Chapter 150: After the War (3)
What goes around comes around. It was a famous saying, meaning that consequences occurred exactly according to one's usual behavior.
"What goes around... comes around? Hmm. Is that the case...?" Kai muttered to himself as he wandered through the royal palace corridors.
"There you are. Have you finished your visit to the treasury?" Bach nodded slightly in greetings as he asked. He then looked at Kai's face and tilted his head. "... You should be happy if you’ve visited the treasury, but why do you look so gloomy?"
"Bach."
Kai's serious tone was something Bach had never heard before.
Realizing this was not a trivial matter, Bach also lowered his voice. "What’s the matter? Is there some problem with the treasury..."
"What do you think of my usual behavior?"
"Huh?"
Bach's large eyes blinked at the unexpected question.
When it comes to Kai's usual behavior...
They weren't particularly close. However, they had gone to battle together twice, so they weren't strangers either.
After a moment of consideration, Bach gave the most objective assessment he could.
"A kind and righteous opportunist."
"Hmm... I see," Kai nodded with a displeased expression. Then his shoulders slumped as he continued, "It seems the Solarian God has abandoned me."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm never praying to that guy again. Well, see you next time."
Not knowing what to say, Bach silently watched Kai's weary steps and could only tilt his head in confusion.
***
"Oh! So this is why Nietzsche said what he did.”
Nietzsche had stated that God was dead. Carving the philosopher's words into his heart once more, Kai opened his stats window.
[Kai]
Class: Solaris Cleric
Level: 285
Title: Envoy of God
HP: 45,900
Holy Power: 112,200
Stats
Strength: 1,056 Stamina: 484
Intelligence: 376 Agility: 344
Holiness: 1,127 Dignity: 326
Benevolence: 193
Poison Resistance +30
Magic Resistance +40%
Nature Affinity +200
Damage to Demons/Undead +50%
At last, his Strength had surpassed the 1,000 stat mark! This was the result of investing 80 out of the 160 stat points he gained from the war with the Church of Muldine.
"... Plus the 10 stat points from the Elixir of Strength Enhancement."
Muttering with a bitter expression, Kai said in confusion, "Huh? But why have the stats gone up even more?"
As he blinked in confusion and searched for the cause, he suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Oh! Special titles!"
He had two titles he hadn't yet checked!
He immediately opened the title book and checked them out.
[First Commander]
Rank: Special
Description: A title given to the first person to lead over 1,500 NPCs.
Effect: +15 to all stats, increases all attributes of subordinates. (This effect remains even when title is unequipped.)
[Treasure Hunter]
Rank: Special
Description: A title given to the first person to visit a place containing national treasures.
Effect: +10 to all stats, allows the detection of nearby treasures. (This effect remains even when title is unequipped.)
"All stats increased by 25... and the attached effects are pretty nice too."
The ability to increase the attributes of all subordinates would also include Mimic and Blizzard.
Plus... it's going to be ready soon.
The equipment he had commissioned from Korona that would create Skeleton Knights was soon to be completed.
If I were to appoint all of them as dullahans?
It sounded ridiculous, but it meant that he could lead an army of the undead as a Cleric!
"Hmm. I'm not sure how the ability to detect nearby treasures works, but it can't hurt to have it."
Although the jackpot he had hoped for with the Elixir of Strength Enhancement did not happen, the effects of the special titles soothed his disappointment.
"Alright, time to move on to the next task."
As he left the royal palace, he opened the message window.
The guild masters who participated in the war should all know by now that Kai and Unknown are the same person.
Their levels had increased significantly, and naturally, their rankings had risen too. However, at the same time as them, there was one player who had gained even more XP. That player was himself.
If rumors are going to spread from their mouths, it's better to come out and say it clearly myself.
Additionally, it could be an opportunity to clear his name as the bug player, and he had already decided how to inform people.
[Aris]
She was the woman to whom he had once promised an interview during the Orc Lord expedition.
Kai sent her a message.
***
"Huff, huff!”
Two strands of pink hair fluttered on either side of a girl, about 157 centimeters tall, dashing through the forest near the capital with all her might.
This is huge, this is huge!
Her name was Aris. She was currently very excited, and the reason for that was simple.
He finally contacted me to do an interview!
At least tens of thousands of interviews were posted on the community boards every day. But among all those interviews, there was none about Unknown, who was the hottest player at the moment.
That means I'll be the first to do an exclusive interview with Unknown.
She had been active as a streamer in various games for years, but this kind of exclusive was a first even for her.
"Phew. Well, there are still twenty minutes left until the appointment time... Whoo. I've got some time."
Catching her breath, she arrived at the meeting spot earlier than the appointed time.
Unknown is famous for having a cold and strict personality. If I'm late, he might get annoyed and cancel the interview.
Although everything about Unknown was veiled in mystery, his actions so far had revealed his personality.
He ruthlessly kills those he doesn't like, and he effortlessly takes down high-level boss monsters on his own. He might actually be short-tempered and violent, just like the rumors say.
Whether it was because of the nerves before the interview or the fear of meeting the intimidating Unknown, Aris kept gulping down water to quench her burning thirst.
I don't know why he asked to meet at a place like this though...
Unknown seemed to have a cautious personality. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen a quiet hunting ground where people rarely came as the meeting place.
