"We?" Patrick clarified.
"Yeah. I'll livestream my view, and all of you can watch it in Sol's station." Al explained.
"That's a good idea! Now that you've mentioned it, we have not yet started our plans regarding our return to the open world." Jack joined the conversation.
"We'll deal with that tomorrow." Al grinned.
"Hey, it's already getting late, and we have not yet earned our daily entry for the open world, remember? You need to win two rank games!" Patrick reminded.
Al immediately checked his phone for the time - 10:45 PM.
"We need to win two rank games!" The boy emphasized the first word. "It's just two rank matches, right?" Al offered as if it was just like a walk in the park.
"Bring it on! I'm not that tired anyway." Jack supported.
"Yeah! We have not played together yet since me, and Big Boss have reached Bronze Rank!" The sound of battle energized Bertran.
"Who offered to sleep in the first place anyway? The lonely night is a sacred time for gamers! Let's go!" Jack, the orange-hair boy, immediately sprinted towards the stairs. He was still in his white pajamas.
Bertran quickly followed as he gave chase to his teammate. "I won't lose out, Jack! Bertran Godofrodo fears no one!" The bunker shook at his heavy and rushed steps.
"Except for spiders..." Patrick chided as he helplessly followed along with the others.
...
The first game of WisDOOM was against Fallen Crest on the map called Silk Road.
Caravan Match was the randomly chosen battle type by the system. WisDOOM was assigned to assassinate the VIP that was guarded by Fallen Crest in a one kilometer-stretch of winding uphill and downhill silky road.
It would have been an exciting match if the members of the team called Fallen Crest were skilled fighters. Unfortunately, they were not able to cross the 500-meter mark before WisDOOM annihilated them.
The match ended with Switchfoot as the MVP as the Savage Assassin was the one who took the life of the NPC named Yong-Yong.
With an excellent first win, Al and the rest of the gang immediately played another match. Fortunately, they were matched against a group of random players. Synergy was immediately the deal-breaker as WisDOOM easily won their second match, granting them the needed entry ticket for the open world.
...
"I hope the Rookie Challenge would be this easy-peasy!" Jack and the other three members were already in Sol's station. They were currently waiting for Al to send his livestream to their feed.
"Nah. I want to smash better skulls! Bertran wants no easy matches. It's boring!" The big guy commented.
"Read the forums regarding the promising participants, and I surmise that you won't sleep anymore as long as you could train as much as possible. We'll be facing monsters, Jack." The pragmatic Patrick immediately destroyed Jack's wishful thinking.
"That's okay! We have our own monster too." Jack was relaxed as he was not intimidated by Pat's comment. He immediately shot a glance towards WisDOOM's little monster - Al Gentrix.
"Hey! You're looking in the wrong direction!" Bertran immediately pulled Jack's head towards him.
"Haha! Of course. Of course! You and Ursun are the monsters here. Hehe." Jack quickly saved himself by supporting Bertran's fantasy.
"Good. Good. Fret not! Bertran Godofrodo will carry you all in the coming Rookie Challenge!" Bertram shamelessly declared as he pounded his chest twice.
"Alright. Alright. Can you release me now?" Jack awkwardly asked, Bertran's large hands still held his head.
"The video is in!" Betran childishly declared as he let go of his grip.
Jack immediately sighed a breath of relief.
...
Udil immediately found himself back to where he was before he left the Open World - Alistor's Southern Gate.
He awkwardly appeared in the middle of the members of the guild First Heaven.
"Hey, kid! What are you doing here? Have you not heard of the coming guild war?" Al was immediately inspected by an Elf Mage geared in purple leather armor.
"It's okay. I came here to watch it unfold." Al was not deterred by the high leveled players that surrounded him as he glanced around. He was hoping to find Lidar as the other big shots of Titans were also present.
Meanwhile, the number of spectators increased by the passing moments.
It was already 11:45 PM when Al entered the Open World. Fifteen minutes left, and the protection order of Alistor would expire. The city will be then open for invaders.
Al immediately opened the chatbox that was personally developed by Solomon. "Hey, can you see my livestream?"
"Yeah. Good. Keep it going! Are there enemies already outside?" Jack was the one controlling the computer while the other three were spectating beside him.
"The gate is blocked. I can't see the situation outside. Let me find an elevated spot." Al willed Udil to return to the inner part of the city. He immediately saw a familiar swordsman standing on top of a manor - GreyWitZ!
