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Chapter 284: Nine Islands Fortress
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Just the fact alone that right after Volt and Thorn had disposed of Zaza and Redeye, they received a lot of items and talismans that could be used to compose a Tier-5 Magic Spell.
That alone spoke of the things The Legion could do as a group.
In fact, it was even scary to think that when they had interviewed those who had submitted from The Legion, they realized that the force they saw was just the personal force under Kladis.
And although it comprised of merely 8% of the entire force of The Legion, 8% of an entire force of a premiere guild is already a large number.
That said, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the entire force of The Legion scopes around hundreds of thousands.
Even with Akhenaton, if The Legion decides to retaliate because of this grievance and loss, with the resources and capabilities they have alone that was able to push an entire Walled City into submission, escaping unscathed was already out of the question, that is, if they are able to escape.
Thorn shivered visibly recalling an experience in resignation, “I still remember how Hagrid bit my Excaliber into pieces.”
That scene happened in Dragona and Volt also felt chills remembering how they seemed like kids picking a fight against an adult back then.
“I was thrown into buildings and even pierced through walls multiple times from his punches.”
“My Excaliber…”
Siva could feel the materializing aura of gloom on the two’s shoulders and he couldn’t help laugh at their reactions. At the same time though, he took their words very seriously.
“If I don’t prepare for the future, I will never win against the enemies that will stop me on my path.”
Siva’s enemies aren’t just these people who had formed a personal feud against him. He also has a bigger enemy, a nemesis years and years been his sole and only rival.
Mefisto.
Having thought this, Siva’s mind worked on the things he had to do while looking at the activity in this warehouse.
“My first priority is to finish all the tasks needed to be done in this city before finding a place to regroup and consolidate our strengths.”
“Do you have a place in mind?” (Thorn)
“What about going back to Aarun?” (Volt)
Siva thought about it but shook his head. “It’s not a safe place. But don’t worry, I will ask someone trustworthy for help regarding finding a place to establish as a base and consolidate the strength of The Company.”
Having said this, Siva became silent as he focused his mental strength on organizing his priorities and goals.
After the haul was finished, the five of them came back with the warship towards the floating golden idol outside the city.
They never saw that….. outside the warehouse, in the shades of trees beyond the fences, Olaf, holding a trembling knife underneath the white cloth, had a look of disbelief in his face right now.
“How is this possible?!”
“What is?” asked Genevieve behind him.
Olaf didn’t take his eyes off of the black warship as the trembling of the knife gradually lessened as the warship went further into the horizon.
“I’ve already had my hunch but… but to actually be correct is… this is nuts… just who is that guy?”
“Hm? Isn’t that Marshal D’Catch’s warship? I think I heard the men talking about him switching flags and deflecting to his camp because of Kladis.”
“It was Kladis’ fault…”
“Everything is his fault. Now, even Gats is angry.”
“Thankfully though, he was still alive but he lost his gun and his sword to Siva.”
“Aysssshhh…. that was a good sword…”
“It was a good gun.”
Currently, there are the five Legionnaires under the ‘payroll’ of Panorama behind Olaf, curiously looking in the direction that the warship went to in the southern horizon.
Olaf, however, was still trapped in the shock of this discovery until the trembling knife in the piece of cloth in his hand had finally relaxed.
“I think I’ve tracked something beyond my payroll in here. This is really insane! I never thought that this is actually possible….!!”
Everybody knew that Siva is not an NPC….. and yet the dagger that should react only with traces of the Rogue Programs reacted on his presence.
N matter the reason, this was clearly something that is beyond the job description of his payroll.
“I… I have to report this to the President.”
*****
Right after Siva and the company came back to the floating fortress, Apus Epirus, Siva immediately gave an order to Akhenaton to replace the damaged and almost crumbling nine floating islands.
The fight against Kladis that day was just on that large a scale and damage to the islands that of all the nine, only the Hangar Island and the open flower field were the ones that remained intact and damage-free.
As such, adding in Apus Epirus with its now only eleven intact smaller islands, the Sword Island, and the Hangar Bay island…. Akhenaton’s former nine grand islands had been reduced to three, if we disregard the flower field that’s basically just a useless island.
“My Lord.”
In the process of complying to his orders, the now black tuxedo-clad Akhenaton with a single eye-glass and a sleek short hairstyle —an away impression from his once dignified kingly look, materialized like a ghost behind Siva.
Siva, inside the all-viewing sphere, wasn’t startled and only continued to move the panels in his view as he prepared to embark on a long session of sorting out the weapons on his loot inventory.
He had to this, whether he like it or not, because he had to accompany Eleanor on visiting that mountain where Gabriel was waiting for him.
