Natasha was the first to descend Hill Gold from Preta's group.
As soon as Natasha stepped out of the HCU safezone, three people immediately approached her, but one of them went straight to another player who had just exited the HCU.
The remaining two aimed their swords and spears at Natasha. While the player with the sword said, "Surrender and join us or die."
Natasha smiled, the smile of a High Elf possessing magic to capture others' attention and melt their hearts, although, of course, that power is influenced by the character's level and the magic they possess.
"Did Nephoturo tell you?" Natasha asked after her smile had successfully influenced the two people who threatened her.
The player with the sword responded, "Nephoturo? Who's that?"
Natasha's right eyebrow lifted, "You don't know. So, he's still at HCU, he's the leader of Tigar and Frasis, your bosses."
The two players exchanged glances. Afterward, the player with the sword said, "We don't know what you're talking about. Choose quickly, surrender, or we kill."
"Are you sure you want to kill me? If that's what you're doing, then you'll be killed by Tigar and Frasis."
"What are you talking about? Let me count to three. If you don't choose, we'll pick the second option for you," said the player with the sword, pushing the sword to touch Natasha's neck. "One... Two..."
Tell Tigar or Frasis, my name is Natasha from Sun of Lion Knight. We have an agreement to protect each other, approved by Nephoturo, the leader of Hades of Hells in HCU.
The player with the sword stopped counting and exchanged glances with the player with the spear.
"You wait here, don't let her escape. I'll contact Tigar," said the player with the sword to the player with the spear as he sheathed his sword and walked away.
Natasha, threatened by the spear, appeared relaxed, flashing her charming smile. Meanwhile, the player with the spear started to feel confused and unsure of what to do. He melted at Natasha's smile and slowly lowered his spear.
Before long, as the player with the spear was about to lower his weapon completely, the player with the sword returned.
The player with the sword smacked the player with the spear's head, saying, "Dumb, don't drop your weapon."
Scolded, the player with the spear quickly raised his spear again.
The player with the sword then approaches Natasha, but he doesn't draw his sword at her. "Tigar will be here soon. You wait and call your group, that's his command."
"No. I'll wait, but I won't call my group. That's not part of the deal."
"Whatever. I'm just relaying his order. My advice, just follow it if you want to stay safe."
Natasha, still smiling, says, "Thanks for the advice, but you seem to underestimate my abilities as the Sun of Lion Knight."
"Don't care."
The player with the sword then looks at the player with the spear, "Tigar's order, keep an eye on her, and don't lower your weapon. I'll go to someone else."
"Okay," the player with the spear replies.
The player with the sword then leaves and, of course, immediately kills another player who is trying to escape.
###
Not long after, Tigar arrived and immediately told the player with the spear to lower his spear.
Tigar came on horseback, accompanied by four friends, also on horseback.
Natasha could estimate Tigar's abilities from the gear he wore. Sword, armor, helmet, shield, all set for battle.
Tigar dismounted and walked toward Natasha, "Natasha, Sun of Lion Knight?"
Natasha nodded, "Tigar, Hades of Hells."
"Right, long time no see. And it seems you've changed your race, from wood to high. Did your position change too?"
"No. I'm still their medic. So, has Nephoturo come out? Have you got information about the deal?"
"Nope. He hasn't come down yet, but before playing, he did plan to form an alliance. Surprisingly, he teamed up with Sun of Lion Knight for the alliance."
"Preta didn't expect that either, but it seems the changes from the major update are pushing veteran players to unite," Natasha replied, still with her smile.
"Yeah, I can't say much if that's Nephoturo's decision. By the way, where are your members?"
"They're still in hiding, you know Preta is always cautious."
"Why are they hiding? If we agreed on an alliance, you shouldn't have to worry, right?"
"Sun of Lion Knight is indeed allied with Hades of Hells, but we heard directly from Nephoturo that you guys are gearing up with troops and weapons. And maybe your troops are foolish enough to try and take us down," Natasha said, glancing at the player with the spear still standing there.
Tigar looked the player with the spear and snapped, "YOU FOOL! Why are you still here?"
Scolded by Tigar, the player with the spear ran off and continued his duties.
Tigar then looked back at Natasha, "Sorry about that. Turns out, Preta has taken that into consideration."
"He calculates everything, even his calculations are calculated," Natasha said, attempting a joke, but her humor didn't get much of a response from Tigar, who just smiled because he didn't quite get the joke.
"Alright, so can you call them? And maybe explain the contents of the alliance agreement?"
"Let Preta explain the agreement. But to call them, I need a bow or something that can be thrown up."
"You want to give them a signal? Okay, got it," Tigar said, immediately looking towards his troops still on their horses. "Jroka! lend Natasha your bow."
Jroka dismounted and approached Natasha. He then removed his bow and handed it to Natasha without saying anything.
Natasha took the bow and shot it into the sky towards Hill Gold.
"Is that it?" Tigar asked, watching Natasha.
Natasha glanced at Tigar, "What were you expecting? An explosion?"
"Yeah... maybe."
Not long after, Preta and the entire Sun of Lion Knight member came out from their hiding spot and approached Natasha.
