Eternal Empire Online: The Rise of the Mythical Detective

Chapter 29: A World Revolving Around One Man 2

Zeus Castle

North of Alvarez Kingdom

In one room of the Zeus Castle, the Top Executives of the Golden Cross Guild are sitting at a long table, looking at each other. Four chairs were arranged on each side in a fashion that confronts one another. All of them were occupied while another one person sat at a position that can overlook all of them with female attendant that stood next to him.

“I would like to open the guild conference now,” the female NPC attendant named Naria spoke. “First allow me to take attendance.”

Naria then shifted her gaze to the person sitting at the farthest seat.

“8TH Rank, Vice Admiral Klaus.”

A bronze skinned man at his mid-20s raised his hand.

“7TH Rank, General Hammond.

“Yes.”

A man with a stern face answered.

“6TH Rank, General Lozz.”

“Present!”

A young dark elf enthusiastically responded.

“5TH Rank, Admiral Trema.

“Here.”

Another bronze skinned man, also at his mid-20s answered.

“4TH Rank, First General Shuyin.”

A man with a grim face and foul mood gritted his teeth.

“3RD Rank, First General Cassandra.”

A beautiful blonde woman snapped her fingers nonchalantly.

“2ND Rank, Chancellor Brahma.”

“Yes.”

A silver haired young man whose presence emits an aura of brimming wisdom muttered quietly.

“And lastly, 1ST Rank, Second Guild Master Uriel.”

A very confident and somehow arrogant looking gentleman on his late 20s smiled to Naria.

“And now for today’s agenda. Guild Master, if you please.” Naria gave the table to the red-haired man sitting next to her, Golden Cross’ Guild Master, Kratus.

“Alright everyone, the reason that I summoned you all today is to discuss about the new rising powers in the North.”

“The Six Heroes?” Trema asked.

Kratus slightly nodded. “Yes, they’re a part of it.”

“Based from the information I gathered,” Brahma started. “These so called Heroes of Latona survived and subdued a Double C Rank Event Quest with merely seven people and as a reward, they acquired a Rank A skill.”

“Rank A? Is that verified?”

Trema asked and Brahma nodded in reply.

“The spies I sent in the North confirmed it. Each of these Six Heroes possessed an A Rank skill.”

“Then this matter truly needs to be handled swiftly,” Shuyin stated with urgency. “Currently, there are only 29 known skills all over Avelot that are within Rank A and higher (20 Rank A, 7 Rank S, and 2 Rank SS) and our Golden Cross Guild was able to retain our standing by monopolizing at least 40% of these High Rank skills.”

The Golden Cross Guild has 10 Rank A and 2 Rank S, the rest are equally divided among the other Top 10 Guilds ranking next to Golden Cross, while both the 2 known Rank SS skills are still hogged by the two Elite NPCs whose whereabouts are presently unknown.

Through that, it created a clear balance of power between the Golden Cross and the other Top Guilds.

“But if a new faction with such High Rank skills emerged, then the balance will surely be disrupted. It will give an opportunity to other guilds to sway the advantage toward their selves and strike us.”

“It would be most likely the 3rd in ranking, Unholy Guild,” said Klaus. “With their HQ stationed at Lambard, they’re the nearest to Komina. And knowing them, they will surely not waste this opportunity.”

“Excuse me,” Kratus interrupted his Commanders’ growing conversation with a slightly raised and irritated voice. “It appears that everyone here had gotten ahead of themselves and didn’t allow me finish.”

He stated to his Commanders with a glare, making them flinch and retract back to their seats.

“As I was saying before I was interrupted, there’s a growing power in the North but I was not implying about these Six Heroes that Komina is so proud about.”

“You’re not?” Shuyin asked. Uriel gave a mocking smirk upon Shuyin’s expression. And Kratus just simply nodded.

“Yes, they might pose problems in the future but it’s not in a scale in which we cannot handle especially now that our Golden Cross Guild had already conquered the Alvarez Kingdom. And once the governance of power is stabilized and we seize full control, the current Guilds’ Power Ranking that is established through the High Rank Skills will completely lost its meaning.”

