Ark

ACT 6 Shrine of War

Schudenberg Kingdom, Bristania Kingdom, Sinius Principality........some time ago, the rulers of the Three Kingdom fought over the supremacy of the continent using the War of the Shrines. The disturbing incident was reported in many places.

And there were also the ominous predictions from shrine priests......in recent years, the political situation became messier and caused a lot of issues. The kings began to feel anxious and eventually agreed to the Armistice Agreement over the border dispute. The agreement was rapidly made. But some problems occurred in the final stage. The influence of the Three Kingdoms in the Nagaran war was almost equal. Since it was a push and pull battle, it was hard to distinguish the borders.

That caused problems with the Armistice Agreement. They all wanted to expand their territories even further. They naturally asserted their rights and argued.

“That territory is ours. Didn’t we capture that castle a long time ago?”

“Bah, you’re just trying to plunder it using a lousy method.”

“Please refrain from saying that. Do you really want to continue the war for such a petty reason?”

The Schudenberg and Bristania Kingdom were loudly arguing while the Sinius Principality just sat quietly in the middle.

“Do you know how much we invested in that territory?”

“The territory is more about the people than the money. Didn’t half of the residents from that territory immigrate to my kingdom?”

“Be quiet! The important thing is who occupied the castle in the end.”

“If you put it like that then my troops were the ones who expanded the territory. If the battle continued then of course I would’ve taken over.”

“What? Are you insulting the honourable soldiers of the Bristania Kingdom? Did you want to try it?”

“No problem!”

The low level argument continued as the candles started to burn down. At that time, the Archbishop who was the mediator for the war talks suggested.

“Then how about all Three Kingdoms jointly manage the Nagaran territory.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There’s an old saying. The sovereign reigns but does not dominate.”

“The sovereign reigns but does not dominate?”

The kings looked at him with eyes that asked what he was talking about.

“Is there a reason that your Majesties covet that territory?”

“When a territory is expanded, it brings peace and well-being to the residents......”

“This is the reason?”

The Archbishop smiled and briefly summarized.

“Isn’t it because of the tax obtained from the territory?”

“Hehehe, well. That is also important.”

They all blushed and coughed as their reason was explicitly pointed out. The reason that the kings desired the territory was indeed money! In fact, the kings were only focused on making money from the territory. Once they occupied a castle, it was possible to request a monthly tax from it. Taxes are responsible for the finances of the kingdom........it was also an enormous help in funding the war between kingdoms. It was a cycle of them receiving the funds and using it to fund the war, capturing more castles and gaining even more money.

“If that’s the case, then this map isn’t needed.”

The Archbishop put the map away and stood up.

“Let me clarify the key points. The important thing isn’t permanently ruling the castles in Nagaran. It is for the money to enter Your Majesties pockets. Of course, you would be offended if you received less than the others. The heart of these talks is to divide it fairly so that everyone can be satisfied. If so, the solution is very simple. Although you will rule the area, you won’t dominate it.”

“.......I don’t understand so can you please explain it more easily?”

“The conclusion I was trying to reach is to open up Nagaran to the foreigners.”

“Foreigners?”

“Yes, the foreigners don’t really belong to any royal families. Although they follow the rules of the nation, they can’t really be called residents. We will give them the chance to rule a castle in Nagaran. Then they will have to pay a tax that the Three Kingdoms will share.”

“Hoo......”

A King began to show interest.

“I don’t need to explain how diligent the foreigners are. To them there is no night or day. One foreign merchant once spent 3 days and nights setting up a shop. They’ll work both day and night once they’ve captured a castle. Your Majesties purses would become thicker even faster.”

The Archbishop explained with a satisfied look.

“And once the foreigners occupy a castle, the soldiers will be able to relieve their nerves. After the long war the soldiers’ nerves are sharp and there are risks that a minor emotional fight will cause the war to spill over.”

“Indeed........!”

One king burst out with admiration. Thanks to the Archbishop’s proposal, all the arguments were solved. They didn’t need to compromise and their pride also wasn’t hurt. Once the territory develops more, the income will become larger so there was no reason for their stomach to hurt. Because Nagaran had 12 castles, the income could be divided into 3 fairly. They also didn’t need to invest large amounts of money to restore Nagaran, an area that had become impoverished from the many years of war. At that time, the King of the Sinius Principality looked worried and opened his mouth.

