Three hours later…
Kieran, along with his five designated party members, stood at the export gates of Aeredale City while awaiting the final preparations of the Merchant Association's caravans. At the same time, Kieran also had everyone double-check their current stats.
Kieran clearing the Underground Labyrinth's hidden area granted everyone an opportunity to pull ahead of the masses. Everyone received ample Attribute Points and Skill Points prime for free allocation.
Unlike before, where Kieran had everyone pay close attention to battle-based attributes, Kieran made everyone consider their Agility, Control, and Perception. Kieran only allowed negligible scraps to be used on main stats.
The reason for this was a message that filled the game directly after they cemented the Zenith Covenant Agreement.
…
Roughly two hours prior…
〈System: The world shall undergo its first gradual metamorphosis. This process will take an entire day, in reality. However, there is zero need to log out. All players will become privy to the changes once the process is complete.〉
The notification initially came as a shock because an update where players didn't need to log out of the game was unheard of. After all, there was a chance of corruption if developers didn't carry out updates correctly. That could sometimes lead to irreversible issues.
Thus, skepticism rose in the gaming community, including Kieran's party. The only one who didn't react to the message was Kieran.
'Although I noticed the precursors, three weeks ahead of schedule is still far too fast. I doubt most players are ready for what's to come. But, I'll prepare my own without fail,' Kieran thought before gazing at his party members.
"Forget Strength or Intelligence for the time being and divide your attribute points into the stats I mentioned regardless of what class you play. Don't stop until you reach at least 150 in each stat without outside help," Kieran said.
This feat might be difficult for other players to accept, but it wasn't for Kieran's party. Their main attribute would still receive indirect attention even if it was neglected. For example, Altair unlocked a passive that increased his base Agility based on the passive's skill level. Nemean and Bastion both unlocked passives that increase their respective primary source of viability.
In Nemean's case, it was split between Strength, Endurance, and Control. Bastion's passive increased his pure Defense and Endurance, so there was little reason for him to worry about insufficiently defending the party.
"I didn't heed your advice last time, but I will do that now," Bastion said after noticing everyone's eyes on him. "But, what do I focus on?"
"Allot the stats in a 3:3:2 ratio. The primary focus should be on Control and Agility. Only once your Perception reaches 150 can you return to your original allocation," Kieran answered.
"I got it," Bastion nodded.
As for Kieran, his stats were already in a decent place, so he left that alone until he could gauge how monsters fared against him currently. For Kieran, the most important thing now was to reach Lv.30 to unlock his next set of skills.
…
Back in the present…
"It's time! Man your stations and get your asses on that road!" The head merchant roared to the other merchants manning the caravans. They scurried like frightened rats as they whipped the large stallions attached to relatively large caravans.
Their hulking muscles rippled with strength as they took their first steps to get the momentum going. The toil became more manageable once the caravans all approached a decent speed. Once that happened, Kieran nodded to the others.
Another reason he had them raise their Agility was because of the request type. The odds of them being offered a seat were very low because they were to remain vigilant and ensure the safe passage of these items on board.
Bastion and Nemean were the first to move, followed by Sera and Alice, with Altair and Kieran managing the furthest rear. Their position didn't matter since they could react to any angle the threat appeared from. Still, they chose the back to protect the others from surprise encounters.
Psst!
Altair whispered to Kieran. "Are you really sure you know who the Wiyan are? I know that's what you said to the others, but I mean…. Do you REALLY know?"
Kieran glanced in Altair's direction before giving a brief nod. "I'm aware of their actions and ways of conduct. But, what does that have to do with you?"
"I'm…. the son of a Wiyan," Altair revealed.
Kieran almost paused in his tracks when he heard the news but realized that would be unacceptable given their current environment. Still, he couldn't dismiss his curiosity. "Are you a legitimate or illegitimate child? No, wait… if you fear them so much, you can only be illegitimate."
"Correct," Altair nodded. However, he corrected a mistake in Kieran's words. "I don't fear them; I detest them. I only asked that you don't get closely involved with me because of what I will do in the future."
'Oh?' Kieran's eyebrows shot up as he saw traces of Altair's ruthlessness peering through his youthful appearance. 'He was called Shadow's Beloved for good reasons. Darkness seeped into him, and he became the Silent Reaper. But… that's not enough. I want him to become far more powerful, far more fearsome. For that, I need to know what changed him, to begin with.'
"What will you do? Then, it is vengeance that drives you as well?" Kieran stated.
A look of surprise flashed in Altair's eyes as he noticed the familiar cadence of Kieran's tone. "You… Are you the same as me? Then… that power you were given couldn't have been a mistake. I felt it at the time—unbridled rage fueled by vengeance and not anger towards the current situation."
