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Chapter 449: Plan B
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As luck would give it, Horbe is a city-state and the distance from the Northern Wall, underground, and to the central area where the hole was located is at least several tens of kilometers, if not hundreds.
The hole stretches at least 4km deep. Very deep in any Mortal standards but definitely is not made by any normal means. That’s why it took them years to complete it and finish the purpose why it was built only today.
Was it luck that Siva just had the feeling to deploy a Liberty Drone at that time?
He doubted it. Siva thought of the other guy. It was this feeling of being whispered upon by a strange voice that made him think of it otherwise.
Four [Dáinsleif], loaded and ready. Siva unleashed a network of Mini Realms 200m around the hole as he himself hid 5km away from it.
Six Liberty Drones were also deployed to serve as adjustment nodes and through their scans, even if the Priestess or anyone else would notice that they are still being ‘monitored’, they still wouldn’t have a way to be aware that the person monitoring them is already preparing for a sneak attack.
This time, Siva was using the Mini Realm and the [Dáinsleif] to their maximum potentials.
Dáinsleif wasn’t limited to just 10km. It was a large-caliber, special-ammo, Sniper Rifle designed to be specifically lethal for extra long-range sniping. It’s a weapon for conservative damagers.
The “10km” was its absolute effective range while 12-14km was its maximum effective range.
Beyond that the power of the bullet would disperse and the bullet becomes nothing more than a freely flying projectile —and that is outside what type of bullet was actually being used for the specific shot.
[Target entering flag range.]
‘I’ll take the first shot and control the network paths and after that, you take the next shots. Just remind me to reload what Dáinsleif needs reloading.’
[Roger that.]
The Inventory Plus Ultra… although it serves as an extension for the [Inventory], its functionalities are still controlled by Siva’s thoughts; most especially the World Realm Utility functionality.
Cortana is still unable to control it as she can control the Inventory.
It may have been Gabriel’s setup or it may just be the fact that Cortana wasn’t 100% integrated into Siva and was still somewhat, in a deeper level, a different ‘entity’ from him.
Or it may just be the limitations set up by the game.
[Target entering firing zone in five seconds…]
Siva, floating in midair in a prone position, focused his breathing. Sniping posture and eye-on-scope in his vision provided by Cortana… he focused his mind. This is both practice training and a mission.
[Four…]
Finger on the trigger, Siva unlocked the pin.
[Three…]
He breathed in, and then out. In… and then out.
[Two…]
After exhaling, Siva held his breath. He glanced at the atmospheric readings that will affect the bullet to calculate his accuracy. Although he was not that much worried, it’s better to be sure that nothing will go wrong in this ambush.
Behind him, the [Revolver] and the [Hand of Midas] were also held by two ‘extra’ hands and their bores were pointed at two Mini Realms that targeted two different heads of the advancing group.
And not too far away from the group was the BMA, like a rocket ready to be launched, it held the War God Axe in its right hand while it held the Lancet Imperious on its left. It looked like a real War God.
[One…]
Siva slightly pressed on the trigger. A clack was heard, signaling that just a little bit more force and he could fire the first shot, beginning the mission.
[Fire.]
Siva pulled the trigger —but at the same time, the Cardinal and Priestess Sandra released “Fire Field” Magic Spells in the surroundings.
Siva’s bullet traveled through the Mini Realm and it appeared 20m away, right in front of the Cardinal.
The bullet made a twisting motion, the Fire Field parted and a vacuum space was made… but the bullet that passed through the Fire Field had half of its body melted when it reached the Cardinal and hit an invisible wind barrier.
The sharp sound of impact rung and startled the rest of the group.
Shards and pieces of the shattered bullet scattered and the vibrating invisible barrier magic rippled as it revealed a sinister smile of the Cardinal.
“I knew it. He’s waiting for an ambush.”
Then Sandra made a gesture. Mana gathered upon he palm and scattered into four spheres that took a form and became earthen shields that floated and protected the three Priests and the Cardinal.
“The enemy is a Terran Immortal. All units scatter and spread the Blood Prison Domain!”
*****
Siva clicked his tongue.
He gave a mental command and before the ranks of the Acolytes could complete their formation, the Black Knight Set BMA launched its attack.
With a dash, it disappeared from its location and as it appeared, it was already above the Acolyte ranks.
