Child of Destiny

Green Marbly Kingdom, Monolith Forest.

This was one of the high-level maps within the kingdom, located directly beside one of the entrances to the great Raja Desert.

None of the local powers had managed to dominate this high-level map because it was where most of the top experts from the southeastern part of the kingdom usually gathered.

Even with the influence of the Desert Sun Coalition and the alliance between the Illusion Dream and Mirage Soul Guilds, the map remained outside their control despite their desire to conquer it.

One of the main reasons was its location.

It lay directly between the territories controlled by these Powerhouse Guilds, meaning any attempt to seize it would inevitably bring them into direct conflict.

A war between them would be unavoidable if either side made a move to claim the map.

Neither side would be willing to back down—a Hyper Guild with overwhelming numbers on one side, and an alliance between two Ultra Guilds backed by Dream Entertainment on the other.

With the manpower and resources at their disposal, a massive war was bound to erupt the moment either side made a move.

However, the leaders of these guilds were quickly discouraged whenever they considered the true ruler of this map.

The White Ash Tribe, one of the local NPC tribes residing within the area.

This NPC tribe wasn’t aggressive despite the constant conflicts throughout the kingdom. They were more than willing to remain within their territory and stay out of the power struggles between the other factions.

As for resources, the White Ash Tribe was skilled in hunting. Whenever they needed food, they would simply venture into the Raja Desert and hunt a few monsters, which provided more than enough to sustain the tribe.

They also controlled one of the medium-sized oases within the area, which was more than sufficient to support their entire population.

Naturally, the other tribes near their territory coveted such a valuable resource. However, they were immediately discouraged whenever they considered the White Ash Tribe.

The tribe’s military might was far superior to theirs, and they wouldn’t dare provoke such a powerful tribe that stood much higher in the local hierarchy.

Additionally, the terrain of the map greatly favored the White Ash Tribe in warfare.

The enormous monoliths that dotted the region had become natural barriers against invading forces, which the tribe had learned to use to their advantage.

Thus, the White Ash Tribe remained the dominant force within this territory.

The tribe had built settlements throughout the map for its members, which players regularly used as places to rest and replenish their supplies.

The White Ash Tribe wasn’t particularly resistant toward the players, as these Otherworldly Individuals provided them with resources they could exchange for their local products.

They could also offer various services to players in exchange for money or large quantities of food supplies brought in from outside the region.

At the same time, they could provide players with quests that were regularly issued by the chiefs of the tribal council.

After learning about the advantages these Otherworldly Individuals possessed, particularly their ’blessing of immortality,’ the White Ash Tribe had gradually grown more accepting of them.

Players would constantly return to life even after dying in battle.

Although the death penalty for dying in the wild had become much harsher after the recent game updates, particularly with the addition of a full-day ban in real-world time, players could still respawn, nonetheless.

To the NPCs, this ’blessing’ was nothing short of miraculous.

It was also because of this that the White Ash Tribe entrusted players with some of the more dangerous tasks—even tasks that were considered too risky for their own tribe members.

Over time, this relationship became the foundation of the players’ standing within the region.

The players and the NPCs helped one another, allowing the community within the Monolith Forest to flourish.

It had also become another reason for the two neighboring Powerhouse Forces to avoid causing trouble in the area.

After all, they wouldn’t only be provoking the players based there, but also the White Ash Tribe itself, which had come to regard these players as part of their community.

Thus, the Monolith Forest had become an independent territory that no one wanted to provoke.

It was because of the region’s conditions and strategic location that many experts had decided to settle here despite its considerable distance from the kingdom’s capital.

Not only did they have access to a thriving community within the region, but they also had immediate access to the high-level neutral region beside it—the great Raja Desert.

It was somewhat similar to the Sky Deceiving Valley of the Saint Heaven Kingdom, which was directly connected to its own neighboring high-level neutral region, the Frozen Kingdom.

