone. He asked, "Jack, why are you so intent on learning about your past self?"

"I’m not that hung up about it. I’m just curious is--"

"Jack, you searched every chest of your vault, twice," stated Daruun, silencing Jack’s excuses. "Again, why are you so intent on finding out more about your former self?"

"Well, if I can find my former self, wouldn’t that give me the greatest bounty I’ve ever had? Wouldn’t that give me all the items I could ever need? With those, I could level up quicker and--"

"And you could save Tralon?"

Jack’s mouth was still open but he didn’t finish his statement. Looking to Daruun, Jack sighed with a nod.

"Jack, we already talked about that, and you even spoke with Tralon, yet you’re still set on choosing that other path."

"No, I’m trying to make my own path," stated Jack. "Can’t I just make a path that can save Tralon and keep the gods at bay long enough to protect everyone? What’s wrong with searching for that?"

Daruun rubbed his eyebrows and sighed. With Jack so set in his mind, the God of Fate could only address the issue. He stayed silent and waved his hand again, taking them away to somewhere else.

As the light faded, Jack was startled, so much so that he almost fell back.

In front of Jack stood Naparn, who was currently locked in place with an ugly shouting face. To the other side was Lyrun, taking Naparn’s angry shouts with a straight face.

"Don’t be scared Jack, they don’t even know we’re here," Daruun commented. "I brought you here to teach you something. We’ll be using your father, Sterfen as an example. You wouldn’t know it, but Sterfen is also nearby, not even five meters away from Naparn. I’m sure you already know why.

Jack tried to look around, but he was unable to sense anything about Sterfen, even knowing that Sterfen was almost within arm’s reach.

Daruun continued, "I want you to understand patience, and Sterfen is a perfect example of that. He’ll be patiently waiting for the precise moment that he can assault Naparn. And since that moment must be exactly perfect, Sterfen will wait however long it takes. He’ll follow Naparn everyone, waiting not for a moment of a ninety-nine percent chance of success, but one hundred percent chance of success. Do you think shortcuts will get you to a one hundred percent chance of success, Jack?"

"They can, so long as I only use shortcuts appropriately. I can’t use them everywhere, but what’s wrong with using them to speed through the things that don’t mean anything?" reasoned Jack.

"Right, they can be effective only when used properly and taken carefully into consideration," stated Daruun. "I only want you to state that for yourself, making sure you don’t forget that. Also, you must remember that taking shortcuts in your situation can either save your life or get it taken from you. Understood?"

"Yeah, I get that. But why can’t I know about my old body?" asked Jack.

Another flash of light carried them back into the clouds. Daruun continued, "Jack, I’ll be very clear about this, so just listen and save your questions for when I’m done, okay?"

As Jack nodded, Daruun began his explanation, "Jack, I told you before that there were two options. I’m both glad and sad that you already realized the third option, to go your own way. This option is just as viable as the other two, but it can also lead to certain doom. It can’t be taken lightly.

"Should you make your own path, that means all decisions that follow will get much, much more difficult. You’ll be choosing between lives at times, and you’ll have to move on as if those lives meant nothing to you," reasoned Daruun. "That’s one reason why I stopped you. Because you’ve proven up till now that you’re indecisive, especially when it involves lives of others, whether you know those people or not.

"With that level of indecisiveness, there’s no way you would ever succeed in making your own path. Do you agree with me on that point?"

Sighing, Jack nodded. The hero had no way to argue with that logic.

"Also,’ Daruun continued, "creating your own path means that you’ll be more unpredictable to others and yourself. Making your own path means you’ll gain the ability to free Lunara and save Tralon.

"Now, that doesn’t mean you’ll succeed at both but it does mean that both will have a chance of success. That’s how everything will be should you choose your own path. All will be possible, both success and failure. It’s both the riskiest and the most rewarding of paths to take." Staring calmly at Jack, Daruun asked, "What are you willing to sacrifice, Jack?"

Slow to answer, Jack replied with a question, "That depends... What am I sacrificing for?"

Daruun began to smile, rephrasing his question, "In order to succeed on your own path by your own rules, what are you willing to sacrifice?"

"My own rules..." Jack scratched his head for a moment. "Can my family’s survival be a rule of mine?"

"Of course."

"Then... I’m willing to sacrifice anything for that to happen."

Daruun’s smile remained but he hesitated to speak for a moment. However, the god quickly resumed his thought, "In that case, you can’t be so indecisive. Should something come between you and your goals, you must act with purpose. I encourage you to make a few rules that, should they be threatened, must take precedence and force you to take action, even if it’s drastic or threatens some innocent lives.