Heads were crushed by the axe and bodies were diced into pieces as the lance-spear mowed rows and lines of Acolytes.
Screams rung in the back ranks as a God of Death descended and wreaked havoc upon them.
Only a few managed to react in time while the rest became frightened goats, frozen in place, waiting their deaths to come hug them.
“How dare you sneak in!” one of the priests made a bellow of rage, disengaging from the protection of the Fire Field as he insta-cast a Tier-5 Ice Spear that headed straight towards the BMA.
The Ice Spear howled as it parted the wind but the BMA is just a puppet and it was fearless while its reaction was also faster than Siva could command.
It had its own Absolute Domain. Although the Fire Field burnt the NanoField of the Liberty Drones, it was an entity of its own and dedicated Mini Realm that made Cortana’s commands come through the Orbiter Bracelet directly to its [core].
The Ice Spear passed through its head in an angle and hit an Acolyte behind it, freezing him in but an instant’s time.
And the BMA… continued wreak havoc.
The Priest was surprised but before he could even insta-cast another spell, three bullets howled in the wind and hit his Tier-5 shield twice before the third went through his head and out the other end. He fell down to the molten lava without knowing how he had died.
“Tory!” the other Priest shouted but the man was already dead before they could even realize it.
Sandra’s expression sank, “There’s more than one of them! Protect your flanks! Cast multiple layers of shield barriers! Activate the Blood Prison now!”
This was the impression made as the bullet came from another angle.
At that moment, the Fire Field doubled as Sandra cast another layer to reinforce it. The BMA met the barriers cast of the other Acolytes and its attacks had to come in three before he could kill one or two of them.
The time spent doing it all was enough to make the Priests and other Acolytes hit the BMA with spells.
Using the rebound as a spring, the BMA jumped in the air and with a ripple in space vanished where it was, with no signs of it being there ever being left.
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The Cardinal still saw who it was and he grimaced.
“It’s Siva! I can’t be wrong. It’s him!”
Sandra was also alerted, “He’s at the side of these Vajras?! No… those ripple in the fabrics of space, it was the ability of that Immortal in the surface!”
“They’re colluding against the church!” Roared the Cardinal. “If he sides with the protectors of this world then he is an enemy! Kill the both of them!”
Sandra didn’t say another word and gravely gave a command, “All Acolytes focus on expanding the range of your Blood Prison! There is more than just Siva in this location. Proceed with caution. The plan must be enacted this very day!”
The light of the Blood Prison Domain lit up as the Acolytes formed a large formation circle and cast it without regards to control.
…because there was the Cardinal to take charge of this task.
In only a few moments, the Blood Prison began to expand from their location and with Sandra and the remaining Priest serving as the horses, the entire contingent of the church proceeded towards the hole, albeit slow, like a giant sludge of destruction.
Siva’s heart sunk. With a few dedicating their Mana to cast Barrier Spells, and the Priests casting Fire Field to cancel the Absolute Domain, Siva could tell that his plan was only half-successful but the fact that they are still advancing, slowly, wasn’t erased.
“Plan B.”
[There’s a plan B?]
Siva ignored it and spoke, “Plan Bombardment.”
He gave a mental command and six 20m large Bloody Marry “Revolver” Cannons appeared inside the Mini Realm he was hiding in and charged their barrels with Electro Magnetic Lubricating coating for the said “Bombardment Mode”.
Every revolver set are three Bloody Mary Cannons and these were all the cannons that The Rewloola once had on its body.
“I’m not done yet.”
With another mental command, two imposing sets of cannons mounted on the same ‘rack’ looking body frame appeared above Siva. These cannons were [Longhorns] —long-range cannons used as the main trademark cannons of Marshal D’Catch’s Black Mustache Sniper Fleet.
These mounted weapons were also once parts of the ‘once’ mighty Rewloola Battleship.
“Go!”
Through the network of Mini Realms he left in the Flag Range of his Firing Zone, Siva launched his harassment.
Explosions rung and the Acolytes were terrified as they felt the impacts of the cannon fires of Bloody Mary Cannons through the small inch of distance provided by their Tier-5 barriers.
Even the Cardinal and the Priests were astounded.
They are “People” for heavens’ sake! Using these cannons to deal with people was overkill!
