Chapter 49
The days he traveled were enough to secure many mana cores at a very fast rate. Ward made sure that Dane was ready to face any situation without succumbing to death, as the two know very well he already died. While Miko made sure Dane was protected, she could access his mana and manipulate it to forge, change, and fully enhance or upgrade his abilities and weapons based on the schematics Ward designed. This partnership was created based on his parents memories. Dane's inner psyche was always organized and secure; it's like a large bookcase cataloging his memories in the past. The books that were missing were returned, and he was no longer questioning his thoughts and actions.
Dane was still a programmer at heart, which is often a fascinating blend of logic, creativity, and meticulousness. He possesses a strong analytical mind, capable of breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable chunks. This analytical thinking is paired with a problem-solving mindset, driving them to relentlessly pursue solutions and debug with unwavering determination.
Beyond the technical prowess, programmers often exhibit a deep-seated curiosity, constantly seeking to learn new languages, frameworks, and techniques to expand their skill set. While often stereotyped as introverted, ultimately, Dane's true personality is characterized by a unique combination of intellectual curiosity and fearlessness in mastering any craft he learns.
He was relentless in mastering his father's tactical hunting and survival techniques. While at the same time, at a young age, he spent countless hours in his mother's sword mastery. Dane was reckless and at the same time knew how to be cautious in matters he found too dangerous. His diverse interests and willingness to push boundaries make him a dynamic and adaptable individual, always eager to take on new challenges and experiences.
The world he created in the virtual game was to feed his hunger to feel free to test all of his skills and strategies in a safe environment. Dane's ability to balance risk-taking with caution has allowed him to excel in both the physical and mental realms. The resentment in his heart in the past is the only thing that stopped his growth and potential until death took his life.
As he stood on top of the highest structure near the opening of the underground nest of the Evolve Drake, his mana flow was now steady and was withheld from gaining any attention as he watched his father's clan continue to face the monsters at the heart of the city. Dane took this opportunity to learn from the actual fight. As Crouch was on top of what looked like a cathedral tower, he noticed that Mary Kaye was coordinating the rear team in helping the wounded, while Bonnie and Cody were providing wide-range attacks to disburse the enemy and not flank and surround them.
The battle wagons they brought were sturdy and were now connected together and were the very center of their moving force. The warhorses that pulled the wagons were blindfolded, and their hearing was all temporarily impaired by the mage that was managing their supply.
The remaining healers and mages never left the battle wagon's side. Some were inside as they cast attack and buff spells at the safety of the protected wagon, while others walked alongside to provide immediate assistance to any injured guild players. The coordination between the mages, healers, scouts, and even the few porters made their advancement more efficient and strategic, ensuring that the guild's forces were well-protected and supported throughout the battle. The synergy between all members of the team allowed them to move forward with confidence and unity, making them a formidable force on the battlefield.
The porters were seen running and gathering the arrows from the dead remains of fallen monsters and casting low-level cleanse spells and distributing the arrows toward the heavy archers near them. The tankers that held large defensive shields were focused on just protecting the main attack force. Slowly they were reaching their target. The long, wide-open road at the city was now a battle zone. They needed to get to the area, as the two guilds knew they would all die if darkness came and they were still far from the nest.
Resting can only be achieved if they reach the designated area. Many guilds before them lost because they were surrounded and miscalculated the massive number of monsters following the Drake. Charlotte and Mary Kaye made sure to address all these mistakes and coordinate their plan toward the white devil.
The mana surrounding the nest was wide enough that lower-rank monsters would stay away from it, leaving a safe zone. It was enough to take a break for an hour until the Drake finally awakened; this was the scenario created for the Evolve Drake quest. The senior players among the two participating guilds were hoping the scenario hadn't changed or diverted to a different direction. They knew that any unexpected changes could jeopardize their carefully laid-out plan for eliminating the Drake.
