[Quest Completed! Victoriously Led Troops in a Land Battle!]
The mission had been given for him to fail, but even the snobbish nobles wouldn't be able to argue with the results!
"Everyone, we're going back home!"
"Ah... yes!"
The men were definitely happy to hear the word home, yet on the way back, he found them stealing glances back to the battlefield and him, pensive.
"What is it? Shouldn't you all be ecstatic about the mission ending? Or is it that you took a liking to killing?" Jack raised a brow.
"...It's not that. It's just that we've been civilians all our lives, and yet we somehow managed to make a difference today."
"Oh? Is it a matter of honor? Glory, perhaps?" Jack inquired.
"Not exactly...more like if we learned to fight, doesn't it mean that we can learn anything? It kinda puts our whole lives into perspective. At least that's how I'm feeling."
The others all nodded along with that explanation. A bunch of background NPCs had suddenly unlocked the possibility of becoming the main characters of their own stories.
"I see. So you finally realized the meaning of free will? How does it feel?"
"Frighteningly amazing!"
Their eyes shone with such a desire for life, something an AI shouldn't have been able to replicate by any means. Sometimes he almost wondered if true souls weren't trapped in Infinite.
The bystanders on their way back were brimming with disbelief as they saw them. Why did they seem so different?! Their auras were worlds apart!
As soon as they entered the City....
-- Whoosh! CRASH! --
A disguised fluffy orange ball ambushed Jack! Moon Moon had been waiting for its master to come back for so long!
"Woo!" (We found a clue!)
In its mouth, it carried a...pumpkin cookie?! Pumpkin girl really was here! Their allied NPC merchant stepped forward, worry on his face.
"Be careful. This stuff's normally only traded to nobles. Whoever's selling it is making a pretty penny. They likely won't let go of their golden goose easily...."
He had to look for a Noble-Blood mermaid with a specific family crest: a conch with a trident inside. Find the true seller, and he'd find her!
Then their groups reached the Palace...
The guards couldn't have been more surprised by their return, and yet they were frowning, tense. Did they expect trouble? His men obviously sensed it.
"Sigh, this isn't the welcome I expected...."
"Yet this is the only one we'll have. Just be glad you have a place to return to. War can be unforgiving." Jack remarked as they reached the throne room.
-- CLANG! --
"You succeeded!" The Empress beamed with wild joy.
Meanwhile, countless nobles gawked at them as one would a new toy. There was no doubt they were trying to measure their usefulness at this instant.
No, some had already finished measuring. He could feel icy killing intent directed at him. Some wanted him bloody dead!
"Now, heroes should be rewarded, should they not? Guards!"
That's when buff fishmen came over, carrying large shells utterly full of scintillating pearls. They were so big and so smooth that one could see their reflection in them!
"Those are all yours if you agree to serve me as knights! As for the man that made it all possible, you'll become a leader of our armies!" She theatrically added!
"Humph! That's it? That's your offer? A few silly pearls and a servitude title?" That one noble mermaid leader from back then interrupted.
She showed no disregard for the crown as she approached Jack seductively. Objectively she truly had grace going for her!
"How about coming to my side instead? Being a simple servant seems bad for your talents. I'll offer you a bride instead, hehe."
-- GASPS! --
The bystanders were whispering like crazy.
It was unusual for Mermaids to marry members of other races in the first place, but even more so for the man to be in "control"! This was a mark of status!
Had she suddenly gone insane? No, she simply had some foresight. She was now gazing at her Empress rival with provocation as if saying: 'Try and beat that!'
The latter heavily frowned. She had expected her opponent to make a move but never to go so far! How could she possibly beat that? After all, status was everything!
"Is that so? ....Serve me, and I'll consider you for the position of Mermaid King!"
"WHAT?!!"
What kind of escalation was this?! One towered proudly while the other ground her teeth. Exploiting the crown was totally cheating!
But all this time, Jack didn't care one bit about the whole contest going on. Getting married to a mermaid? While they were divinely gorgeous...that was about it.
He kept searching for that one sigil instead, but it was nowhere to be found. It seemed like he'd have to ask around. Now, which faction should he join for now?