"What scenario is worse: the destruction of a single city filled with innocent lives or an endless war across the entire continent that can only result in an apocalyptic end?"

"I... I get what you mean."

"You’ve always understood that, but you never acted on that. Though I’m glad you’ll save innocents whenever you’re able, the cause you’re facing equivalent to the end of the world, Jack. You must not be blinded by your own personal feelings," reasoned Daruun. "Why else did I include such selfish achievements in "A Hero’s Tale"?

"Take your final achievement as an example. It sacrifices one hundred people and the user for no apparent reason. Yet you did it anyway. You, Jack, had a fixed goal that you wanted and you weren’t going to let the other hundred people or the boss stop you. That’s the kind of dedication that I was after. If you were so focused on a silly achievement, just how focused would you be when the stakes were high and the world was on the line? It’s a level of focus that few could imagine having. But you’ve got it, deep inside of you. Why aren’t you letting it out?"

Jack mulled over that thought. He smiled, again unable to disagree.

"Now, Jack, I’ve known that you’d pick such a path in the end, that’s why I chose you. To fight fate, how can you not carve your own path?" reasoned Daruun. "And now that you’ve gone through so many things to get this far and have been served many lessons, you’re as ready as you’ll ever be. Just know that the moment you begin to make your own path, fate will become unforgiving until you either reach your goal or you quit. Are you going to quit, Jack?"

"No," Jack replied, not hesitating. "Thanks for teaching me what’s needed before I got in over my head."

"Then, what will you do after I give you this ring? Tell me, Jack."

Answering, Jack nodded, "I’m going to find my tomb no matter what. That way I can best protect everyone and face my enemies."

"That’s good to hear." Daruun chuckled, showing Jack a big grin. "I’m glad you’re willing to take it all on. Just don’t forget who you are and your mandatory rules that will be your purpose for victory."

"Thanks, Gramps."

"No problem, my boy."

The two embraced each other, patting each other’s back like a doting grandfather and grandson would do.

"Here." Daruun released Jack and held out the ring. "You’ll probably want to check the ring while I’m still here. I’ll finally be getting back to work after we’re done."

Sensing relief and responsibility hit him at the same time, Jack took the ring. He then opened his notifications. Just as Jack had expected, Jack found a new achievement to find another ancient tomb. But the moment Jack opened it, his mind went blank.

 

Chapter 407

"You’re kidding me, right?"

"No, Jack, what you’re reading is the truth."

A whole new flood of emotions overtook Jack, switching from excitement to anxiety and from uneasiness to wonderment. Even Jack wasn’t sure how to take in that information.

"I’m guessing you have some questions based on your baffled expression," added Daruun. "Is my assumption correct?"

Jack slowly nodded. His mouth opened but he only managed to take a deep breath and let out a long sigh. Opening his mouth again, Jack’s words finally came out, "Daruun... How can this speed things up? Wouldn’t this be an even bigger distraction than trying to level up me and Tralon at the same time?!"

Smiling, Daruun shook his head. "That depends entirely on how you want to reach your tomb. Should you decide to choose common means, then of course it would distract you even more. But, should you attempt it through uncommon means, then you’ll be able to accomplish it sooner."

"What kind of uncommon means can get me to the bottom of Earthen Keep sooner?!" Jack shouted, feeling mislead. "How did my body even get down there, anyway?!"

"Don’t you remember?" Daruun asked with a joking smile. "Jack, what was the final achievement that you completed in "A "Hero’s Tale"?"

"Easy, "All for None, None for All", right? How does..."

"Do you remember now?"

Jack slapped his forehead and dragged his hand down his face. After all the times it took Jack to finally succeed at "All for None, None for All", how could he forget the final success?

"You mean to tell me... that my old character’s tomb is on the final floor of the Earthen Keep? The same floor guarded by Crypt Lord Duorda, the hardest boss of "A Hero’s Tale"? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?"

"Does your system lie?" joked Daruun.

Staring at his still open achievement list, Jack felt defeated.

[Find the tomb: incomplete]

[Find the tomb of Jack_J. on the final floor of Earthen Keep. Reward: 85 skill points. Event reward: 2000 skill points.]

Though he was glad to notice that there was at least an event reward, Jack was still torn as to how he could possibly accomplish the achievement in record time like Daruun was implying.

"Jack, just ask your questions and we’ll talk about it. Haven’t you already been thinking about how to clear that dungeon?"

