Chapter 06
It Begins
It was actually an unexpected timing. Kathleen Brew jolted from the cave she’s made her temporary camp and immediately mounted the Sky Wyvern that she had rented from an NPC store.
The sound of the horn woke her up on a comforting sleep where she was actually dreaming of her fun with the SWAT teens.
She quickly summoned ten silvery metallic camera balls the size of a small fist from her inventory and then programmed them to take pictures and videos of the war at the same time.
Then she flew, but kept her distance. She maintained a minimum altitude and started to scatter the camera balls on different locations. When she finally got to see the sight of the war, she couldn’t help but be amazed of its scale.
It was definitely bigger than the last siege war.
She couldn’t fly really high since she might be swept up with the fight of the warships and the cyclones. So flying in an altitude of just 500 meters high form the battlefield gave her just the balanced view of the sky battle and the fights below.
The first camera ball have sent her the video feed. It was angled to see a division from the TGG clashing with another division from the Sylphs.
Divisions are composed of around 10,000 members and so when she saw two divisions from each parties clash with one another, thinking of seeing a medieval warfare with a touch of technology made her smile. She wondered if this was an after effect of the short meeting with those kids but dismissed the thought.
Arrows from a whole group of archers rained from the sky. The moonlit ambience reflected on the blade’s tips added a dramatic effect as those unlucky enough to receive its damage screamed in pain.
Even though its night, with the fire Mages lighting up their spells every now and then, the surroundings still became a visible battlefield.
Then from another angle, Kathleen saw a familiar user who she had interviewed once.
It was Helion who took part as mercenary from the TGG. He was a soloist but he was once a member of the now disbanded guild, Paradise Farms. The reason that the PFG had disbanded is because its players have become to strong that they already forgot how to follow orders from their guild leader and so each one of them went on their separate ways.
But with all that said, Helion was the person who’d excelled the most since he was a rare ability holder.
He had exposed his ability but not his build. And his ability greatly helped him to attain the stage where he is now. His arrows’ hits easily chunks away 20% of any target’s health and that was like fighting a C-rank mob and getting hit directly, naked.
Then at one point was the also familiar face of TGG superstar, one of their generals, Kratos, who was a very varied player.
He doesn’t have a fixed playing style, befitting of his Engineer title. His melee weapon was adapted to that once very famous videogame, God of War, with every aspect of it copied to the very detail. He called it Saga because he had been using the same weapon since he was a beginner.
It was a peculiar battle, on Kathleen’s opinion, since his sword can be used as a midrange weapon.
He can throw it.
There was an attached chain on the hilt, then he’ll imbue the it with fire magic that whenever it touches any player, friend or foe, the blade will explode.
It has become an S-rank when it was last modified using Hell Dust materials. Hell Dusts are monsters that is a version of the C-rank monster, Heron, the T-Rex look alike monster with two strong hind legs and a big jaw capable of even chomping the head of a conceited B-rank monster.
His opponents were four players who were all Sword Mages. And since they can’t get close to Kratos, it only meant that they’re either depleted of manna, or that the ability they had were all impact types of magic.
The monster tamers had their own monstrous horses attack the enemy forces. The TGG third division who was comprised 60% entirely of monster tamers and their gallery of beasts led the attack on middle right side of the battlefield.
Swordsmen became the target of magical attacks and so the party of magicians tried their best to cast protective magic upon their allied swordmages.
Archers became active on raining down countless numbers of arrows that blocked the moonlight in the sky every now and then. The Engineers who had the same Morrigan Cannons as Samara used the lag within their rate of fire to punch the melee fighters and their damages, though small, was enough to put the enemy on hold.
The TGG was advancing. Their forces had moved in inside the Sylph’s defensive line and it was all thanks to the air support their aerial units were giving.
The bombardment of the Cyclone Division and the sniper blasts of the Three Sisters 8km high up in the sky helped greatly on their advancement. What more, the exhibition of the Dark Spear wielders that flashily displayed their abilities is something to be seen.
Alone, they can defeat ten players.
Though it wasn’t a secret how much the TGG had invested to buy these strong players’ cooperation in this war, it was still a bewildering thought just how much they actually had.
Usually, guilds gain their wealth through taxes to the people of the land they protect. But TGG is just a medium sized guild, and not even a year old, so it was a wonder how much effort they really exerted to have the money to pay all these people.
Even if they include their allies’ support here, or the money they gained on their hunts, a guild with only just 50,000+ members is still not enough for the impression of the rich enough status to handle this vast war. And so if it was to be put in words, there really is a dark force behind their sudden climb in wealth and power.