'As I thought, he's perceptive to negative emotions even now. No wonder he practically perfected Stealth and created the Darkness Excursion Steps. A perfect mastery of negativity to complete the darkness is almost unmatched!' Kieran mused.
"Hehe, my apologies. I didn't mean to show you all that. Still, we must tread similar paths. I'm not sure about your source, nor will I pry into it, but know that when the time comes, I'll gladly reap some mayhem with you," Kieran grinned while extending his fist.
"I'm game," Altair grinned back and returned a fist bump. Though these two came from dark pasts, they were strong enough to forge a small brotherhood by exposing fragments of themselves.
This didn't go unnoticed by Alice, whose Perception stat was naturally high. 'Kindred spirit, but is that a good or bad thing?'
Meanwhile, another situation occurred in Aeredale City just moments after they left.
Three figures appeared while watching the many caravans set out. The middle individual was dressed in black clothing with a texture similar to robes. However, the hooded design said otherwise. This attire undoubtedly belonged to the Assassin archetype of armor design.
"Guild Leader Despot, correct me if I'm wrong... but weren't some of those players the same ones who got in our way against the filthy Aatrox?" the second figure spoke. They removed their hood to reveal that they were one of the Shadow Cartel's members known as Autr, who, similar to Despot, was an Assassin.
Despot too dropped his hood and gazed into the distance with a darkened expression. "Foul vermin. Didn't I tell you that you'd come to regret your actions? You may have fallen off the radar for a few days, but I've got you now. Moving with the same people was a mistake, making you an easy target."
Despot's tone was vicious as he gestured to the two by his side. "Gather everyone. Also, notify the Sunset Triad that we've finally caught wind of Aatrox's movements. It's nigh time we delivered our vengeance."
"Understood, but we aren't going to let him get away, right?" Autr asked with a troubled look. Kieran and others raced alongside the caravans, so they'd quickly lose their trail if they took too long to muster their forces.
"Hmph, there's no worries. We began moving all of our forces when Aatrox's name popped up in the announcements again. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. But, to be safe—Gloom, go and track them remotely," Despot ordered.
This order was naturally given to the third individual present. He was similarly a Thief base class, except he traveled the route of a Dark Scout. They were like regular Scouts, except they specialized in setting up vile traps in exchange for dulled senses.
It wasn't the best for extreme scouting but the class did offer a significant advantage if their enemies could be taken by surprise. While Gloom rushed off to track Kieran and his team, Autr went to alert the Sunset Triad.
Mobilizing their entire forces might seem like overkill, but that was just how excessive these two organizations were. The slightest blasphemy had to be turned into a severe lesson in their eyes.
Nevertheless, it never dawned upon them that Kieran was no longer a simple Warrior class. They were walking into the clutches of a Berserker, an individual known for their fury and brutal ways. What good would increased numbers do against them? That wouldn't strike fear into them.
Alas, some people would only learn once their fates were sealed with zero options.
Approximately 30 minutes later, whereas Kieran and his team guided the caravan of merchants past the first checkpoint, a collection of almost 1,000 players assembled before the city's gates.
…
For unknown reasons, a shiver went down Sera's spine as she looked cautiously but couldn't find the cause for her concern. 'What was that?'
"Is something wrong, Sera?" Kieran asked after noticing her change in behavior. She looked about as if some shadowy figure would snatch her up at any time.
"I-I don't know. I just felt something was amiss, but I can't explain it," Sera muttered. Her voice was filled with uncertainty as she smiled wryly at Kieran.
'Amiss?' Kieran noted. If it were anyone else, he would have doubted their claims, but Sera displayed superior senses repeatedly. Perhaps her cautiousness originated from a prescient skill that Kieran didn't possess.
Nevertheless, he pooled Mana into his eyes and scanned their surroundings. His perceptivity range had increased to almost 100 meters after attaining his current heights. Still, Kieran found nothing out of the ordinary even after scanning for over a minute.
These guys didn't know that three factors caused Sera's current state. One of which would appear very soon.
"Sir Guard! We are approaching the first area of interest where we have recorded significant disappearances. Please be wary and make sure to guard us. I do not wish to die today," the head merchant called out to Kieran.
"Stay inside your caravan, and you shouldn't have to worry. I can't ensure your safety, nor will I take responsibility for your death if you flee in fright," Kieran replied.
The head merchant gulped but indicated his understanding.
Suddenly, Kieran's ears twitched as he picked up the snapping of a twig approximately 300 meters ahead. 'Of course, they would wait until we reach a forested area to show themselves.'
Kieran instantly drew Crimson Ashrune while snapping his fingers. Altair was the first to react, followed by Bastion and Nemean, who rushed before the two foremost caravans. Everyone appeared battle-ready at a moment's notice. Even Alice prepared based on the Mana fluctuations emanating from the staff.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Operation Protection has begun!" Kieran bellowed.