"Yeah, but I was going to attempt it after becoming a god or when I’ve got a few gods to carry me through it," replied Jack.

Daruun smiled teasingly with a chuckle. "But would that get you a legendary achievement, Jack?"

"What do--"

"Don’t forget, some of the in-game achievements have been programmed into your system. Have you forgotten your other great achievement involving Earthen Keep?"

Jack blinked and pondered for a moment, only to feel like he was hit over the head by reality as he remembered. "You can’t be serious! You want me to solo run it, at my current level?!"

"Yes... and no." Daruun explained, "To earn that achievement, did you have to kill all the mobs?"

"No..." Jack stubbornly replied.

"Did you even have to kill anything?"

"Yes! I had to kill the boss!" shouted Jack, not holding back his fury. "Do you know how long that fight took and how many times I died memorizing all of his attack patterns?! He’s a boss built for a hundred man raid, and now he’s probably lv. 89!"

"But are you in a game, Jack?"

"I... What do you mean?"

Daruun answered, "Games can only include possibilities that are programmed into them, but what about life? I can assure you that there is a way for you to accomplish that achievement and for you to earn the legendary achievement along with it. If there’s wasn’t such a possibility, would I bring it up?"

"That... No, you wouldn’t have mentioned it..." Jack agreed, unhappy for Daruun to be right in such a situation.

"Jack, this will allow you access to all the items you held previously and even the items from your personal storage that was within the guild."

"You’re the reason that’s empty?!" Jack shouted again.

Chuckling, Daruun answered, "Not me, the world. That same integrated mechanic of the world gave you most of Ponlinne’s treasures, so why wouldn’t it transport your personal goods to your tomb? And since you technically never logged off, I made sure that you were included in those that created a tomb at the end of the servers."

"But... how on earth can I do that now? Maybe if I was at least lv. 80, but now... It should be impossible."

"It’s not impossible, just nearly impossible," corrected Daruun. "That’s why the system will reward you handsomely for it. Also... I’m sure you’ll want to gain those skill points as soon as possible."

"Why’s that?" asked Jack.

"Because you’ll be glad to have them. Now, aren’t you going to ask about how you’ll pull off such a stunt?"

"Yes, please elaborate."

"Very well." Daruun explained, "With ninety-nine floors, even running through it without fighting will take you quite a long time to run it. And you’ll only be allowed your beast companions, no one else, though you won’t need them in my opinion."

"I can’t even bring them?!"

"Let me finish," stated Daruun. "Once you’re inside Earthen Keep, you shouldn’t exit until after you’ve already entered your tomb. Your teleportation skill is too easily spotted and isn’t subtle at all. It would alarm the mobs on whatever floor you attempt to use it on. To exit the dungeon, that’s fine. But to reenter the dungeon where you left off, it would get you killed."

"So, if I leave the dungeon early, then I’ll have to start all over again?" reasoned Jack, uneasiness plastered on his face.

"Correct. That’s why you shouldn’t leave until after you’ve entered the tomb," Daruun repeated. "What you’re wondering the most is what will happen on the ninety-ninth floor with Duorda, but I’m sure you’ll come up with something."

"That’s it?! You’re not going to tell me have to evade him or how to do anything?!"

"Nope. I don’t want to influence your system and detract from your reward. However, I can guarantee you that there is a way and it will make itself known, given who you are," answered Daruun. "Don’t worry too much Jack. Getting there will be easier than you think, so long as you realize how poorly you’ve been using your pact."

"Poorly?" Curious, Jack asked, "How else am I supposed to use my pact?"

"You’ve used it well in most cases, but it’s potential can’t be reached with what you’re doing now. It’s the way you gain new skills and abilities, which you’re decently good at balancing, so you should gather as many as possible. But you’ve distracted yourself with spells and haven’t touched any of the high-level skills that Argyle, Hadurt, or the others can offer you," reasoned Daruun. "You’ll need those as well, don’t forget that, Jack.

"Also," Daruun continued, "you should be trying to gain the strongest skills from the strongest people, yet you’ve ultimately failed to do so thus far."

"But I’ve--"

"Jack, who are the strongest people you know?" asked Daruun.

Shrugging like it was obvious, Jack replied, "Hadurt and Lorwynn, duh."

"Wrong," corrected Daruun. "And this is the root of your failure to magnify the potential of the pact. I even made sure that the system could complement the pact, yet you fail to use it with your strongest allies!"

"What do you..."