"Hey." Al quickly found his way to the rooftop as he tapped the shoulder of the seemingly solemn Swordsman.
"What the-!" GreyWitZ, the Human Swordsman with shabby gray hair, quickly turned around. His sword, already aiming at Al's neck.
"Woah. Calm down. I bring no harm." Al raised his hands as a gesture of peace.
"What do you want? Stay away from this city as soon as possible. A great war is coming!" GreyWitZ was really acting high and mighty, living up to the 'guard' role that was handed to him by Lidar.
"I've just logged in. No worries, I came here actually to watch the war. Can you please update me of the situation?" Al tried to calm the still tense GreyWitZ.
GreyWitZ finally lowered his sword as he gestured a 'come closer' to Udil. "Come closer. This is a top-secret between us." The simple-minded man quickly trusted.
"Oh. Sure." Udil pressed his ear nearer to the swordsman.
"My buddy and I were given a mission by Lidar to defend a secret passage. Will you help us?" GreyWitZ carefully whispered.
"Lidar? Do you mean the King of Basic Attacks?! The undefeated human player?!" Al's voice immediately rose upon hearing Lidar, his idol's name.
"Shhhh. Lower your voice! Yeah. Isn't it cool?" GreyWitZ took pride in his encounter with Lidar.
"Damn. Where is he now? Where is he now?" Al immediately lost his cool as he forgot about SARS.
"I don't know. Last time we've met, he was patrolling the city to check on the defenses. Unfortunately, until now, there's still no movement from the Six Purgatories. I believed that they would come out of the sewers! Come, I'll show you the hidden entrance!" GreyWitZ dragged Al towards the plaza.
...
"It's here. It's here." GreyWitZ lowered his voice as he stopped before a massive oak in the northern part of Alistor's plaza. The swordsman shot another round of careful look around him before pulling a concealed handle from the grassy floor. It was a small secret entrance to Alistor's sewer that could fit one or two players.
Sleeping below the entrance was X-1. GreyWitZ immediately dragged Udil inside as he shot the trapdoor.
"X-1! What are you doing?! Six minutes from now and the city's protective order will expire! Stay, vigilant!" GreyWitZ shook the sleeping figure of his friend.
"Where's the enemy?! Where's the enemy?!" X-1 jolted from his sleep as he pulled out his sword. He immediately saw Udil's unfamiliar figure and lunged at him, thinking that the latter was an enemy.
"Woah!" Udil quickly dodged the thrust.
"Stop it X-1! He's a friend! He'll help us guard the sewers!" GreyWitZ slapped X-1 in the face.
"What?! Why did you reveal our top-secret mission to a stranger?! This man could be a spy from the enemies!" X-1 was finally back to his senses.
"Al. What are you doing there? Get away from those weirdos! Who the hell would attack a city through the sewers? Look at that! It could barely fit a troop of ten people." It was Patrick who sent a message to Al.
Patrick had a point, but the two swordsmen's hunch was also logical. In the end, Al followed Pat's advice as he thanked the two swordsmen for the trouble and said his goodbye. The chances of the enemies sneaking in the city through this secret passage were low, Al assumed.
"No, you can't leave us here. We'll need an extra hand," GreyWitZ immediately stopped him.
'Seriously, these two are crazy.' Al was helpless. "Don't worry. I'll come back with more helping hands. I need to see Lidar first."
"Okay. Come back as soon as you can!" GreyWitZ finally let go of Udil as he checked the trapdoor before opening it.
Al felt a sense of relief after leaving the sewers. He checked the remaining time before the next reset - five minutes.
'I wonder if Nisha is here too.' Al pondered as he opened his contacts.
"Hey, Nisha! I'm here in Alistor. Is Lidar with you?" Al excitedly sent the message.
The bell in Alistor City rang, marking the start of the next day and the end of the protective order, but Al did not receive any reply from Nisha.
"Here we go! Come nearer the gates, Al!" Jack demanded in the chat.
Alistor was in tension. The gathered crowd stood at their feet in great anticipation of how the Six Purgatories will attack Alistor.
...
"Prepare! Today, we shall defend Alistor from the Six Purgatories!" Lidar rallied the troops in their guild chat. He was currently in the Western Gate and was already making his way back to the Southern area of the city.
"Yeah. Today, we shall show the gaming community that our guild, Titans, deserves a better ranking! Haha!" Tupac, one of the Vice Leader of the guild added.
