Ch. 411..420

Chapter 411

The next morning was just like any other. With the sun beginning to climb over the streets of Gilga, the foot traffic began to increase. Businesses were all opened and the city was gaining more immigrants as the rumors of the Lesure Guild, Jack, and the gods were spreading further from Trodar’s borders.

"Citizens of Gilga!"

A shout caught the attention of everyone at the southern extents of the city. Everyone looked to find a man standing on a small platform before the ancient statue of the Legend of Trodar, but the likeness between the statue and the man was startling.

"Everyone, I’m here to make something known!" Jack continued his shouts as more and more people started to gather around him. "For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Jack, the same man you regard as the Legend of Trodar!"

People started to flock as Jack’s voice filled the streets. Crowds hastily gathered around the platform, waiting for Jack to say more.

Smiling, Jack was ready to stun everyone. "Everyone, first and foremost, it’s important that I now announce my candidacy for the Trodan Council, the same organization that I helped create long ago. As for why that’s necessary, let me prove it to you. Bring them out!"

The attention of the crowds shifted to the northern end of the street, where Jack was pointing. They saw a small gathering of people leading a steel cage on wheels.

As those men at the lead stepped on to the platform, the crowd was stunned to realize who most of those people were.

"Allow me to introduce the newest members of the Leisure Guild," added Jack, stunning the crowd further. "Handling the major events of the guild, we have Tralon and Vixus, both councilmen. Also, we have Kims as the newest Security Advisor. Kaldor, the former guild master of the now fallen Golden Haven from Federal City, is our treasurer. The other two men are Argyle and Hurmot, the guild masters of Fat Goose and Celestial Crane, the two newest subordinate guilds under the Leisure Guild."

That announcement was too much to handle for the public to digest in a single moment.

According to rumors, the Leisure Guild had long been on the decline and may even start to dwindle away. But that was all before Jack’s divine announcement a few days ago. Now, the people of Gilga finally got to witness the rapid growth that the Leisure Guild had gained, allowing it to again rival the council.

"As for those in the cage, they’re two men who dared enter our storehouse to rob our treasures and even attempted to kill us. I’m sure you can recognize both of these despicable councilmen, Lords Bikkem and Quallace!"

The degree of shock that the crowd felt was unfathomable. Introducing the Leisure Guild’s strength publicly was enough to shatter their mindsets but adding that twist of two beaten councilmen was over the top.

"Now, do you want to know why I use the term despicable?" Jack asked the crowd, pausing in wait for an answer.

"Why!"

"Tell us!"

Riled up and in search of an answer, the mob mentality was starting to trickle into the crowd.

"I say so because not only did these two councilmen attempt to kill us and steal from us, they have been acting in secret with something we all despise. These two councilmen have done something unthinkable, betraying the trust of all the people of Trodar!" shouted Jack, riling up the crowd more and more with every word. "These two men dared to turn against us. These two men have dared conspire against your lives! These two men have been working under false personas, but they’re truly snakes planted by the Chaos Syndicate!"

Fear, anger, disappointment... All sorts of emotions began to churn within the mind of every crowd member.

No one wanted to believe that their elected councilmen dared to be apart of the shadiest organization known to history, but it was hard to not believe Jack and his band of powerful figures. That only let their emotions fester more, leaving them undecided and questioning everything.

"You can’t prove anything!" Everyone’s attention was recaptured by Bikkem, who stood against the steel bars, shouting, "How dare you so easily admit lies and blatant rumors! You’re no hero!"

"Oh, do you want me to prove it?" Jack smiled back at Bikkem, startling the man into silence. "Very well... I’ll prove it here and now...

"By the fire in hell and the chaos in the earth, I call upon thy power to show me thy follower’s birth!"

Covering up the picturesque morning sun, black clouds started rolling in over the southern extents of Gilga. This terrified the crowd, especially after the recent event that left Federal City in ruin.

"As turmoil and blood wash the world over, let my blood guide thy signs as they crossover!"

More terror sunk in as Jack suddenly slit his forearm. As Jack started to paint a circle of his own blood, the clouds grew thicker and larger.

"Skaryn, reveal thy intent and let the world behold thy servant’s work!"

"CRACK!"

Black lightning started course over the clouds, giving everyone chills. The most terrified person, though, was Bikkem, who saw Jack look back at him with a devious smile and blood dripping onto the finished circle.

"Thy deeds shan’t remain hidden, and thy hands shan’t go berserk!"

As Jack finished the incantation, two bolts of lightning struck the steel cage. Both Bikkem and Quallace tensed up as the crowd saw the lightning remain dancing over their bodies.

But there was also a third bolt of lightning, that was what caught Jack’s eye.

That third bolt of black lightning fell onto a man attempting to flee from the center of the tightly packed crowd. As the lightning hit him, he jumped and tried to flee at full speed. But he had already been discovered by Jack and the many men surrounding the hero.

Tralon’s hands were already on Kims’s and Kaldor’s backs. They all teleported directly in front of the fleeing man.

The man was blinded and then met with a fist to his face. He was rocketed to the pavement below, indenting the road as Kaldor fell on top of him and Kims placed his sword at the man’s neck. Tralon calmly landed and shook his head in disgust.

In the chaos of the situation, no one had recognized who that third man was, but they were quick to remember the man’s face now that he wasn’t moving anymore.

"Lord Halmon..." Jack stated the mystery man’s name aloud, letting everyone realize that a third councilman had been inducted into that shadowy organization. "Lord Halmon, I’m sure you weren’t expecting to get caught like this, but you can only blame yourself for following my little parade."

"Jack!" Halmon snarled. "You dare to defy the council?! That’s treason against the state! You--"

"You have no right to make such a statement!" A new voice called out. The crowd parted in awe as Thyron Tindrell continued his accusation, "Halmon, along with Bikkem and Quallace, consider yourselves removed from office! You’ll be taken into custody as criminals of the state and you have no right to deny your guilt!"

"B-but... Thyron why--"

"Silence!" Thyron walked up to the pinned councilman, holding a fireball directly in front of Halmon’s face. "Should you dare utter another word of blasphemy, I’ll reduce you to cinders where you lie now!"

The crowd began to cheer, glad to know that their most trustest councilmen, the spokesman, wasn’t a member of the Chaos Syndicate. It relieved some of their doubts and worries, also making them proud to see him standing up for the people of Trodar.

Jack watched Thyron carefully. With Thyron trying to take some of the glory, Jack tried to figure up what exactly Thyron was after.

Chapter 412

"Jack!" Thyron shouted and looked to the platform, "Please, allow me to take these three into custody. They’ll be tried as criminals of treason and will face death, that I can assure you."

"Of course!" replied Jack, "Feel free to take Halmon in, but these two will face trial according to the guidelines of the Leisure Guild, which existed before the council was even formed. For their crimes against us, we’ll personally hold their trial."

"Please, Jack, allow me to handle this. The people of Trodar deserve ultimate justice for facing such a misgiving, and they deserve to know that these criminals suffered until death," reasoned Thyron, beginning to sway the crowd to his side.

"True, but I can already tell you that we’ve crippled both Bikkem and Quallace. Their strength shouldn’t even be lv. 10 now. And though they are guilty by the laws of Trodar, they are also guilty by the laws of the Leisure Guild. They’ll be tried by us and they’ll receive their just punishment," stated Jack, not backing at all.

"Jack, I insist that--"

"My mind has been set and it won’t be changed!" Jack shouted. "The people of Trodar deserve justice, not corruption. And though you’ve proven yourself innocent as the lightning didn’t strike you, Thyron, what’s there to say about the other councilmen? I’ll be visiting the council soon to discuss the possibility of more traitors standing among the council. That’s why I’ll be joining the council this time, to help make sure it’s running as we intended long ago! Isn’t that what the people want?!"

Finally siding with Jack, the people cheered for the man who revealed the truth behind the council and was still pushing for further investigation.

Noticing that the crowd couldn’t be swayed again, Thyron smiled and clicked his tongue. "I agree that such questioning should happen, but that--"

"Then I, Jack, the guild master of the Leisure Guild, ask you, Thyron, the current spokesman of the Trodan Council, to join us for a Leisure-Council Conference in the town square!" Jack shouted, confusing the crowd and silencing Thyron. "Do you accept this summons?"

Thyron exhaled and clicked his tongue again. "As the spokesman of the council, I have no right to infringe upon such a summons."

"Then it’s settled. We’ll send you the written summons in the next few days," stated Jack. "I look forward to seeking justice for all of Trodar to see. Also... make sure every councilman is present. If they reject the summons, this time we’ll hunt them down as guilty for the act of treason."