“What is it?” he said coolly.
“If I may, when you have freed me and I vowed with my oath, you haven’t even used a single function of the mobile prison.”
“Hm?” Siva’s ears perked up and he looked up then turned to face behind him, “Now that I think about it, you’re right. I did seem to remember a few new features when I checked them earlier.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Allow me to explain, My Lord.” With a seemingly proud smile, Akhenaton gestured with his hand and multiple panels appeared around Siva. “The islands of the mobile prison correspond to the number of abilities it has in its arsenal. You’ve already used «Manual Control», «Island Drop», «Freedom», and «Weapons Assimilation», while its passive abilities such as «Eternal Darkness Domain», «Defense Zone», and the «Automatic Repair» are dynamically active. Those are seven of the initially available functions of the prison while there are still two others that you haven’t used yet simply because they weren’t available to you when I am still not free from the prison.”
“Six, you say?” Now that he thinks about it, Siva initially thought that there were only four abilities available to Akhenaton.
He never realized that there was actually nine.
«Manual Control»
«Island Drop»
«Weapons Assimilation»
«Eternal Darkness Domain»
«Defense Zone»
«Auto-Repair»
«Freedom»
«?»
«?»
“Yes, My Lord. After I have been granted liberty outside the darkness prison, the «Island Barrier», and «Fortress», these two functions are now available for use by the contractor of the mobile prison.”
“Island Barrier and Fortress?” Siva thought for a moment and seeing him thinking, Akhenaton’s grin beamed from ear to ear as he vigorously tried his best to explain.
“You can say, My Lord, that the Island Barrier is a lower-grade version of the Fortress. The Island Barrier connects one or more islands together up to a total of seven times, with the eighth time being the border before activating Fortress. Every additional pillar platform that joins together, the total area the conjoined pillar platforms adds up the total area of a single island by an additional single island’s size. For example, connecting two pillar platforms together creates an island that has three singular pillar platforms’ size. And using that as another example, connecting three gives you five islands worth of a singular island, and if you connect four islands together, it gives you a 7km-sized single island. The surface area only adds up the more Pillar Platforms you join together, up to a total of seven times!”
Siva was reading an information panel on his vision while listening to Akhenaton who’s explaining the two new functions of the Mobile Prison.
Basically what defies the «Island Barrier» from the «Fortress» function is the total number of islands joined together in a single island entity.
One island can be enhanced seven times to form an even larger island than normal.
If a single Pillar Platform can lift up and control a 1km-large island, then normally, eight Pillar Platforms should only create an 8km-large island.
But with the «Island Barrier» function unlocked, two Pillar Platforms joined together becomes a three island-sized singular island and using this example, three becomes five, five becomes nine, and eight platforms makes a 15km-sized island!
Siva then lifts his head to look at Akhenaton who took it as a prompt and proudly explained.
“The «Fortress» function doubles the result of what nine islands can make.”
“Nine islands…”
If 8 Pillar Platforms makes a 15km-sized island, then 9 pillars should make a 34km-large island…!!
Adding Akhenaton’s size and reach into the equation, then that’s a total of 55km-large [Defense Zone]!!
“But the name…” Siva thought about why it was called Fortress and when he checked the info panel in front of him, a dark smile beamed on his lips. “Well now, I never knew that Janus thought that I’d actually be in need of this function. Those Chaos Gods and Immortals back then built your prison with this in mind? I’m actually surprised they didn’t use it themselves.”
“Perhaps they deemed it useless since all these facilities and functions installed in the Prison are but a fraction of the power any one of them can wield in but a flick of a hand.”
Siva looked at him, “I actually thought about it but I can see that you can’t even use 5% of your Immortality… the path you’ve proven to gain your power back then was of the Spear, correct? But aside from being able to repair the giant golden body through the black sphere, you can’t even bring out your Immortal Mana to cause damage to Gyoolu. This actually proves this claim. Is your sin really that severe to actually even seal your Mana?”
“I don’t know if it’s Lord Janus who did it but as I was being sentenced, I was sure the sentence says that I have sinned against the Trimurti and to The Warden. Not on you, My Lord.”
“The Warden?” a flash of memory resurfaced on Siva’s mind. It was vague but he was sure that it was connected to his dad and the echoing words in his mind regarding NOT LETTING ANYONE GET PASS THROUGH THAT BLACK DOOR.
It was this single notion that, whenever he was thinking about it, would always echo a significant amount of fear and dread in him.
At the same time, it was also making his blood burn, pushing his drive to save Baron and then accomplish this task with more positive ardor.