“But the foreigners sometimes go too far.”

“Um, that’s right. I don’t know how honourably they will fight.”

“If the war is opened to the public, I’m afraid Nagaran will become even more impoverished.”

“Then wouldn’t rules be necessary?”

The Archbishop spread out a thick parchment. Using a pen he wrote down the special laws for Nagaran.

“This much should be enough. If we do any more then it will give the feeling of excessive interference.”

“It’s not bad”

“Okay. I’ll follow you to the end in this matter.”

The kings became satisfied and signed the Armistice Agreement. And the news was announced to the entire continent a few days later. Episode II: <Pioneering Age of the Foreigners> had begun. The Nagaran area was composed of 12 estates. It was opened to all foreigners. Although originally NPCs fought there, it was now a battlefield for all users.

The special laws that the kings of the Three Kingdoms jointly signed are applied.

* Use of scrolls has been sealed.

* Killing a player does not affect the alignment. The same effect applied to NPCs belonging to a player. However, if you attack an NPC with a neutral alignment then a heavy penalty will be charged. In addition, resurrecting after dying has the same experience and stat penalty as the other regions.

* Groups who register will be able to participate in siege warfare.

* You cannot update your resurrection place to Nagaran. However, a castle that is occupied by a guild and its allies will be able to turn it into a base. This will be cancelled if the castle is taken away.

“From here it is Nagaran.......”

Ark looked at the plains stretching out in front of him. The area looked exactly the same as other areas, but once he crossed an invisible border than a warning message popped up indicating that it was a dangerous area. When he ignored it and continued forward, the above message immediately showed. He had entered Nagaran where even murder was permitted.

“Ark, the departure preparations are finished.”

Cross approached with a face that was still sleepy. That was the hardest part of travelling with NPCs.

For a user, one day was three days in New World. Since their concept of time was different, a user could stay connected and hunt for three days. But for NPCs, three days was literally three days. Therefore they could not act the same as a user. Since they are people, when they don’t sleep their stamina and strength would fall. If the NPC doesn’t sleep for more than one day then a considerable penalty will be applied.

Vampires and the undead such as Dedric and Deimos don’t have those limitations. Sometimes he thought interacting with NPCs was inconvenient. Of course, Ark wouldn’t waste 2 hours. During that time, he wandered the camp finding general and magic ingredients.

‘I’ve collected enough food ingredients to create dishes that provide buffs.’

Ark looked warmly at the thick bags and rubbed it. Cross was tired and shook his head.

“You didn’t sleep and stayed up all night digging herbs? I’ve thought this before, but your body really is made of iron. The other foreigners are similar but you are especially intense. I don’t understand how you can go three days without any sleep........it really is amazing.”

He hadn’t slept for several days. Thanks to thoughts of thousands of gold flying away, he wasn’t able to sleep.

“I move diligently since I don’t want to fall behind other people.”

“You’re correct. I should also learn from you.”

“There is still a large distance before we reach Silvana, our destination. I have to hurry to join JusticeMan ajusshi who left first.”

“I see. By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Teacher.”

Ark lead Cross and the soldiers across Nagaran. They managed to go over one hill. Then yelling and metal clashing was heard from the bottom of the hill.

“Attack the side!”

“For the glory of the Hawk Guild!”

“Ugh, this time I won’t back down!”

“The formation is collapsing. Use the mercenary troops!”

A cloud of dust was caused by the hundreds of people engaged in a fierce battle. Swords crossed paths while battle magic exploded! In such a battle, recovery potions were only used as first aid. If the formation collapsed and they became surrounded by enemies, in a blink of an eye they would lose all their health. 1~2 potions wouldn’t be enough to recover all their health. It was like pouring water into a bottomless pit! Even if they poured recovery potions down a funnel into the mouth, it wouldn’t be able to keep up with all the damage.

‘This is what they mean by a guild battle!’

Ark hid on the hill and sighed automatically as he watched. They recovered health using potions. But was that it? If they consumed items like they used skills, how much would they use? While Ark was watching, he calculated that the items used were worth approximately hundreds of gold. A war of attrition! Such battles were spread out all over Nagaran. He couldn’t even imagine how much money was flying around Nagaran in one day.

‘If you have more troops and fight more battles then the money involved would also increase.’