"Oh, did it finally hit you?"

"I can use the pact on gods?" Jack asked half-heartedly, finally figuring out what Daruun was implying.

Daruun heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally... You’ve finally realized what I assumed you would’ve been doing all along. It’s about time, Jack."

 

Chapter 408

"As you can guess, it’s making a pact with Sterfen and purchasing one of his skills that will allow you to pull this stealth mission off," added Daruun, making Jack finally feel more at ease. "You should make sure to form a pact with each willing god before you hurry off to go see Rikko. And since you’re carving your own path, you can head out after you declare your entry in the councilmen election.

"Do you have any more questions, Jack?"

Thinking it over, Jack heaved a sigh of relief. The thought of the soloing Earthen Keep wasn’t as stressful when he included the option of using the skills of the gods, in particular a skill from the god currently stalking Naparn within the Olympic Chateau. By comparison, the Earthen Keep felt a bit safer.

"No... I don’t think I have any more questions about my tomb... At least not any that you would willingly answer."

"Sorry, Jack, but I want to make sure you get as many skill points as possible from this. You’ll be grateful for that in the end," added Daruun. "If that’s the case, then I’ll finally be getting back to work elsewhere. I’ve ignored my other duties long enough."

"Alright, but I’ll be calling you should I need anything."

As Daruun nodded to Jack, a warm light swelled from Daruun’s being. It gradually grew until it engulfed all of Jack’s vision, much softer than the other flashes that blinded Jack.

When that light faded, Jack blinked. He found himself picking up the ring from Tralon’s hand.

"Can I ask you what you’re trying to find?" asked Tralon.

Bouncing the ring up and down with his hand, Jack replied with a smile, "I’ll be searching for my old tomb and this can help me locate it."

"Really?!" Tralon was amazed, eager to find such a place. "How can that ring help you?"

"My subclass lets me find tombs of heroes so long as I have an item crafted by them," answered Jack. "But to get to my tomb... it’ll be even riskier than the storehouse."

"Where is it? Can I assist you in any way?"

Jack smiled and patted Tralon on the shoulder. "I’ll tell you, but promise to be calm because I have a plan... I think..."

Tralon nodded but he didn’t quite catch what Jack mumbled at the end of his statement.

"My tomb is at the very bottom of Earthen Keep, where I spent my last mission," stated Jack. "I do have a plan, though it means I’ll be going alone this time."

"What?! That’s ludicrous! Jack, you can’t possibly--"

"I’m not going, not yet," added Jack. "I’ll first have to make pacts with some gods to gain access to their skills. Only after I have Sterfen’s skills in stealth will I head to Earthen Keep. That way, I’ll sneak through the entire dungeon like I did that one time."

Feeling a bit better, Tralon asked, "And what about the crypt lord?"

"I’ve got something in mind for that too, so don’t worry." Jack hid his own confidence and answered Tralon with the confidence that Daruun had shown, "Just know that once I enter Earthen Keep, I won’t be exiting until I succeed."

Hearing that, Tralon deduced what Jack was about to ask him. "Jack, I’ll make sure to protect your family and party at all costs!"

Jack heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Tralon. Take especially good care of Eliza. Apparently... Dragas gave her a fertility potion after Eliza became Dragas’s daughter, which means..."

Tralon’s eyes shot wide open and his mouth fell agape. "Jack... You can rest assured that I will protect Eliza and your child with my life!"

"That’s enough, Tralon," added Jack. "No one other than my wives, Lina, and my beast companions know, not even the other party members. Don’t tell anyone unless you feel it’s absolutely necessary or until it’s already become obvious to everyone else."

"Of course. I’m sworn to secrecy," replied Tralon.

"Good, then know that I’ll be taking that challenge on to better ensure everyone’s protection. The sooner I can find that tomb and reclaim my treasures, the stronger we’ll be to face the other godly factions," stated Jack. "For now, I’ll go visit Eedaj, then Lunara and Dragas. Sterfen’s occupied at the moment and it may be better to find Jin later, so I’ll then visit Rikko. While I’m away, handle everything here in my stead."

"I wouldn’t have it any other way!" Tralon gladly agreed, still feeling proud to know that Jack was on his way to becoming a father."

They both left Jack’s office and parted ways.

Jack hurried back to the restricted area and knocked on Eedaj’s courtyard door.

"Come in."