The main difference between the two was who controlled the area.

The Sky Deceiving Valley was the fief Shin had received after becoming a Duke of the Saint Heaven Kingdom, making him the dominant ruler of the region.

It was also where he and Shiella had established their main base, Gold Mountain.

Monolith Forest, on the other hand, was a prosperous community that had developed through the coexistence of players and NPCs within the region.

...

One of the groups that had decided to settle in the area as their main base of operations was the Desert Bandits.

Even though they were quite notorious throughout the kingdom and accepted any commission offered to them, they had still established their main base in this region.

Whenever their members weren’t out on a commission, they would return to this place, treating it as their home within the game.

They were also one of the larger groups operating in the area, which was why they were feared by most of the players residing there.

Not only were they notoriously tyrannical, but they were also the type of people who would crush anyone who dared challenge their authority.

They had even built a settlement of their own in one of the richer parts of the map, allowing them to act as the local tyrants of the area.

However, these tyrannical figures, who usually acted like the local kings of the map, were currently behaving meekly before the true monster right in front of them.

Khavin, the so-called Big Boss of the mercenary company, was sitting nervously inside the commander’s tent of their settlement.

Serv, his right-hand man, stood behind him. Yet even this notorious Peak Maverick Ranker was feeling tense at this moment because of the person sitting across from them.

The five captains of the Desert Bandits, who usually carried themselves with the aloofness of some of the strongest experts in the area, had likewise lowered their heads, not daring to stare too long at the people before them.

If anyone from the region were to witness this scene, they would be incredibly surprised.

After all, it was well known that even the council members of the Desert Sun Coalition and the leaders of the Illusion Dream and Mirage Soul Guilds couldn’t easily command the respect of these people.

But at this moment, all the executive members of the notorious Desert Bandits weren’t merely being respectful toward their visitors.

There was also unmistakable fear in their eyes.

But they couldn’t be blamed.

After all, the people right in front of them weren’t just the leaders of some Powerhouse Force.

They were Gods of the Game—people they would rarely have the chance to meet, let alone face.

And among them, one person in particular was seated directly across from Khavin.

Battle God Sickarius.

Khavin might have been confident enough to face any other Godlike Player or Maverick God in the game.

However, even his Peak Titled Ranker strength meant nothing before this person.

Even his proud title of Black Saber seemed insignificant in comparison.

Forget about a Godlike Title—even the random titles held by Shin carried far greater weight than his meager Ranker Title.

"It’s... It’s an honor to meet the great Battle God," Khavin stuttered as he greeted Shin.

He then swallowed nervously before carefully asking, "May I know what business the Battle God has to grace us with his majestic presence?"

The corner of Shin’s mouth twitched when he heard the compliment. For a moment, he almost wanted to beat the man in front of him.

Fortunately, he was wearing his signature mask, which concealed his somewhat embarrassed expression.

After all, he wasn’t Arthur, who enjoyed being the center of attention and welcomed all the absurd praise thrown at him.

However, Shin also knew that he had to get used to it. Given his resounding fame throughout the game and the prestige his title now carried, such reactions were becoming increasingly common.

"Pfft!"

Owen, who was standing right behind Shin, failed to fully suppress his laughter.

Shin merely gave the knight a sidelong glance over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Khavin.

He stared at the latter for quite a while, causing the Big Boss of the Desert Bandits to tense up under his intimidating gaze.

After a few more moments, Shin finally asked, "Have you not heard what I said earlier?"

Hearing this, Khavin finally snapped out of his daze. "Ah! Right! The commission! That’s right... the commission!"

He kept repeating the same words, almost making himself look like an idiot.

Shin sighed when he saw this, beginning to doubt whether it had really been a good idea to use these people for the task he had prepared.

Several seconds later, he asked, "Do you think your people are daring enough to fight against a Powerhouse Force?"

The instant the question left his mouth, the entire tent fell into complete silence.

......

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