Ark opened his bag and sighed again. Although he was broke when he left Lancel Village, he now had 120 gold. This was thanks to the contract of the Three Pig Brothers who tried to attack Ark. It was an agreement to pay 40 gold every 10 days in reality. After one month he entered the Merchant’s Guild and was able to withdraw 120 gold.

120 gold......it wasn’t a small amount. However, it was insufficient for waging a war. Fortunately the rehabilitation members prepared some funds, but that was also limited. If he spent the original amount of money then it would decrease. He had to avoid unnecessary fights in order to save money.

‘I have to stay clear until I find Alan. I don’t need a trivial misunderstanding to increase the number of enemies.’

“Summon Demon, Dedric!”

“Oh, is it a fight?”

Dedric looked around motivated after he was summoned. Because he hadn’t fought after the battle against Colossus, quite a lot of stress had accumulated. Of course, relieving his pet’s stress wasn’t a reason he thought of when summoning them.

“No, it is the opposite. Please scout ahead and avoid any possible battles.”

“Sheesh, you called me just to do that?”

“You don’t want to?”

After Ark showed the pot in his bag, Dedric became appalled and frantically shook his head.

“U-understood. I’m doing it. I can do it.”

Ark’s choice was appropriate. It was the first time that he had entered a war zone. From where he was lying, he could see battles occurring everywhere.

‘There seems to be an overabundance of money everywhere.’

If money was a factor in battles then of course he wouldn’t fight excessively. With every relationship, he considered the pros and cons to it. Since it was a war zone, he didn’t know when he would be attacked be surprise. Since his forces were weak, it was smart to walk away from battles. Moreover, Ark still had to register to take part at the Shrine of War. He also only had 20 troops.

“Master, 40 foreigners are gathered down in that valley.”

“Okay, we’ll go back and bypass the valley.”

Ark was busy avoiding the land mines throughout the evening until he finally arrived at Silvana. Silvana was surprisingly large. There was quite a large town with dozens of smaller ones situated at a reasonable distance and there were also quite a lot of residents.

‘Alan is in that place.......’

Ark looked at the giant grey castle that was situated in the centre. He became anxious once he confirmed that it was Silvana. Guilds with considerable funds, skills and personnel flocked to Nagaran.......yet Alan had defeated all those guilds and managed to capture one of the 12 castles. As the Lord, he would’ve built up a great reputation and have lots of supporters. He didn’t understand it that much, but he had already seen Alan in Jackson. Of course, Ark couldn’t even be compared to when he was in Jackson. But that was strictly his personal views. Although he had piled up experience in the meanwhile, he didn’t know if it would be enough to defeat Alan.

‘But I still have to knock him down.’

If Alan kept his power than Ark wouldn’t be able to undo Sid’s life imprisonment. He would also completely lose his 5000 gold. Therefore he couldn’t give up even if the odds were only 1%.

‘I’ll think about it more after I join up with JusticeMan ajusshi.’

When he arrived at the place he was told on the phone, simple tents had been erected. JusticeMan, who was supervising the raccoons who were moving things, ran happily towards him.

“You’ve arrived safely.”

“Yes, I was a little late because I was avoiding other guilds.”

“Yes, we did that too. This place is bloodier than I thought.”

It was thanks to the Meow warriors that JusticeMan and his group were able to avoid being hurt. The Meow lived and hunted in the woods so they were outstanding warrior scouts. Cross made a welcome gesture as he approached JusticeMan.

“Teacher, it’s been a while.”

“You guys have come.”

“Since it is Ark and Teacher, it isn’t possible to pretend that I don’t know.”

Cross smiled and looked around the barracks.

“These are the comrades that will be fighting with us?”

“Yes, they haven’t been introduced. They are the residents of Lancel Village.”

“It’s good to meet you. I am Cross.”

JusticeMan introduced Cross to the Meow, the raccoons and the rest of the group. Meanwhile, Ark started organizing the configuration of the 83 people into attack groups. The captain needed to have reputation and leadership. It was like he had hired mercenary NPCs. However Ark’s troops were influenced by the degree of intimacy just like when he made the raccoon troops, and weren’t like hired mercenaries. This was one of Ark’s strong points.

He finished organizing the groups for attack and sat down with JusticeMan.

“Now let me sum up what has to be done.”

When Ark opened his mouth, Bul-kkun immediately said.

“What do you have to organize? The children are gathered to attack.”

“The situation is not so simple.”

“Not simple?”