Entering with a smile on his face, Jack hurried and recounted his experience with Daruun to the Mind God. Eedaj grinned, agreeing with Daruun’s way of thinking. They performed the pact then and there, not wasting any more time. The only thing Jack didn’t expect was how insistent Eedaj was to receive the pact with the EXP leech. Jack tried to convince Eeaj otherwise, but the Mind God was obstinate.

Thanking Eedaj with a bow, Jack hurried away to inform his wives about the newest update to his plan. At the same time, Jack claimed the newest reward from his latest achievement.

[Even gods salute me: claimed]

[Gain the absolute respect of a deity, even getting them to pledge an offering to you rather than having you pledge to them. Legendary reward: 2000 skill points.]

Also, Jack checked out Eedaj’s skills. Many of which were identical to Daliea’s after she received so many spellbooks from Daliea. The greatest difference was the new class of spells that Jack had never seen before, labeled [Personal-tier Spells].

Jack remembered a few different gods mention personal spells that they had created but he didn’t know that it was an actual classification. Both personal-tier spells were very eyecatching and very expensive...

[PERSONAL-TIER SPELLS]

[-God’s Perspective: 3000 skill points]

[-Cerebral Collapse: 4000 skill points]

Keeping calm, Jack reasoned that the price was only fitting compared to legendary spells. But even then, Jack’s heart ached to know that they were more expensive than any achievement he had earned so far, even legendary achievements.

With that in mind, Jack decided to save the two thousand skill points he had just earned. Jack didn’t want to later find himself with too few skill points to purchase Sterfen’s skill.

As Jack entered his own courtyard, he was greeted by Lina, who dragged him to the bedroom. There, they reunited with all three of Jack’s wives. Maura and Daliea were sitting beside Eliza on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked.

"I’m... I’m feeling fine," replied Eliza. "I’m just a little overwhelmed, that’s all. With this happening so soon... I’m excited and worried at the same time."

"Well, that makes sense since you’ll soon be a mom," chuckled Jack. Daliea scooted over to let Jack sit with Eliza. "I’ve just learned a few things that can help make things easier. It does involve me going away for a little while, but you’ll be glad to know what I’ll be bringing back."

Saddened, Eliza looked back up at Jack. "You’re leaving? So soon?"

"Not yet," answered Jack. "Before I do that, I’ll be revisiting Dragas and Lunara with my teleportation skill. Then, I still have to enter the election and bring the next god to Trodar. After all that, then I’ll be going away for a short time."

"Okay... but we can’t come with you?" asked Eliza.

Shaking his head, Jack explained, "Where I’ll be going, not even Bowzer will be joining me. He and Phoro will be staying here with you, Dragov too. So even while I’m gone, you’ll have them. But... Once I enter that place, I won’t be able to leave, till I’ve made it to the end. However, once I’m done with that, I’ll come back with all of the treasures and items that I gathered during my time as an ancient hero."

"Oh..." Eliza felt a desire to argue with Jack but she also understood how important such a mission was. After a moment of thought, Eliza smiled softly and leaned against Jack. "Then you’ll have to make sure you bring something good for me and even more treasures for our baby."

Everyone in the room got a chuckle out while Jack replied, "Of course. Only the best for our kid."

 

Chapter 409

As Jack and his wives started to chat about some of the things Jack would possibly bring home, they heard a knock at their door.

Lina was the first to bolt for the guest, wanting to be the person opening the door. Behind her came Jack, who was smiled nervously when he noticed Argyle standing on the other side of the door.

"Jack, is Eliza doing okay?" asked Argyle. "She asked me to hurry over as fast as I can but didn’t tell me why."

"She’s perfectly fine, Argyle, so there’s no need to worry. I’m sure she just wants to talk and catch up with you," replied Jack.

Argyle nodded and walked in. "That makes sense. Then I’ll let myself in."

"You’ll find her in the bedroom with the others," added Jack. "I was about to leave anyway, so let them know that I’ll be back soon."

"Okay."

Jack fled the scene, not knowing what Argyle would do to him after learning that Eliza would soon have Jack’s child. He was going to return soon anyway, so Jack decided to come back after the initial shock was gone.

Using Greater Teleportation, Jack vanished in a flash of light.

Lounging and deep in thought, Dragas admired the ring now on her finger with sorrowful eyes. Though the gemstone was insignificant, she admired it more than all of the priceless flowers that she had been cultivating for the past millennium.

But when a bright flash of light suddenly appeared in front of her, her smile lost its sorrow.

"Visiting me twice in one day, you’ll spoil me, Daruun," Dragas giggled as she put the ring away.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Mother," Jack laughed, surprising Dragas as the light faded. "I came by to thank you for the potion, it was quite effective last night."

