ACT 9 Caretaker of the Battlefield

Alan!

Arks eyes quickly looked around after hearing Raidens voice. He was soon able to see Alan wielding his sword along with the cavalry troops in the middle of the battlefield.

Okay, I wont stop until I take him out this time!

Dark Eden troops depart, attack Alans unit!

Ah, Ark-nim. What about us?

Baron asked in a surprised voice.After Ark led Dark Eden to destroy the Defense Tower, Barons attitude had a complete 180 degree change. His personality was the type that would prostrate himself if he judged that someone was superior to him.

Protect Raiden!

Ark replied with annoyance and approached Alans cavalry troops. Now that Alan appeared, he had no interest in Fugetsu.Alan was leading the 20 man cavalry unit as well as 100 soldiers through the battlefield.The pioneers including Jewel and Duke were confronting him. But even the pioneers of New World were pushed back by Alan and his cavalry unit.

Ugh, whats with these monster like fellows.!

Your best dark attribute magic only did 10% damage at most to them?

These bastards, what on earth are their levels?

All 20 paladins are wearing gloves that have recovery magic!

Then Ark jumped into the battlefield leading Dark Eden.

Sir Cross, you and your soldiers take up defensive stances and prevent enemy attacks! The raccoons and thieves, please shoot the enemies with cannons while supporting Sir Cross. Roco, assist from a distance! And JusticeMan ajusshi, Hyungs and the Meowtake care of the fighting!

Okay!

Bang bang double bang!

When Arks troops stormed in, a violent sound was immediately heard.Thanks to the influence of JusticeMans Tactics III, the NPCs followed Arks commands perfectly.

That fellow!

Cross prevented the enemies offensive using the shield while pointing at a priest. A bullet flew 40 feet across the battlefield.Its damage couldnt even be compared with normal arrows!It was difficult for even a warrior to endure without dying. Much less compared to the priest wearing robes with much lower defense. The priests health quickly reached the bottom and he collapsed.

Huhuhu, the enemy wont stop with just this! It reminds me of the time I was stranded in the middle of an uprising! Good, the more the better!

It reminds me of the incident in the nightclub.

Its time to show our true characters! Come on.these beep-beep bastards!

JusticeMan and the rehabilitation members jumped into the battle with excited faces. But it was the Meow who went through a complete reversal.Ark had not seen the Meow fight yet.While the Meow clan fought in the battle against Debra, there was no chance for during when fighting Andel. The Meow also didnt want to go underground so they did not participate in the destruction of the Defense Tower. The cat was a really selfish species, who he had only seen eating and eating..it was to the extent that Ark thought he brought them for no reason.

But that thought was completely blown away in this fight.

Lets show them why were called the best warrior beast species!

Ill show you how an elegant cat fights.

Suuk, sasasak, seokeok!

The Meows battle was truly phenomenal.They used incredibly quick foot movements that couldnt be seen, and then avoided attacks using their flexibility before jumping across several metres to deal damage!

Yes, he had forgotten for a while-no, he just did not believe-but the Meow were descendants from Hero Maban! Once Ark switched jobs to Dark Walker, the skills he learnt were originally from the Meow.They were a naturally gifted warrior clan!

Huhuhu, slow, slow, too slow!

The Meow quickly avoided the sword and attacked in the weak spot.Ark looked for weaknesses using Eyes of the Cat. However, the Meow were the origin of the cat eyes. Even if they didnt use the skill, the Meow could just look and they would see the weaknesses.In addition, they were born with Arks Cat Paws. Their sharpened nails pierced the areas that the armour exposed such as neck and wrist and tore the flesh.

What, what the? Who are they?

What kind of NPCs are they? First there is the raccoons firing the cannons, and now isnt that a cat?

What kind of quests would you have to do to be able to hire these mercenaries?

It wasnt only the people in Dawn Blade, but the Hermes Alliance was also watching in confusion. But the person who had the most brilliant performance was of course Ark!

The reward was worth going through all that trouble!