“The first problem is that the number of members in the Dawn Blade guild is more than we expected.”

Ark said in a low voice.

“The Dawn Blade guild has 500 members.”

“500?”

The rehabilitation members stiffened their jaws. Ark also breathed out a sigh. When Ark arrived in Selebrid, he researched the basic information about the Dawn Blade guild. Knowledge was power. If he knew more than he would be able to catch more opportunities. But that wasn’t the case this time. Once he saw the information, he felt like the situation was even gloomier.

‘I thought that the Dawn Blade would only have 100 people.’

Ark had not been interested in guilds thanks to other online games. But when he checked, he saw that a small guild in New World had over 200 people.

New World was a game that made the most money thanks to its commercialization. The game moved a lot of money so the organizations in it would also become big. In addition, the unity was incomparable to any other game. Of course there were limits to the guild personnel. Since fame was obtained from hunting or trading, there was no use in guild leadership. However, it was important for the guild master to have high fame. The fame of the leader could decide the reputation of the guild and would also allow them to hire the appropriate number of NPC mercenaries. In New World, an average guild had 200 people and it was still early in the game so users with high leadership and fame were rare.

“The reason that Alan could gather enough forces to capture an estate in Nagaran was because of that.”

In fact, Ark had been wondered about it when he heard that Alan had occupied a castle. But he was able to understand after he examined the guild. Alan chose the highest level users among the candidates. If you compared their levels to the rest of New World, they weren’t that high. That was because the candidates had the penalty of starting the game one month late. But that was why Alan could stand out! The special quality of a Holy Knight was a bonus to fame and leadership. 500 people, which was more than 6 times the number of people in Ark’s group. The guild also occupied the castle and the average level of the equipment was higher.

He had at most 80 people. If a group consisting of 80% NPCs attacked an opponent like that, there was a 100 in 100 chance of them losing. The Holy Knight was a class specializing in group combat and it was a wall that Ark couldn’t climb over. JusticeMan thought for a moment before saying.

“Then we have no choice but to use guerrilla warfare.”

He had no chance in a head on confrontation. All that would be left was defeat. In Nagaran, if the NPC mercenaries hired by a user died then the death penalty for a user was also applied to them. No access for 24 hours. In other words, if he disposed of the Dawn Blade guild one by one within 24 hours then he might have a chance to defeat Alan. However, Ark shook his head.

“I’ve already checked that. But it is impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“If the guild captures a castle, they obtain the right to occupy it just like an NPC. Unless they leave the castle where we can attack them, it will have to be siege warfare. And I know that Alan and the members of the Dawn Blade guild will not leave the castle.

“Then the method to take down Alan is........?”

“.........The only way to win is to apply for a siege.”

The atmosphere of the barracks sank heavily. In order to defeat Alan, he had raked up equipment and rushed here while avoiding other battles. But the opponent was like a rock while Ark and his companions were eggs. Although money was lost, they could just give up and return before further damage was done. They were suffering from indecision. At that time, Ark once again opened his mouth.

“We have no choice but to do a siege.”

“But we’re not a match for the opponents.

“If it was only us then that would be true.”

“Only us? Then you mean......?”

“Yes, an alliance.”

Ark nodded and replied. Yes, that was the reason why Ark hadn’t given up even after he investigated in Selebrid.

Anyway, siege warfare was not something that one guild could afford. In this war, having a large number of people would be more advantageous. Of course, there was a limit on the number of people one person could gather. Various interests had to be taken into account and they also needed income and profit so that they could capture another castle. Since Nagaran was just starting to become occupied, it would be difficult to expect a large profit in the beginning. In general, it was normal for 1000~2000 to be mobilized for a siege. Ark paid attention to this point. Once the territories became larger than tens of thousands of people could be mobilized. There wasn’t a gap where Ark could intrude. Even mercenaries could do well with the appropriate tactics. However, Ark had room if there were only 1000~2000 people.

“Guilds will definitely want to join an alliance with us.

Once entered into an alliance, it was likely that the largest guild would gain control of the castle. However, Ark had no desire to obtain a territory in the first place. No, if possible he wanted to occupy it because it might make him a huge profit. But realistically it was impossible. The reason was because of the nature of occupation. Since Ark didn’t have a support base outside of NPCs, it would be impossible for him to defeat the guilds that would challenge him and continue occupying the castle. Therefore Ark had been disinterested from the beginning.