Smiling, Dragas replied, "I was going to use that on you and I but you refused... Maybe now you’ve--"

"I’m here to form a pact with you, Mother," stated Jack, not letting Dragas offer herself again. "You’ll have access to all of my passive skills and I’ll be able to learn your skills through my subclass. It’s something that Daruun wants us to capitalize on."

"Oh? And does it take anything from me?" asked Dragas.

"Nope."

"What if I want it to take something from me?" Dragas pouted.

Giving Dragas a strange look, Jack added, "There is a version of the pact that gives me half of all EXP you gain--"

"Then that’s the one we’ll use!" Dragas hopped off her seat and stood before Jack. "Now hurry up and get it over with. Unless you want me to get down and beg--"

"Hold still!"

Jack took a deep breath and looked away from Dragas’s enticing eyes to regather himself. He then slit his finger and starting drawing the pact on Dragas’s forehead.

"Hmph! You’re no fun..."

The pact was quickly formed and Jack said a quick goodbye as he flashed away. Jack didn’t want to spend another second there alone with Dragas, not with her still trying to entice him.

A brilliant flash of light appeared elsewhere, on the other side of the continent. It happened within a dark chamber with no lighting, so it startled the great beast that was resting peacefully. The beast’s nine heads all blinked, wondering who had come to visit.

"Hey, Mom!"

A sigh of relief escaped all nine of the hydra heads as the light faded. The great beast then morphed into a beautiful woman, dashing toward the man that had appeared.

"Jack, I’m so glad to see you!" Lunara gave Jack a big hug. "When did you get a teleportation spell?"

"I got it from Tralon," answered Jack. "I came to say high and to check in on you."

"That’s all? You could’ve just used the contact crystal for that. Why are you really here?" Lunara asked with a smile.

"How about we go talk upstairs on the couch. That’d be more comfortable since I just traveled so far to come see you."

The mother and son laughed as the walked up the stairs. Jack was going on about Lina’s inhuman appetite by the time the got upstairs.

"Want anything to drink?" Lunara offered.

Jack waved his hand. "No, thank you. I can’t stay for long, sadly. But since you’ll be coming to Trodar soon, that doesn’t matter all that much."

"What do you mean, Jack?"

"Didn’t Dad tell you..."

It was too late. Jack had already mentioned Sterfen and his involvement in something. And linking that to her freedom, Lunara began to worry.

"Jack, tell me what you were about to say. Do you want to lie to your mom like that?"

"Mom, if he didn’t--"

"Tell me, Jack!" Lunara insisted.

Swallowing some saliva and choosing his words carefully, Jack replied, "Well... Dad is out making sure that you’ll be free soon."

"Jack, tell me the full story," demanded Lunara.

"Of course..." Jack sighed. "Just promise not to freak out or do anything to stop him."

"Jack, tell me or--"

"Promise me, Mom."

Lunara could feel how serious Jack was treating the situation so she begrudgingly agreed, "Fine... I won’t do anything to stop him, but only because I assume you’re involved too."

"Thanks." Jack paused, letting himself get as comfortable as possible. "Dad is in Olympic Chateau and--"

"WHAT?!" Lunara jumped to her feet, about to leave.

"WAIT!" Jack stood and put his hands on her shoulders. "Mom, you promised to not--"

"Jack, you don’t understand! Going there is the same as getting himself killed!" shouted Lunara. "There’s no way that he could--"

"There is a way to sneak in, at least now there is!" yelled Jack. "Now sit down and we can talk about it."

Tense and unwilling, Lunara sat down, eyeing Jack. "Then tell me, how did he sneak in?"

Glad that she stopped fighting back, Jack sat Lunara down and sat himself beside her. "Mom, have they told you anything about what happened in Federal City?"

Lunara nodded, "They said the association was attacked by the syndicate and left a lot of the city in ruins."

"And both champions died, right?"

"Right."

"Well... what if I told you that neither champion actually died? Would you believe me?"

The stubborn glare on Lunara’s face became a look of awe. "Are you saying..."

"Yes, both champions are alive and well," stated Jack. "Both of them joined the Leisure Guild in secret with the hopes that I can help them ascend in the future, unlike the broken promises that their former factions gave them."

"Does that mean that Lorwynn snuck Sterfen into the Olympic Chateau?" asked Lunara.