Some Tigar's troops tried to get close to Preta and his friends, so Tigar gave the order, "Don't bother them, Preta, Vector, Hexon, Dens, Crocils, Zhendra, and Gans. They're under the protection of Hades of Hells."
Tigar then glanced at Natasha, "Is it all right? I kind of forgot."
"Right. Your memory is indeed admirable," Natasha replied.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Species Drasons, race Syera, have an advantage in memory. It really helps me. By the way, do you know this world truly affects us?" Tigar asked.
"Of course, that's common things. No need to worry about it," Natasha assured.
"Thank goodness if you guys can handle it well, I couldn't handle it as well as you did when I found out."
"Yeah... you'll get used to it, we have to accept it. Bound and can't break free."
"You're right."
Preta and his friends then approached Tigar and were warmly welcomed by Tigar, "Welcome, my friends."
"Hey, Tigar. So, what's the deal? Is Nephoturo gonna roll out his plan now or not? If possible, I wanna get in touch with him because there's a part of the plan I'm not cool with, especially the exploration part. It feels like we need more troops if he's still sticking to that exploration idea. Also, we need to find out a safehouse first in case things get dicey, and if there's any threat we can't tell you about in time. Communication lines are an important thing too, we need a special communication line that can only be accessed by top commando. So, can I get in touch right now?" replied Preta, dropping a ton of info that's making Tigar's head spin, especially since Preta's firing it off real quick.
Tigar's mouth is wide open, his face and body frozen. After Preta stopped talking, Tigar shook his head a few times to regain consciousness. Finally, he said, "Sorry, I don't understand."
"Nephoturo hasn't come down yet, so Tigar still can't get information about the alliance from him," Natasha said, helping Tigar.
"Hmm... seems so, judging by his blank expression," Preta replied, mocking Tigar. "Alright, we'll start our part, and you'll be explained further by Nephoturo. And when he comes down, please let him know to contact me, location as per the agreement, about an hour from now."
"Understood, I'll inform him. By the way, do you need anything?" Tigar replied.
"Just like the initial plan. Nephoturo promises weapons —one for attacking, one armor for defense, one healing item, and, especially for Natasha, please provide a healing potion. The rest, we'll find on our own, and horses because we have to explore."
Tigar silent for a moment, considering Preta's oddly sounding words. "Just that?"
Preta stared into Tigar's eyes. "Do you think your boss is generous even though we've allied? If you want to give us something else, feel free. But we don't want to violate the agreement with him."
Tigar laughed upon hearing that. "You're right... he is indeed ruthless even to his troops. So, what weapons do you need?"
Preta looks at the horses in front of his, "I need a sword, not too big or small, just right for Norigon. Natasha needs a dagger and her healing potions. Vector, Crocils, and Zhendra, they're caster types, so just pick suitable staffs for them. Hexon needs a longsword or, if possible, a greatsword, especially one with elemental effects if available. Dens, you can give him anything, but make sure to give him the strongest armor. As for Gans, the bow Natasha used earlier are good enough. Also, for armor, just give each of us ones that fit well and are pretty good."
"Alright, it's all sorted out. But, between Vector, Crocils, and Zhendra, who's more of a caster specialist? Because, by chance, I've got this level 3 staff, and it's the highest we brought."
"Give it to Crocils. By the way, we need your horses."
Tigar glanced at his horses, "But there are only five. I'll contact Frasis to bring the rest."
Preta approached Tigar's horse, "No need, we have to race against time to complete our tasks before the meeting with Nephoturo."
"Alright... up to you guys." Tigar then turned to his troops riding horses, "What are you waiting for? Get down and find weapons and armor as he requested."
The Tigar troops quickly dismount from their horses and hand over the weapons as requested by Preta.
After that, they don't talk much. Preta and his friends swiftly gear up with their new equipment and hop on horses to get away.
Meanwhile, Tigar heads back to his position at the exit of the HCU on Hill Bronze with Frasis, waiting for Nephoturo to join them.
###
"So stupid, he was easily fooled," Gans says, laughing at Tigar's stupidity after they successfully escape and distance themselves from the Hades of Hells group.
"That's the advantage of knowing someone well," Preta said.
"But what happens if Nephoturo has already come down?" Gans asks again.
"I'll be killed," Natasha says.
"That's true, unfortunately. But the chances are slim," Preta replies.
"What do you mean?" Natasha asked.
"On the count of three... one... two... three, jump!" Instructed Preta, followed by his leaping off the horse that was sprinting fast towards a swamp on his left.
Other members of the Sun of Lion Knight also followed him. They all dived into the swamp, distancing themselves from the path of the running horses.
Until they reached the rocky edge of the swamp. One by one, they climbed the rocks, without any special skills or items for climbing. The rocks weren't too difficult to climb, except for being a bit slippery, causing Dens to slip. Luckily, he was helped by Vector and Hexon.
After they all safely made it, Preta led the way towards a cave near from the rocks.
Their breaths were all heavy with exhaustion after swimming and climbing rocks.
"I wish I brought drinks, so tiring," said Crocils, leaning against one of the cave walls.