Nevertheless, it was understandable that no matter if there really are a backer or none at all, the fact that a Special MOD was stolen from them is still enough to push them to go this far.
It’s because if they win this war and take back what was stolen from them, the Special MOD and whatever its ability is will be used to easily gain back what they have invested.
And so, with vigor, the TGG side really went all out against the Sylphs as they rummaged through their forces. Magical spells flew one after another, hitting on whatever was on their path. Arrows were released and blackened the sky wave after every wave. The melee fighters appeared on the front line, their wizardry may not be that much powerful but since Swordmage is the trend on Terroa, they are still a sword wielding threat.
Kathleen was seeing all these fights and had a tensed expression as she maintained her distance and height.
She looked up to the sky.
A trail of smoke from a falling Cyclone making a bright orange line were crashing straight to the ground. Behind it was another Cyclone and even though it was already unable to fight back, the one on the back still continued to fire volleys of bright orange shots from its Vulcan Shanks.
Its automatic shots continued and every five bullets, a tracer bullet would shot off until there was nothing left of the Cyclone but scraps of metal.
She caught it all on video.
Then at an even higher location was an even grander fight where super big warships with cannons and builds of armors and engineering showcased it all in their brawl for the supremacy in the sky. Her hairs stood up as she watched.
Whoever are the people inside those ships surely are not just intelligent people, they are all geniuses.
It’s because to actually build a warship, even using the weapons database, or the downloadable spec design in the internet, or to actually think of a master concept is already hard enough. Not to mention that materials and resources to build one are actually very hard to hunt down one by one.
Lasers?
—No.
Laser tech in RPG: Terroa hasn’t been thought of. A clear reason for this is because there was already the high damaging Lightstone Disbursement Technology.
And if Laser Technology is actually to be discovered or invented, it would actually be just a whole cheating weapon in general. After all, if the advanced players are the only players that could have them, then the pyramid of power that every user of Terroa had desperately tried to escape from in the real world could also be brought here. And that’s something that no one wanted.
Still, even the existence of these warships are also in a sense, considered a cheat. If they were to be used on all of the war starting from now, then the direction the world of Terroa is taking now really is going fast.
Not only fast, but the fact that users are only going aim to strengthen themselves by hunting, or even going as far as the monopolization of hunting grounds just to get rare resources is also a threatening possibility.
It’s because if that were really to happen, then the sense of adventure and freedom that the VR world first wanted to give the users will be lost.
And while thinking about all of these possibilities, Kathleen realized that meeting those kids earlier really had sparked something in her. Something that should be kept….something that should be preserved…to be enjoyed.
But what is it?
She had been playing Terroa since its first month of release and she had seen many places here that can give a nostalgic feeling. Even the Worm’s Territory, she had seen many of those before, including the largest worms that’s like land version of dolphins jumping from the ground as if it was water.
But what was different from that time?
She asked herself this question over and over but landed on no conclusion as one ship she saw changed its course on a collision towards another warship. Her attention was snatched from the thought.
A large scoop!
Her wyvern ride, a resemblance of eagle but the beak is instead a scaly mouth version; wings that gave the impression of eagle —only bat like, had dark brown to blackish grey scales, definitely lizard-ly in general, and a tail that came from Godzilla of the Times Square, had its wings expanded flapped to a better angle, gliding on the now damp air tainted with the smell of tar.
Even though it wasn’t a live broadcast, she still did it as if it was and held her mike as she started reporting.
The camera ball gleamed with blue light, recordings on her database inventory are now being transmitted to their office’s IT Department. And from there, the show of the greatest war in Terroa as of yet had finally began.
***
Overlooking the valley, above an inclined rock about two kilometers away from the actual battlefield, The Tower of Sol members looked down on the infantry of the TGG.
They were all hidden behind a natural shield of trees and rocks, the Angel Falls not to far from them let out a loud roar of the water breaking the sound barrier.
Out of nowhere, a man in black cloak and wearing a mask sneaked in from his right and knelt down.
“Sir. I have returned.”
Thorn look at the man along with his two companion who was also looking down on the battlefield.
“Are they here?”
“Yes. Just as you have predicted, they won’t waste this opportunity to strike. They are moving now sir.”
Hearing those words, Thorn looked back to the main battlefield and then faced all the men behind him.
“On your feet! The enemies have come before us!”
“And so our war begins.” Smiled Fuma, summoning a floating bag and took out a wand. The wand shone with a strange hue and he hid it on his garb with a grin.
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At that, Thorn walked passed through Henna and Cramer who stood in front of a group of archers. Then he jumped on an inclined rock as he addressed his Guild’s members.