"That’s exactly what happened. And I have the confirmation of Daruun that Dad is currently stalking Naparn, waiting for the perfect moment to strike," answered Jack. "Soon, Dad will be back with your contract. And then you’ll be able to break the contract and free yourself, finally."

Two different sides of Lunara were fighting for supremacy at that moment. She was filled with worry about her husband and the risk he was putting himself through for her sake. But Lunara was also elated to know that she could possibly be freed so soon from her contract.

"Mom, is there any reason I should worry about Dad?" Jack asked

"Hmm? Oh, no, there’s no need to worry," answered Lunara. "For him, the hardest part was getting in unnoticed. Since he’s already gotten that far, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He is the Assassin God after all."

"Really? That’s one of Dad’s titles?"

"I guess we didn’t tell you, but Sterfen was the most notorious assassin for the longest time. He killed a few demigods, but it wasn’t what you’re thinking," Lunara chuckled. "I had many suitors and hadn’t yet ascended. Yet, I found myself drawn to Sterfen and his mysterious strength. When they threatened to kill him, I wanted to protect him but Sterfen took matters into his own hands. Throughout the month that followed, almost all of my remaining suitors were assassinated."

Shocked to hear that, Jack smiled hysterically. "You mean, Dad killed all those demigods just so he could have you to himself?"

"Yup." Lunara was all smiles, proud to have such a strong husband.

"But... how can he assassinate someone so strong? Can’t they just heal or get resurrected?" questioned Jack.

"Not if it’s Sterfen," answered Lunara. "Not only does Sterfen have a personal spell for stealth, but he also has a personal skill that makes any wound from his knife incurable, even after resurrection."

 

Chapter 410

"What did you just day?" Jack asked out of reflex.

"That’s Sterfen has a skill to make his attacks incurable," Lunara answered. "But that doesn’t mean the attack is invincible."

"Why wouldn’t it be?! If the wounds you create are incurable, then you’ll always be at an advantage in a fight," argued Jack.

Shaking her head, Lunara added, "That’s only if the attack lands. Sterfen’s skill adds no extra power or ability to the attack, and it takes a lot more mana than you would expect. Whenever he uses the attack, it’s the same as a common mortal attacking, only that the wound can never heal."

"What? Then why would Dad--"

"Sterfen developed it for assassination, not for battle," stated Lunara. "Though it’s rarely applicable to battle, that skill can even kill gods if used properly. Even if someone is a god, they wouldn’t be able to survive with a gaping slash carved into their neck."

Taking that into consideration, Jack felt more at ease. If anything, it was an extremely unique skill that intrigued Jack all the more. And pairing that with Sterfen’s abilities withe stealth made Sterfen one of the deadliest gods in certain scenarios.

"Mom, is Sterfen one of the reasons why the Holy Gods are so hesitant to attack the Neutral Gods.

"Definitely! He’s also the reason why they haven’t activated my contract so far. Naparn must have nightmares about it," Lunara laughed.

"What do you mean? Has Dad and Naparn clashed in the past?" asked Jack.

"Not exactly..." Lunara sighed and smiled softly. "Long ago, when I was about to marry your father, Naparn threatened to activate my contract. He was adamant that I don’t marry anyone outside of the Holy Gods, declaring that he would discuss activating my contract with Halmut should I attempt anything.

"I had already gained Halmut’s permission, probably because of Sterfen being a Neutral God, but I worried what would happen if all the other Holy Gods petitioned against it... That’s when Sterfen acted in silence, not warning me beforehand," stated Lunara. "I’m not sure about everything that happened, but I know that Sterfen convinced Naparn to back off somehow. And given Sterfen’s skills, I can only imagine Naparn agreed to avoid a death threat."

"So Dad has the ability to kill the other gods? How come he hasn’t just--"

"Jack, your father can kill gods but the circumstances have to be perfect. Take Olympic Chateau for example. The gods couped up there are safe because Halmut’s barrier keeps Sterfen out. And they’re always cautious when they’re anywhere else out of fear. So it’s rare that Sterfen is given a perfect opportunity to pull off an assassination," explained Lunara. "And if Sterfen just started trying to kill everyone, then they would set traps to catch him on any of the next assassination attempts."

"So, the threat exists but Dad has never pulled the trigger and forced anyone to try and act against him? I guess that makes sense," reasoned Jack.

"Either way, now that he’s sneaked into Olympic Chareau there’s no stopping Sterfen, even if I want to..." sighed Lunara. "I just hope he doesn’t actually kill anyone. If he did... then the godly war would immediately resume with the Neutral Gods as the prime target."