Ark ran around the battlefield pushing back enemies.The Dawn Blade members mostly consisted of candidates. Only they would be so enthusiastic about the game. But he confirmed that they were only around level 150 using Eyes of the Cat. The highest level users were no more than level 150.On the other hand, Arks level was 159!With his darkness attribute bonus it was 222!

He was finally receiving some compensation for not sleeping a lot.Dying and then coming back to find yourself at a higher level than other users.wasnt that a glorious moment for all users?Of course other professions had abilities that increased the stats or gave special effects, none of them could beat Ark in a 1-on-1 fight. With his dark attribute bonus, it wasnt even hard to fight 5 people at once.It was the result of grinding! And.

That warrior is using the skill Shield Shock!

Once Ark saw the warriors pull their shields, he was able to read their attack patterns.Thanks to the Evil Silrion, he was able to see the skills of most professions and read their attacks by looking at the special movement.Ark reflexively closed the distance, avoided the shield and attacked at the weak point. After the practical training at the gym, his transitions were so fast and sharp it couldnt even be compared to before.

In the past I didnt even dare fight against other candidates but now..Ive become stronger!

He was stronger than other candidates.That meant he had a higher chance to pass the entrance examination.Since his confidence increased, Arks movements became livelier. The battle situation once again became strained thanks to that. Alan became confused because he never thought that Dark Eden would have such achievements.

Ugh, what on earth are these NPCs? Huh?

Just then the sharp sparkle of a sword appeared in front of him.Alan reflexively lifted his sword and a sharp clanging sound rang out.3~4 warriors died as he leapt forward and struck a blow on the shield.Rough curses flew from Alans mouth as he confirmed who it was.

Ark, you bastard.!

Ark had confirmed that it was Alan from a distance and ran towards him.

Why are you surprised? You were the one who called me here. Isnt that right?

What are you saying?

Well? Didnt you dare me to come here?

You cheeky bastard! Shield Blow!

Alan ran to him with his shield raised.However Ark quickly lowered his body and counterattacked with Dark Blade. It signalled the start of the wild clash between Ark and Alan.

Holy Knight and Dark Walker!

Two people who walked the road in different directions yet they were destined to clash. No, if only the facts were looked at then Ark would be inferior in strength.Alan had always been ahead of him from the beginner so he was like a tough mountain pass Ark had to climb. But..

Alandoesnt seem as strong as I thought!

After receiving Alans attack, Ark felt quite confident.As Dark Walker was a hidden profession, he received a 40% bonus in the dark which was something general users would have a hard time imagining. The bonus was how Ark had managed to defeat opponents a lot stronger than him.It was evening at the moment so the perfect for a Dark Walker.

However, Alan was not an ordinary user. He also had one of the hidden professions. Moreover, his character was that of a hero walking in the light. He also received a bonus of course. While Ark received a bonus in the dark, Alan received a bonus proportional to the number of troops he led. The more troops he commanded the higher his stats would rise. And if he was on a warhorse, there was a slight boost to his damage and defense.After the bonus stats were applied, they were almost equal!The rest of it was levels and skills!

Alans level is lower than mine!

After checking with Eyes of the Cat, Alans level was surprisingly lower than Arks.Ark was level 159. Alan was level 158. At one time he was an opponent that Ark had to crane his neck to look up at. But after several months had passed, Ark was now ahead. It was an inevitable result. No matter how much bonuses and experiences he got from being in a party, Alan had focused on creating a guild and capturing the castle while Ark had only focused on hunting.

Ark had continued to hunt and hunt while sleeping less. Any turtle could overtake a rabbit if it was sleeping. Especially if the turtle had a motor attached to its foot!

I can win. I can take Alan down here!

However, the situation was not as simple as he thought.It wasnt a 1-on-1 fight but a bloody battlefield with hundreds of users. Unlike Ark, Alan also had strong support in the form of his cavalry unit. If Ark pushed Alan back even a little bit then a cavalry member would rush over and attack.

Ugh, whats with these bastards?

Alan had stumbled after Ark kicked him in the knee.When he had the perfect opportunity for continuous attacks, the cavalry unit interrupted again.Meanwhile, the other paladin poured recovery magic at Alan.Of course Ark also had his health restored thanks to Rocos help. Thanks to that both of them were unable to strike the killing blow.

