Chapter 189: King’s Order (1)

Chapter 189: King’s Order (1)

『Breaking News! Unknown, Kai, wins the war against the Titan guild!』

『David shatters the giant’s forehead with a slingshot.』

『A world top ten guild crumbles to an individual—what does the power of factions truly mean?』

Articles flooded the media. This was exactly what Kai had hoped for, even orchestrated.

If they don’t write articles about this, they might as well quit being journalists.

Kai had even restarted his stream just to ensure this outcome.

Surrounded by the Army of Light, Unknown confidently defeated Goliath in a one-on-one battle. It was only hard the first time, but not the second.

After easily dealing with Goliath, Kai had secured victory in the war against the guild, and his achievement was immediately recognized.

Ding!

[You have achieved an unbelievable victory in battle.]

[Special title acquired: Reaper of the Battlefield.]

[

Reaper of the Battlefield]

Rank: Special

Description: A title granted to those who have fought and won against over two hundred players.

Effect: Recover a certain amount of Stamina with each attack (This effect remains even when title is unequipped).

“

Wow

...”

He acquired the title Reaper of the Battlefield!

Stamina had been the biggest challenge for Kai during his fight with the Titan guild.

Experience and skill can cover other weaknesses, but not Stamina.

When one’s Stamina ran out, their movements slowed down to a crawl. In that state, experience and skill were useless.

That was why Kai had intended to avoid long battles in the future, but now that he had gained the Reaper of the Battlefield title, things had changed.

The longer the battle goes, the more it works in my favor now.

Kai already had a high base Stamina stat, so if he could recover Stamina with every successful hit...

I’d be like a zombie.

He would become like a cockroach or a zombie, something that just wouldn’t die no matter how many times it was stomped on.

As Kai chuckled, a voice echoed in his mind.

—Ah, it seems our time is up. I must tell Shimizu all about today’s heroic deeds. Until we meet again.

As the duration of the Descent skill ended, Cherantia left with a brief farewell. At the same time, the temporary skills from Cherantia vanished like a mirage.

“The Descent skill...”

It was a ridiculous skill that cost 20 Benevolence stats to use, but it was worth every point, so Kai didn’t regret it too much.

Even though losing 20 Benevolence stats hurts, it’s not more valuable than my life.

That was especially true for Kai, who was ranked number one. One death would surely send his rank plummeting out of the top ten.

“Yoo Ha-Rin and the other rankers have been closing in on me... Do they do nothing but eat and play this game?

Sigh

.”

Kai (age 22, a gaming addict who did nothing but eat and play) shook his head as he opened his message window.

I don’t want to do this, but...

He had driven a dagger straight into the heart of the Titan guild. And it wasn’t a sneaky ambush either—he had walked up to Goliath face-to-face and plunged the blade in while he stared him down.

They’ll definitely try to get back at me, one way or another.

Therefore, he needed to make sure they couldn’t even recover their senses. No, the best option was to weaken them to the point where they wouldn’t even dare to attempt revenge.

With that in mind, Kai summoned Minerva through the chat.

Her reply came back instantly.

[Minerva: Hey, you! Do you even realize how absurd the thing you just did is...?]

[Kai: Of course. Did you watch the stream? I bet I looked good.]

[Minerva: Is this really the time to be saying that...?]

Minerva was left speechless by Kai’s nonchalant attitude.

Enjoying her reaction, Kai revealed his true intentions.

[Kai: Start taking over Titan's exclusive hunting grounds right now.]

[Minerva: What? If you do that, do you know what kind of repercussions...]

[Kai: Why would there be repercussions? Titan is already beyond recovery. This is just making it certain.]

[Minerva: ... You’re really a scary person. Sharing the spoils because they’re too big to handle on your own, huh?]

[Kai: No. It’s just that I’m too lazy to deal with it myself. If Pray takes over Titan’s hunting grounds, I’ll give you 60-40 on all profits. Of course, I get the 60.]

[Minerva: So, we do the work, and you take the money?]

[Kai: Get it right. I’ve already done the work, and now you just get to collect the money. If Pray attacks now, do you know who Titan will send to defend? A random level 100, maybe a level 120. Oh, and if you’re really unlucky, you might see a level 180. You’re not telling me you’re afraid of them, are you?]

[Minerva: ...]

Minerva hesitated for a moment, showing signs of contemplation in response to Kai's provocation.

Tsk. Minerva always overthinks things.

In that case, Kai would just have to cut her thinking short by force.

Without wasting time, he played his second card.

[Kai: By the way, I’m telling Cheonhwa to get on the move as well, so you might want to hurry.]

[Minerva: What? Why would you tell them?]

[Kai: If you try to eat too much alone, you’ll choke. You’ll get so full you might burst. And if you had just answered quickly, none of this would’ve gone to Cheonhwa. Maybe next time, be quicker with your decisions. Oh, and I’m sure there are others eyeing Titan’s hunting grounds too. You’ll have to deal with them on your own.]

[Minerva: ... I’ll contact you again.]

With Minerva finally showing signs of urgency and disappearing from the conversation, Kai let out a sigh.

“

Whew

, I really didn’t want to have to do this.”