"Jack, that’s--"

"Why else would they flee from the summons, Thyron?" Jack asked, making sure the crowd could hear them. "Unless they’re trying to avoid being discovered as syndicate members, why else would they run. Tell me, Thyron."

"I’m not sure, Jack," answered Thyron. "But there are always a few that aren’t able to--"

"I’ve already said my piece!" shouted Jack.

Ignoring Thyron from that moment on, Jack turned and led his men back toward the main entrance of the Leisure Guild. Kaldor, Kims, and Tralon released Halmon after Kaldor and Kims beat him and Thyron took hold of the captive.

Thyron could only watch as Jack led the members of the Leisure Guild, amazed by how strong the Leisure Guild had suddenly grown. It was far outside of any of his calculations.

As they reentered the Leisure Guild, Jack bowed to all the men behind him. "Thank you for assisting me. I’m glad we managed to catch a third rat."

"Think nothing of it, Jack. We’re all a part of the guild, so it’s only natural," Hurmot replied as he, Argyle, and Kaldor left to resume their usual duties.

Vixus and Tralons also left, having plenty to do thanks to yet another influx of new members needing to be tried before entry into the guild. It was inevitable that the guild would face such aggressive growth, but it was overwhelming until they could train more managers to work alongside Dirk.

Kims was the only one left with Jack. He looked at the cage, asking, "What do we do with these two?"

"You can take Bikkem back to his cell. I’ll escort Quallace back to his."

"How dare you, Jack! How dare you--"

Bikkem tried to slander Jack still, infuriated to have been revealed and humiliated so terribly. But A swift punch to his jaw shattered Bikkem’s ability to speak any more.

Both captives were taken out of the cage and led toward the prison. Once there, Jack and Kims split up to direct each of the captives to their respective cell. Then, after Kims and Bikkem were out of earshot, Quallace asked, "So... I get to live now, right?"

"Of course, that was the deal." Jack smiled and unlocked the isolation chamber in front of him. "He’s waiting for you inside. Your cooperation will earn your freedom."

"And... what about after I’m free? Won’t they just--"

"We’ll discreetly send you somewhere far away. That way you can’t be tracked by the syndicate and you’ll be able to at least live freely. You’ll receive the death sentence, according to our records, but that’s only to keep you from being hunted. As for you not getting caught after that, legally change your name and live a normal life. The more ostentatious you act after this, the more likely you’ll get caught," Jack stated, putting Quallace at ease.

Letting loose a sigh of relief, Quallace finally smiled. "Thanks! I’ll let you know everything!"

"Good, because if you don’t tell us everything you know or you lie, then you’ll be tortured instead of freed," Jack replied nonchalantly. "With the Mind God, we’ll verify that you were honest and that you told us everything to the best of your knowledge. Don’t forget that, okay?"

"Right!" Unashamed of accepting that double-crossing deal, Quallace happily walked into the chamber and sat down across from Eedaj.

Jack locked the door and sat beside Eedaj, beginning the questioning, "Now that we’ve done what you asked, tell me, how was Thyron not affected by the black lightning?"

"That I don’t know, but I can tell you that over half of the council are members of the syndicate," answered Quallace. "I can even give you names."

"That’s good... Then what does the syndicate intend to do with Trodar?" asked Jack.

Quallace replied, "Easy, like every nation, they try to have a sway in how things run. The syndicate wants to control everything while remaining in the shadows. They’re the reason all the councilmen want the Leisure Guild gone and are how most of us have business connections and more wealth than we can account for."

"How is Thyron connected to all of this?"

"He’s the one calling the shots inside of Trodar. He’s also the one who introduced me to the syndicate and offered me a handsome sum for joining," answered Quallace.

"Yet he wasn’t affected by the lightning..." Jack took a moment to think, glancing at Eedaj. When Eedaj nodded, Jack sighed. "Alright, then why is the syndicate so interested in the Leisure Guild?"

"They wanted to control it at first, but with Tralon remaining as guild master for so long, that was incredibly difficult. We only managed to sneak in one spy and it’s only for information," Quallace stated. "So, because of Tralon’s presence, they shifted the plan to buying out the Leisure Guild and attempting to get ahold of the storehouse. That’s why we were so eager to jump on the opportunity of you opening the storehouse."

Nodding, Jack asked, "Okay... Why are you wanting to remain here and not with Thyron, your ally?"

"Well... That’s because I don’t know what he’ll do to me..." admitted Quallace. "There’s no telling what he would do. He could try to free me secretly, but I doubt that after my level was crippled... He’ll just kill me to seal any loose ends."

Eedaj nodded and Jack leaned onto the table with a smile. "Now, about those names..."

 

Chapter 413

It was almost noon when Jack exited the guild prison. He sighed and stretched, remembering the next thing on his to-do list.

Jack walked calmly through the guild, waving to a few lucky members who were confident to greet Jack as he passed. That didn’t last for long though as he eventually entered the restricted area and sought out his own courtyard. Once he was there, Jack was tackled to the ground by Lina.

"Big Bro... Are you really leaving without me? Not again..."

"I’m sorry Lina, but I won’t be gone for too long," Jack replied, rubbing Lina’s head. "I’m going to visit Uncle Rikko. Though he’ll have me steal something, I’ll be back sooner than you think thanks to teleportation."

"But you promised last time and we still haven’t gone to Estonya..." pouted Lina, not giving up so easily.

"Well, what can I do instead? I can take you there once I get back with Uncle Rikko."

"Okay, but you better be back soon!"

Eliza laughed, along with Daliea and Maura. Seeing Jack go was a bit harder on Eliza after their recent decision to have a child, but it was comforting to know that Jack could always teleport back to them.

Jack stood up and embraced each of his wives one-by-one. They remained silent, though, as the four of them had already spoken about the matter the night before. Each of Jack’s wives was confident that Jack would be back sooner than later, mostly because Rikko would most likely ask Jack to steal something and not fight an army.

A knock was heard at the courtyard door but they invited themselves in. Both Argyle and Tralon walked up to Jack.

"You’d better not die while you’re away. If you die, then I’ll kill you for making my daughter a widow," Argyle verbally jabbed Jack, getting the hero to chuckle.

"Are you ready?" asked Tralon.

With a nod, Jack sighed and waved goodbye one last time while a spatial rift opened up. Jack walked through it with a proud smile on his face.

Stepping into what seemed like a new world, Jack scanned his new environment with his eyes as the rift closed behind him.

He stood in a strange forest filled with twisted trees of all heights. The ground beneath his feet wasn’t level at all, varying from small patches of flat ground and small rock formations jutting out of the ground between the trees. There was a slight incline, showing Jack that he was indeed within the small mountain range of Drulgen.

It was the first time Jack had stepped foot there, but it was also one of the few times that Jack felt true nostalgia. The view of the forest matched the in-game perspective perfectly. It felt good to find a place that hadn’t changed much since his game-playing days.

Letting out a long sigh of satisfaction, Jack pulled up his map tab and opened up the locations of the gods.

Immediately, Jack found Rikko’s hiding place further inside the small mountain range. But something else startled Jack, halting his footsteps. There was a second god within the mountain range, and he was even closer to Jack. Only, that was a terrifying thing to discover as that god was neither a neutral god nor a rebel god.

"Pestro..." Jack mumbled quietly to himself, recharting his path to best avoid the Demon God of the chaotic gods.

Jack then equipped the low-level bracer. With it, he became invisible and started creeping through the forest.

Further in the mountain range, one of the goblin settlements was currently on high alert. Though more than a hundred goblins resided in that village, they all hid and kept their distance from an unknown visitor.

The visitor’s ugly features were startling but the sense of power given off by the creature’s massive two and a half meter build was enough to frighten the goblin residents. That visitor sniffed about with his pig-like nose, taking his time and checking every corner of the settlement. Whenever he stopped sniffing, he would frown and groan while moving on to another part of the village.

Some younger goblins tried to make a ruckus and complain to their parent for cutting into their playtime, but they were quickly gagged or silenced. No one wanted to offend that hulking stranger wandering through the village.

Finally, the visitor took one final sniff in the last part of the village. His frown was deeper than ever and his fists were clenched tightly. Doing his best to keep from lashing out in anger, the stranger suddenly snarled and shouted, "Rikko! I know you can hear me! Come out your coward!"

Pestro remained standing there, still breathing heavily. As no response came, He snarled again and retrieved his halberd. In a single swing, Pestro carved a crevice straight through the center of the goblin settlement. The attack didn’t hit a single home but it confirmed the goblins’ fears about the stranger.

"I said come out! Come on, are you scared?!" yelled Pestro. "I’m not here to fight! I just want to ask you something! Now come out!"

Still, no response came and Pestro’s patience was wearing thinner and thinner.