“Listen up! This war is going to be a massacre of the innocent users, a few minutes from now! As concerned citizens of this world, we are obliged to stand against such evil who’s trying to desecrate our peace with their greed. So no matter what happens, we must stop them!”
““Hooo!””
The people all replied with a vigorous scream, lifting their weapons and fists at the same time.
Colorful armors reflected the moonlight, giving the sense of solidity and security along with the luminous emblem of a tower behind an eight beamed sun on their left chest. That’s the Tower f Sol. The tower that signify the power of the unified hearts of the users, caring and protecting for the world that gave them the freedom that they desperately craved for in the real world.
This war is just one way to express their gamer soul and so to protect this sacred event, they will not allow those enemies to defile the purity of this freedom.
“Stand…” Thorn’s knights and archers all lighted up their weapons, Inventions imbued with the power of the elemental stones. “Bear your fangs…” The mages had began to chant and buffs of different kinds embraced their allies with aura and lights. Then Thorn raised a palm as if Son Goku summoning a spirit ball, only, this time, Thorn was giving them a signal.
Behind the shadows of the trees and the rock ledges, through the dusty wind that blew from afar, the bright colors of their auras and weapons scared away all of the nearby monsters.
Regardless of their hunting difficulties, if this much number of high ranking users yelled a unified scream, even dragons might turn their heads around.
Then a shadow loomed above, covered in breaking up octagonal layers of optical camouflage. It’s a white ship with red and orange paintings and designs. On the left side of the floating ship was the name Archangel, written in luminous grey and white.
On its base came a light, dim and bright at the same time, showering the 600+ people below with radiance.
And so as it all happen, another man in black ninja clothes appeared out of nowhere and urgently reported the situation he had gathered.
“The enemies are coming from the Southeastern part of the battlefield sir! Their numbers are around 500.”
“Alright.” He nodded and the two men in black bid their bows lower and disappeared. Then Thorn faced all the men waiting his orders. “This is the day the Tower of Sol fulfill its calling —the day that we hit them the sword of justice! We will strike them down with our thundering roars! Unite, my fellow warriors! Because today is the day we shall bring them their apocalypse!”
Thorn turned around, struck his sword down, and the light from the base of the Archangel came with a blast that carried them towards a certain location.
***
On the black sky lighted only by the moon, the white pillar of energy gave light to the ambiance of war.
Warships fired, dodged, maneuvered, and countered with their cannons. The sound of exploding Cyclones and the assault fires of the Warship hitting the enemy echoed all over. The sky was filled with bright orange lights of the Cyclone burners. It was a sight to see as countless numbers of those created a dancing party of fireflies as seen below.
But what made it all vanish was a solitary, bright, pillar of light that came from the Missouri, blinding everyone near it and burning everything on its path.
“Prepare yourself from intruders! Defend the ship!”
Right after Nash fired the trigger, he pulled a red lever from below his seat and his Captain’s chair along with everything on its base fell down on a chamber that led to a lighted pathway towards a dead end.
The chair collapsed into parts that sank on slots on the end of where he fell, but he remained standing as he ran towards the other end. There, a black box the size of his body awaited him and he took it with no faltering or what-so-ever.
He put his hands on the hands indicator in the box, pressed a button inside the hole, and the box began to crawl on him as it changed into a full body armor. The outline in between joints and the edges began to emit a green light, an indication that it was an invention. He wasted no more time and reached for the latch on the left side, pulled another red lever, and the hatch opened towards the cloudy daybreak of war.
“Captain!” His first officer’s voice rang in the ear piece on his full face helmet. “Sky divers are inbound from Nicholas. They are heading this way!”
“Armadura!”
“Sir!” On his call, voices rang on his communicator.
“Squad two to four, take down anyone that lands on our ship. Squad one follow me. We’ll show these guys who’s the kings of the skies!”
After his speech, he pressed a button on the side of the opened hatch and dived down as the hatch closes behind him. After a second, Nash straightened his body and the now dark silver colored, green lined armor, as if given an order to transform, attached itself together like Lego.
His feet joined together in a straight line, his hands stretched like superman, and his vision with his head’s angle, though not actually looking straight, still had the wide view of everything in front of him.
Not a moment later, actually, just in the blink of the eyes, the custom-made mechanical wings on his back expanded and the mechanical turbine engines on his feet, legs, and back exploded to thrust him forward.
Behind him, seven more guys with the same kind of invented armors followed him in a V-formation.
And though there are the chaos and the still on-going aerial dogfights of Cyclones and Winged Elements from both sides, against the pull of gravity, they flew to meet the sky divers, who, somehow had the same concept of invention like them.
