ALL NOVEL Volume 2 Chapter 8
Minutes later…
Sigrid Lefar stayed in the cabin with Lily, while I, Carol Cat, and Trafalgar faced off outside in the camp.
For safety, Trafalgar maintained a certain distance from the cabin where I, Lily, and the others were hiding.
“Let’s start with why I’m here. Before that, let me show you something.”
Trafalgar opened the mission panel and chose to share information.
Information shared by Trafalgar popped up in front of me, showing the time-limited task issued by Duke Borgia to adventurers.
The rewards were…
Reward one: 500,000 crystals.
Reward two: A flying mount, the griffin.
Reward three: A baronetcy in the Duke of Obi’s territory of the Kingdom of Mikael.
Reward four…
There were over a dozen similar rewards, each capable of rallying a large number of players. The fact that Duke Borgia’s reward was all of them was significant.
Some NPCs issue tasks with unattainable rewards to deceive adventurers, but Duke Borgia’s reputation was enough to alleviate any such concerns for adventurers.
“Adventurers are in a frenzy, meow… All the players within the Duke’s territory are actively mobilizing, and those outside the Barrier are wracking their brains to get in.”
“Is there an entrance to the [Barrier]?”
“Yes, meow. There are a total of five.”
Five entrances indicated that it wasn’t a low-level barrier. Given the size of Duke Obi’s territory, having only five entrances was limited, meaning the guard would be even more stringent.
On the other hand, the fact that it’s possible to leave the barrier means it’s also possible to enter. This wasn’t a one-way street.
The longer we delay, the more adventurers will accumulate.
Scrolling through the shared information, I saw Lily’s likeness at the bottom. All adventurers could accurately target her.
“Your situation is very precarious. As I see it, that girl Amalilis has no combat power, with the only challenge being the search.”
…
I remained silent, refusing to reveal any information about Lily.
“What I’m interested in is why Duke Borgia is so intent on targeting an ordinary girl… In other words, she must be extraordinary to warrant such deliberate targeting by Duke Borgia.”
“How would we understand the thoughts of those high above us, meow?”
“TEP’s task issuance system is different from other games. It’s not just the official operations refreshing tasks; NPCs have the autonomy to issue tasks based on their intelligence… There’s no hint on the official website, indicating this is a personal decision by Duke Borgia.”
Trafalgar didn’t care if I understood, shutting down Carol Cat who tried to interject.
“Baron Trafalgar said your title was personally conferred by Duke Borgia.”
“Learn a thing or two; see how good Anna’s memory is.”
“Meow!”
Carol Cat put on a “super fierce” pose, and Trafalgar’s mouth twitched, somehow actually intimidated by Carol Cat.
“I was ennobled half a year ago, and it’s more than just being conferred a title. I fought alongside Duke Borgia.”
“Half a year ago?” Carol Cat seemed to recall this time point, “When Duke Borgia led an expedition against the undead race?”
Since the undead race’s activities intensified, all major races have actively combated them. The best method for humans to combat the undead was the Pope’s launch of the [Crusades], but as the undead grew more active, the Pope began promising nobles of human kingdoms the right to wage small-scale holy wars against the undead in the name of the Father God.
Duke Borgia’s territory, Duke Obi’s territory, is on the border of the Kingdom of Mikael, close to the undead. Half a year ago, with financial support from his good friend Duke Est, Duke Borgia began organizing an expedition against the undead. Because of the long preparation time, adventurers learned of this news and actively joined the expedition.
“Exactly, Duke Borgia planned that expedition with his second and third sons, intending to suppress the arrogance of the undead and establish merits for his two sons. His eldest son had died mysteriously in an incident earlier, and he was preparing to groom his second son as the new heir… But I digress. Before departure, neither we adventurers nor Duke Borgia and others anticipated what kind of unexpected events would occur during the expedition.”
“Maybe it was a surprise from the officials.”
“A surprise? More like a shock,” Trafalgar said with a wry smile. “In that expedition, we encountered the [Vampire King]!”
The vampire race, in the game’s lore, is a branch of the undead.
The leader of the vampires, the Vampire King, is one of the extremely rare intelligent NPCs among the undead. If I had to compare, he’s somewhat like a demon lord’s general.
“I remember, meow. Some players even protested to the officials, saying who would encounter a world BOSS in such a manner, meow.”
World BOSS—powerful bosses aimed at all server players, with combat abilities and skills far surpassing regular monsters. Defeating them yields exceptionally generous rewards. The strength of world BOSSes typically requires top player teams to defeat. In “The Eternal Pacificus,” where resurrection methods are scarce, killing a world BOSS is especially difficult, but the sense of honor is also stronger.
The Vampire King is precisely one of those formidable world BOSSes.
“At that time, the major guilds didn’t take Duke Borgia’s planned expedition seriously, resulting in the adventurers who joined being insufficient in overall combat strength and team cooperation to face the Vampire King. In that bloody battle, both the adventurers and Duke Borgia’s army suffered heavy losses, with Duke Borgia’s third son killed in action and his second son turned into a member of the vampire’s kin by the Vampire King.”