“But if not them, then what is it that worries you?” Trema asked.

“Hmph, isn’t it obvious,” Uriel said with a smug face that literally conveys to the other Executives that he’s the only one who understands.

Uriel, the second-in-command of the Golden Cross Guild, though nowhere as brilliant as Brahma or even close to Cassandra and Shuyin, is the Guild Master Kratus’ real life cousin and best friend. He’d been with Kratus for as long as they can both remember that Uriel can literally read Kratus like an open book.

“He’s more worried about the seventh participant of the Amradias Incident. You know, the only one who actually have guts.”

“Oh, you mean the Phantom Hero?” Cassandra said with a glint of admiration in her eyes. “The one they called Grimm?”

“Bingo,” Uriel confirmed.

“But why?” Shuyin asked to both Kratus and Uriel. “Why do you consider that man a bigger threat than the other six? Among those that participated in the Amradias Incident, he’s the only who didn’t reach the c****x of that Event Quest. Therefore, he didn’t acquire the A Rank Skill reward. And also, his whereabouts became unknown after that Event Quest. Who knows, he might not be logging in anymore.”

“He’s still logging in. Demetri had confirmed it.”

Aside from the Executives, there’s also the Elite Guards, the best of the best warriors of the Golden Cross Guild that are directly under the command of the Guild Master. One of them is Demetri, the guild’s number one spy and tracker. And he has the A Rank Skill called ‘Life Track.’

______________________________

Life Track [Rank A]

The clairvoyant power to track all lifeforms.

By making physical contact to any item that was once owned or held by the target, enables the Life Tracker to identify the direction of the target’s current location. Additionally, if the target is a user, the Life Tracker will receive a notification if the target is Online, Offline, or Slain.

______________________________

“And you’re wrong about him not having a High Ranked Skill. If you’ve watched and read the contents of the Amradias Incident through the blogs of HeroSeeker, you’ll realize that this Grimm had acquired an A Rank Skill even before the other six.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” said Lozz. “He has the Phantasmal Blade. And according to the final part of the Amradias Incident blog, it’s the other Sacred Art aside from the one that the Six Heroes received.”

“Fine, points taken,” Shuyin acknowledged. “But that doesn’t still answer my question. Why do you consider him as a bigger threat?” Yes, he might have an A Rank Skill but the comparison between him and the Six Heroes is still 6:1.

“Because he’s a real deal,” Uriel answered for Kratus. “Unlike those six wannabees loitering in Komina right now, this Grimm punk has real power and a brain to complement with it and in a virtual reality game like this, that kind of player is the most dangerous type to have as an enemy.”

Kratus nodded. All that Uriel mentioned are exactly what he desires to imply. “That’s why as we speak, Demetri is in the North and tracking his exact location. I want ensure this early on if he can be a friend or not, so we can prepare the appropriate countermeasure if ever it’s turns out to be the latter. I do not want to have a big hindrance suddenly bursting in front of me once we began to mobilize our plans.”

All the Executives understood Kratus’ concerns and treated the matter with thorough urgency.

“Brahma, I’ll leave this to you. Depending on what Demetri will report, you’ll be responsible in handling this matter.”

“Understood,” was Brahma’s reply.

“As for the other six that are in Komina right now. They’re not a big threat but as Shuyin mentioned, it’s a different story if one of our top competitor gets involved.” Kratus said and then stared at the Executive sitting at the furthest right. “Hammond, I’m assigning you to monitor them and the Unholy Guild. In any case that the Unholy Guild makes a move, don’t hesitate and initiate any necessary measures.”

“Aye!”

“And for the rest, thoroughly hone your respective divisions. The day of our conquest is at bay.”

“Yes sir!” “Aye!” “Aye~aye.” The other Executives answered at once.

“That would be all for this meeting. Dismissed.”

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Louisville, Kentucky

United States, Year 2111

“Hey Kaiser?” Lester called out to his cousin the moment that they exited their Simulation Capsules.