"It's gonna be a long morning. Do not slack and keep your eyes open! Our enemies are good at hiding their intentions." DumbleBell, the Guild Leader, finally said his words in their guild chat.
Everyone was hyped as they fortified their defenses.
However, an hour has already passed. It was already 1 AM, but there was still no attack nor any appearances of an army from the Six Purgatories.
"Damn it! I can't wait this long anymore. Maybe, they'll attack at some other time."
"Yeah! Too bad. We've waited for nothing."
"I'm gonna sleep now."
The city was restless as the crowd clamored. They've long been waiting for the war to begin but to no avail. One by one, the spectators in the city decreased in number. Most of them had already logged off of the game.
"Everyone! Don't lose out! Tonight's first battle is a test of patience. It is when we're unprepared that our enemies strike! Don't give them a chance to find an easy way to our defenses. Hold the fort!" Lidar continued to encourage through the guild chat. He and his trainees were already stationed in the Southern Gate.
Unfortunately, they were between the sea of numerous members from the alliance, so Al was not able to see them.
"Hey, Al. We're getting sleepy already. Let's just watch a recording later, okay? It's not worth the wait anymore. We still have to train, don't forget!" Patrick messaged.
"It's okay. I can manage. I'll update you guys if something happens. Good Mornight!" Al was already sleepy, but he chose to stay. SARS accompanied him in waiting.
"Any update SARS?" Al asked.
[ Still no movements. Why don't you sleep for now, and I'll wake you up if something happens. ] SARS kindly reported.
"Really? Thanks a lot, buddy!" Al once again checked if Nisha had already replied before giving the control of his character over to SARS. Sadly, there was still no reply.
Al slept on his gaming chair with a restless heart. It was not until 3 AM that he woke up from a terrible dream.
In his sleeping state, Al saw Lidar's bloody head rolling on the Southern Gate. The boy immediately gasped from the terrifying nightmare as he woke up from a series of sound coming from SARS. Unfortunately, the untimely grim vision was coincidentally complemented by the notification that he had received.
[ Six figures detected moving at a great speed towards the Southern Gate.] SARS bluntly reported.
"We?" Patrick clarified.
"Yeah. I'll livestream my view, and all of you can watch it in Sol's station." Al explained.
"That's a good idea! Now that you've mentioned it, we have not yet started our plans regarding our return to the open world." Jack joined the conversation.
"We'll deal with that tomorrow." Al grinned.
"Hey, it's already getting late, and we have not yet earned our daily entry for the open world, remember? You need to win two rank games!" Patrick reminded.
Al immediately checked his phone for the time - 10:45 PM.
"We need to win two rank games!" The boy emphasized the first word. "It's just two rank matches, right?" Al offered as if it was just like a walk in the park.
"Bring it on! I'm not that tired anyway." Jack supported.
"Yeah! We have not played together yet since me, and Big Boss have reached Bronze Rank!" The sound of battle energized Bertran.
"Who offered to sleep in the first place anyway? The lonely night is a sacred time for gamers! Let's go!" Jack, the orange-hair boy, immediately sprinted towards the stairs. He was still in his white pajamas.
Bertran quickly followed as he gave chase to his teammate. "I won't lose out, Jack! Bertran Godofrodo fears no one!" The bunker shook at his heavy and rushed steps.
"Except for spiders..." Patrick chided as he helplessly followed along with the others.
...
The first game of WisDOOM was against Fallen Crest on the map called Silk Road.
Caravan Match was the randomly chosen battle type by the system. WisDOOM was assigned to assassinate the VIP that was guarded by Fallen Crest in a one kilometer-stretch of winding uphill and downhill silky road.
It would have been an exciting match if the members of the team called Fallen Crest were skilled fighters. Unfortunately, they were not able to cross the 500-meter mark before WisDOOM annihilated them.
The match ended with Switchfoot as the MVP as the Savage Assassin was the one who took the life of the NPC named Yong-Yong.
With an excellent first win, Al and the rest of the gang immediately played another match. Fortunately, they were matched against a group of random players. Synergy was immediately the deal-breaker as WisDOOM easily won their second match, granting them the needed entry ticket for the open world.
...
"I hope the Rookie Challenge would be this easy-peasy!" Jack and the other three members were already in Sol's station. They were currently waiting for Al to send his livestream to their feed.