Dane would secretly help by trimming down the monster that was farther from the main force. The run-down, broken structures were the perfect cover as he hacked and slashed the creatures. The wide attack blast Cody was using, added to the explosive fire attacks the mage cast, was creating significant smoke and noise destruction, so Dane was able to move around with high agility and speed. He would cut down the high-level monsters without being noticed; his clothing and armor were also doing their task as long tentacles with snakes heads would bite, tear, and puncture enemies with ease.
Flying creatures were struck with poison needles in midair, as dark horned owls were. Encircle the Harpies as the creatures fell from the sky, paralyzed and poisoned. Dane made sure not to get seen, as he knew the conditions of the quest, but because he was not considered a player anymore, Miko assured him his status as a player had been altered already.
A player status is for those who haven't achieved any titles from the tower; they might be high rank but have not accomplished a main task related to the main story. Those who obtained this title were called Rankers, as these individuals have contributed high achievement points to the tower's main story.
The top fifteen positions were still blank and available before, but as of right now a high-quest mission was underway, and things were changing. Nobody paid attention to the ranking before, that was posted in the gatekeeper's main entry lobby. The twenty-foot-tall, five-foot-wide mirror automatically informs all the players of the achievements inside the tower, but one unknown name came out. The rank number was a surprise to those who saw it.
Nobody took notice before, as they were all not really interested in the rankings. Until now, the achievement points documented that day were higher than any other player had ever achieved in a single day. The unknown name on the ranking list was suddenly the center of attention, sparking curiosity and speculation among all the players in the tower.
Ranker
Number 1: None
Number 2: None
Number 3: None
Number 4: Hidden - Ranker-level -???? No Affiliation Solo killed 145
Number 5: None
Number 6: None
Number 7: None
Number 8: Charlotte Lazarus- Hunter - level 22 East Lazarus Guild killed 42
Number 9: Natasha Sokolov -Hunter - level 21 White Devil Guild killed 40
Number 10:Jacob Lazarus- Elemental User- level 20 - level 18 East Lazarus Guild killed 36
Number 11 : Leonid Zoya - Heavy Knight - level 23 White Devil Guild killed 34
Number 12: Cody Lazarus - Elemental User- level 19 High Strategy Guild killed 29
Number 13: Mary Kaye Lazarus - Elemental User- level 20 High Strategy Guild killed 22
Number 14: Sasha Andrey- Heavy Acher- level 20 White Devil Guild killed 21
Number 15: Bonnie Lazarus- Elemental User- level 20 - level 19 High Strategy Guild killed 19
Within just a few days, the ranking mirror bulletin board at the gatekeeper's main lobby was changing. The 15 blank slots were now filled with names. One name stood out not because of the large number of kills but instead because the level of the person was a question mark. Hiding a player's name is normal, as these players don't want attention, but these are created before the tower came to reality. Many players usually flaunt their names and ranks as much as they can, but having a player withhold this information is usually known as beta game testers in the past, as they are not allowed to do so.
And the creators of the Arcane Crusade virtual game didn't risk leaking their creation to just any random paid corporate game user, so they took it upon themselves to actually test their own game, and the one that started this was the lead game designer.
But it's different; testing the current situation is very much life-threatening and requires a different level of skill and understanding. Dane targeted the weakness of each monster. As he did when he and his team were developing the game. The monsters were agile and tough to kill; their weaknesses are already known, but maneuvering to hit those weaknesses was the biggest challenge, as many players focus on attack power rather than balancing their stats to strategically target the monsters' vulnerabilities. Dane's expertise in game development gave him a unique advantage in this high-stakes, chaotic environment, allowing him to outmaneuver the monsters with precision and finesse.
Many players on the battlefield swore they saw a shadowy figure at the corner of their eye, but the area was so disoriented they thought it was just a trick of the light. Glimpses were not enough to fully confirm some players suspicions. The number of monsters was going down fast. Farah was on top of the second battle wagon as she was tasked to protect the players from aerial attack. She noticed that the flying monsters were being attacked by another creature.,
Monster attacking another monster was a common occurrence, especially with a vast number of various creatures in one area, but she noticed the one attacking the harpies was not a monster but a parliament of horned owls. Their silent flight was overpowering the larger flying monster that could easily kill them, but these dark-feathered horned owls were relentless. Their attacks were more focused on ruining the Harpy attack.