What Kai was doing now was utterly destroying the foundation of the Titan guild. It was a fatal attack, leaving no chance for recovery.

But now the world will certainly know.

That the cost of messing with him was never light. Even a world’s top ten guild had to be prepared to face catastrophic consequences.

The world had surely learned that lesson from this incident.

***

Kai thought of Minerva as a model student–type woman.

She’s so cautious that it takes her time to act, but once she gets started, her ability is impressive.

Out of the thirty-five hunting grounds managed by Titan, half had been taken over by Pray within a day. Of course, they targeted only the best locations! It was a testament to the Pray guild’s power that all of it had been accomplished in less than half a day.

Being able to orchestrate something like this however I want is truly a beautiful thing.

With a relaxed heart, Kai was now on his way to Castle Baden.

I’ve heard the construction is still ongoing over there...

Apparently, the reward for him was already prepared.

As he arrived at Castle Baden, the western and northern parts were under heavy construction, as expected. However, the eastern, southern, and central area, where the lord's residence was located, were functioning so normally that it seemed like they were part of a completely different world.

Kai headed straight for Count Hind’s castle.

“Oh, the hero of Castle Baden has arrived!” Count Hind embraced Kai tightly, and laughed heartily as he invited Kai to sit. "Even after all the help you gave, it’s shameful that I’m only calling you now. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Not at all. I’m actually touched that, despite your busy schedule, you didn’t forget me and called me here."

"You have quite a way with words, young man."

[Count Hind's affinity increased.]

The conversation naturally flowed in a positive direction. On one side, there was a hero who had saved a city, and on the other, a nobleman about to reward that hero. How could the atmosphere not be positive?

Sure enough, Count Hind said, "I’ve spent many nights thinking about what reward I should give you."

"I’m eager to hear it."

"Money, weapons, or fame... It seems none of these are something you truly need."

He was right. Kai, whose wallet and bank account were already overflowing, could easily obtain most things on his own.

"Have you heard any rumors about me?"

"By rumors you mean...” Kai trailed off and then slowly nodded.

The king’s left hand and the Archlord. The nobility’s lawkeeper.

Not all counts were the same in the kingdom. Some counts owned a single territory, while others held over five.

Among the counts of the Kingdom of Rashion, the one with the most power is Count Hind, lord of Castle Baden.

Even Frica Village and Glendale, where Kai had passed through, were under his rule. He governed over thirty-five cities and villages, making him a great lord.

Count Hind stroked his beard as he continued, "I spoke with His Majesty the King. I understand that this emerging region called Libertia is now your land, yes?"

"Yes... That is correct."

"I intend to give you the governance of two nearby cities to Libertia. What do you think?"

"...The governance of cities?" Kai responded with a slightly puzzled expression.

Ruling isn’t really my thing...

In fact, Kai had only accepted the lordship of Libertia because the non-human races there were close with him and managed well on their own without his intervention.

But ruling human cities would be a different story.

It would be a massive headache, and that burden would undoubtedly slow down his growth.

These thoughts clearly showed on Kai’s face.

Noticing his expression, Count Hind smiled. "You're probably thinking it's a hassle right now, aren’t you?"

"N-no... Well..." After briefly meeting the count’s gentle gaze, Kai gave up and admitted, "

Sigh

. You’re right. Honestly, I’m not confident in governance, nor do I have any desire for it."

"But troubled times create heroes. Lately, you've become the most prominent figure in the Kingdom of Rashion. Wherever you go, stories of your feats and praises follow."

"Does that relate to me needing to rule over a territory?"

"Of course. The more famous you become, the more people will seek to exploit your reputation. You’ll face countless threats to your safety. But if you hold enough power, few would dare to challenge you."

These were the words of someone who had risen to the rank of great lord.

Territory...

It was true that after crushing Titan guild, very few players would dare cross him now.

But NPCs?

The Church of Muldine, which opposed him, was still alive and well, and according to Tardal, there were many who secretly colluded with them in both the empire and the kingdom.

I never know when they might try to cause trouble for me.

Having the kind of power that would prevent them from looking down on him wouldn’t be a bad thing.

"

Hmm.

Count Hind, I understand your point completely. However, I am an adventurer. Being tied down to manage territories seems rather difficult for me..."

"I’ll handle that for you. I’ll assign a professional land manager and fill the administration with capable people. All you need to do is carry the title of lord. And of course, you can consider the monthly taxes as a bonus."

"

Oh.

.

.!

"

This offer was certainly tempting. It was like getting all the benefits without any of the responsibilities!

Seeing the excitement in Kai's face, Count Hind smiled. "Then I’ll consider it accepted and arrange for the transfer of the lands through His Majesty.

Oh

, and regarding the recommendation letter from Baron Arsen that you brought last time."

"Yes?"

"Normally, those who bring such letters must undergo a test of their abilities... but I see no need to test yours. Instead, I would like to assign you a mission that befits your skills, if that’s alright?"

"Of course. It’s an adventurer's duty to take on any mission that comes their way."

As Kai displayed his confidence, a quest window—something he hadn't seen in a long time—popped up before him.

Ding!