“Yeah?”

“The name Grimm, does the IGN ring a bell on you?”

Kaiser immediately shook his head. “No. Nothing that I could remember. Why? Have we encountered him before?”

Lester stiffened for a split a second, deliberating. And then shook his head. “Nope. But I probably have read it somewhere. You know, the name is kind of cool and fancy.”

“Well, his name wouldn’t be so cool and fancy if he becomes a thorn in our throats,” Kaiser said and exited their Game Room.

When his cousin was gone, Lester breathed out a deep sigh. ‘Man, should I really keep it from him?’

During that time, Kaiser was too shock to remember…no, maybe it’s more appropriate to say that he was too shock to even notice that detail. But more than four years ago, they really did encounter the name Grimm in a certain game and it was not just any ordinary game, but the game where Kaiser was once hailed as being the strongest.

Seven years ago, and six years prior to the launching of Eternal Empire, the most popular game that was produced by Jenova Corp was the mixed martial arts game, Battle Fight Royale. Its substance is similar to the renowned Yu-Gi-Oh’s Dueling Arena except that the holographic fighters that are battling inside of these arenas are not monster cards but the avatars that the players had created and designed themselves. And at each end of these Arenas are sealed Scanning Pods where the players control their respected avatars through actual body movements.

This great game, Battle Fight Royale, had enthralled both Lester and Kaiser into playing. And Kaiser, being the bigger gaming enthusiast and the more competitive between the two of them got more submitted into playing.

Kaiser and his avatar, Kratus then began participating into competitions and tournaments, and winning all of them with ease. And why couldn’t he? Kaiser is a black belt in both Karate and Taekwondo and is also very active in practicing Boxing. Not to mention that his uncle, Kaiser’s dad is very wealthy man. And being an only son, he has all the money he could ask for to spend for the best equipment and skills for his avatar.

Eventually, Kaiser’s power and ranking rose until he conquered the International and then reached the World Battle Fight Royale Competition. And with his flawless fighting techniques and extreme cleverness in managing his equipment and skills, the result of the World Competition was a complete blow out on his favor.

However, four years ago, after Kaiser successfully defended his World Title for 2 straight years, in an uneventful Saturday morning, the two of them along with three of their friends decided to crash a local arcade to play some games.

And as expected, the fans and game enthusiasts of the Battle Fight Royale present in that establishment instantly recognized him. They asked for pictures and autographs but most of all they requested to personally see the World Champion in action.

Of course, Kaiser being nice to his fans, agreed to show them a few fights.

Unfortunately, those fights were dull and redundant. All of those that challenged Kaiser didn’t even last a minute against him. They were completely overwhelmed by the power of Kratus. And after ten straight landslide wins, no one was left willing to challenge him.

But when Kaiser was about to exit the Scanning Pod, a new challenger suddenly entered the opposite Pod. And Kaiser seeing no reason to refuse had accepted the new challenge. After all, he can end the battle in a minute or two.

When the holograms of their respective avatars were projected into the ring, Lester observed Kratus’ opponent like he always does. And though the build of the avatar is good and well balanced, it lacks the basic equipment and skills, making it obvious that its owner is a complete beginner. And Lester immediately concluded back then that Kaiser and Kratus will easily win.

But shockingly and unexpectedly, an opposite result transpired. Kaiser didn’t just lose, he was completely obliterated.

When the First Round commence, Kratus was bombarded by three successive kicks in the head that instantly resulted into a KO.

Shock by that outcome and assumed that he was just caught off-guard, Kaiser gets more serious the next round. He activated his best defensive and offensive skills to secure the win for the Second Round and push the match to a Sudden Death. However, the result remains the same. With movements that neither Kaiser nor the onlookers of the match could follow, the challenger shattered Kratus again in just three moves and in less than 10 seconds.

Refusing to admit that he, the World Champion was pathetically defeated, Kaiser requested for a rematch, a rematch that still ended with his defeat. And then the ‘rematch’ became ‘rematches’. Kaiser tried again and again to defeat this nameless opponent. He even changed his equipment, skill sequence and fighting method at each try, but he was still destroyed very easily.