But the Demon God sniffed again, suddenly catching a new scent. He looked to the outskirts of the village, spotting a goblin with dark blue skin, something that didn’t match the other goblins of that settlement. Also, that goblin had three eye-catching earrings, two golden hoops in his left ear and a silvery corkscrew that ran through the bottom half of the goblin’s right ear. Apart from a storage ring, the blue goblin only wore a white, silk loincloth with golden embellishments and finely made black, leather shoes.

Finally, a slight smile appeared on Pestro’s face. The tall god sauntered over toward the blue-skinned goblin. "Finally, I’ve been trying to find you for a while now."

The blue-skinned goblin kept an emotionless face and turned around. He waved his hand, wanting Pestro to follow him.

As the two of them left the common goblins of the village speechless, neither of the two gods said a word until they could no longer be seen or heard by wandering ears. Now that they were completely alone, Pestro asked, "Can we talk now? I’m on a tight schedule."

"What you want?" Rikko asked in a high-pitched voice, still not facing Pestro.

"I’m investigating something for my faction and want your permission to do so," stated the Demon God.

"Hmm? You ask permission?" Rikko broke into laughter. "You funny Pestro! You always funny! Ugly too!"

Pestro sighed and snarled, "This involves a few gods so I’d rather not get you involved. I just want you to know that I’ll be here. It’s best to have your permission but I’ll do stay whether you like it or not."

"That was fifth village. What else you need?" asked Rikko, teasing with his high-pitched voice and peeking back at Pestro over his shoulder.

"That’s none of your business!" replied Pestro. "Now that you know I’ll be here for a while, I should get going. I still have a ways to go."

"Pay Rikko."

Pestro eyed Rikko, who was eagerly holding his hand out toward the hulking Demon God.

"Pay Rikko. Or face consequences," Rikko stated, not intimidated at all by Pestro’s size or the halberd in his Pestro’s hand.

"Fat chance! What are you going to do? Fight me?" Pestro laughed.

"Okay... But no be mad later..." Snickering, Rikko turned back around and starting skipping away.

"Hmph!" Pestro grunted and started walking toward the next settlement. He paid no mind to Rikko, confident that his own strength far out rivaled the tiny Goblin God. Just the thought of Rikko trying to attack him made Pestro laugh heartily as the Demon God thought it impossible.

 

Chapter 414

Soon after the two gods went their separate ways, Jack heaved a sigh of relief. He kept his map tab open like a mini-map, which let him discover that the two gods had made contact and even traveled together briefly.

During their exchange, Jack had paused his trek toward Rikko. Even with Rikko there to possibly protect Jack, the hero didn’t want Pestro to know that he was alone in Drulgen.

So, when the two gods finally separated, Jack changed his course to evade Pestro at all costs. It took the rest of the morning, all of the afternoon, and most of the evening to go the long way around Pestro, but Jack was finally nearing Rikko. That’s when Jack noticed something strange happen with Rikko on the mini-map.

Suddenly, Rikko disappeared. It took Jack a moment to find Rikko elsewhere, now running toward the nearby Jack.

Catching Jack off guard, the moment Jack looked away from his mini-map he saw a dark blue goblin leaning against a tree a few meters away. The blue-skinned goblin was staring back at Jack as if trying to size him up.

"What you want?"

That high-pitch voice shocked Jack as he looked back and forth from the map tab and the goblin in front of him. With the goblin’s identity confirmed, Jack smiled and bowed. "Uncle Rikko, I finally found you."

"Uncle?" Rikko tilted his head and casually scratched the inside of his long nose. "Who you?"

"I’m Jack, Sterfen’s son and the neutral champion," replied Jack. "Also, I was once a big supplier of yours. Do you remember the ancient hero Jack J., the Legend of Trodar?"

"Oh! You Legend?!" Again, Rikko suddenly moved from the tree with incredible speed, suddenly appearing before Jack and taking Jack by the hand. "Rikko remember! You give Rikko lots!"

Yanking his hand away from Rikko, Jack chuckled along with the Goblin God, "It’s nice to finally meet you."

As Jack pulled his hand away, Rikko smiled wide, "Why no shake? Come, Nephew Legend!"

Rikko firmly embraced Jack, rubbing and patting the taller hero on the back. Jack tried to pull away, but he was no match for the god’s surprising strength.

"Oh! Rikko like this!" Rikko backed away, playing with a new cloak that he was now wearing.

Spotting the cloak and instantly recognizing it, Jack looked down aghast. Jack retrieved a simple shirt and pair of shorts, covering up his naked body. "Uncle Rikko, is that any way to greet your nephew?!"

"Thanks, Nephew Legend!" laughed Rikko. "This good for me. Rikko use all time."

"But I need it!" stated Jack, not conceding at all.

"But had to confirm..." Rikko chuckled, throwing the cloak back to Jack after getting a chance to see through Jack’s stats and title. "So... you really nephew... How Sterfen?"

Taking back the cloak, Jack happily put it back on and recomposed himself. "He’s doing great. Soon, my mom will be free from her contract."

"Really?! How?!" Rikko rushed Jack again, but this he only invaded Jack’s personal space.

"That’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it once we get back to Trodar," stated Jack.

"Trodar? Why Trodar?"

"That’s where my guild is. Also, that’s where the neutral gods are starting to gather again. Eedaj is already moved in and Sterfen will be soon with Lunara," replied Jack. "Daruun said that you would be the next one to join us, so that’s why I’m here."

"Oh... Papa sent you?" Rikko backed away, again scratching the inside of his nose while in deep thought. "What he say?"

"That you would be the next god to join me in Trodar."

"But what Papa say? How Rikko go there?"

Jack replied, trying to match Rikko’s casual tone, "Gramps said that after Eedaj moved into Trodar, that you’d be the next one."

"But what Papa say? How Rikko go there?" Rikko repeated himself. "How you help Rikko, Nephew Legend?"

"Oh..." Jack sighed, catching onto what Rikko was implying. "Well... Gramps did mention that you might want me to steal something for you, like in the good old days. But you wouldn’t ask your nephew to--"

"Goodie!" Jumping for joy, Rikko did a backflip out of excitement. "Nephew Legend help Uncle Rikko!"

"Calm down, Uncle Rikko," Jack put his hands up innocently, trying not to make a big deal of the scenario. "I can help you, but it’s got to be fast. The sooner we can get back the better."

"Hmm.... Rikko need think..." With passion, Rikko began to forcefully itch the inside of his nose, making sure equally distribute his scratching between both nostrils. "Hmm... How Nephew Legend help Uncle Rikko..."

"Whatever it is, just say the word. So long as you’re willing to relocate to Trodar, then I’ll do anything," added Jack.

The Goblin God suddenly turned to Jack, staring intently at the hero while his finger remained firmly lodged in the goblin’s nose. "Anything?"

"Well, maybe not--"

"Nephew Legend no take back words! Said anything! Now you help Uncle Rikko!" Ecstatic to hold Jack to his word, Rikko removed his finger and waved his arms in excitement. After a few seconds, Rikko wiggled his nose-picking finger at Jack. "Come close, Nephew Legend. Uncle Rikko tell what you do..."

Unsure if he was ready for Rikko to ask for something outlandish, Jack sighed and stepped closer to the goblin. He leaned over, letting Rikko whisper into his ear.

But the moment Jack understood what Rikko was after, he jolted back, complaining, "No way! That’s impossible!"

"But Nephew is Legend! Nephew Legend do anything!" Hyping Jack up, Rikko suddenly moved and appeared on Jack’s back, as if Jack were giving the Goblin God a piggyback ride. "Uncle Rikko help Nephew Legend steal!"

"But that’s--"

"If Nephew Legend help Uncle Rikko, Uncle Rikko brings all goblins!" added the Goblin God, staying Jack’s tongue. "All goblins come with Rikko and Rikko helps Nephew Legend. So... Nephew Legend help Uncle Rikko or no?"

Defying every fiber of his own sanity, Jack glanced up at Rikko on Jack’s back. "You’ll help me steal it? In that case, what would I need to do?"

Grabbing both of Jack’s cheeks, Rikko pulled his head into Jack’s, letting the goblin’s gnarly breath fall onto Jack’s face. "Nephew Legend help?"

Jack squinted in disgust and nodded. "Yes... I’ll help you steal it..."

"Goodie, goodie! Go, Nephew Legend! That way!"

Rikko steered Jack around, riding on his back while explaining more of the upcoming situation in his own broken speech.

The sun was now set as the night sky blanketed over the small mountain range. Another settlement of goblins was currently being inspected by Pestro and his pig-like snout. It was the seventh goblin settlement that he had visited and Pestro was furious. Without any leads on the scent from Choron’s barracks, how could he not be frustrated?

