Chapter 179 : Chapter 179
Chapter 179 : Bikers (2)
I don't know if the person using the nickname Ballak is really the Newbie Hunter.
However, what Ballak argues almost coincides with what the Newbie Hunter argues.
‘By the looks of it, it seems it's really the Newbie Hunter himself.’
The reason Ballak, who had not revealed himself in the Anonymous Bulletin Board until now, wrote such a post even revealing his nickname was obvious.
‘He must have thought things shouldn't stay like this.’
Ballak is a person who is greatly concerned about the danger possessed by Ascension Stone Fragments.
And that concern is probably related to the goddess's revelation that Ballak himself claims to have received.
In such a situation, the Anonymous Bulletin Board public opinion tilting extremely to one side would not be what Ballak wants.
‘Anyway, it's not just players returning to Earth....... There is room to think about this part.’
Not anything else, but that part was one of the worst assumptions I had implicitly thought of.
What on earth happens when the door connecting this world and Earth opens?
It would be fortunate if simply players could return to Earth, but what if that's not all, like the concern of Ballak who received the revelation?
What if things of this world cross over to Earth one by one?
In the scene the Ascension Stone Fragment showed me, returnees who went back to Earth reigned like kings and gods possessing the player's body.
That soon implies that the connection between this world and Earth became connected in a material sense, not simply souls being transferred.
Nevertheless, the Ascension Stone Fragment did not show me such scenes at all.
Rather, it only showed me the loneliness and solitude I would experience when not opening the door, along with the glory I could enjoy if I opened the door.
Considering just that, since the intention possessed by the Ascension Stone Fragment was already clear, the speculation that it intentionally omitted some information was quite reasonable.
‘If existences of this world really become able to cross over to Earth when the door opens?’
If it's just demonic beasts, it would be somewhat okay, but threatening existences existing in this world were not simply just demonic beasts.
Transcendent existences like demons or spirits existed in this world, and the moment such existences become able to influence Earth, I dared not know what would happen.
Because I don't know, I also had no choice but to be cautious if possible.
‘Let's watch a bit more for now.’
I moved my gaze to the Anonymous Bulletin Board.
Topics related to the ‘door’ were continuing constantly within the Anonymous Bulletin Board.
The door must not be opened.
Opening the door is a dangerous act.
Such assertions by Ballak naturally had no choice but to cause reverberations for Anonymous Bulletin Board users.
-What kind of bullshit is it that it's not just us returning to Earth?
-Trolling is sick lol
-But isn't Ballak an old ranker nickname? Is it Ballak himself?
-Don't feed the troll.
Some users ignored Ballak's post, but other users did not just dismiss Ballak's warning lightly.
-Is it Ballak himself?
-Wow, I was wondering why Ballak wasn't seen, don't tell me he came here first? Then are all the people who quit the game here too? dd
-Wow, it's Ballak.
-Ballak hyung, do you remember me? You saved me when I was getting ganged up on by Kalgo bastards before.
That reason certainly included the name value the word Ballak possessed.
Although it is a glory of the past, it is also true that the nickname Ballak once caused a great stir in the World of Justice.
One of the common misconceptions people make is mistaking the words of a famous person as very authoritative words, and that was applying equally to the famous person Ballak.
-Wouldn't there be a reason for Ballak to speak up to that extent?
-Come to think of it, isn't a door originally something that stays open once opened? You don't know what might come and go through that open door.
-Hmm... That's true too. If that door opens, wouldn't things like demonic beasts also go to Earth?
-That's a bit too much.
Before long, several players began to express opinions regarding the concern I harbored, a word or two at a time.
It was natural.
The place called Earth is a place where their precious family, friends, and lovers are, beyond simply being a hometown for players.
No one wanted such a place to become dangerous.
-Then even if we assume we open that thing called the door, it means Earth could be f*cked because of that?
-Wow... Is that so?
-Hey, what does it matter if a few demonic beasts go. If we return with player bodies too, we can just kill the demonic beasts.
Of course, there was also backlash.
In fact, for high-level players, existence called demonic beasts was not such a fearful existence no matter if hundreds of them rushed in.
Even if it were a King of the Demonic Realm, if players gathered in guild units, it was an existence that could be hunted sufficiently, so it was not unreasonable to think like that.
-But is there meaning for a few demonic beasts to come in front of modern weapons? Even if all demonic beasts in the Demonic Realm cross over, I think they'll be cleaned up with one nuke.
-fr lol
-In the first place, the average level of players now is different from before. Is there a need to be afraid of demonic beasts?
-I acknowledge that.
Before they knew it, two opinions began to clash tightly in the Anonymous Bulletin Board, and naturally, the heat of the Anonymous Bulletin Board became overheated.
-No matter what, I want to go back home... I hate living here until I die.
-No matter what, I hate my family becoming endangered because of my greed... I'll just rot alone here.
-Hey, in the first place, from our perspective, is it any of our business whether Earth becomes dangerous or not? Rather, shouldn't we use that to hunt a few demonic beasts and live the easy life?
-└This bastard has no mom or dad. I saw it fr.
-I miss mom.
Seeing that, I could feel it instinctively.
That the war between Bellerophon and Demonic persons happening on the other side of this world right now will not be simply a war of only them.
Players will be divided.
And the flow of that division will become a huge current that dare not be stopped and begin to flow.
“Tsk.”
