Chapter 85
The blast was different; it wasn't like the plasma vortex he cast on the Anchorage Castle. This beam looked like a normal laser, but the impact was similar to his own. Dane knew this was somewhat a response to his very presence, as if they were saying, We are watching you. The vibration of the ground was strong enough to topple one of the watchtowers that was located on the kingdom's west wall. Many residents, players, and non-players who are working as representatives of their country heard the announcement. This was the first time that non-players heard it.
This is a new development. Dane thought maybe the reason was so simple it's because the tower activities became stagnant, and even with so many unpredictable events he created outside and inside the tower, changes did happen, and the tower system's reaction to regain control was the moment the players found the right path in pursuing their own goal. Hunting monsters and gathering raw materials were fine, but there was no progress within the tower itself; it got monotonous and redundant. Everything became dull and lifeless. The chaos and panic those old gods wanted to hear never actually expanded until now.
Dane wasn't about to stop what he was doing; overthinking and focusing too much on other matters got him into this situation. , and as soon as the vibration stopped, another announcement was heard.
"THE CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL WAS A SUCCESS. FOLLOWING THE EMERGENCY PATCH, OUR DIAGNOSTIC SWEEP CONFIRMS THAT THE REMOVAL OF THOSE ANOMALIES HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, AND ALL ACTIVE SCENARIOS ARE STILL IN PROGRESS WITHOUT RISK OF FURTHER DATA CORRUPTION."
"THE FAIL-SAFE THAT TRIGGERED THE DE-RESOLUTION OF SEVERAL PARTICIPANT AVATARS WORKED AS INTENDED, THOUGH THE CASCADE WAS MORE SEVERE THAN ANTICIPATED. WE MUST EMPHASIZE IN THE NEXT BRIEFING THAT CASUALTIES ARE NOT PART OF THE MAIN SYSTEM QUEST SCENARIO, AS THIS EVENT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DISTRESS AMONG THE ACTIVE USER BASE."
"THE NEXT PHASE OF THE PROTOCOL IS NOW COMPLETE: ALL CHARACTERS THAT WERE REMOVED SHALL REVERT BACK TO THEIR WAITING STAGE IN THE SERVER TOWER HOLDING FACILITY."
"FURTHERMORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ROLLBACK IS FINALIZED, AND THE GORGE ECOLOGY HAS BEEN REVERTED BACK INTO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, ENSURING CONTINUITY FOR THE PRIMARY QUESTLINES."
The world stuttered. For a heart-stopping moment, Dane saw the very space he occupied flicker like a dying candle flame. The stone walls of the War Forge, the intricate tools hanging from their racks, and the solid ground beneath his feet all dissolved into a transparent, wavering image before snapping back into sharp focus.
He instinctively braced himself, his breath catching in his throat. Across the workshop, Siglorr Bouldergrove had frozen mid-motion; his eyes were wide with the same shock. They exchanged a look of pure, unadulterated disbelief. It wasn't an illusion; he too saw the glitch, which lasted only a microsecond but seemed to stretch into an eternity.
Their sudden stillness was a signal flare in the war forge. A moment later, the heavy, rhythmic voices of familiar people inside the war forge suddenly ceased, replaced by the clatter of metallic feet as War forge staff members rushed out from their stations. They hadn't seen the fabric of reality tear; they saw only their leader, the unshakeable Siglorr Bouldergrove, looking utterly stunned.
Their concern was for him, their collective gaze questioning what could possibly rattle their creator. This sudden disconnect left Dane even more bewildered. He and Siglorr had witnessed the same impossible event, yet these constructs, who shared the same space, were completely unaffected. It was as if he and the dwarf were tuned to a different frequency of existence, immune to the normalcy the others experienced but vulnerable to a cosmic disturbance they couldn't perceive.
As the War forge gathered, a cold realization washed over Dane. This glitch, this tear in the world, had to be connected to him. He remembered the strange, esoteric power that had resurrected him, the "system" that had once guided his actions and given him a second chance at life. Though he had since integrated its power, remnants and echoes of its reality-bending nature must still cling to him.
Was this an aftershock? A consequence of his very existence? He let out a low breath. "Sigh! This is really interesting and annoying at the same time."
Before anyone could process the metaphysical crisis, a far more immediate one burst through the doors.
Curious about what had happened, a war forged staff member who had been awakened by the explosion headed toward the watchtower, and, in a moment of panic, he ran toward the alarm and activated it. Soon after, many of the people residing in their sleeping quarters ran toward the underground bunker, as they were told to do when they hear an alarm, while a few hem fled in search of their leader.
"Commander Bouldergrove! Mercenaries are preparing to attack us!"
"They are outside the main gate!"
The war forge personnel report was laced with urgency. The timing was disastrously perfect. The sudden, inexplicable explosion at the ravenous gorge creatures that was thousand of miles away. Instead, it had cleared a perfect path for an invading force to siege the war forge
Their secret siege was no longer secret; they were moving to take the forge by force.
