Broken and the group finally arrived in the small village near Wildwood Forest, a quiet place they had chosen to rest before venturing deeper into the wilderness.
As they entered the nearby tavern for a break, Broken took a seat at a wooden table,
surrounded by Maylock, Starfall, Livelywood, Toberry, and Ivana.
The knights, meanwhile, took seats at a separate table, giving their lord and his companions some space.
“I just got a few notifications that there was an attack on Slumdon Town,” Broken said. “Is this the attack from the Alliance you mentioned to me a few days ago, Maylock?”
“Indeed it is. But Elincia and the others managed to drive them all away-sent them packing straight to the Temple of Resurrection in Valantar. That’s about the best service we could offer them.”
“Were any of the NPCs hurt? What about the people of Slumdon?”
“Just minor injuries for Mira and a few of the knights, but nothing serious. They’ve already fully recovered, and no damage was done those attackers never even made it inside the town.”
Broken nodded. “You intentionally chose not to inform me of this, didn’t you?”
Maylock shrugged. “I knew it was a small matter, something we could handle. I didn’t want to distract you from the expedition. If something serious had happened, of course, you would have been the first to know.”
Broken regarded him for a moment before a faint smile appeared. “I see… you did well then, Maylock.”
Starfall giggled at that. “I bet Maylock is trying to show that this was no big deal for Slumdon, Broken.”
“No, it’s okay, I don’t mind,” Broken replied. “In fact, I trust that his plan was great.”
“Hahaha… that’s the best compliment I’ve received in the last decade,” Maylock said, laughing.
Starfall sighed and responded, “And he’s a suck-up in addition to being a strategy genius.”
Livelywood burst out laughing at that, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Stop with that fake laugh, Livelywood,” Maylock said flatly.
“What? Haha, no, it’s not fake!” Livelywood defended himself. “But really, your conversation is quite funny.”
The group turned their focus back to Broken, ready to continue the discussion.
“But you said there were hundreds of them, right? Were their levels just too low?”
Maylock shook his head. “Yes, their levels were below 200-maybe somewhere between 170 and 190 on average. But no, they weren’t entirely weak. They just foolishly underestimated the strength of the Ass Guild and the Slumdon knights.”
Broken nodded. “They paid the price for that arrogance, then.”
“Exactly. They came in expecting an easy victory, and that overconfidence led to their swift defeat.”
Toberry chuckled. “I’m still surprised, you know. There are still people who underestimate the Ass Guild, even though we rank among the top ten guilds with only thirteen members.”
“Haha, yes,” Livelywood added with a chuckle. “Everyone in this guild is incredibly strong. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
“You’re not being influenced by Maylock’s arrogance, are you, Toberry?” Starfall asked with a faint smile.
“It’s hard to avoid, I suppose,” Toberry admitted. “I’ve spent so much time in a team with him, I’m sure I’ve picked up some of his bad habits.”
“Arrogance is innate, unfortunately. It’s like second nature to me. I can’t help it,” Maylock said.
Broken nodded slowly, absorbing their conversation. “I’ll have to thank Elincia later for her contribution. Luckily, she and the others stayed in Slumdon, so nothing serious happened.” Broken said this because, deep down, he still felt a sense of responsibility. A major attack had occurred on the town while he was far away, unable to protect it. And Freya, with her lower level and lack of notable combat abilities, certainly wouldn’t have been able to fend off an assault of that magnitude on her own.
The entire situation had been thwarted thanks to Maylock’s planning and Elincia’s coordination in Slumdon Town. Their efforts had been crucial in keeping everyone safe.
“Broken…” Starfall spoke up.
Starfall, the elemental mage with distinct Asian features and long black hair, had a serene and charismatic aura that made her stand out. She was well-known beyond the game-indeed, a celebrity and a famous figure in her country.
Broken remembered the conversation he’d had with Freya when they had watched the Korean drama that starred Starfall, the very girl now standing in front of him. She embodied the same calm and charismatic presence he had seen on-screen, living up to her reputation as an actress and a popular singer.
“Yes?” he asked softly, meeting her eyes.
“Don’t worry too much. We will protect Slumdon Town even when you’re not there,” she said warmly. “We own the town together, and we’re friends too. It’s as much our duty as it is yours.”
Broken nodded at her words. “Thanks.”
Maylock adjusted his sunglasses. “It’s inevitable that as you become more powerful and well- known, you’ll accumulate more enemies. That’s just the nature of gaining strength and reputation. You need to be prepared for whatever comes.”
Broken nodded slowly. “What about this Guilds Alliance? Could it lead to tension between the Keseon Kingdom and the Dissidia Kingdom?”
Maylock nodded. “Yes, it’s very likely that this situation was engineered by someone for personal gain. I have a suspicion about who that person might be. However, there’s no need to concern yourself with it just yet. We can go over the details after we complete this
expedition.”
“Sure,” Broken replied casually.
With that, they decided to rest for the night. The group rented an inn for the NPCs to settle in comfortably, while the players, mindful of their limited online time in Immortal Legacy, logged out to recharge.
***
Leon stepped out of the capsule device and quickly changed into his running outfit.
As he exited the building, the crisp night air enveloped him, signaling the start of his daily routine. It was already late, but he needed this to recharge his mood for the day. He wouldn’t stop running until his skin was drenched in sweat.
He ran through the streets of the city, his eyes catching on a massive digital screen attached to
a building, displaying an advertisement for Immortal Legacy.
“Eternal Challenge, huh?” he mumbled to himself as he read the details of the upcoming
major event.
Eternal Challenge was the first official major competition held directly by the Developer. He wondered if he could join the competition as well. Was there a category for individual players? Perhaps he could participate in a battle competition or something similar.
However, he knew this event would be drawing a lot of attention worldwide. It was a huge
deal, after all.
There would be many pro players from around the world competing in this tournament.
But, could this also mean that the entire Ass Guild might gather here as well? They would certainly want to participate in such a major competition.
So far, the only member of the Ass Guild he had met in real life was Laura, who happened to be his schoolmate. It was shocking when he remembered the moment she admitted it to him. The revelation had been both surprising and exhilarating.
But what about the other members of the Ass Guild? Was Goldrich really as much of a pervert in real life as he was in the game? How wealthy was he truly? And Melliandra-did she still hold that grudge against him so fiercely that she’d still be mad at him in person?
And then there was Maylock. Leon wondered what the ever-brilliant strategist would be like
in real life. Would Maylock still enjoy flaunting his intelligence as much as he did in the game? And what about Booba, RememberMe, PussyCat, Elincia, and the others?
They had all helped him immensely, but he hadn’t had the chance to meet any of them in
person yet.
Freya had brought up the topic of the Eternal Challenge to him multiple times, but they
hadn’t had the chance to discuss it in detail. She had mentioned something about forming a
team to compete in the group competition.
Group competition?
She talked about things like Monster Battle and Player Team Battle. It seemed like it could be
an exciting opportunity.
But first, he needed to make sure he could join a team. Wasn’t the competition starting soon?
He was still caught up in so many things within the game that he hadn’t had the time to
properly prepare.
Leon decided that he would follow up on this topic with Freya later.