As he exited the seventh village and began his trek for the following settlement, Pestro’s sensitive nose caught a whiff of something new. It didn’t match the scent from Choron’s barracks but he did instantly pinpoint the species of the creature.

"Human?" Pestro mumbled to himself as he took another sniff. "Human male? What’s a human doing in here?"

Following his snout, Pestro wandered away from the next settlement and deeper into the crooked woods. Eventually, Pestro stopped. He cocked his head to the side and glared at the human man not even five meters away from him.

The man remained calm and kept a confident smile on his face, unfazed by Pestro’s brutish figure.

"Wow, Pestro, have you grown more boils since the last time I saw you?" asked the man, laughing at his own joke.

Snarling, Pestro started to breathe heavily. "Who are you? And how do you know me?"

The man stopped laughing but kept his smile. He flauntingly waved his arms into a deep bow. "The name’s Jack, but your ugliness would better know me as the Legend of Trodar, or as the neutral champion."

 

Chapter 415

After Jack departed through the spatial rift, everyone gathered in his courtyard went their separate ways, each handling their own duties or hobbies.

Tralon and Argyle briefly discussed the council and the election process. Since Argyle was about to join the election and hopefully enter the council, he was curious about some of the finer details of the process. But that conversation ended quickly as the two parted ways after exiting the restricted area.

Tralon continued toward his new office to handle a few things. On the way, Tralon spotted Ilgor, who appeared to be startled for some reason. "Ilgor, is something the matter?"

"U-Um, no sir!" Ilgor stammered. "I-I’m sorry. I was just caught up in thought is all."

"No need to worry. With so many things happening all at once, I can understand why you, as a deputy manager would be overwhelmed," Tralon replied with a soft smile.

"R-right. Then I’ll be off." Ilgor bowed respectfully to Tralon and made his way through the halls of the main building, leaving Tralon in an unexpected hurry.

Tralon thought it was odd for Ilgor to move so quickly, but it was of little consequence to the busy vice guild master.

Exiting the main building, Ilgor swallowed some saliva and forced himself to act as he always had. Removing the haste from his step, Ilgor continued further into the guild property. Eventually, Ilgor managed to find the guild prison.

"Guards, Vice Guild Master Tralon has urgent news for you! You must hurry right away!"

"Really?" The two men guarding the entrance of the prison looked to each other, one of them asking, "But what about--"

"While you’re away, I’ll remain at your post. Don’t worry," stated Ilgor, relieving the guards of their duties. "Tell those inside, as well. You all must hurry, double time!"

"Yes sir!"

Both guards hurried inside and quickly reemerged with four more guards. All six men rushed off toward the far off main building of the guild.

Once the guards were out of sight, Ilgor stepped into the guild prison. Inside, Ilgor let loose a sigh and groaned, "Finally!" Next, the deputy manager found the guard’s quarters. There he found a map of the prison and a list of the inmates and their cells. Ilgor took two keys off the wall and entered further into the dungeon while casually twirling a dagger between his fingers and whistling a catchy tune.

After a few left turns and a couple of rights, Ilgor’s footsteps halted. As his whistle ended with a long single note, Ilgor chuckled while peering into one of the dark cells. "Bikkem, is that really you? My, how pathetic have you become?"

"Shut up, Ilgor!" Bikkem barked. "Hurry up and get these chains off me!"

"But I do enjoy this sight... To see the high and mighty Bikkem, a lv. 68 syndicate chief that always berated and ridiculed me, a lowly deputy at lv. 35, chained and beaten..." Ilgor sighed, placing the back of his palm against his forehead in a dramatic fashion. "It’s such a beautiful sight that I’m tempted to leave you like this forever."

"That’s enough! I’m still a syndicate chief so you have to obey my orders. Now free me already!" barked Bikkem.

"Fiiine... I guess I have no choice," replied Ilgor while twirling the cell’s key in his finger.

The cell was unlocked and Ilgor took his time approaching Bikkem and unlocking his shackles. And the moment those shackles hit the floor, Bikkem darted away, or at least he tried to.

Laughing, Ilgor smiled wide, "So... you realized my true assignment? No matter..."

With bones still healing from all of his beatings, Bikkem struggled to get far at his slow speed. He was too slow. Abruptly, Bikkem stopped and gasped for air.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Ilgor mocked Bikkem as the broken man fell to the floor, a dagger jutting out of his back. "You were too arrogant in my eyes, nothing like Thyron who kept everything purely professional. A true disgrace to your position."

"You..." Bikkem groaned as Ilgor walked up to the fallen man.

Still laughing, Ilgor removed the dagger and again thrust it into Bikkem. The blade penetrated Bikkem’s lung, narrowly avoiding his weakening heart.

"I was told to silence you, surprisingly. And to think that you dared to imagine yourself as a regent someday... but look at you now, quivering during your final breaths."

"Please... Don’t--"

A third thrust cut into Bikkem’s heart and was twisted around, shredding the beating organ to shreds.

With Bikkem’s life claimed, Ilgor stood back up and flicked the blood on his dagger back onto Bikkem’s corpse. He turned and walked away, not planning to hide anything. Ilgor understood that his time inside the Leisure Guild was done, as he would run away after silencing the last remaining loose end to the syndicate’s plan.

Twirling his knife and whistling, Ilgor hurried to the other side of the prison. Soon, he stood outside of an isolation chamber and peeked inside. "Quallace? Are you in there?"

There was no reply, but Ilgor saw a figure scrambling in the darkness. Ilgor snickered as Quallace tried to cower in the back corner of the cell.

Sighing, Ilgor unlocked the isolation chamber and stepped inside. As the light from the hallway entered behind him, Ilgor got a better view of Quallace tucked away in the corner. He chuckled, "Does this mean that you understand why I’m here?"

Trembling, Quallace nodded. "B-but... But how did you--"

"Shhh... There’s no need to speak, Quallace," stated Ilgor. "We all know that you’re the most cowardly chief in the syndicate. You only got that position because of your level. And since you’re the most recent to join, you don’t have any merits to back up your position... You even failed in the storehouse, so now’s it’s time to face the facts."

"P-please... You don’t have to--"

"Oh, but I must," interjected Ilgor. "You’re barely lv. 9 now, so you can only cower as I take your pathetic life. There’s no need to say anything."

"But--"

Cut off by Ilgor’s dagger, Quallace shook as he saw the dagger plunged into his throat. Then, he stopped shaking. Also, Quallace stopped breathing. His motionless, lifeless husk was only standing because the dagger was also pierced into the stone walls of the cell.

Clicking his tongue, Ilgor sighed, "I guess this is the end for the Leisure Guild."

"And why is that?"

Ilgor spun around, completely caught off guard by the man now standing in the doorway.

That man was short and his pointy ears weren’t very intimidating. But the look in the man’s piercing eyes made Ilgor feel smaller than a mouse. The man then stepped inside as Ilgor clamored backward, clumsily falling on his rear. Finally, that man closed the cell door and repeated himself, "Why is that?"

"E-Eedaj... W-what are you doing here?!"

"Ah, that sounds more like the Ilgor that I know. I wonder which is your true character: the treacherous backstabbing spy or the cowardly man who struggles to finish his sentences?" Eedaj blinked, not showing neither surprise nor anger.

"Y-You can’t just--"

"Oh, I can definitely do whatever I wish to you. Jack gave me full freedom to pick apart your mind, one strand of thought at a time," stated Eedaj.

Ilgor was shaking more and more with each slow step Eedaj took toward him. He backed into a corner in complete desperation. That’s when he realized something. The dagger that had plunged into Quallace’s body was still stabbed into the wall but Quallce’s body was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, did you finally realize the truth of the situation?"

Hearing that, Ilgor shook uncontrollably. He realized that he had been set up and trapped. He wasn’t sure how, but Ilgor knew that he had drastically failed his final assignment in the Leisure Guild and greatly underestimated his ability to escape alive.

Chapter 416

"The name’s Jack, but his ugliness would better know me as the Legend of Trodar, or as the neutral champion."

Pestro squinted and snarled, "Neutral champion... They got the Legend of Trodar as their champion?! How?! There’s no way!"

"Say whatever you want but that doesn’t change my identity as the Legend of Trodar or your identity as the most unattractive god at the butt of everyone’s jokes," Jack laughed, riling up Pestro. "What’s so hard to believe?"

Still snarling, Pestro tried to keep calm enough to not kill Jack where he stood. "How are you here now?"

"Simple, I was summoned to this time. If a mortal can summon an ancient hero, why can’t Daruun? It would only make sense, right?" reasoned Jack.

"Why are you here in Drulgen?" questioned Pestro.

"Nunya..."