"Alright, so the things I need to ask are..."
After reading through the 147 questions she had prepared for the interview with Unknown, she giggled to herself.
It feels like a dream.
She had been feeling down, thinking he had forgotten about her since there was no contact for months, but she never expected him to contact her so suddenly like this.
From the videos, it looked like he was involved in a big war recently. I wonder how that turned out.
Unknown's recent actions had been very active. Previously, he would only show himself when uploading videos, but lately, he had been actively exposing himself to the media.
From the hunt for the Black Bees to leading the elves into this war... He’s a man who brings major events wherever he goes. Oh, I wonder how the war turned out! I definitely need to ask about that.
While she was waiting anxiously for the few minutes left until the interview, she heard the rustling of bushes behind her.
H-he's here!
With a bright smile, Aris turned her head and bowed politely. "Hello! The one who always smells a scoop...?"
"Oh, it's really her."
"See? I told you I've watched her streams more than once or twice."
Two men appeared, laughing snidely. Their equipment was all shiny, indicating they were far from beginners. And judging by the sly grins on their faces, they clearly hadn't come with good intentions.
T-their levels look really high.
Instinctively sensing danger, Aris took a step back and asked, "Wh-who are you?"
"Oh, we're fans of your stream. We always try to chat, but you never respond."
"Even worse, getting banned last time felt so unfair."
"Banned... by me?"
Aris never banned her viewers easily.
There are only two reasons I ban people on my stream.
One was for those who spewed insults and disrupted the stream. The other was for those who made dirty comments, lowering the overall standard of the stream.
"Wh-what are your usernames? If there's been a misunderstanding..."
"Hm? I'm Jet."
"And I'm Grang. I wonder if you remember."
"J-Jet and Grang!"
Anger surged in Aris's large eyes.
They're the troublemakers who constantly made dirty jokes and even cursed when I didn't respond!
It was the worst situation possible! Moreover, they always boasted loudly about their high levels. They even went so far as to threaten other viewers, saying they'd kill them if they met in the hunting grounds.
Swallowing hard, Aris firmly said to them, "I-I can't unban you. Both of you broke the rules of my stream..."
"Isn't it my freedom to say whatever I want in a democratic country?"
"Yeah, what is this, the Soviet Union? You can't just ban people because you don't like a few words."
"Besides, the two of us have donated over 1.5 million won in total."
"I'll refund the money. I'll give it all back, so..."
"Hey, who said we're doing this for the money? Just strike a cute and pretty pose for a few pictures, and we'll leave."
"Plus, you'll have to try on some of the pretty clothes we've brought."
"Hehehe."
The two scumbags approached, their laughter lewd.
Aris resented Unknown for choosing such a hunting ground as the meeting place.
Damn it. Why did he choose this place for the meeting?!
She was a bard, and her level was only 120—she practically had no combat ability! It was clear she stood no chance against the two men, who appeared to be close combat specialists.
In the end, she closed her eyes tight and shouted, "Logout!"
"Oh no, you don't."
Jet's sword slashed out instantly, tearing a part of Aris's cloth shirt.
[You cannot log out during combat.]
"N-no..."
"Oh, hold that pose for a moment."
"Stay still. Let's take a picture first."
Grang activated his camera app and slowly approached Aris.
Just then, a voice echoed through the quiet forest and reached the ears of all three.
"Hey, you two over there. Want to hear some good advice?"
"Wh-what?"
"There’s people here?"
Jet and Grang quickly turned around, scanning the surroundings.
Soon, a cleric emerged slowly from the shadow of the dense trees. "The lesson I learned today is that what goes around comes around."
"... A cleric?”
"Hah. You've got to be kidding me."
Seeing the approaching player, Jet and Grang relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew, got scared over some dumbass."
"Right? It's a hunting ground right next to the capital, so soldiers and knights often patrol here."
As Jet approached Kai directly, he suddenly became tense.
This guy... That cleric robe he's wearing isn't ordinary.
It was a robe of luxurious quality they had never seen before. It looked like it was at least of Unique grade.
Realizing something was off, Jet and Grang exchanged glances.
This guy seems to have a decent level...
Hey, so what? He's just a cleric, right? And there's no guild mark on his chest.
So, there's no future trouble if we kill him.
Quickly coming to a conclusion, Jet pushed Kai's chest with his finger. "Hey, get lost while I'm being nice."
"Look, you seem to have a decent level for a Cleric, but don't die a pointless death. Just go on your way."
"The type I hate the most are those who make appointments and then show up late." The cleric made a random comment that had nothing to do with the current situation, then checked the time and smiled. "I have an appointment, you see. And there's about three minutes left until the appointed time."
"What the hell are you suddenly babbling about...?"
"In short, get out of my sight."
Thud, thud!
"W-what the!"
"What the hell are these things?!"
Jet and Grang turned to look at the beings that had suddenly appeared behind them, pinning them to the ground.
"W-wait... What is this...?"
"This... this...?"
"Krrrk."
It was a black lizardman covered in the Armor of the Undead set.
Thud, thud, thud!
And a dullahan that repeatedly banged its helmet on the ground.
"Unknown's..."
"Summons?!"
Jet and Grang stared at the Cleric before them with horrified eyes.
"What goes around comes around," Kai replied.