‘Investigating the fraud case and getting back the money lost as collateral would be nice, but it is difficult. Then I must focus on obtaining the money confiscated from Sid. Yes, it is vital to take down Alan first.’

Then, JusticeMan raised a question.

“It is a good idea. But you can’t look for a guild to ally with blindly. It has to be a guild that is in Silvana and also knows guild siege warfare.”

“It is simple to recognize.”

Ark started laying out the rules.

“Do you know the rules for a siege?”

“Siege rules?”

“It was the first thing I found out in Selebrid. Dozens of guilds can challenge them but it takes place once a day.”

“Indeed a siege would cost a lot of money. It would cost a lot of withstand daily sieges, even with the tax from the estate. But if they don’t accept the challenge from other guilds then they won’t be able to occupy the castle......eh? Is that really true?”

“Once a week. That’s the minimum amount of challenges you have to accept as a Lord.”

Ark explained the information gathered in Selebrid. Once a week or more, they must accept the challenge of the other guilds. That was the basic rules of the siege. And if they don’t accept the challenge of other guilds within a week then the power to veto challenges will disappear. Now, which guilds would be able to challenge Alan? It was at this part that Ark showed interest.

“They decide the challenge rights through a lottery.”

“A lottery?”

“The Shrine of War is a place within Nagaran. It is the only neutral territory. And when there is only 2 days left in the veto deadline for the Lord, it is where they decide the guild using a lottery. If the Lord knows the guild then they can decided to waive the remaining time or accept the challenge from another guild.”

“It is a right given to the Lord of the castle.”

“Yes, there are various benefits to being the Lord of a castle. During those two days, the Lord can gather all his allies and make preparations for the siege.”

“I know what you mean. So you will try and contact the guild selected?”

“Yes.”

“Um.....but if we only have 100 people then will they enter an alliance with us?”

“Well I don’t know until I try. And because the challenger is chosen by chance not power, there is a possibility that we might be chosen. If we possess the challenge right then manage guilds will approach first.”

He honestly didn’t expect that much. His luck had never been that good in New World. At that time, a silent member of the rehabilitation group lifted his head and said. He was a former gambler who was nicknamed ‘Tazza’ by the rehabilitation members.

“Ark. What kind of system is the lottery?”

“I don’t know yet. I just heard that it was lottery.”

“Really?”

Tazza raised his mouth and nodded.

“I have a good feeling for some reason.”

“Huk, you! You look like.....?”

Once Ark transformed into Dark Wolf, Cross and the NPCs became surprised at the intimidating form. Silvana was Alan’s home territory, so if he reveals his true shape than Alan would receive the knowledge in advance. So he was going to participate in the Shrine War under Dark Wolf. He explained the situation to Cross who nodded.

“That’s right. But I can’t believe you’re really Dark Wolf.”

“Yes?”

“I saw you in the Evil Silrion newsletter. It was an amazing fight.”

Cross silently sent him a look of respect. Since he had never transformed into Dark Wolf after that, he had never seen a NPCs reaction. However, the winner of the tournament was someone that most warrior NPCs held in high esteem. Of course, it could also be the opposite. The Meow warriors grunted in a dissatisfied voice.

“Sheesh, you turned yourself into a wolf of all things......”

It was common sense that cats and dogs didn’t get along. It was something Ark hadn’t considered. But who was Ark?

“I don’t like dogs. That’s why I transformed into a dog. It is because my fighting spirit will burn even further if I’m in a form that I hate.”

“Ah ah, is that so? It is like you said.”

The Meow quickly nodded. It was because cats are fairly simple. They also didn’t give off a forceful impression. If he transformed into a cat, it would be more like a gag concert than a fight.

“Now let’s depart.”

Ark finished the preparations and left the tent with Cross. The War Shrine was a neutral territory. However all the other areas except for the Shrine of War was a war zone. Since it was possible to be murdered in a village, he needed a bodyguard just in case. But he couldn’t take JusticeMan and all of the rehabilitation company. He didn’t know what would happen if he left the NPCs alone. Therefore JusticeMan stayed behind to protect the barracks while only Jjak-tung and Tazza followed him. They insisted on going with him, even if they ended up dying together.

The Shrine of War was nestled in the heart of the nearest town. When he arrived at the shrine, a uniformed NPC was standing in front to take the lottery registrations. Ark greeted the priest like he learned in Selebrid.