What’s worse is that they were forced to stop and focus on defense as these were cannon fires.
“Just one of these artillery shells going through the shield barriers will cause tremendous damage into our ranks…” the male Priest was really shaken. “It felt like we’re facing a battleship with bare hands!”
“God damn… where are they coming from?” even Cardinal Hossain who was supposed to have status as unshakable as a mountain was showing fear.
Siva had received all ammunitions when he got the Rewloola and right now, with the retrofit parts from the Rewloola meant for his own plans, he is using it all to deal a bombardment attack towards them. It was an attack meant to lower their morale as well as deal physical damage.
“This is just the beginning. As long as I thinned out their numbers before my reinforcement arrives, I can sacrifice these expensive shells for it.”
With his determination steeled, he gave a mental command to the BMA.
A slight opening was made but because the shells continued endlessly, the onslaught of the Bloody Mary Cannons showed just how terrifying it was in an overkilled battlefield.
WHOOSH~!!!
As fast it disappeared earlier, the BMA seemed to have teleported out of nowhere and attacked with the War God Axe on a spot that showed the slight shaking of collapsing from the bombardment.
One strike and the weight and momentum of the War God Axe shattered the barrier, exposing those frightened lambs that didn’t react in time to erect a second shield barrier magic.
The 20+ people in the area protected by the shield barrier that collapsed were slaughtered like pigs in but five second. And before the Priests and even the dignified Sandra could react, “Siva” turned to a direction like a God of Slaughter and vanished out of thin air.
Following where he seemed to be looking at, she gave a warning call.
“Platoon-18, cancel your Blood Prison and cast a Barrier Magic now!”
Through the continuous explosions of the artillery shells hitting their shield barriers, the command of the Priestess was heard and the 18th Platoon who the warning was given to cancelled their spell and erected their two layers of Barrier Magic.
But no attack came.
“This….!!” The Cardinal was shocked. He also saw where Siva looked at but the attack came on one of the far-offed platoons on the outer flank.
Before they could even react, the platoon made up of 27 people was already dead and Siva looking in another direction was there, disappearing like a random draft of wind.
His anger couldn’t be more incited than this small but effective trickery and so he roared.
“SIVAAAAAAAAA!!!”
*****
[Boss, we’re running out of artillery shells.]
‘How much more do we have?’
[We’re firing two revolver rounds in saturation fire along with the handguns and the blades but our current expenditure is still high considering we’re a one-man battleship. Calculating ammunition stock... we’re only good for the next five minutes and 15 seconds with the current pacing.]
Siva knew his priorities; buying time for the Vajra Reinforcements to come to his aide.
He can whittle down his foes but he knew that he alone can’t deal with all of them a grave wound with limited ammos and a single head.
There will come the time that the Priests and that Cardinal will find the pattern within his network of Mini Realms, and predict where the attacks will be coming from, and ultimately expect where the BMA will be coming from to attack.
That’s why as long as he can hold his position long enough, it was his win.
‘Then prepare the [Longhorn] for penetration fire, followed precisely by another bombardment. Time it right to not let them recover an inch.’
[Aye.]
Siva was really pouring out his guns in this ambush and although it was painful for him, to ease himself of his sense of guilt towards the Vajra… that which also coincides into stopping the Demons’ plans in this part of the Inner Continents, which also is part of the overall picture of saving Terroa which will be beneficial in protecting Baron, would he actually act stingy at this point?
He already decided. Since he already decided, he will see it through to the end.
[The Dáinsleifs will be ready in fifty seconds.]
Siva smiled hearing this.
—this is how I harass!
‘Use them along with the [Hand of Midas]. Target the weakest Priest.’
[Yes sir.]
There are labels and timers, markings, and as well as traditional cooldown indicators of past MMOs on his vision, reminding him of important things.
For all the players of RPG: Terroa, Siva’s ‘vision’ in the game, as of this moment, in this fight, was what it meant to be cheating. He can see plan out what his next course of action will be based on them. It was really cheating…
…but Siva didn’t care one bit on what they’d say.
If he could, in fact, he’d want to enter some codes like “Who’s your daddy” or “D_dust Waypoint” on some console or something so that he wouldn’t have to go to all these trouble to fight enemies and collect materials to build weapons head on.