Confused, Pestro asked, "’Nunya’ what?"

"None-ya business!" joked Jack. "Why should I tell you about the business of the neutral faction? Give me one good reason."

Popped his knuckles, Pestro’s clenched fists grew tighter and tighter. "Reply or die!"

"Ohhh, dear! What are you going to do to me? Scare me to death with your ugly mug? Or torture me with your rank breath?" Jack fake cried, mocking Pestro every chance he could.

"You..."

"Come on, Pestro. Do you really think I’m scared of you? The scariest part about you is your face, so I’ll be fine so long as I don’t have to see it every day," stated Jack. "Wow... I just realized how horrible your life must be, being terrified of your own reflection... I wouldn’t be able to handle that."

The god’s snarls grew more violent. A long, black halberd appeared in Pestro’s hand, emitting a demonic aura. "Give me a reason not to kill you right now..."

"Hmm... Because killing me for being handsome will only hurt your self-esteem even more?" Jack joked, shrugging at the furious god. "But are you sure you can kill me? Unlike your champion, I already have experience fighting gods. I’ve even tussled with you long ago in the past. Don’t you remember that?"

Pestro’s snarls were more like growls as the Demon God ground his teeth together.

Jack continued, "It would be too embarrassing for you after you fail to kill me, especially in such favorable circumstances as you’re in... Are you sure you want to be that embarrassed?"

"SHUT UP!"

Lunging forward with the swing of his halberd, Pestro attacked in rage! Despite his size, the Demon God was quick on his feet and fast to strike. The black demonic energy gushed out of the halberd and arched downward toward Jack.

But before the halberd or that deadly energy could reach Jack, the hero disappeared in a small flash of white light.

"Not even close..."

Grunting through his teeth, Pestro turned around to find Jack leaning against a tree ten meters away. The god’s fury and rage only grew as Jack proved trickier to kill than expected.

"Coward!" yelled the god.

"So? You’re a god, why should I fight by your rules?" Jack chuckled.

While eyeing Jack, Pestro reevaluated Jack. That’s when he noticed something that earlier was hidden behind his rage.

"What spell is this?"

"Not telling..." Wagging his finger side to side, Jack made himself comfortable while leaning against the tree.

Pestro didn’t ask again. Instead, the Demon God recognized the spell as a space type spell. He felt his body moving slightly slower, but only slightly. His brute force was more than enough to plow through Jack’s weak spell.

"Is that the best you’ve got? If you’re the Legend of Trodar, then prove it to me!"

Charging with a clearer mind, Pestro swung his halberd one hundred and eighty degrees horizontally. The wave of demonic energy carved through all the crooked trees within one hundred meters of Pestro’s attack.

But, again, Jack vanished in a tiny burst of light, completely evading the attack.

"You’ll have to try harder than that!"

Pestro turned around again, only to find Jack lounging comfortably in the high branches of a twisted tree. Clenching his halberd even tighter, Pestro started to emit more and more demonic energy. He didn’t become demonized, as he would feel embarrassed to need that to beat a mortal, but the energy around the halberd was getting darker and visibly denser with every insult that Pestro felt.

"RRRAAAAAAHHH!!"

Abruptly, the Demon God yelled from the deepest depths of his lungs. His shout echoed through the mountain range, creating enough force to blow back all trees within two hundred meters of him, as well as Jack.

"Now you’re mine!" Pestro charged at Jack while the hero was being blown back.

The look on Jack’s face wasn’t painful, albeit that his internal organs had been rattled violently by Pestro’s shout. However, the hero kept playing the part, refusing to show his true strength which was even lower than Pestro had "underestimated".

"That the best you can do?" Jack mocked the raging god as he again teleported away. "I guess your looks really are your most deadly weapon..."

Pestro heard Jack’s last remark, tipping his fury further over the edge. The Demon God quickly spotted Jack four hundred meters away, knowing full well that Jack wasn’t trying to hide with his loud, snarky comments.

"You dare?!" roared Pestro. "I slay you here and now and wear your hide as my trophy!"

"Oh, so now you’re hunting me for my handsomeness? I guess you’ve finally accepted how truly hideous you are."

Not wanting to give Jack more fuel for insults, Pestro barreled toward Jack with an upward swing. Such an attack wouldn’t make sense to most people, as their weapon would be dragged through the ground. But that didn’t matter to Pestro. The Demon God effortlessly sliced through the ground below as he readied his upward slash at Jack, also charging through each tree that dared stand in his path.

"Is that all you can do? How can you hit me like that, let alone touch me?"

Similar to before, the devastating attack carved through the earth to create a deep crevice five hundred meters long. But Jack was nowhere to be found near the crevice.

"I’m over here," stated Jack, tapping Pestro on the back.

And as expected, Pestro furiously reached back to grab Jack only to grasp at the fading light left behind by Jack’s teleportation. "COWARD!!"

"Tell me, Pestro, why should I fight you? What do I have to gain at this moment? Nothing, as far as I see it," Jack reasoned, standing fifty meters away and looking back at Pestro with a wry smile. "At the moment, killing you would be too difficult on my own and I have my own agenda right now. I don’t have time for a dragged out battle to slowly chip away at your life."

"Shut up! You dared belittle me, now face the consequences!"

Not backing down in the slightest, Pestro readied his halberd for another strike, still not taking Jack seriously. How could the berserk Demon God take an enemy seriously that only ran away from each encounter?

Darting forward at full speed, Pestro streaked through the air faster than ever.

Jack didn’t show it but he was startled to see Pestro’s chunky frame move so quickly, even though it made sense for a god that specialized in physical combat.

Not taking any chances, Jack immediately cast Lesser Teleportation, narrowly avoiding another fatal blow.

"Fight, coward! Fight or die!" Pestro’s shouting was growing louder and louder, echoing till the nearby goblin settlements could hear him.

"Well, as much as I’d hat to admit it, I think you’ve got bigger problems now," Jack started laughing, only glancing at Pestro from the corner of his eye.

"What?! All I need is to kill--"

"Oh... Rikko no like smell... How Pestro wear this?"

 

Chapter 417

"Oh... Rikko no like smell... How Pestro wear this?"

That high-pitched voice casually came from behind Pestro, startling the Demon God. Pestro jolted around to face Rikko, asking, "What are you doing... "

Unable to finish his question, Pestro’s rage and anger rose to new levels. He choked on his anger, struggling to breathe properly and speak. The sight of Rikko pinching his nose shut while holding Pestro’s loincloth in the air was too much for the already irritated Demon God.

"GIVE THAT BACK!!"

"Rikko warned Pestro," the Goblin God replied with a nasal voice as his nose was pinched. "Pestro no be mad when face consequences..."

"Rikko, return them now or die!"

"Oh? You want fight? Pestro not confident naked?"

"RIKKO!!!"

Jack suddenly teleported behind Rikko and burst into laughter. He didn’t have the confidence to stare at the hideous, bare god before him but knowing the situation was enough for Jack to laugh till his lungs gave out.

"Silence! I won’t stand for this!"

"Uh, uh, uuuh... Pestro face consequences, now Rikko took loincloth," replied Rikko, still plugging his nose while smiling back at Pestro’s nakedness. "But loincloth smell, so Rikko burn."

"No! Give it back, NOW!"

"Then Pestro leave?" Rikko asked, raising one eyebrow. "Rikko and Pestro shake on it?"

Completely humiliated, Pestro snarled and ground his teeth. His glare bounced back and forth between Rikko and Jack, catching on that this was a plot all along. That only fueled his raging fire but Pestro understood that Jack couldn’t be killed so easily, especially now that Rikko got involved.

"So? Rikko and Pestro shake, or Rikko burn loincloth? Pestro want return naked?" Rikko questioned, hurling more verbal wood onto the fire of Pestro’s fury.

Taking deep breaths, Pestro grunted and started to slowly walk forward.

"No halberd or no shake!" demanded Rikko, threatening to tear the loincloth.

Snorting angrily, Pestro stored his halberd. Though his weapon was now gone, Pestro’s gaze was sharper than ever, trying to slice through the comical expression on Rikko’s face. "Now, give it back..."

"Shake first!" Shooting his hand up for the massive god to grab, Rikko smiled while holding the loincloth behind him.

Pesto clenched his fists and popped his knuckles before he grasped Rikko’s hand firmly, trying to squeeze it till the hand broke. But the goblin’s grip strength was startling, nearly matching Pestro’s. It was something that only made Pestro angrier as he tried harder and harder to squeeze the life out of Rikko’s hand, which was quite large for a goblin.

This continued for a few seconds as the two gods stared each other down. One was attempting to burn holes into the other with his hot glare while, at the same time, the other softly stared back with a toothy grin.