“I’m here with the intention to join the honourable battle.......”

“A righteous person will obtain the last victory....! Are you here to participate in the ceremony of trust?”

The priest asked with a friendly gaze.

“Yes, I heard that I could participate in an attack.”

“Of course.” You must have more than 50 people to take place in a raid.”

“There are 83 people.”

The priest confirmed the information of Ark’s raid party and nodded.

“There are 83 people. But you haven’t registered to participate in a siege at the War Shrine yet. In order to participate in the siege, you must register your party. Would you like to register now?”

Ark filled out the registration form under the guidance of the priest.

* Unit Commander: JusticeMan *Number of Personnel: 83

He came up with the name of the group while he was writing. He got the name Ark from the Bible so he also got the name of the attack group from the Bible.

“Thank you. You may enter.”

It was at that time. Tazza approached the priest and asked in a low voice.

“Does the attack leader have to be the one that draws the lottery?”

“Not really. Anyone from the guild or the attacking party can draw the lot.”

“Ark, I’ll draw the lottery.”

“Sure.”

Ark nodded without thinking. It didn’t matter who picked since it relied on chance. No, Ark was more busy gathering information about possible allies than worrying about the lottery. So Ark and his party entered the shrine. The significant area of the shrine was already packed with people. Indeed, the representatives of the guilds seeking to occupy the castle were armed with all kinds of advanced equipment! There was a crest on their chests that represented their guild and Ark memorized twenty of them. And some of those gathered were already in an alliance.

‘It will be difficult with the emerging forces.’

The odds were in favour of a huge force winning to chance to capture Silvana. And if they have huge forces then it was possible that they had hit the limit on their troops and weren’t likely to allow Ark’s unit to join. However, Ark could not find the answer to gathering the same type of forces. Then something unexpected happened when Ark was looking away.

“Huk, what, what the? That person?”

“........The Black Wolf clan.......it can’t be?”

The users’ attention instantly focused on Ark.

“Dark Wolf!”

“Dark Wolf is also after Silvana?”

‘Eh? What the?’ How do they know me?’

Ark felt embarrassed by the enthusiastic attention of the players. In fact Ark was unaware that Dark Wolf had already become a celebrity. The people who watched the match at the Evil Silrion was 10,000 people! However, the users that knew of Dark Wolf were many times that number. Some users uploaded a video capture onto the Internet where it was at the top of the search rankings. Ark only visited the auction site on the Internet. Therefore the attention made Ark uncomfortable.

‘Damn, if I knew than I would’ve transformed into something else even if it took longer.......’

Ark avoided the eager eyes and sighed. But his features shone to the users watching him.

“Is he avoiding attention?”

“He probably doesn’t think that we are worthy of his attention.”

“Indeed, Dark Wolf is probably already in a large guild.”

“If we had that influential power then it would be a huge help.....”

Ark pricked his ears at those words.

‘Eh? They don’t dislike me?’

Since he defeated the pioneers, it wasn’t impossible that the crowd would have that reaction. If so, then the name Dark Wolf would probably be helpful when forming an alliance with other guilds. Ark was thinking like that.

Then all of a sudden the people in the shrine stirred.

“The Grey Wings guild!”

The people split like the Red Sea as a group of people entered the shrine. They were people aiming for the castle. Naturally they were armed with high level equipment from the auction house. However, even he felt humble at the people who appeared this time. After Ark polished his eye in the blind auction, he was able to estimate how much the equipment was worth! Even if he could only see the periphery, it was clear what kind of position they occupied in Silvana. When the disturbance appeared to be shrinking, another group appeared.

“T-they came. The Hermes Guild!”

Ark reflexively turned his head and flinched. The equipment that appeared in that crowd wasn’t a joke. However Ark wasn’t surprised because of the equipment. There were two users on either side of the leader. Surprisingly they were the two pioneers he met in the Evil Silrion......Jewel and Duke.

“Just by looking I can tell that force isn’t a joke.”

“Isn’t there over 30 pioneers that belong to the Hermes Guild?”

“Damn, a decent guild won’t even be able to make an offer to them.”

The sound of gossip from the crowd flowed into his ears.

‘The pioneers are the people with the highest level in New World and there are 30 of them!’

Ark looked at Jewel and Duke. He now realised that the five pointed star was the crest of the Hermes Guild. With that background a pioneer didn’t have to hide their face and name in the Evil Silrion.