A grim certainty settled on Siglorr's face, replacing the shock from moments before. He quickly began issuing orders, directing his people toward the reinforced underground bunker with practiced efficiency.
He turned to Dane, his voice low but firm. "We were expecting this, in a way. My spies confirmed the Brilliance Guild hired a contract army. Payback for the slight against their sub-captain, Lirael Schafer." He assured Dane that contingencies were in place, that they were prepared.
"The chance of them making a move was slim, but we planned for it. Go to the bunker. Stay safe. Leave this to us."
But Dane couldn't stand by. He shook his head, a defiant look in his eyes. "I'm helping." Without waiting for permission, he mentally commanded his three powerful summons to materialize, their spectral forms shimmering into existence beside him. "Your primary directive is to protect every single person in this forge. Allow no harm to come to them.
He met Siglorr's gaze, his voice dropping with intensity. "I would rather see this entire fortress burn to the ground than let any of your people get hurt." Siglorr's jaw tightened, urging him to reconsider. "Dane, my plan relies on subtlety and misdirection! If you appear, as yourself or as the Netherborn,
You will derail everything. You turn this into a war we cannot win." His words hung in the air, a stark reminder that while the War Forge was now famous, it still lacked the sheer manpower to openly defy the great guilds of the region. They were renowned, but they were also fragile.
Dane assured him this is just another situation where his clan will overcome. Dane pointed out they will not back down from a challenge, but they must approach it strategically to ensure success. Siglorr nodded, Dane activated the formless armor, and ordered the tree to clear those who bring harm to the residents of the war form.
All 60 members of the forge went toward the underground basement bunker where all their wealth and items were stored. They wanted to fight, but Dane insisted they didn't come here to fight, but instead they were brought here to create. Dane made a final, convincing gesture. He agreed to enter the bunker with them, placing his complete trust in his creations to handle the threat. As the heavy basement door boomed shut, sealing them in the earth, Dane sent a final, chilling mental command to his protectors on the surface.
"You are temporarily unbound. Use whatever means necessary to clear the enemy."
One hundred mercenary company, infamous for their brutal effectiveness, prepared their attack outside. They battled for good pay and were well-equipped veterans of brutal conflicts. As they proceeded on the apparently undefended gates, their confidence was bolstered by the added incentive of plundering the now-famous War forge. Unaware that they had just become the victim, they were predators encroaching on their target.
A tense silence filled the basement, broken only by the occasional weary sigh. All of them awaited the inevitable. Elaria Syrune and Olmar Bouldergrove, still groggy and disoriented, had been unceremoniously dragged from their beds by a far-too-alert Wrenla Bouldergrove. Around them, the human staff muttered with grim faces, their expressions a mix of indignation, annoyance, and fear. The air was thick with tension as they waited for Wrenla to explain why they had been summoned so urgently under the bunker. .
The news that the greedy guilds planned to attack the war forge was not new, but seeing the threat become a reality stirred a deep-seated anger. This was precisely why the forge had been sealed for weeks, with no member permitted to even glimpse the world beyond its formidable walls.
In truth, few within the war forge would have dared to venture out anyway. The memories of their past lives were still sharp times when they were vagabonds, scorned and treated unfairly by the very people who now conspired against them. The prosperous, secure existence they now enjoyed was a gift from the current Bouldergrove clan leader, a debt none of them would ever forget. The wealth they had collectively accumulated was enough to secure their futures, and the war forge itself was a self-sufficient marvel. Food was grown and resources were managed within their walls, making trips to outside markets entirely unnecessary.
The only person who sometimes went out secretly was Siglorr Bouldergrove himself, accompanied by his son and head guard, and only then to conduct vital business deals or procure the rare supplies they couldn't produce themselves, such as exotic spices and new breeding stock for their farms.
This fortified bunker was Siglorr Bouldergrove's solemn vow made manifest in iron and stone. It was his promise to never again be caught unprepared, unlike his grandfather and father before him. The jealousy of the other guilds, festering as they watched the Bouldergrove clan's success grow, had been the catalyst for tragedy in the past. Siglorr had witnessed with his own eyes how his father was cut down and his grandfather lost everything they had so painstakingly built. That searing memory was the turning point that forged Siglorr into the pragmatic and cautious leader he is today.
Vowing to never let history repeat itself, Siglorr never underestimated those watching from the shadows. His paranoia was a shield, and his foresight, a weapon. Every visible aspect of their prosperity was matched by a hidden layer of defense. He made sure of it. The staff's sleeping quarters, visible to any unwelcome guest, were merely decoys. Their true, secure dormitories were located deep within the compound, built directly beside the main entrance to this very bunker, ensuring that at the first sign of trouble, his people could retreat to safety in an instant. Tonight, that meticulous planning was being put to its ultimate test.