"Nah. I want to smash better skulls! Bertran wants no easy matches. It's boring!" The big guy commented.
"Read the forums regarding the promising participants, and I surmise that you won't sleep anymore as long as you could train as much as possible. We'll be facing monsters, Jack." The pragmatic Patrick immediately destroyed Jack's wishful thinking.
"That's okay! We have our own monster too." Jack was relaxed as he was not intimidated by Pat's comment. He immediately shot a glance towards WisDOOM's little monster - Al Gentrix.
"Hey! You're looking in the wrong direction!" Bertran immediately pulled Jack's head towards him.
"Haha! Of course. Of course! You and Ursun are the monsters here. Hehe." Jack quickly saved himself by supporting Bertran's fantasy.
"Good. Good. Fret not! Bertran Godofrodo will carry you all in the coming Rookie Challenge!" Bertram shamelessly declared as he pounded his chest twice.
"Alright. Alright. Can you release me now?" Jack awkwardly asked, Bertran's large hands still held his head.
"The video is in!" Betran childishly declared as he let go of his grip.
Jack immediately sighed a breath of relief.
...
Udil immediately found himself back to where he was before he left the Open World - Alistor's Southern Gate.
He awkwardly appeared in the middle of the members of the guild First Heaven.
"Hey, kid! What are you doing here? Have you not heard of the coming guild war?" Al was immediately inspected by an Elf Mage geared in purple leather armor.
"It's okay. I came here to watch it unfold." Al was not deterred by the high leveled players that surrounded him as he glanced around. He was hoping to find Lidar as the other big shots of Titans were also present.
Meanwhile, the number of spectators increased by the passing moments.
It was already 11:45 PM when Al entered the Open World. Fifteen minutes left, and the protection order of Alistor would expire. The city will be then open for invaders.
Al immediately opened the chatbox that was personally developed by Solomon. "Hey, can you see my livestream?"
"Yeah. Good. Keep it going! Are there enemies already outside?" Jack was the one controlling the computer while the other three were spectating beside him.
"The gate is blocked. I can't see the situation outside. Let me find an elevated spot." Al willed Udil to return to the inner part of the city. He immediately saw a familiar swordsman standing on top of a manor - GreyWitZ!
"Hey." Al quickly found his way to the rooftop as he tapped the shoulder of the seemingly solemn Swordsman.
"What the-!" GreyWitZ, the Human Swordsman with shabby gray hair, quickly turned around. His sword, already aiming at Al's neck.
"Woah. Calm down. I bring no harm." Al raised his hands as a gesture of peace.
"What do you want? Stay away from this city as soon as possible. A great war is coming!" GreyWitZ was really acting high and mighty, living up to the 'guard' role that was handed to him by Lidar.
"I've just logged in. No worries, I came here actually to watch the war. Can you please update me of the situation?" Al tried to calm the still tense GreyWitZ.
GreyWitZ finally lowered his sword as he gestured a 'come closer' to Udil. "Come closer. This is a top-secret between us." The simple-minded man quickly trusted.
"Oh. Sure." Udil pressed his ear nearer to the swordsman.
"My buddy and I were given a mission by Lidar to defend a secret passage. Will you help us?" GreyWitZ carefully whispered.
"Lidar? Do you mean the King of Basic Attacks?! The undefeated human player?!" Al's voice immediately rose upon hearing Lidar, his idol's name.
"Shhhh. Lower your voice! Yeah. Isn't it cool?" GreyWitZ took pride in his encounter with Lidar.
"Damn. Where is he now? Where is he now?" Al immediately lost his cool as he forgot about SARS.
"I don't know. Last time we've met, he was patrolling the city to check on the defenses. Unfortunately, until now, there's still no movement from the Six Purgatories. I believed that they would come out of the sewers! Come, I'll show you the hidden entrance!" GreyWitZ dragged Al towards the plaza.
...
"It's here. It's here." GreyWitZ lowered his voice as he stopped before a massive oak in the northern part of Alistor's plaza. The swordsman shot another round of careful look around him before pulling a concealed handle from the grassy floor. It was a small secret entrance to Alistor's sewer that could fit one or two players.
Sleeping below the entrance was X-1. GreyWitZ immediately dragged Udil inside as he shot the trapdoor.
"X-1! What are you doing?! Six minutes from now and the city's protective order will expire! Stay, vigilant!" GreyWitZ shook the sleeping figure of his friend.