Unfortunately, like adding an insult to the already severe injury, the consecutive and pathetic defeats, as it turns out that day, were not even the most shameful part of that incident.

When the opposing player finally refused to honor yet another rematch, Kaiser, who still wants to have one more try, was followed by Lester when he went to the opposite side confront the nameless player. But much to their shock and disbelief, the player who exited the opposing Scanning Pod was…a kid!

He’s a little taller for his age but it’s very obvious on his youthful appearance that his age is only around eleven or twelve.

Which means…that Kaiser was completely beaten by an Elementary kid!

Due to shock, both he and Kaiser just gaped and watched the kid as he walked further and further away from them. And it was too late when they finally snapped and resumed chasing him. He was already being ushered by two tough looking men in shades and black suits, probably his bodyguards, out of the arcade and into a car.

When they asked the Arcade Attendant who was among the shock audience of the fight if he knew that kid or if he is a regular, the Attendant answered both questions with a yes and no. Yes, he knew the kid and no, he’s not a regular. He’s a foreigner staying at the Hotel where the Attendant also works as a bellhop. He once carried his bags, they got acquainted, he introduced this place to him, and since then he had been regularly visiting the arcade. But that’s all the interaction he had with him. They never talked again and he doesn’t even know his name.

Still not giving up in avenging his shameful defeat, Kaiser returned to the arcade the next day and waited for the kid to arrive. However, according to the Attendant, the kid and his family had already checked out of the hotel last night and had probably flew back home.

In the end, Kaiser didn’t get the rematch that he wants and on that day, with Lester as his witness, Kaiser’s pride was completely and irrevocably trampled and his life was tainted with a shame that will never be washed away.

And to make matters worse, the incident had also left him traumatized. The memory of that defeat pained Kaiser so much that he rid himself of everything that will remind him of that nightmarish part of his life. He stopped playing Battle Fight Royale and any other virtual games. He forfeited his World Championship Title and withdraws his self from their friends and the public.

Thankfully, time healed him. Along with the support of his family and friends, he gradually recovered and resumed playing games. However, the trauma and the healing process had somehow turned him twisted, vengeful, and short-tempered. He ceased playing games just for fun and solely does it now to crush his enemies and prove his power.

Kaiser doesn’t want to admit it but Lester knew that deep down, his cousin’s heart is still trapped in that day four years ago and is still constantly fighting, and probably still losing, against that nameless kid.

‘Yup, I should really keep it from him,’ Lester finally decided.

Like what mentioned earlier, Kaiser was too shock to have noticed it but they really did encounter the name Grimm. And it was the name of the Avatar used by the nameless kid who utterly destroyed Kaiser in Battle Fight Royale.

And it’s quite a coincident that an outstanding player with the same name emerged in Eternal Empire at exactly four years since the arcade incident when the nameless kid had most likely turned sixteen, the LVR-Age to play virtual reality games.

‘Knowing his personality, if he became aware of this, confirmed or not, he will surely hunt down that Grimm ‘til the end of the world for the chance for revenge.’ And with the way that things are going in Alvarez and in the Guild, that’s not going to be a good idea. Golden Cross is nearing the day where they will commence their conquest for Avelot and they can’t afford to have Kaiser getting swayed away from that goal.

However, if the real life alter ego of that Grimm really turns out to be the same kid that defeated Kaiser four years ago, then Golden Cross’ current countermeasure won’t be enough to subdue him even with Brahma’s supervision. The one most suitable to handle the situation should be Kaiser himself.

Therefore, Lester is caught into picking between two bad future scenarios. It’s either Kaiser will go after this Grimm and let the future of the Golden Cross Guild crumble or Grimm will be left to gradually gain power that someday might become a colossal obstacle for them.

Well, he would prefer the latter. After all, it’s still all unproven speculations and he’s praying so much to God that he’s damn wrong or else, he and the entire Golden Cross Guild will face a very huge crisis in the future.