"I’m sure Dad’s smart enough to avoid any unnecessary conflict, at least, I know what I would do in his scenario."

Smiling, Luanara asked, "Oh yeah? Then what would you do?"

"I would try to bargain. I’d take a god hostage and use the god’s life as a bargaining chip for your contract," reasoned Jack. "Does that sound like something Dad would do?"

Lunara curst into laughter, feeling at ease. "That sounds exactly like Sterfen! If that’s the case... then I really might be freed..."

"And then you can finally reunite with me and Lina. We’ve already got the perfect place for you."

"Then I’ll be looking forward to it," replied Lunara. "But why did you come again?"

"Right! I came to make a pact with you. That way we’ll be telepathically linked and we can share skills. Also, that means you’ll be telepathically linked to Lina," added Jack.

"Really?! I’d love that!" Lunara shouted, excited to be able to speak with her daughter whenever she wished. But then, Lunara suddenly hesitated and looked to Jack with seriousness. "But... would a mutual seal be better?"

"That... I’m not sure about that..." Jack got caught up in the moment and hadn’t considered such a thing. "That would mean we’re splitting EXP, would that be--"

"That’s not a problem for me, Jack," answered Lunara. "But I won’t be fighting anytime soon, so I would be taking some of your EXP while you’re leveling up... I’m not sure which would be better for you."

"Give me a moment to think..."

Pushing his brain into high-gear, Jack did his best to imagine the future effects of both a pact and a mutual seal with Lunara. Both were fantastic options and her bloodline was very tempting but Jack also wanted access to Lunara’s skills, which wouldn’t come with the seal. And with the EXP share being a possible issue for the time being, Jack decided otherwise.

"Let’s go with a pact," stated Jack. "I’d love to form a mutual seal with you and use your bloodline like I do with Bowzer’s, but that’s just not ideal right now."

"Well, keep that considered for later, then," replied Lunara. "For now, a pact will be great!"

The son and mother formed a pact, adding Lunara to the mental network. That was verified when Lina shouted in excitement back to Jack and Lunara.

Jack then left, letting Lunara and Lina enjoy a long-overdue conversation. To use Greater Teleportation a third time, Jack used Greater Replenish first. With seventy percent of his mana revived, Jack felt a strange mix of rejuvenation and fatigue wash over his body. It wasn’t that bad and was easily bearable, but it made Jack keep his limits in mind.

Returning to his front door in a flash of light, Jack was excited to rest alongside his wives till nightfall.

He opened the courtyard door to find no one inside. A bit taken aback, Jack looked to his bedroom door. Courageously, Jack walked up and opened the door, finding his assumption correct as he was bombarded with shouts the moment he entered.

"Jack!" Argyle rushed to Jack, slamming both of his hands on Jack’s shoulders. "Why didn’t you tell me about this?! How could you do this now of all times?! Is that all you care about, Jack?!"

"Father!" Eliza shouted. "I already told you, it was this or Jack get another wife, and I prefer this."

"But..." Argyle released Jack, trying to get ahold of himself. "Jack... Do you realize what you’re doing, right?"

"Yes, I do," replied Jack. "Also, I’m sure you’ll do everything possible to protect her while I’m away. And once the baby’s born, Dragas will come and help protect her."

"Dragas?"

"Dragas, the Goddes of Love and Seduction," mentioned Jack. Then, an idea popped into Jack’s head. He smiled, continuing, "Dragas adopted Eliza as a demigod, making her Eliza’s new mother."

"What?!"

"That’s just how it works, unless you want to make that official..." added Jack.

"I-I couldn’t--"

"That’s a great idea, Jack!" Eliza ran over to her father and turned him toward her. "She’s gorgeous, Father, so I’m sure you’ll be happy with her!"

"Eliza... That’s not how--"

"Father, trust me, it would be best for both of you. But how can we make this work..." Eliza started to scheme, changing the subject. "Jack, got any ideas?"

"We’re not discussing--"

"It won’t happen overnight, but I think we can make it work out in the end," replied Jack, ignoring Argyle.

"I said enough!" Argyle shouted. "Since you’re all fine with the situation, then I’ll be leaving."

As Argyle opened the door to leave, Jack added, "I’m sure the baby will be happy to meet Grandpa Argyle, don’t you think so, Eliza?"

Freezing for a single moment, Argyle let his proud emotions as a soon-to-be grandpa slip out while his back was turned. Then, he hurried off, not wanting his daughter or Jack to see him get emotional.