Chapter 137 - Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords (6)
Crockta looked up at the night sky. It was the eve of the full moon. It had been several days since he first gave Kenzo the mission.
Tiyo and Anor had finished their sightseeing tour of Quantes and all the preparations were finished. They were leaving Quantes tomorrow. After leaving Quantes and Maillard, they were thinking of going to the southern part of the continent where Tiyo’s father was. It was also the place where the Heaven and Earth Clan was based, and they were one of Crockta’s targets.
He heard that the Heaven and Earth Clan might be related to his enemy, the Thawing Balhae Clan. Therefore, they would decide on their next move after purchasing information from Maillard’s Information Guild.
Apart from that, he also didn’t like the person called Choi Hansung. Someone needed to put a stop to the war he perpetrated. If he refused, Choi Hansung would get to see Crockta’s Ogre Slayer.
As he thought about the future, he noticed something moving in the darkness. Crockta turned his head and said, "You came."
It was Kenzo.
Crockta grinned. Kenzo’s appearance made it obvious as to what he had done. Kenzo was covered in blood. That wasn’t all. Crockta could feel something in him that wasn’t there before.
“You have reached the Pinnacle.”
Kenzo's atmosphere was different now. Now that he reached the early realm of the Pinnacle, he couldn’t be compared to other high-level users. The realm of the Pinnacle was for those who realized the true value of Elder Lord. It was a rating that only a few of the strongest, often called rankers, reached.
“Yes, I’ve reached the Pinnacle.”
Kenzo's voice was tired. He attacked the moneylenders infecting Quantes day and night. He didn’t bother with tools. He killed them when they were alive, then again when they reconnected. He continued to kill.
Due to Kenzo’s persistent pursuit, the users eventually gave up and withdrew from Quantes. Kenzo lunged a sword in their leaving backs to stop them from ever considering coming back to Quantes.
"That wasn’t the only realization.”
His emotions had been shaken as he watched the NPCs being persecuted, causing his assimilation rate to rise sharply. Only then was he able to reach the Pinnacle. At the same time, he realized something else.
He made a decision: if a wicked person ever appeared in front of him, regardless of whether they were an NPC or a user, he would raise his sword.
That...
They were people.
Crockta smiled. When Kenzo first said he wanted to help others, Crockta smelled something from him. Kenzo had fulfilled Crockta’s expectations. Now he would do what he believed.
Crockta asked, "Yes, did I help you?”
Kenzo bowed his head and replied, “Yes. It is thanks to Crockta.”
“Then listen to my condition.”
“Of course.”
If he reached this ground, he was supposed to listen to what Crockta wanted. Kenzo was nervous. He didn’t know what the condition would be. Crockta said it would be within a capable range, but it was still ambiguous. Maybe he would be faced with a difficult request. However, he also believed in Crockta.
"My request is simple."
Crockta moved Ogre Slayer. Kenzo also glanced at his claymore. What did he want to do?
Crockta slowly moved his greatsword. It was slow. It wasn’t the realm of the Pinnacle, but there was no shaking. Crockta’s blade moved on a gentle curve. Kenzo watched from a distance.
He didn’t move. At that moment. The blade touched his neck.
"......!"
It was impossible. It was minor, but Kenzo got goose bumps as he realized the meaning. It was an attack beyond the level of speed. An area that he couldn’t reach. It was the realm of miracles.
“This...”
"The next stage after the Pinnacle.”
"......!"
"It means that the Pinnacle isn’t the end.”
After reaching the realm of the Pinnacle, he knew that there was ‘something more.’ But this couldn’t even be called that. The word ‘impossible’ was all he could think.
"Now I will tell you what I want.”
It wasn’t the end. Kenzo once again shook after hearing Crockta’sn next words.
"Do some good with that strength.”
It was an unimaginable demand. Kenzo realized that Crockta was a much bigger man than he thought. Kenzo nodded. It felt like Crockta’s eyes were penetrating inside him. Did Crockta know that Kenzo would stand in front of him with this mindset after taking care of the moneylenders?
Kenzo bowed his head. He could only say one thing, "I understand.”
For him, Crockta wasn’t simply a person in the game. He was someone with a great spirit.
Kenzo said, "I will pass your teachings onto other people. The realm of the Pinnacle, and what to use it for. Will you also let them know it?”
“Of course.”
Kenzo would gather people. There were a variety of ways to play the game. There would be those who harassed NPCs for profit. That was the way they played. Therefore, they needed to take care of such villains. They would be good for NPCs and bad for users.
What was this? Anyway, a hero needed to have a coexistence of darkness and light.
"Please make a name for the group,” Kenzo requested. He wanted a name from Crockta. If they were to follow him, it seemed right that he give them a name.
"The road that Kenzo walks will be long and full of blades. The path of pandemonium that not everyone can walk!” Crockta declared, "With that type of mindset, I will call it Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords.
"Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords!"
A cool name. The words were true. Last night, he had gone through the moneylenders. In the place where the moneylenders turned into white particles, only their weapons and equipment were left behind.
It really was a mountain of sabres, a forest of swords.
"Those who follow you will be part of a Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords.”
Kenzo looked at the red headband around Crockta’s forehead. The red headband would be their symbol. This was the beginning of ‘Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords’, following ‘Rehabilitation Brothers’ and ‘He’s an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy.’ Unfortunately, the name ‘Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords’ was unknown to most people.
The red headband was so intense that people just called them ‘Red Headband’...
***
"Did something good happen dot?”
"Kulkulkul. No. Kulkul.”
Anor and Tiyo stared at the laughing Crockta. They were leaving Quantes and heading to Maillard. They planned to go through there towards the cities in the south. The party was riding the caruks that they obtained from the north. The caruks were slower than horses, but they had good endure and physical strength. They moved well even when carrying someone of Crockta’s size.
“Look at your expression. Tell me quickly. I want to know the good thing."
"It is really nothing.”
"Then why do you look so bright?”
Crockta was thinking about his meeting with Kenzo before leaving Quantes.
“Kulkul.”
Kenzo had punished the moneylenders brilliantly. Furthermore, he even reached the Pinnacle. Then he declared that he would make a group to follow Crockta. The name was Mountain of Sabres, Forest of Swords!
Crockta hadn’t done much, but it was pleasing to see, just like a filial child. Now the name of Crockta would once again shake the world. If he logged out at this time, he could see what his fanclub ‘He’s an Orc, yet still Praiseworthy’ was doing.
The fame that everyone desired! It was healing.
“It is difficult to be famous. Kulkulkul!”
He wondered if he would be stalked by some fans. Crockta worried about this alone.
"I don’t know what it is but...” Anor shook his head.
They rode steadily on the caruks and soon saw the sign for Maillard. They would soon arrive.
Maillard was a place containing the Information Guild and where Stella worked at the Blacksmith Company. In addition, there was the legend of the ‘Rehabilitation Brothers’ who rehabilitated problematic users.
Crockta recalled his old memories and drove the caruk quickly. Suddenly, they were able to see a group of people. Their eyes met Crockta’s party. Crockta greeted them respectfully first.
“Hello. I am alive.”
"...Ah, yes.”
They gazed at Crockta, then checked Tiyo and Anor’s foreheads before looking unimpressed. They were users. Users didn’t have much interest in NPCs. In particular, they were users on par with NPCs. As the level of the users increased, they became more arrogant.
"They have a very cheap way of greeting peopled dot,” Tiyo muttered. He talked to himself but everyone could hear him. The eyes of the users turned to him. Tiyo just shrugged.
The atmosphere became slightly tense. However, both sides didn’t do anything else so there wasn’t a conflict.
“Put up with it. He looks like a kid.”
"Have you see them? I can’t wait to catch those GB bastards.”
"Wait and watch. Stay still until we get instructions from Brother.”
Crockta heard their conversation. They said ‘GB’, which was the abbreviation for Rehabilitation Brothers. It looked like a group that wasn’t on good terms with them.
"Hrmm..."
***
Crockta’s group continued until they reached Maillard. They were able to reach Maillard, the great and beautiful city of the elves.
Anor’s eyes widened. If Quantes was a city built with the technical skills of the gnomes, Maillard was a large elf city. The buildings were in harmony with nature, and the form was so beautiful that it felt perfectly with Anor’s dark elf sensibilities. It was truly a city of elves, the cradle of elf users.
Anor wandered around with wide eyes and couldn’t take his eyes off Maillard.
“Isn’t it cool?”
"Really great. Wow...”
"Bah, this is nothing compared to Quantes.”
They were able to easily enter because Maillard didn’t have any restrictions on access. He was planning to leave after finding the Information Guild and Stella, so they weren’t going to stay long. But the atmosphere inside was strange.
To be exact, it was the atmosphere among the users.
“......?”
Crockta was confused. The Maillard citizens were still the same. As inhabitants of Elder Lord, they were living their own lives.
By the way, the users with white stars on their foreheads were looking around and watching something. They were holding their weapons and seemed prepared to fight at any time. Some users stared at each other in a confrontational manner when passing by. A tight tension could be felt between the users.
"Interesting,” Crockta muttered.
What was happening in Maillard?
"We will stay here tonight. Look around and come back again.”
"I understand dot.”
"I’ll go explore!”
"Wait, let’s go together dot!”
Crockta headed towards the Information Guild first. He headed towards the darker part of the city, towards the streets lined with shabby pubs. He was coming back. It was the place where there were real men. The headquarters of Maillard’s Information Guild.
"Kulkulkul, it is still a beautiful inverted triangle.”
Crockta muttered as he looked at the sign for the pub. It was right there. The ‘Where are my Brothers?’ pub!
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