As the clock ticked closer to the 48 hours time limit, all the players in the 'Evolution Online' game eagerly looked forward to the first guild war in the game, that too between two S-Rank giants.
However, no one had any doubts as to what the outcome of this war would be. 'Crimson Abyss' was the overlord of the Gresh Kingdom, but that was before. It was old news. Right now, 'Dragons of Justice' was currently quickly gaining ground in every ranking.
They had already started setting Level 50 dungeon records, purchased several plots in the kingdom, set up multiple shops, and even managed to get the favor of the Grandmaster Alchemist Dante.
Several huge guilds and major corporations from the USA were openly supporting 'Dragons of Justice' and last but not least, there were also some weird rumors spreading around.
The powerhouses of the 'Crimson Abyss' guild were missing! No one knew where they were or what they were doing. Some even speculated that these guys had died too many times, so they were also severely injured, and unable to play the game anymore.
With these rumors spreading around even more guilds started openly supporting 'Dragons of Justice'. And as far as everyone could see, 'Crimson Abyss' guild was simply lacking. They had absolutely put no effort into this war.
Taking all of this into consideration, the result of this war was already clear. Nevertheless, everyone eagerly awaited the main event. They wanted to see the 'Crimson Abyss' guild members who were haughtily running around the kingdom take a beating and simmer down.
Soon it was the last hour, and everyone started doing the final preparations. In Yleka city and other main cities, everyone could see 'Dragons of Justice' guild members starting to assemble, proudly wearing their guild tabard, which had a majestic dragon engraved on it.
It was truly impressive to see so many well-equipped strong players congregated in one place. Some of the other guild members started leaving their own guilds to put their applications in for the 'Dragons of Justice' guild.
Just like their name suggested, this guild seemed to be the true dragon of the Gresh Kingdom. The other party was nowhere to be seen. The Crimson Abyss guild was completely missing in action.
Though time passed quickly, nothing changed regarding this predicament. Crimson Abyss guild members were all scattered and going about their business like it was just any other day. When others asked, no one had any clue about any war preparations.
At this rate, some even began to doubt if the guild was going to forfeit the challenge. But there was a price to pay for that. Could the Crimson Abyss Guild be so powerful as to afford such an insane amount?
It was time to find out! There were only 20 more minutes before the deadline, and the war could start at any time now!
Many speculated that they would give up and many speculated that they would accept the challenge only at the last minute. However, while there were still 15 minutes left, unexpectedly a big notification chimed in.
<Ding. Kingdom Announcement: Crimson Abyss guild has accepted the war challenge. The guild war between the Crimson Abyss guild and the Dragons of Justice guild is about to begin>
<Ding. The Kingdom Auction House has now opened the betting arena. All the players of the Gresh Kingdom are allowed to place bets on the outcome of the war>
<Ding. The betting arena will close in one minute>
"Fucccckkkkk!" All the players became agitated. No one had expected this to happen!
Not only did the Crimson Abyss accept the challenge, but there was also a chance for everyone to bet on this war and earn money? This was huge news!
Naturally, everyone knew who to place their bets on. The only problem was the ridiculously short time limit. No one had made any preparations for this, so no one had a lot of gold coins in their hand.
It was too late to sell their shit and get more funds. So they could only begrudgingly bet the small amount they had.
It was also too late for others to go to the teleportation gate and get back to the Gresh Kingdom. So many players missed out on the betting.
Everyone felt extremely indignant because of this. Their only consolation was that they were not the biggest losers in this war. That position could only belong to Crimson Abyss!
The odds in the war also predicted the same. When the one-minute timer ran down, the odds were as low as 1:10000. It was clear that no one was expecting Crimson Abyss to win in this war!
***
Inside one of the restaurants in the royal city, a well-built, dark-skinned man was lazily sitting and leaning against a plush sofa. He was getting the royal treatment in the high-end restaurant with a few scantily clad women fawning over him and several delicious dishes served in front of him.
And the man was also not shy. He freely enjoyed all the delicacies in front of him without any reservation. Dallas Jackson was not a prude. He knew how to live. No, he knew how to enjoy his life like a king, and that's also what he wanted to become in this game.
Their guild Death Knights was originally a low-tier guild in the Vozoya Kingdom. At first, no one thought that they would make it, but now they were the talk of the entire 'Evolution Online' game. They had gone from rags to riches in a single move.
And finally, they were there where they belonged!
Enjoying this newfound success, Dallas happily hummed while munching on another leg of rainbow chicken, a very flavorful bird, when suddenly he saw the notification that flashed in front of him.
"Oh, the battle is starting!" He exclaimed loudly in excitement, starting to head out of the restaurant. He did not really care too much about the outcome, but he figured he might as well enjoy the show with some betting action.
However, just as he was exiting the restaurant, a loud voice called after him.
"Hello! Hello, good sir. A penny to read your future?"
"Huh?" Dallas was intrigued. "And what does my future say?" He laughed loudly and turned around, only to be shocked.
In front of him, a really pious-looking monk was standing, or at least he assumed it was a monk because of the bald head, his simple clothes, and the big, all-knowing smile he had on his face.
For a second, he couldn't help but want to worship this man or something like that. This man was a saint, a godly person. That was the vibe he gave off.
However, Dallas snapped out of it soon enough. "Ahem. Like I said, please go ahead."
"Sure. Sure. First, one gold coin, please."
Dallas raised his brows, but he handed over the gold coin anyway, not because of how the guy looked, but because there was something peculiar about this person. He couldn't see his class.
Dallas had a special skill he received after the kingdom chain questline that allowed him to inspect both things and people. Unless it was extremely special, this skill would reveal its secrets for him.
And he couldn't see the class of the person in front of him. This piqued his curiosity even further. So he handed him the gold coin without any questions.
And the monk, as well, took the gold coin, his eyes twinkling and his kind smile becoming even wider. "Blessings. Blessings." He then closed his eyes and remained still for a moment. The smile disappeared.
Hmmm? Dallas felt a wave of strange anxiety sweep across him. What was he going to tell? His heart was pounding.
He watched the monk with rapt attention as the guy suddenly flashed his eyes open again. The smile on his face also returned.
"Blessings. Blessings. No need to look so worried. It's all good news. You are going to have good luck, no, great luck. People are going to come running behind you and offer you riches! Your life is completely going to change. Best wishes, good sir."
Dallas finally relaxed his tense shoulders and cracked a smile. For a second, he thought something bad was going to happen, but it looked like he was worried for nothing. The monk's words only confirmed what he already knew. Death Knights were going to go to new places, and there would be no stopping them.
"Good. Good." He sighed, letting out a deep breath.
However, it took him a second to realize something else.
"You took one gold coin for saying this?" Dallas furrowed his brows and snapped out of his thoughts to look at the monk. But he was too late. The damned monk had already disappeared into the crowd.
"What the hell? How can this person escape right in front of my eyes?" It was weird that he couldn't sense his presence at all.
"Ah. Fuck it. Doesn't matter." Dallas scratched his head and then started walking away.
Like everyone else in the Gresh Kingdom and probably in the entire 'Evolution Online' game, there was only one thing on his mind right now, the guild war!
And it was about to begin any second now!