Damn, this would normally be the time to use Blade Storm..

In this melee it wasnt as simple as it sounded. Arks ultimate skill was Blade Storm. When used correctly, its destructive power was enormous. But to use Blade Storm he had to take a sword out of his bag. And the preliminary action to trigger it was more time-consuming than his other skills. It wasnt a skill that he could use against Alan.

I have to use a more advanced skill!

If Alan saw any signs then he would immediately disrupt the offensive.Ark was the same as well. If he saw signs that Alan was using a dangerous skill then he would immediately disrupt it.Since they both had hidden professions, the power of their best skill would be unimaginable. In such a situation, the person who managed to use the skill would strike the killing blow. It was like they both had access to nuclear bombs but were fighting with rifles.

That Ark, when did he become this strong? Its not simply a problem of his level. Something else.

Alan was unclear about the situation.At that time, two unexpected variables entered the fight.

God dammit, die! Burning Force!

Jewel who was fighting the cavalry unit cast a spell.It was a powerful magic from a level 180 pioneer!However, it just bounced off the overlapping reflection shield that the cavalry troops created. The intention was probably to have the magic bounce off and hit the enemy troops.But ironically, the magic flew behind the enemy line to where Ark and Alan were having their bloody battle.

Ah, Sir Alan!

Alan reflexively raised a reflective shield after hearing the paladins shout.It was an intense magic!It caused a violent impact which shook the shield.

Ah!

Alan shook and fell off his horse.

Its a chance! That guy fell off his horse!

If we catch him then its Hermes victory!

At the same time, the Hermes Alliance flocked at the opportunity. After the close fight with Ark, his health had fallen to 30%! Fortunately the 20 Holy Paladins stopped the Hermes Alliance and protected Alan. They had swift agility!However, Alan had no interest in the Hermes Alliance.

Ark..!

Alan stiffened and turned his head. The person who was closely approachinghis nemesis, Ark!During the confusion Ark didnt miss the opportunity.

Thanks to the impact from falling off his horse, he must be stiff! In this situation he wont be able to disrupt my skill. Theres also no time for the Holy Paladins to use their recovery magic! It is the ideal chance!

Ark ignored the attacks flying around him and shouted.

Snake, Magic Swords!

He didnt want to give Alan a chance to use recovery magic. Ark used a magic sword just in case.It was a magic sword that could be sold for 10 gold in stores!

Blade Storm!

Cracks spread like a spider web on the 100,000 won magic sword.Alan instinctively sensed that he was in a crisis.A formidable amount of magic seemed to be emanating from the cracking sword!In this condition he would surely die!If he died here then he would lose the castle!Panic spread throughout his body and he instinctively grabbed the nearest user.At the same time, a surprised word emerged from Arks mouth.

La-Lariette!

Ark-nim?

The person that Alan grabbed was Lariette of all people!Ark reflexively turned the sword. The users who were running on that side were unfortunately shredded by the 100,000 won Blade Storm. At that moment, Alans eyes lit up.

What a stupid guy, Grand Cross!

After receiving the recovery magic from 20 people, Alan used the Holy Knights strongest skill.Hundreds of lights shot from Alans sword into the sky. And it created a huge cross made of swords which plunged towards Ark.It was a holy scene, but to Ark it appeared like a reaper was swinging a huge scythe at him. And just before the giant scythe was about to pierce his neck, an angel flew in front of him.

No!

With her long hair flying, it was Roco who jumped in front of Ark.The black light pierced through Roco and into the ground.

R-Roco!

Ugh, our cutie!

Saint-nim! You.you bastard.!

JusticeMan, the rehabilitation members and the thieves headed towards Alan furiously. However, the cavalry troops blocked them before they could reach Alan and Ark and a fierce battle took place.Ark turned his head slowly away from Roco with vacant eyes.Lariette looked at Ark with guilt.

A, Ark-nim.!

Damn, Grand Cross!

No!