He trusts this feeling and so he also trusts that this so called Warden that even his [memories] have no recollection of is someone very important to him.
“Lord Janus spoke of me having sinned against the Gods and rejected Mistress Terra, him, and The Warden… that I have no recollection of. But I still accepted my sin because I did not win against the corruption that had befallen in me.”
While he spoke, Akhenaton became increasingly dejected and for some reason, he doesn’t seem to be just an NPC to Siva.
It was as if he was an actual person with real and genuine emotions.
But then again, ever since he started the game, he had always treated everything in Terroa as real and thus, he was easily able to move around and accept things more positively, albeit it hurts, and then adjusts to them more smoothly to better fit his own tempo than the normal players.
Therefore he never doubted Akhenaton’s repent as he could also feel that he was really sucking up to Siva with all his might.
Siva could only wryly smile at him.
Akhenaton had his time in the darkness for far too long and he wouldn’t want to go back there, even if he had to lower his status and his head and become a battle slave on Siva’s bidding.
Siva naturally would accept his service without a single hesitation.
After all, the mobile prison (warship) doesn’t operate on its without him but now that he has a trustworthy AI, he could multiply his productivity while still accomplishing tasks according to the schedule he had set it to be.
Akhenaton was a bigger help to him than he could possibly imagine.
“Don’t worry. As long as you do a good job, I will not put you back in there.” Siva’s threat doesn’t sound like one and instead, Akhenaton made an excited face as he bowed his head silently.
After a while of reviewing the contents of the new info panel in his vision, Akhenaton asked: “Should I continue with your initial instructions, My Lord?”
“No.” Siva said and remembered Billion’s offer. “I have a better plan in mind.”
*****
Eight in-game hours later.
“Hm?” Billion, in the middle of giving instructions to his men within the top-most level of the city’s underground shelter zone, received an email from Siva. “What does he want now?”
He read the content of the email that asked if he wasn’t going to go back on his word.
“What’s he planning?”
Even though he was grumbling inwardly, he sent a reply saying a short [I won’t] in it.
He then received another email asking about the progress of the job.
“Why doesn’t he just call me?”
He received a reply, [I’m busy with the personal matters and can’t make a call. What’s your progress?]
Billion grumbled even deeper and louder, “This sonavabitch… is he toying with me?!”
Even before he could send his reply, he received another email, [I’m not toying with you but I want to know of your progress.]
“The fuck?!!” Billion looked around him and made sure that Siva wasn’t around him. He was in the sealed office anyway so how can he even see him right now? “Does he has the ability to predict the future or something? Argh… I’m really beginning to feel what that Rentaw felt when I saw his face back then. He’s really a difficult guy to deal with.”
Irritated, since Billion didn’t even waste his time and resources to initiate the search since he knew the answer to it anyway, he just chose to waste 20 minutes before he decided to reply.
“I just finished consolidating the data. There is no traces of the kid you’re searching for in the city. I also checked the surveillance footages on all the databases in the city and crisscrossed matching data on any kid under the description you have provided but there was still no result. It might be that he was in one of the ships that managed to escape the scene before the Colossus began its rampage. Calculating the time, the kid might be in another Walled City by now if those guys used a T-Device to get away as soon as possible. After all, even if the players won’t care about NPCs, a kid, being a player, is still unusually uncommon, not to mention that normally, the system won’t even allow it because of the security systems. So I would assume that he was taken by an NPC to another Walled City.”
Although unlikely, and most accurately, a lie, it’s the best excuse he could come up with that would not only NOT incriminate his name against Siva, but it would also not push the blame on him for not actually informing him the real news of the kid being taken away by Jack Stone.
[Is that so? Then I thank you for this favor. But let me just ask one more time, are you really sure that I can take just any facility I want?]
“This again?!” Billion felt a premonition rising in his chest as he saw this question.
Still, he answered with a normal [Yes] and did not receive any other reply………….. but is instead assaulted by a large volume of incoming calls from his subordinates.
“Urgh… I have a bad feeling about this. He answered one of the calls and irritatingly said, “I have no time. Make it short.”
[City Lord! It’s Siva!]
It was a video call.
This subordinate did make it short and turned on the Real@D call rendering function. Billion saw the background of the call and his slanting eyes almost balled out of their sockets.
“Th-th-th-th-this…. WHAT THE FUCK?!!!”
In the background, he could see a very large piece of land floating in the distance and judging from its sheer size, it was definitely at least a quarter’s size of the entire city.
And by now, it was swiftly, very swiftly… flying away towards the southern horizon.
“SIIIIIVVVVAAAAAAA….!!!!”
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Is this karma or the start of something gory?
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