Checking the Anonymous Bulletin Board, I closed the board.
Because the sight of people splitting in two and starting to fight while throwing all sorts of personal attacks at each other was not very pleasant.
‘I didn't know I would see such a sight even in this world.......’
Originally, conflict is inevitable when people gather, but at least until now, there was a little bit of some kind of bond between players of this world.
However, from this moment, that bond will gradually disappear.
‘For now, I have no choice but to do what I can.’
I moved my steps.
***
As soon as I entered the Azor Great Forest region, a vast forest welcomed me.
Since Azor Great Forest was one of the regions with particularly low population density even within the Empire, villages or settlements where people gathered and lived were extremely rare inside here.
Even if not as much as the Demonic Realm, Azor Great Forest itself had so many demonic beasts, and since southern desert peoples occasionally came in and out, it was a place not very good for Empire citizens to live in.
In other words, from now on, I have to procure food locally until I achieve my purpose, and I have to camp unconditionally for sleep.
‘It would be better if I arrived at the coastal city at least.......’
Brindell, the coastal city revealed when reaching the western end of the continent beyond the Azor Great Forest, boasts a population density considered next to the Imperial Capital even within the Empire.
Should I say it feels like people who should have lived spread out in the vast area of Azor Great Forest gathered in one place to live?
The problem was that I couldn't know yet whether my destination required passing through Brindell or not.
Of course, to obtain information about Bikers and the Twilight Troupe, it would be wise to go to Brindell where people are gathered for now, but.......
‘The process of going is not very easy.’
The location of Brindell was located at the end of the western coast of the Lagna Continent beyond the Azor Great Forest, and naturally, to head to Brindell through the inland, I had to pass through the Great Forest.
Therefore, usually when heading to Brindell from the Empire, it was common to move by sea route from other coastal cities, but I, whose destination was not yet specified, couldn't do that.
‘Even if it's a bit troublesome, it can't be helped.’
My plan established like that was quite simple.
First, cross the Azor Great Forest and head to Brindell Port.
In that process, if I discover information or traces about Bikers and the Twilight Troupe, I pursue, and if I can't, I head to Brindell Port and obtain information.
Simple but quite a decent plan, I thought so myself.
The Azor Great Forest is like a huge labyrinth.
Once entered, since it's just trees and bushes everywhere, it's not only not easy to get bearings inside here, but even if one gets bearings, it's easy to get lost.
Above all, inside Azor Great Forest, compasses also become useless due to special magnetic fields, so getting bearings was not an easy task at all.
Of course, nevertheless, since I knew methods to grasp the bearing through the stumps of trees and the position of stars, getting bearings wasn't difficult.
‘First, arriving at the central area of the Azor Great Forest would be a priority.’
In the central area of Azor Great Forest, a special place called the Dragon's Grave exists.
Considering the distinctiveness the place called Dragon's Grave possesses, if Bikers or the Twilight Troupe are plotting some kind of scheme, the probability was high that it would be there or near there.
‘I can just go and see.’
How many hours has it been since I entered the Azor Great Forest in earnest?
The horse I rode collapsed helplessly.
Looking at the traces, as it got bitten here and there by mosquitoes or leeches in the Great Forest, it couldn't endure and died.
‘As expected, it becomes like this.’
One of the reasons people don't live in the Azor Great Forest.
Too many pests including mosquitoes lived here to suit the humid climate and dense environment.
Although pests piercing my skin, a Level 6 player and possessor of the Destruction Dragon's Demonic energy, and drawing blood didn't happen, the horse was not so.
Of course, I could have driven them away by emitting Demonic energy, but the problem was that if I did such a thing, the horse I was riding would have been affected first.
Should I say I might burn down the cottage while trying to catch bedbugs?
Anyway, the horses that were two when I first departed from the Imperial Capital were all gone now as the last one collapsed.
It was time to move on foot helplessly.
This also lasted several hours because I took some anti-mosquito measures in advance; if I hadn't done even this, the horse would have died within tens of minutes of entering the Great Forest.
‘Well, it's not necessarily only bad things.’
If there is one fortunate thing, it was that thanks to the Orb of Water, I didn't have to taste the terrible high temperature and humidity climate, the worst inside the Great Forest, as it is.
The journey continued.
No matter if pests including mosquitoes couldn't affect me, I couldn't help them enter my nostrils or mouth while breathing.
“Euek, ptui ptui!”
Having no choice, I had to raise a certain level of Demonic energy and kill all approaching pests.
Most demonic beasts would lower their tails on their own and not even come near at the presence I emit, but bugs seemed to have no such thing.
The journey continued.
Walking like that, repeating camping for a few days, before I knew it, I was able to arrive at the central area of Azor Great Forest.
And I saw.
‘Corpses?’
A place not far from the Dragon's Grave.
Corpses were lined up there.
Not one or two, but a whopping dozens of corpses.
Judging by the attire or armed state, they looked like corpses of warriors of the southern desert zone or people of the desert region.
‘People of the southern desert zone came all the way here and died?’
It is true that people of the southern desert zone occasionally reveal themselves in Azor Great Forest, but it is only occasionally.
The majority of desert tribes didn't think of entering up to the central area of Azor Great Forest.
There was nothing to gain by going all the way there needlessly without even camels, and it was dangerous in the first place.
But what does it mean that corpses of this scale were discovered in such a place?
‘By the looks of it, I think I found it.’
It is time to hunt.