When Alan tried to use the skill again, Lariette shouted in surprise and grabbed his arm.Thanks to that it only skimmed Arks side but he still lost 500 health just from that. However, the damage was not the problem. When the sword of light flew past, he had been surrounded by the cavalry troops.Ark was hit repeatedly and was forced to withdraw.

Oh my God, I cant die here!

Slimes Time, NO1!

Since Ark was in a critical condition, he regretfully used the skill.

Slimes Time was something I learnt when I made the Slimes Immortality Pill.

It was a skill which could defend him from physical attacks by 100% for 10 minutes!When he used Slimes Time, Arks body was immediately covered in a smooth viscous liquid. Then Ark managed to withdraw from the paladins. It was the perfect invincible state!Ark easily ran away from the maces flying all over the place. However, there was a penalty for using Slimes Time.While it blocked attacks for 10 minutes, his sword couldnt inflict any damage.Even though he could see Alan, it wasnt possible for him to do anything.Meanwhile Alan got back on his horse and shouted.

Concentrate everything on your attack! Their recovery priests have all died!

Alan!

Ark was forced to just watch.While he had averted the attack on Lariette, he couldnt forgive killing Roco.

But

Ark wasnt so stupid that he would just blindly run up to Alan. Roco died in the game, but if Ark died here then there was no way to recover the 5,000 gold. Andeven if it wasnt Ark, there were already enough stupid people.

Huk, drat. Dammit!

Bul-kkun was impaled by a spear. In addition, Jjak-tung and Yapsab were also in a critical condition and close to dying.Thanks to their fury over Roco, they just fought randomly. But that wasnt the problem.Roco was the only person who could use recovery magic in Dark Eden.With her Gentle Reverberation, the recovery magic was even able to be stacked 3 times. After Roco died, Dark Eden was immediately on the defensive.5 Sylphid Knights had already died while 4 Meow had collapsed. Thankfully the raccoons were still intact, but the thieves had rushed towards Roco and 12 of them died from the cavalry units attack. Frankly, their deaths caused more pain to Ark than Rocos did.

Roco would revive perfectly fine tomorrow.But once the NPCs died then it was the end.So he had put all the effect into building intimacy for nothing. But was that all? Ark was the one who dragged them into the battle.If they were all wiped out? While he wasnt sure about the thieves, his intimacy with Jacksons Lord, the Meow elders and the raccoon clan representatives would be negatively affected. No, there was no need to think. When Dark Eden started to be pushed, the Hermes Alliance that had managed to maintain its balance started to wobble.

They didnt have a lot of recovery potions left.On the other hand, the 20 mounted troops could all use recovery magic..

Nevertheless, Ark couldnt attack the enemies for 10 minutes.

If the formation collapses then it is the end!

Huk, A-Ark.!

Then, Cross was struck by a critical hit and stumbled.

Ah, no! Gather your energy! You might be tired but you still have strength left. Real courage isnt fighting for breath. Sometimes fighting to save lives is true courage! Wield your sword and shield to survive!

Ark desperately used Nursing.Nursing was not recovery magic. But if the spirit and courage rose then it could increase the recovery rate.And the blessing would increase various resistances and stats which would make the survival rate a little bit higher. Ark ran around the entire battlefield using Nursing. He was immortal so none of the attacks could stop him. But once the battle situation was pushed then it started to get out of control. Although there was a difference in power, their health and recovery potions in the Hermes Alliance were starting to run low.

Please gather your courage. You arent supposed to collapse! We can win!

So Ark used Nursing even when he got a sore throat.

Then..a miracle literally happened!

The Miracle Nursing was successful.

You have understood the deep sorrow of the heart on the battlefield.

The battlefield is a trench of endless sins. In the place where the importance is placed on a sword and shield, you have used your power to heal the wounded. With hundreds of enemies to fight, it takes great courage to heal instead of fight. Your heart has considered that saving lives is more important than killing. Thus you have given an impression of a strong attachment to life to many soldiers. You will also get a chance to save their lives.

* Due to the success of miracle nursing, all stats increase by 1.

* Affection increases by 10.

* Fame increases by 50.

* Alignment towards Good increases by 50.

* The defense of all allies increases by 20% for 2 hours.