"Since Pestro shake, Pestro get loincloth." Rikko happily held the loincloth in front of him as Pestro snatched it and finally let go of Rikko’s hand. "Remember, now Pestro leave and no return. Bye-bye!"

"See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be ya!" Jack joked and waved at Pestro while carefully standing behind the shorter Goblin God.

Not saying anything else, Pestro eyed the two of them as a loud shriek filled the air.

A giant, winged fiend with a collar descended from the clouds above. It then landed behind Pestro, waiting for the large god to mount it.

Pestro kept quiet as he climbed onto the fiend’s back and sat himself on the comfortable seat jutting from the fiend’s back, yet his heavy glare at Jack and Rikko didn’t seem comfortable at all. And once he was seated, the fiend took off and returned to the world above the clouds.

"Ha! Ha! Rikko score big!" Dancing and jumping around, Rikko celebrated.

"What do you mean, Uncle Rikko?" Confused, Jack looked to the ecstatic Goblin God and asked, "Why’d you give him back the loincloth?"

"Rikko no want loincloth, Rikko want something else..." Rikko tilted his head from side to side as he answered.

Squinting, Jack then asked, "But you asked for my help to steal the loincloth... What were you really after?"

"Nephew Legend, Rikko make best steal in long time! Thank you for help, Nephew Legend," Throwing his arm over Jack, Rikko pulled the hero in his giddy jig. "Uncle Rikko and Nephew Legend celebrate now!"

"But what else did you steal? I didn’t see you take anything, and Pestro didn’t have anything else on him..."

"Nephew Legend no see clear. Pestro have lots stuff Rikko want. Pestro have storage, Rikko want what in storage," chuckled the Goblin God.

Going wide-eyed, Jack froze and looked back to Rikko in befuddlement. "Uncle Rikko... you can steal from people’s personal storages? But wouldn’t a god have a secure storage?"

"No matter to Rikko!" The goblin continued dancing as he answered proudly, "Rikko take what Rikko want. Secure storage no stop Rikko. Nothing stop Rikko!"

"Then... what did you steal from Pestro?"

Finally, Rikko stopped dancing but his smile got wider. Rikko wagged his finger at Jack, motioning for the hero to come closer. When Jack eagerly lent Rikko an ear, the Goblin God whispered the name of his new trophy.

"WHAT?!" Jack jolted his head back and grabbed it tightly with both hands. "No way! Show me, I don’t believe you!"

"Then Uncle Rikko show Nephew Legend, but Nephew Legend never doubt Uncle Rikko again."

"Never again! I’ll never doubt you again, Uncle Rikko! Now show me!" If what Rikko said was true, there would never be another reason to doubt Rikko’s tactical abilities.

With a proud grin, Rikko thrust an open hand into the air. Then, Rikko summoned his newest item, giving Jack a sense of awe.

The item was longer than Rikko was tall and quite ornate, even though it was mostly black and hid most of the intricate details. As Rikko twirled the halberd around, Jack was in awe. Never had Jack imagined that he could steal a god’s personal weapon so simply. It gave Jack hope to retrieve Naparn’s sword in the future.

"So, what Nephew Legend think?"

At a loss for words, Jack replied, "It’s... it’s unbelievable... I can’t believe you stole that... How did you do it?"

"Personal skill!" shouted Rikko, struggling to balance the halberd while twirling it at high speed. "Rikko need Nephew Legend to make Pestro angry. That make Pestro careless. Rikko also need Pestro store halberd while Rikko watching. Then, Rikko find item inside storage. Rikko need two or three seconds for steal halberd, that why Rikko shake so long."

Hearing Rikko’s explanation, Jack understood why Dragas had earlier mentioned her caution around Rikko. Should someone underestimate Rikko, they’ll greatly regret it later.

Jack could only imagine how livid Pestro would be once he learns about his lost halberd.

"Rikko best!" The Goblin God continued his dancing, giddily bouncing around with flailing limbs.

"Uncle Rikko, how did you pinpoint the halberd of all the items in the storage?" asked Jack.

"Easy! Pestro use energy with halberd and Rikko find leftover energy in storage," explained Rikko. "More energy make easier find and faster steal. That why Uncle Rikko need Nephew Legend make Pestro angry and wild. Make easy steal for Uncle Rikko."

"But... what about when Pestro realizes you stole it?"

"Rikko no stay here, so no matter!" Rikko laughed, not batting an eye. "Rikko go Trodar with all goblins. Then, Uncle Rikko and Nephew Legend have more fun!"

Both Rikko and Jack broke out in laughter. Rikko was glad to have a worthy accomplice to some of his future thefts and excited to pull off such a great heist against Pestro. Jack was over the moon to have another god join his side. Also, the fact that Rikko stole Pestro’s halberd and could possibly help Jack steal Naparn’s sword in the future excited Jack like no other.

They danced toward the nearest goblin settlement, preparing to announce Rikko’s public return to the goblins and to inform them of their immediate migration.

 

Chapter 418

Flying over the clouds, Pestro shouted with all his might. He was trying to relieve himself of all the pent up aggression that Jack and Rikko had cause him. Not only did he fail to find a lead on Choron, Pestro had been humiliated on a personal level.

"Pestro, where are you now?"

A voice sounded in Pestro’s head, causing Pestro to grunt one last time before taking out his contact crystal and replying, "Tralbok... I’m leaving Drulgen... There was nothing there that traced back to Choron."

"Good. Make your way to Trodar immediately."

"Trodar?! But they’ve already started gathering gods there!" argued Pestro, confused.

Tralbok replied, "That’s exactly why you’re going. Our plans have been compromised and we can either pull out of Trodar or attack now. We chose to attack now since we still have people within Gilga at the moment. You’ll attack with the syndicate forces from the outside while our plants and hidden reinforcements attack from the inside."

"What about Eedaj and Sterfen?"

"Don’t worry about Sterfen," stated Tralbok. "Knowing him, he’s not even in Trodar. He’ll be busy tending to his wife as always. As for Eedaj... That will be up to you to handle. I don’t have to kill him but you must keep Eedaj from stopping the syndicate. Is that clear?"

"Yeah... I guess that makes sense. It’s now or never isn’t it?"

"Correct, Pestro. It’s either we attack now while we can to cripple the neutral faction’s growth or it becomes too late. And should they grow to match us and the holy gods, then we’ll be the first to fall due to our situation," explained Tralbok. "We must stop them from growing."

"Then why not send more gods?"

"Because if we do that, we’ll leave ourselves vulnerable to the holy gods," Tralbok reasoned. "Are you saying that Eedaj is too much for you to handle?"

"Of course not!" Still infuriated from his encounter from Jack and Rikko, Pestro shouted, "Even if you told me to kill that elf I wouldn’t worry. I was just curious, that’s all."

"Good, then hurry to Trodar at top speed, and don’t worry if others see you. You’ll be making a public appearance anyway so why let that slow you down?" stated Tralbok.

"Then I’ll be there before tomorrow morning!"

"Good. I look forward to your victory."

The conversation ended, leaving a smug grin on Pestro’s face. He was looking forward to the slaughter of the Leisure Guild. And, knowing that the champion was on the other side of the continent, Pestro was all the more excited to ruin Jack’s home while the hero was away.

Ignoring cloud cover, Pestro’s mount suddenly picked up speed and rocketed across the night sky with unbelievable speed.

Some people below saw it and were confused as to what it was. It was similar to a shooting star but it flew across the entire sky in a straight line. A few were betting that it was some powerful creature that had suddenly awakened in search of something. What those people thought didn’t matter though, as they wouldn’t be able to witness the devastation that Pestro would cause once he reached Trodar.

*****

’Tralon, make sure you get a good night’s rest tonight. Tomorrow you’ll be opening a rift for Rikko and all the goblins.’

’Jack, where exactly will all of them be going?’ asked Tralon.

’We’ll send them to that abandoned city on the fourth floor of the storehouse,’ Jack answered. ’That way they have their privacy and Rikko can temporarily remain a secret resident of Trodar.’

Tralon sighed with a smile. ’Alright, then I’ll make sure to retire at a decent hour.’

’Good, I’m glad to hear it! Also, if my wives ask, I’ll be staying the night in Drulgen to make sure the goblins get along well with the guild.’

’Very well, I’ll let them know should they ask. Don’t party too much without us, Jack.’

Laughing, Jack replied, ’I’ll keep that in mind. See you tomorrow, Tralon.’

’I’ll see you then, Jack.’

As the conversation ended, Tralon heaved a long sigh. He stared at the papers piked on top of his desk, most of which he had just finished filling out.