She wondered if the owls were summoned by someone to specifically target the harpies or if it was simply a natural instinct for them to protect their territory. The sight of the owls overpowering the harpies made her realize that there was more to this battle than meets the eye.
Dane ran within the smoke and avoided the remaining automated surveillance insects that the Empire of Solnara Cererindur brought to oversee the quest with their own eyes. One of the king high arch mages was able to see the being killing the monsters, but she didn't react and was even delighted to see another participant in the quest.
She was Sylveth Melriel, or the Crescent Magus, one of the two arch mages serving the current King Deryth Cererindur , the merchant empire's only female holy arch mage that is not associated with the cathedral tower. Her power to use divine spells is known throughout the east region. But she was more into gaining opportunity than serving the people.
Her mind's eye can detect and identify any being that she sees. The moment she uses this skill, all information will be revealed to her, but the being killing the monster can't be identified. This was the third time she encountered this. So she could only keep her mouth closed and wait for the opportunity to gain an answer, as she was the one that gave the 3 participating guilds the quest to hunt the Evolve Drake.
The fact this being was secretly participating means it wasn't breaking any rules of the quest contract that the gatekeepers had put in place on the contract. The mysterious being's presence added an unexpected twist to the situation, leaving her curious and eager to uncover its true identity.
A small bird flew into the royal chamber, where most of the nobles were gathered to watch the quest continue as the king and queen casually interacted among the rest of the nobles. This small, unassuming bird flew to Sylveth Melriel's shoulder as if it was playing and whispered a message in her ear before flying off, leaving her both startled and intrigued.
The king saw the small bird as it flew away. She was positioned a step back on the left, like the other ArchMage stationed at the right. Like the king and mother queen at the center of the elevated royal throne hall , the two Archmage wardrobes were both adorned with intricate symbols of power and authority. The queen's eyes followed the bird's path, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she observed Sylveth Melriel's reaction.
The mother, Queen Nimriel Cererindur, adored Sylveth Melriel and held her secret. She was using a very powerful high-tier illusion spell that made her appearance look older. Having a divine power with such a young and voluptuous body is considered unusual in the realm. She looked mature and had grey hair and wrinkled skin, depicting the years of wisdom and experience that she possessed.
But it was a ruse to hide that she was a beautiful woman roughly at the age of just twenty-two. The appearances she created were meant to be accepted by the nobles, as they all believe in the old customs of respecting elders and seeking wisdom from those who appear older. However, her true age allowed her to navigate the political landscape with a fresh perspective and cunning intelligence that often caught her adversaries off guard.
Unlike her male counterpart, she is more lenient and free-spirited and hardly participates in the kingdom's political intrigues, preferring to focus on more practical matters that directly impact her own well-being and the well-being of her people. This unique approach has earned her both admiration and criticism, but ultimately she remains steadfast in her commitment to lead with compassion and pragmatism.
Her long red dress was glimmering with her golden mana as she approached the king to politely ask that she needs to attend to personal matters. The king honors his two great advisors and takes priority toward their word over the rest of his council, as the king politely granted her wish. Sylveth Melriel smiled at the queen, gesturing that she had some trivial matters that she needed to address. Queen Nimriel Cererindur just nodded and answered with the same gesture. The archmage bowed her head and instantly vanished.
She emerged at the steps of the cathedral's magic tower as she wanted to personally teleport toward the city where the evolved Drake resides. Even with high-level mana like other mages, mana consumption opening a teleportation gate toward a place that took weeks to travel will weaken any mage upon arriving at the destination. Her curiosity about the unseen figure was too great, as her skill could not even see the power level.
"It could be a seraph, or even a primordial?"
"But , it's better to be sure."