*****
Meanwhile, on a ‘floating island’ somewhere in the vast lands of the Southern Continent of Heartilia, a lavishly-looking building resembling an overhauled Star Wars castle of the Old Republic, in one of the secret rooms within its most important area, all the members —including the temporary ones— of the Blue Card Legion were gathered in a circular table.
Thirteen wooden-gold chairs in a round table; each chair having one sword, or spear, or staff, or shield and hammer —all made up of gold— are occupied by its designated owners, aside from two others where one of which had the [name] “Kay”.
The other missing person had the name [Lancelot] on it and this was the reason why the one seating in the middle with the only name that wasn’t in gold had an ugly grimace plastered on his face.
Gats, so called strongest player in the game, could not help fume in rage at the fact that his [Lancelot] is unable to be contacted.
It only has been an entire day since the last time the two of them adjusted their plans and now, this.
And to add a layer of icing to the cake, just after all their troubles in succeeding one of their quests in The North about the legacy of Immortal Emperor, a choice was given to them that led to the reason all members of the Blue Card Legion were gathered here today.
On that [quest], if they choose to support the will of the Immortal Emperor, they will learn of a Space Magic in addition to being his confidants, serving as Guardians of The North… they will be given a piece of land to govern, and become sovereigns of their own territory.
On the other hand, the second choice is, seizing over control of the “prison” and receiving all of the blessings of a [God], making not only him, but also his entire organization powerful.
At one hand was a Terran Emperor and on the other hand, a [God].
If it was any other occasion, if he hadn’t faced that Siva back there in the Human Territory —no— if only he hadn’t discovered that the person who he met in SS-Pandora with Higginson Bollard was Siva that took away their Apus Epirus and killed Kladis once, mugging a Divine Artifact like the [Hand of Midas], not to mention a good sword like the «7th Frozen Heart Blade» off of them, Gats would have chosen the first option.
But.....
Gats’s ambitions were always the same. As such, he chose the “better” option within the two —for the sake of power, of course, the one with a better proposition was the better option.
He was already a ‘lowly’ employee in the real world; would he still become an “employee” in this game world as well?
Since this entire thing was just a [game] and given his drive for power, he chose the latter.
…and three in-game days after the attack in Castle City Jeremiah, Gats received his first [task].
Today’s —no the attempts for assembly for the past four days’— assembly reason was that task.
Four days.
It’s been four days he’s been trying to contact that Kladis but there was no result.
“Kay’s not here.” Hagrid (Galahad), currently on a Real@D rendering just like Rhino (Gareth), Hijack (Gaheris), and Genevieve (Bedivere), asked Gats.
Just like him, Rhino, Hijack, Genevieve and Mouse (Kay) were also Panorama’s payroll assets and so with their avatars with Olaf right now, they can only attend this meeting as Real@D projections.
“She’s working.” Gats indifferently replied.
Genevieve seemed to remember something, “Oh, I think she said something about being a host of an event hosted by Panorama Corp or something.”
“The Conclave.” A voice came from opposite of the table from her. It was the silent afro samurai Hijack who sat there hugging his actual sword and not the Quest Item on the Round Table. “I was invited so I am currently on the plane now to Sweetzerland.”
His voice was low and almost a whisper as if he was about to fall asleep anytime.
“That answers it.” Hagrid spoke, bored, and then glared at the standing members of the Riddler’s Guise Guild —those five upstarts who’s gaining a few fame from their raiding videos. He asked Gats with dissatisfaction, “Are these supposed to be our replacements?”
“Only if you quit.” Gats said, getting irritated. “But as much as I don’t want it to happen, you’re already almost never attending the meetings ever since the contract with Panorama became the excuse you’ve been giving me with my summons.”
Hagrid shrugged, “Can’t help it. It’s the contract.”
Gats didn’t reply and continued to establish contact with Kladis. He knew this weakness well was from his own arrangements. If he hadn’t kept his identity as the owner of the Blue Card Legion a secret, his legion wouldn’t be this internally loose.
After an entire hour of boring silence in the room, Gats stopped his activity and leaned back at his chair as he breathed heavily.
“Alright.” he spoke after some time. “Let’s proceed with the—”
Right at this time, someone entered the room and as soon as he did… everyone inhaled deeply.
It was Kladis.
But…
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Something is different…?
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Next Chapter: the attack was just the beginning…