"Where's the enemy?! Where's the enemy?!" X-1 jolted from his sleep as he pulled out his sword. He immediately saw Udil's unfamiliar figure and lunged at him, thinking that the latter was an enemy.
"Woah!" Udil quickly dodged the thrust.
"Stop it X-1! He's a friend! He'll help us guard the sewers!" GreyWitZ slapped X-1 in the face.
"What?! Why did you reveal our top-secret mission to a stranger?! This man could be a spy from the enemies!" X-1 was finally back to his senses.
"Al. What are you doing there? Get away from those weirdos! Who the hell would attack a city through the sewers? Look at that! It could barely fit a troop of ten people." It was Patrick who sent a message to Al.
Patrick had a point, but the two swordsmen's hunch was also logical. In the end, Al followed Pat's advice as he thanked the two swordsmen for the trouble and said his goodbye. The chances of the enemies sneaking in the city through this secret passage were low, Al assumed.
"No, you can't leave us here. We'll need an extra hand," GreyWitZ immediately stopped him.
'Seriously, these two are crazy.' Al was helpless. "Don't worry. I'll come back with more helping hands. I need to see Lidar first."
"Okay. Come back as soon as you can!" GreyWitZ finally let go of Udil as he checked the trapdoor before opening it.
Al felt a sense of relief after leaving the sewers. He checked the remaining time before the next reset - five minutes.
'I wonder if Nisha is here too.' Al pondered as he opened his contacts.
"Hey, Nisha! I'm here in Alistor. Is Lidar with you?" Al excitedly sent the message.
The bell in Alistor City rang, marking the start of the next day and the end of the protective order, but Al did not receive any reply from Nisha.
"Here we go! Come nearer the gates, Al!" Jack demanded in the chat.
Alistor was in tension. The gathered crowd stood at their feet in great anticipation of how the Six Purgatories will attack Alistor.
...
"Prepare! Today, we shall defend Alistor from the Six Purgatories!" Lidar rallied the troops in their guild chat. He was currently in the Western Gate and was already making his way back to the Southern area of the city.
"Yeah. Today, we shall show the gaming community that our guild, Titans, deserves a better ranking! Haha!" Tupac, one of the Vice Leader of the guild added.
"It's gonna be a long morning. Do not slack and keep your eyes open! Our enemies are good at hiding their intentions." DumbleBell, the Guild Leader, finally said his words in their guild chat.
Everyone was hyped as they fortified their defenses.
However, an hour has already passed. It was already 1 AM, but there was still no attack nor any appearances of an army from the Six Purgatories.
"Damn it! I can't wait this long anymore. Maybe, they'll attack at some other time."
"Yeah! Too bad. We've waited for nothing."
"I'm gonna sleep now."
The city was restless as the crowd clamored. They've long been waiting for the war to begin but to no avail. One by one, the spectators in the city decreased in number. Most of them had already logged off of the game.
"Everyone! Don't lose out! Tonight's first battle is a test of patience. It is when we're unprepared that our enemies strike! Don't give them a chance to find an easy way to our defenses. Hold the fort!" Lidar continued to encourage through the guild chat. He and his trainees were already stationed in the Southern Gate.
Unfortunately, they were between the sea of numerous members from the alliance, so Al was not able to see them.
"Hey, Al. We're getting sleepy already. Let's just watch a recording later, okay? It's not worth the wait anymore. We still have to train, don't forget!" Patrick messaged.
"It's okay. I can manage. I'll update you guys if something happens. Good Mornight!" Al was already sleepy, but he chose to stay. SARS accompanied him in waiting.
"Any update SARS?" Al asked.
[ Still no movements. Why don't you sleep for now, and I'll wake you up if something happens. ] SARS kindly reported.
"Really? Thanks a lot, buddy!" Al once again checked if Nisha had already replied before giving the control of his character over to SARS. Sadly, there was still no reply.
Al slept on his gaming chair with a restless heart. It was not until 3 AM that he woke up from a terrible dream.
In his sleeping state, Al saw Lidar's bloody head rolling on the Southern Gate. The boy immediately gasped from the terrifying nightmare as he woke up from a series of sound coming from SARS. Unfortunately, the untimely grim vision was coincidentally complemented by the notification that he had received.
[ Six figures detected moving at a great speed towards the Southern Gate.] SARS bluntly reported.