After their stunt in the city, the Leisure Guild had many people abandoning smaller guilds, whether they were adventurers, merchants, or regular folks. The draw of the Leisure Guild was huge! Just being affiliated with them could increase the sales of local merchants and gave a sense of security to common citizens. Most of them wouldn’t reside in the guild property but they were still promised protection as they partnered with the guild either for work, small quests, or doing business with them.

That influx led to Tralon and Vixus being swamped with recruit forms. And though some managers were being trained with Dirk’s help, losing Ilgor meant that everyone else had to pick up a piece of his large workload.

Noting that it was already well past sunset, Tralon decided to do something he rarely did. Tralon left the unfinished forms on his desk for the following day. It would turn the next day into an extra-long, stressful day but it would allow him to help Jack in the morning. That mattered more to him than anything.

Before Tralon cleaned up the rest of his desk, a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," stated Tralon.

In walked Hadurt, surprising Tralon. The straight-faced warrior asked, "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No... I was just cleaning up before I left for bed," replied Tralon. "How can I help you?"

"I want to discuss the syndicate, at least a little bit. After what happened today, let’s at least talk about how they’ll respond," Hadurt stated, acting more seriously than usual.

Tralon nodded. "Okay, then how do you think the syndicate will respond?"

"First off, I doubt they’ll let their members die in public," answered Hadurt. "I’m sure they’ll retaliate in some way before that happens. Given their usual conduct, I expect them to act out within three days."

"Three days? So soon?"

"Yeah, the syndicate prefers to take precautionary action or precautionary stalling. With the Leisure Guild declaring themselves as enemies of the syndicate, I know the syndicate won’t stay quiet for long," reasoned Hadurt. "We need to prepare for a full-scale attack, just like they did in Federal City."

"Hmm... I see your point." Tralon stroked his beard in thought. "Tomorrow we’ll gain the support of Rikko and the goblins, so we’ll gather everyone afterward and make plans when Jack returns."

"Good... I’m glad the Leisure Guild is willing to stand up and act more than the association ever did," Hadurt joked.

Tralon laughed as well, "With Jack leading the way, I’m sure we’ll be doing more than just acting against the other factions. If anything, I fully expect him to incite their wrath in no time at all. So long as he’s the same Jack I adventured with, he’ll always be the most targeted man under the heavens."

"Sounds like this will be fun... If that happens, then joining you guys will have been more than worth the risk."

"I’m glad you see it that way. How are you feeling inside the guild? Are you disappointed?"

Hadurt clicked his tongue and sighed. "Not disappointed, just really bored... I’ve lived in dungeons for the past five hundred years, only leaving for brief exchanges with Lorwynn. Everything else is boring by comparison."

"Well, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of chances to level up soon," Tralon replied with an amiable smile. "With Jack’s current plan, he’ll be leveling up like there’s no tomorrow. Soon you’ll be able to become a god thanks to him, so I’m sure you’ll be more than just glad in the end."

"With ascendance on the line, I’ll do anything if it keeps that dream alive..." Hadurt sighed again, longingness filling his eyes. "To waste five hundred years of effort... I don’t want to waste that."

"Oh, I can understand exactly how you feel. I already experienced that," stated Tralon, reminding Hadurt of Tralon’s age. "I was once lv. 85, now I’m nothing but lv. 62... I’m so weak now, I don’t know what to do. And with only eleven months left, how could I dare dream a false hope again."

"Hey, with Jack on the case, don’t you think it’s still possible?" reasoned Hadurt.

Tralon sighed and stroked his beard. "Maybe..."

Chapter 419

The moon crept up the sky, marking the midnight hour. While Gilga was at rest and peace, forces began to gather within the city’s walls.

Unbeknownst to the public, fourteen men sat around a large table. At the head of the table was Thyron. Thyron smiled proudly at the men around him. "Tonight, we finally act. The Leisure Guild has forced our hand so we’re forced to show no mercy. I appreciate the addition of you five regents. You’ll make this invasion possible."

"Don’t count out Ollan, and the other two," stated one of the cloaked men. "They’ll handle the real invasion. We’re just here to keep the higher-ups in the guild from getting involved."

"True... But you’re still key for the invasion to succeed. Without you diverting the attention of Argyle, Hurmot, and Kaldor, how could the invasion work properly?" reasoned Thyron.

Another man in a hood spoke up, "I think our best plan of action is to attack Jack and his personal team. Three of us should stall those auction house owners while the other two should search for Jack. Eliminating him is our top priority."

"So long as those three are stalled, then I’ll agree with your proposal. Make sure to send your strongest three at those men," stated Thyron, keeping the plan as precise as possible. "As for the rest of us under lv. 70, we’ll seek out the other higher-ups of the guild and overwhelm them. That way, Ollan, Vladdy, and Jeara will clean up the rest of the guild unimpeded. My remaining question is whether your plan to handle Eedaj will hold true."

"Don’t worry about that," The first hooded man responded. "The only way to fight a god is with a god. That’s why we brought a god of a higher level to keep Eedaj from doing anything. But are you sure that only Eedaj is present?"

"Good..." Thyron sighed, relieved to not face a god’s wrath. "Before our informant was captured, he guaranteed that Sterfen had already left the Leisure Guild for a personal quest. I’m not sure what that quest was but we know that he has yet to return."

"Then all is set. Shall we get going?" asked the first hooded man, taking charge as the most powerful syndicate regent present.

"Follow me."

Thyron led the men out of that room and through his personal manor. Soon, the group of fourteen men was walking through the dark streets of Gilga, avoiding the artificial lighting of the main roads.

Other then Thyron, there were two other councilmen uncovered and elven hooded men, five of which had darker hoods with red embellishments to mark their status.

They took their time, keeping to the unseen paths and remaining undetected. Thyron’s perfectionism wouldn’t allow any simple slip-ups to result in the party’s failure. It would go against his nature and his philosophy. And with his life at stake, the treacherous council spokesman didn’t leave anything to chance.

Eventually, when the moon was at the center of the night sky, the main entrance of the Leisure Guild came into sight.

"Who would like to have the honor of starting everything?" Thyron asked, glancing back at the men behind him.

"Allow me..." One of the cloaked men stepped forward with rage burning under his hood.

"Oh, Halmon? Someone’s riled up about getting caught..."

The former councilman ignored Thyron’s comment and took the lead. Once they were twenty meters away and finally in view of the artificial lights, yellow energy started to revolve around a staff in Halmon’s hand. He abruptly slammed the butt of his staff on the ground.

When Halmon’s staff connected with the ground, a fault line rushed forward from the point of impact. A tremor shook the street as that fault line opened up and dragged the main entrance of the Leisure Guild into its dark depths.

"Good! That should wake them all up," chuckled Thyron. "Now let’s move!"

The group of invaders picked up the pace but only to a jog. They remained in formation as the group plowed through the weaker guards. Only when some people of their caliber arrived at the front of the guild’s main building did the group halt their invasion.

"Thyron..." Tralon stood amidst the unwelcoming party, disappointed to see what was going on. "So you are part of the syndicate after all."

"Technically, I’m one of the few unregistered accomplices," Thyron replied with a proud laugh, sizing up the men gathered around Tralon. "So, we’ve got Vixus, Argyle, and Kaldor... Where are Kims and Hurmot? I’m sure you’ll need them to stop us."

"Really?"

A voice rang out not in the air but in the minds of everyone. It continued, "I don’t think they’ll have to act at all. Should you take one more step, I’ll leave you all as nothing but a thoughtless husk of living flesh."

At the same time, dark black clouds started to roll in over the city. Compared to what happened at Federal City, the speed of the cloud’s arrival was far faster.

While those clouds rolled in, everyone remained motionless in front of the main building. Eedaj finally arrived but he was staring up at the clouds swirling over the Leisure Guild property. No attention was given to the mortals standing on the ground.

"So, you’ve decided to show yourself, Pestro!" Eedaj shouted, not hiding the deity’s presence from the guild members around him. "Should you make a single attack against the city or my guild, then I’ll personally corrupt your mind until you’re a brainless diety waiting to be slaughtered for EXP. Do you dare?"

The rest of the city was on high alert as they were quick to discover a familiar apocalyptic scenario taking place. All the citizens were now watching the skies, some able to see a hulking, brutish figure descending from the clouds on the back a giant bony fiend.

Snarls and grunts filled the air of Gilga as that man shouted, "I’m only here to keep you from interfering. Should you interfere, though, I wouldn’t mind killing you here and now."

After Pestro’s reply, another loud explosion sounded from deep inside the guild. So deep, in fact, that explosion came from the back most courtyard of the restricted area. As the only courtyard connected to the city walls, it made for the perfect target for a break-in.