‘Alan managed to occupy a castle even with that guild here?’

Then he carelessly locked eyes with Jewel. For a moment Jewel’s face wrinkled.

“You are......!”

‘Damn, I never thought I would meet Jewel and Duke in Silvana.’

Ark became annoyed. The situation was starting to become more twisted. When Ark and Jewel’s eyes met, it immediately gained attention from the crowd.

“Jewel from the Hermes Guild!”

“That’s right, wasn’t Dark Wolf’s final opponent Jewel and Duke?”

However Jewel just focused on Ark and didn’t pay any attention to the other users.

“To think that I would see you in Silvana......”

“Jewel.”

Then, someone touched Jewel’s shoulder. It was a knight who looked like the leader.

“.......Sheesh, I know.”

Jewel turned around with a dissatisfied look and muttered in a low voice.

“I’ll return the grudge later.”

“Any time.”

Ark bluntly replied and turned his head. The knight looked at Ark quickly before leaving with Jewel and Duke. The situation had become so sticky that Ark’s head was whirling with complicated thoughts.

‘It has become troublesome.’

An enormous guild with a large number of pioneers. Clearly the Hermes Guild had a large influence in Silvana. He obtained a hostile relationship with a guild as soon as he entered Silvana. He couldn’t guarantee that no problems would occur. But Ark shook his head.

‘I don’t have to be concerned about that. This was a transformation anyway. And my opponent is Alan. The Hermes Guild is also aiming for the castle. Since the guild’s opponent is also Alan then they shouldn’t cause any problems for me.’

........He hoped.

Once all the participants were gathered then the administrator stepped onto a podium.

“According to the rules set by the kings of the Three Kingdoms, it is time to determine who will gain the right to challenge. The representatives of each registered attack party or guild come forward!”

‘There are more people than I thought!’

Ark had identified 50 guilds in Silvana. But there were 70 people who came forward. Some were smaller groups like Ark who was hoping to participate through luck. So the odds of winning were 1/70.

‘I thought it was possible, but it will be seriously difficult to obtain the challenge right.’

“Don’t worry.”

Tazza who was standing beside him muttered as Ark sighed.

“Anyway, the odds are unrelated to the number. No matter how many people gather, the odds of victory are 50/50. Either winning or not winning.”

“But.........”

“There is no need to worry. Just watch me. Hyung-nim will show you a skill.”

“Skill?”

Tazza just smiled subtly. When the users gathered, the administrator lifted a piece of paper.

“Because there are first time participants, I will explain it simply. The person who picks this piece of paper will obtain the challenge right. While some people might think it unreasonable, luck is also a skill on the battlefield. The same thing also applies for obtaining the chance to participate in the siege. The God of War will bless those equipped with luck and skills.”

The presence of a God of War while drawing lots......As expected, the NPCs in New World had a medieval mindset. But there were no users who raised an objection. The administrator placed the piece of paper in the lottery and shook it. Then Tazza stealthily moved beside Jjak-tung and asked.

“How is it?”

“It is surprisingly simple. 3 minutes is enough.”

Jjak-tung nodded with suspicious eyes and disappeared somewhere. Meanwhile, the draw was proceeding. However, the odds were 1/70. It couldn’t be won so easily. 30 people had drawn a blank piece of people and retreated cursing.

“God dammit!”

The leader of the Hermes Guild had also drawn a blank piece of paper. At that time, Jjak-tung came back and handed something to Tazza.

“That’s it. It hasn’t come out yet?”

Tazza laughed and shook his head.

“This much is okay.”

Half of the participants had drawn a blank piece of paper. Then Tazza immediately climbed onto the stage.

“I am the representative of the Dark Eden party.”

“Pick a lot.”

“Dark Wolf, you should prepare champagne.”

The administrator held out the lottery to Tazza who winked at Ark. And he slowly lifted a lottery with a serious expression. Then he closed his eyes tightly and murmured something.

“Come out, come out, come out, ah the pressure!”

The users who were looking stirred.

“Eh?”What, what the.........?”

“The Red Seal ........It really came out?”

“Holy shit!”

The users murmured with disappointed voices. Surprisingly Tazza had really pulled out the winning piece of paper with an engraved seal.

“I did it! I really got it! I picked it!”