“Pirates!” He shouted on the communicator line and leaned back to meet their gazes. “Break formation on my signal! Kill every enemy on your sight! Don’t let them get to the Missouri!”
““Oh!””
And after that, the 500m between them and the sky diving pirates became 50m in less than ten seconds.
“Now!”
On his signal, he immediately changed back to his human form and materialized his sword to slash down an enemy on his vicinity. The unknowing pirate victim could only scream as his left shoulder to his chest were cut down instantly. Next, he changed his gear to a rifle-like crossbow and fired a mid ranged energy-type arrow towards a red themed same armored pirate.
The arrow grazed the enemy’s right shoulder for the pirate is a skilled evader. He tried to go around him, firing an arm based Gun weapon, several times faster than his crossbow.
Shit.
Nash clicked his tongue and kicked the air. He used the thruster burners on his leg and back, powered by the combination of the Tier-2 spell, Burst, the improved version of Burn, and a chamber made up of bluerock that once it makes contact with fire creates an explosive phenomena enough to push him 15m in a second.
Supposedly, majority of Tier-1 spells has 10 seconds cool down and three seconds casting time. Tier-2 spells have 5 seconds casting time and 15 seconds cooldown phase, while Tier-3 magic spells have 8 seconds casting time and a 20 seconds cool down period. And that’s the majority of them. There are still those with a bit “rare” affinity in them that differ on their respective casting and cooldown times.
Tier-1 abilities are single cast magic, meaning, they are magic spells that cannot be sustained. But in Tier-2 and so on, in exchange for the difficulty and hardship a player must endure to be able to create one, a special privilege of the Sustained Ability can be achieved.
One talisman, one magic spell. That was the system of the magic spells. Tier level is determined just by the talisman’s quality alone, meaning, the higher the magic Tier one wants, the higher the level of the talisman he or she must create. That’s how upgrade of magic spells work in Terroa. And of course, the gap between the power of a Tier-2 spell from a Tier-1 is incredibly big that any two magician facing each other, even if the other has two or more Tier-1 magic spells can easily be defeated by a Mage with a Tier-2. Depended, still, on the element, type, or nature of the magic spell. This is dubbed as the Attribute Compatibility.
But then, there is a cheat on this, or rather, a way to increase Tier-1 functionality. It is by the means of the so called Accessories through the Junction technique.
Any player has a limit of 15 Accessories that can be worn at the same time. That’d be either an amplifying accessory or a talisman to junction magic spells and abilities. Regarding that, anyone can create their own three default sets of equipments along with availability of one’s maximum of 10 abilities. It means that he/she had a total of 45 different sets that can be junctioned with each other to incorporate and work together with one or more from his 10 abilities.
Simply put, through Attribute Compatibility, the user should find a compatible “phenomenon” and integrate that “phenomenon” to work together on a given kind of circumstances, or in Nash’s case, his armor‘s primal function of using the opposition of water element and fire element from each other to create the explosion that in turn was used to his instantaneous air jump.
Thus, Nash’s Armadura armor’s quick air maneuvers are all products of combined efforts from the thruster burners incorporating the junctioning of his abilities.
Casting the Burst spell into one part of the armor, at which the spell’s casting time was literally reduced to zero by 5 time reducing accessories, will create the “fire” necessary to power up the bluerock chamber.
But the “fire” won’t be dragged to the chamber that easily without the Transfer skill —which is basically his armor’s Tech Ability. And so by “junctioning” all these in one swift thought, instantaneous air jumps, and his Wace Rider form’s thrust, is achieved.
But Nash knew that this isn’t going to end with just his lucky strikes and movements. Every time he used the evasive maneuver, his manna pool decreases by 30.
That’s because even though the “junctioning” of the abilities is a very useful technique, it can’t be ignored that each individual spell and ability still costs the normal amount of manna and stamina needed. It was a life saving and advantageous ability but the cost in return was also staggeringly large. And so he must look out for his manna pool because he may luckily ran out of manna gems and potion stocks.
At that, he changed form to the Wave Rider form and flew his distance while releasing arrows towards the unknowing winged pirates. It’s a seemingly one-sided ambush, but their numbers against the seven of them is enough to make up for it, actually, even more than enough.
It was already hard enough to dodge their guns but these pirates were also matching up with their skills.
Looking around, the explosions of the Cyclones and the burning debris of the remainder of the Ayala were all falling down on them and the damaged Nicholas who got one side burned and destroyed kept on pouring its pirate crew.
Nash knew that the prologue had just ended and that everything around him now is just part of the big event that would soon set pages in the history of this planet.