Empress --> Access to royal secret information channels
Noble-Bloods --> A coalition with more manpower and resources overall
Everyone was staring at him with awe. How had the guy managed to get marriage offers from both freaking factions without ever showing his true face?!
[Player Choice Affects Upcoming Events!]
[Please Decide Very Carefully!]
They all waited for his decision. "I'll--" but Jack could never finish his sentence.
-- CRASH! --
"Did you forget to invite me?!"
A guard suddenly flew through the main door!
The door was ripped out of its hinges while the poor guard turned into a barely recognizable bloody mess! That's when HE entered.
There stood a towering nightmarish creature! A dragon?! No, it was one huge humanoid seahorse! The guy had more muscles than a bodybuilder and an entire body filled with scales!
"Y-you! G-argan?! Why are you here?! Weren't you gone at sea?!" The noble leader could be seen shivering.
"Why else! A war is about to begin! I'm here to have fun, obviously!" His raucous laughter was quite grating.
"We do not need you. Feel free to return to your salty water...." The Empress spat out.
"Tch-- Empress, how cold! You almost seem unhappy to see me, haha!" He utterly disregarded their obvious displeasure, turning toward Jack.
He glared at him as if wanting to devour him. His yellow eyes showed a clear desire to rip him to shred, his aura reeking of blood and violence.
"What a pitiful form. And you're the one that commotion is all about? How low has this kingdom fallen in my absence?!" He snorted powerfully. "Hehe, how about I clean it up!"
< Gargan The Human Slaughterer! LV 70! 💧⚔�>
What the fuck?! Level 70?! This was the same level as the goddamn Boss from the Iceland! The difference was that one was a Behemoth while the other was a humanoid Boss!
Humanoid > Powerful But Dumb Beast
[Quest! Survive 1 minute!]
[Good Luck: You'll need it for sure!]
The Boss grabbed a bone spear from his back, and...
-- WHOOSH! --
The spear tip magnified in Jack's vision.
The attack had so much power that the water parted on its way, as if giving way to an emperor! All along, it kept becoming more and more powerful!
But that wasn't all! There was also an added effect. The water swirling around it created a maelstrom from which escape was 100% impossible!
Jack saw his death and knew he was no match for the opponent. It would be an insta-kill. But even then, he glared right back!
He would have his revenge and....
Suddenly a blue shield materialized around Jack's body! No, there were two shades of blue. Spear met shields, and the crazy energy contained within all exploded!
-- BOOOOOM! --
The entire Throne Room shook as if affected by an earthquake.
The water turned turbid, stained with blood, so much blood!
"Really? You're going to protect the human? Have you lost your mind?" The Seahorse stared the Empress and the Noble Leader down.
"Human? Are you stupid?! He's our master infiltrator and a skilled general! Go back to your saltwater already, you stupid horse!" The Noble spat out.
"Are you trying to rebel against the Mermaid Kingdom? Have you forgotten who gave you a shelter back when you needed one?" The Empress retorded.
"Tch-- Fine, I'll spare his life...for now. But boy, know this, I will kill you." The Seahorse chuckled as he powerfully left, leaving a few guard corpses in his wake.
As soon as he was gone, everyone released a sigh of relief. A trickle of blood even dripped from the mouth of the two ladies as they shared a look.
Worry filled their hearts. When the hell had this guy become so powerful?! At this rate, they wouldn't be able to go against him even if they united!
"Don't worry. We won't let him hurt you." The two seemingly dropped their feud at this instant, agreeing on that point.
Protect him? They had no way to! None of the three knew it, but that Seahorse bastard was already strong enough to raze the Mermaid Kingdom...he simply hadn't realized it yet.
Right now, it was:
Jack + Noble + Empress Versus Gargan
But the two would definitely join the guy's faction if they had to do it to save the Mermaid Kingdom. This was an incredible crisis!
A small power balance shift would doom humanity! This meant that he had to get rid of that Seahorse bastard at all costs! Tch-- He had already been busy enough too!
"As for which faction to join, feel free to think about it, but you'll need our help to survive against--"
"No, I've decided already. I'll join both factions...."
[Host Selected Option is Not Available!]
[Mermaid Affinity Reduced Significantly!]
The two were looking at him with clear disappointment, traces of anger on their faces. As they said, a friend to all was a friend to none...