"You dare threaten me!" Eedaj suddenly took off, rushing through the sky with a stern glare fixed on the bony fiend. "Don’t underestimate me, you oaf!"

"Try me!"

Pestro laughed and took off to the fields surrounding the city. He wanted to keep the Leisure Guild out of Eedaj’s range of attack, making sure to keep his focus on the mission of the syndicate.

"So, you’re just the diversion? Not bad, Thyron. You came even sooner than we had expected," Tralon stated, keeping a straight face.

"Of course, you understand that I’m not the type to underestimate opponents. I always overestimate, that why I’ll always overwhelm my foes," chuckled Thyron. "Now’s the time, so do what you must."

Without any words, the group of fourteen broke apart. They started to scatter into all sorts of directions.

But they startled and stopped in their tracks. The only two to make it out were two syndicate regents over lv. 70. All others were pushed back by the sudden rush of reinforcements from inside the Leisure Guild. And the most startling part was how beasts were included in the guild’s reinforcements.

Hurmot had arrived with his five Celestial Cranes, stopping the third syndicate regent. But there were also Dark Beholders licking their lips at the sight of the syndicate members, which was terrifying as the beholders could understand the syndicate members’ levels clearly while concealing their own.

"What... What is this?" Thyron glared back at Tralon.

Laughing and smiling, Tralon stated, "I’m sorry, but it seems like you’ve utterly failed to overestimate us. For that, you’ll pay dearly."

Chapter 420

"I’m sorry, but it seems like you’ve utterly failed to overestimate us. For that, you’ll pay dearly."

Not fully convinced, Thyron began to laugh as well. "Oh, I can’t wait to see how you deal with the true invasion. I’ll tell you now, we’ve got lv. 80’s back there, something you can’t handle even if all of you were there to defend."

Hearing that, Argyle, Vixus, and Tralon all started to laugh together.

Before Thyron could speak again, a louder and larger explosion happened again from the back of the Leisure Guild. This time, though, it was large enough for all of those at the front of the guild to see over the top of the main building. And as the rubble cleared, a colossal, serpentine figure was left behind for all to see.

"It’s a good thing we’re not back there," added Tralon. "We would only get in the way of the heavy hitters."

Thyron swallowed some saliva, finally starting to waver in his confidence.

*****

Gathered around a bonfire, dozens of goblins danced and passed booze to the guests of honor. They had thrown together a makeshift festival to celebrate the return of their long-lost deity and the friendship of the Leisure Guild.

Those two guests of honor were seated comfortably and drank together as the midnight hour had passed.

They drank, hardly affected by the alcohol thanks to their levels. And since Jack understood how busy he would be the next day, he wasn’t drinking anywhere near as much as the Goblin God beside him.

’Jack, we’re under attack!’

An alarmed voice screamed into Jack’s mind, instantly sobering the hero. Before Jack could ask for more information, Tralon continued, ’Pestro arrived and... and they’ve attacked Dragov’s courtyard!’

’I’m on my way now with Rikko,’ stated Jack, jumping to his feet and startling the goblins with his sudden seriousness. ’Don’t hold back anything.’

’We’ll be waiting.’

Jack immediately contacted Dragov, stating, ’Dragov, go wild! No need to hide anymore, just protect the guild and the city.’

’With my life, Jack.’ Though the centipede’s words were quite solemn, Dragov’s voice was filled with excitement and eagerness.

After speaking with Dragov, Jack contacted Bowzer. ’Bowzer, you can go wild outside of the city. Just don’t get in over your head, okay?’

’Okay!’

"Nephew Legend, something wrong?" Rikko asked.

"Shh!" Not answering Rikko just yet, Jack contacted one more person. ’Hadurt, you don’t need to hide your identity. Just kill and slaughter.’

’Finally! Something exciting!’ Hadurt laughed

’Also, I have a present for you. I’ll come find you on the battlefield,’ added Jack.

’Oh? Then it must be good! I’ll be waiting!’

Finished with that, Jack turned to Rikko and stated, "Look, Uncle Rikko, I’m sorry to cut the celebration short but you and I have to go."

"What about goblins?" asked Rikko. "What happen?"

"Pestro and the syndicate are at the Leisure Guild right now. And considering that Pestro is there to keep Eedaj busy, I can only assume the worst. Most likely, they’ve brought out all their big guns this time, possibly even more than when they invaded Federal City."

"Ok, so we go now? We get goblins later?"

"Exactly," replied Jack. "We’ll bring the goblins over after the invasion. For now, I’ll teleport us back to the guild."

Taking out a teleportation scroll, Jack extended his other hand to Rikko. Jack didn’t want to waste his scroll but he’d rather not waste forty percent of his mana just to arrive in the middle of a heated battle.

"Okay, but Rikko no help."

"What?! Why?!"

The Goblin God started to chuckle. "Uncle Rikko no help defend. Uncle Rikko help Eedaj..."

Hearing that, Jack gave Rikko a strange look. He wanted to see through the goblin’s intentions but understood that it would never be so simple after what he previously experienced with Rikko.

"What are you up to, Uncle Rikko?"

"Rikko not sure. But if Rikko lucky, Rikko have best steal ever!"

Sighing and squishing his face with the palm of his hand, Jack stated, "Just... be sure to help, okay?"

"Rikko offer special help," chuckled Rikko with a smile.

"Fine..."

When Rikko finally took Jack’s hand, both of them were taken away in a flash of light.

*****

"What was that?!" Eliza shouted as she heard an explosion from the back of the restricted area.

Eliza ran out of the bedroom to find the others in the center of the courtyard. Maura had already taken out her Cetus and Daliea had already taken out Mooldrat as well. Lina was the most confused and the only one not yet alert.

With Mooldrat at her side, Daliea stated, "Someone must’ve attacked the back wall. That’s the only logical explanation."

Not wanting to be left out, Eliza took out her dryad and called for Ayden to hurry over.

"Why would someone attack?" Lina asked.

Maura patted the girl on the head, answering, "Because some people don’t like what Jack is doing. They probably want to stop him before he gets stronger."

"And what are those clouds? Oh, that’s a big birdie!"

Lina pointed to the massive fiend flying through the sky, not recognizing it. At the same time, the other women all recognized Eedaj following that flying beast. That marked that foe as a godly being, proving that this invasion was not something they should underestimate.

Then, another explosion sounded from the back of the Leisure Guild. But this one dwarfed the prior and hurled rubble everywhere. As Dragov’s behemoth body emerged from the rubble, the women all readied themselves for the worst.

Just when they were ready to leave and join the fray, an abrupt flash of light filled the courtyard. It left the women nervous and fearful until they recognized one of the two figures left behind from the light.

"Jack! What’s--"

"The syndicate is attacking and they made sure to bring a god to keep Eedaj busy," Jack immediately started to explain the situation, not changing his straight face. "The main entrance has also been breached but I’m guessing the true forces will be attacking from the rear. Hadurt, Dragov, and Bowzer are already on the move but I’ll be joining them shortly."

"And what about us?" asked Maura.

"Given your current strength, I think it’s best to hide inside the guild," answered Jack. "I’m sure some forces will manage to slip into the guild, so I want you all to work with the rest of the party, Phoro, and the remaining beholders to defend the inside of the guild. Can you do that?"

The women would be against not joining the battle but they were also glad that Jack cared about them enough to keep them out of the bloody battlefield outside of the city.

With determination, Lina asked, "Big Bro, I want to fight!"

"You will, Lina--"

"I want to full power!" shouted the teenage girl. "Can I, please?"

Jack laughed and patted Lina on the head. "Sure, you can go all out. Okay? Just make sure to listen to everyone and be careful. If they say not to fight, then what do you do?"

"Then I don’t fight!" answered Lina, smiling and giggling to no longer fight in her human form.

"Then... I’ll be off."

"Who’s that?" asked Eliza, pointing to the blue goblin with a finger up his nose.

"Oh, this is Uncle Rikko, the God of Trickery," introduced Jack. "He’ll be joining Eedaj shortly, but I’m sure he’s got some scheme itching inside his long nose."

Rikko burst out in laughter as he started to itch his nostril more passionately. "Nephew Legend understand!" But just when Jack was expecting Rikko to dance in thought, the Goblin God disappeared before their very eyes. With Rikko’s insane bursts of speed, he managed to disappear into the darkness of the night.

"Then, I’ll leave the guild grounds in your hands. Call Rydel and the others right away." Jack wrapped all the women in his arms for a group hug. "Should you need me, just say so. And Mooldrat, keep them safe at all costs."

"Of course, Jack. I’ll forfeit my life before I allow Daliea or your other wives to fall in battle."

"Good... I’ll see you soon. Tell me if you need help!" Jack shouted as he bolted out the front door, not wanting to waste another second.