Preta just lay on the ground, "Lucky for us, this cave is still here. Maybe some landscapes are still same."
"Did you plan all this with probabilities?" asked Dens, searching in the cave wall for a stream of water that he could drink.
"All planning is probabilities because you don't know for sure."
"Whatever... so what do we do now?" asked Vector, lying next to Preta.
"Waiting."
"What's your plan, really, Pet?" Gans asked.
Preta took a deep breath and let it out, giving himself time to start his explanation.
"Hades of Hells, they're strong, but their internal fights are pretty awful. Nephoturo is cruel even to his members, that's why he's hated. And that's what I exploit."
"Meaning?" Gans asked again.
"In short, Nephoturo ordered Tigar and Frasis to gather troops and weapons, but he's also afraid they might betray him. That's why Nephoturo is still staying in HCU and seeking alliances. He needs troops in case Tigar and Frasis betray him, and it takes a really long time to match the power gathered by Tigar and Frasis." Dens took over from Preta to explain since Preta was still tired.
"I hope my body attributes aren't too weak," mumbled Preta, almost inaudibly.
"And they can't communicate with each other because the HCU safezone blocks it. That's why Tigar can trust us," Natasha added to Dens's explanation.
"You're right. If we look for who's foolish, the answer is Nephoturo because he gave us information. Ironically, he meant to scare us, but it turned into our weapon," continued Dens.
"I understand. But why does Preta know Nephoturo hasn't come down yet?" asked Crocils.
"I don't know, but..." Preta tried to explain, but he was still too tired, his weak body unable to continue his words.
"There are so many small groups in HCU, some newbies. So, Nephoturo has to screen and negotiate with each group," Dens once again takes over from Preta to explain.
"Really clear now," replies Crocils.
"Let's take a break here while waiting until we have a clear situation, whether it's Tigar or Hades of Hells chasing us or not. Zhendra, if you've got enough energy, go out and monitor the surroundings, especially our horses," orders Dens, also taking over from Preta to lead.
###
Inside the cave, Preta, Crocils, Gans, and Vector just stay quiet. Gans and Crocils lean against the cave wall, while Preta and Vector lie on the ground. Dens and Hexon, with stronger body attributes, still have enough energy to explore the cave and find water to drink. Meanwhile, Natasha keeps Zhendra company, who is monitoring the situation outside the cave.
For ten minutes, they do the same thing, and there is no movement at all from the Hades of Hells to chase them. But not long after, a group of people riding horses rushes toward the direction Preta's group horses ran.
Zhendra observes it carefully, but it's still challenging due to the far distance. However, eventually, the group stops right at the location where the horses ridden by Sun of Lion Knight had scattered.
"Our horse tracks scattered because there's no rider. It's good, though, as I can clearly see who's chasing us," Zhendra says in a hushed tone to Natasha.
"Can you identify any of them?" Natasha also watches the group, but the distance is really far for her.
"Looks like Tigar and eight others, probably just the vanguard or scouts. Quickly inform Preta."
Natasha immediately rises but stays low enough to avoid detection by the enemies. "One arrow close, two danger. You still remember that rule, right?"
Zhendra nodded, and Natasha immediately left.
Zhendra continued to monitor the group from a distance. He could see someone dressed similarly to Tigar, equipped with complete armor. Though it wasn't made of iron yet, the dark-colored weapon strongly indicated that it was Tigar.
Tigar dismounted along with five other players he brought, while three others remained on horseback.
His skill and experience in playing the game greatly helped him estimate the tasks and roles of each player he was observing, even without the assistance of any character's skills or items.
In his analysis, Zhendra believes that Tigar is a close combatant and a leader. Two guys hopped off their horses, wielding spears and swords, indicating they're into mid to close combat. But it seems they're not quite skilled with the spear yet, just thrusting it forward without paying attention. They accidentally hurt their friend's horse, causing a bit of a ruckus.
The other two who dismounted have shields similar to Tigar's, but theirs are covered in spikes. Also, they carry swords that Zhendra can't quite identify yet because the swords are still sheathed.
Another person dismounts from a horse, equipped with a wooden bow and carrying several arrows. It seems like this player is pretty good at archery, or at least knows his position, as he immediately runs towards higher rocks to get a clearer view of the enemy positions, providing a much better attack area.
Three others are still on horseback, all carrying swords except one who has a dagger. Zhendra is somewhat surprised seeing this because usually, the one with a dagger doesn't focus on attributes or training related to combat but leans more towards medicinal skills. This means that even though Zhendra's group is still new to the game and can be considered newbie in character stats, Hades of Hells doesn't underestimate Sun of Lion Knight.
The three horse riders casually stroll around themselves. Zhendra is sure they're assigned for chasing in case enemies show up, so their body positions aren't ready for attacking or defending. Instead, they're focused on their horses, controlling them.
But one more thing Zhendra can be sure of is that only Tigar can track and find the enemy's location. It's because Tigar is the one concentrating on searching for enemy traces, while all the other players are on guard. Ironically, Tigar in the main group of Hades of Hells is the player with the worst tracking abilities.