Once he confirmed the message, Tazza jumped and shouted. After the loud barrage, he shook the piece of paper at the administrator.

“I picked it! Is it okay? We’ve obtained the right to challenge?”

“That is correct. Congratulations. So just calm down........”

“Hahaha, I did it! Mother, I did it!”

Although the administrator was embarrassed, Tazza ran around enthusiastically. Then he accidently fell with the lottery while he was running around. The lottery hit the floor with a crash and slips of paper came rushing out.

“Sheesh, way to go.”

“He hasn’t even occupied the castle yet and is already acting carelessly......”

The users who failed muttered in a cold voice. Then Tazza hurridly got up and bowed with an embarrassed expression.

“I’m really sorry.”

“No. Can I look at the lottery to confirm it?”

“Yes? Ah! Here you go.”

“Um........There is no error. The right to challenge in the next attack has gone to the group Dark Eden. If Dark Eden doesn’t abandon the challenge or the Lord doesn’t accept another guild’s challenge within the next two days, Dark Eden will be sieging the castle.”

After the administrator’s announcement, the disappointed users scattered. Ark, Jjak-tung and Tazza also left the shrine. Ark spoke with a slightly flushed expression.

“We really won.......luck is favouring me today!”

“Luck? Ark, there is no such thing as luck in this world.”

“Yes?”

Tazza stretched out his hand with a cynical smile. The previous winning note was in his hand. Why was he showing it again? Ark stared blankly until he suddenly flinched and raised his head.

“Wait, didn’t the administrator take the winning piece of paper a short while ago?”

“That’s real.”

“Yes? Real........t-then?”

“I told you. Didn’t I say that there was no such thing as luck in this world?”

Tazza shrugged before explaining the situation. It was the reason Tazza and Jjak-tung strongly insisted on coming. They had lived in a world where they had a lot of experience with this kind of lottery.

“Lotteries drawn this way are normally meant to be fair.”

Tazza got a hint from there. Jjak-tung was a former criminal and experienced in forgeries. Therefore there was a skill he obtained in New World......he immediately used ‘Counterfeit.’ He hadn’t used it that much so it was still a beginner skill, but it allowed him to create a similar object. The reason Jjak-tung had disappeared for a while was to forge the winning paper.

“Then there is my technique.”

Tazza had firmly grasped the lottery slip. And when he opened it the slip of paper disappeared. He had used the same technique when Ark visited JusticeMan’s house. Tazza was skilled in hiding and changing the pieces of paper in a blink of an eye. It required a lot of skill. Since he lived his whole life as a gambler, this skill was engraved in Tazza’s body. After seeing the technique, Ark was able to understand the situation. Tazza held the forged slip of paper in one hand while drawing out a lottery slip in the other. Of course the forged winning note would be picked. It was an amazing hand trick that Tazza had learnt from his years as a gambler that no one spotted.

The probability of success was 100%!

“Well, it was lucky that the lottery fell down before the votes inside were taken out.”

‘He could play the game in this way........’

While Ark was listening with a foolish face, he realized something strange.

“But you said that you had given the administrator the winning note? Then you actually had to take out the winning slip of paper?”

“That’s right, that’s the toughest part of this trick.”

When Tazza waved his hand, the forged note was shown. Then when he moved his fingers, the winning slip disappeared.

“Anyway, it’s a fake created with beginner skills. If they check it then it would be discovered. With a first rate NPC, there is no possibility of deceiving him. So I switched it later on.”

“Yes? You changed it......but the winning note was inside the lottery.......eh? Then perhaps?”

“Bingo!”

Tazza said and flicked his forehead. Tazza had pulled out the real note by causing a fake commotion and then spilling all the lottery slips onto the ground. Since the already saw the winning note, the users and administrator had no interest in the lottery slips. But the winning piece of paper was still in it. In the brief moment when the lottery slips were pouring out, Tazza found the real one and switched it. It was a precisely calculated fraud!

“You might be superior in the game but we’re experts.”

“..............”

He really didn’t have anything to say. It was a daring idea but Ark wouldn’t have had the ability to pull it off. It was only possible to Jjak-tung and Tazza who have lived eventful lives!

‘The real experts are terrific!’

Ark was speechless with admiration.

“Dark Wolf-nim.”

Later 30 users approached him. A satisfied smile appeared on Ark’s face.

‘All right, they’re caught!’

The people had approached Ark in order to request an alliance!

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