ACT V
THE GLORY WARS
“Norwin Grimgar, he is bad news.” Hans understood how desperate the situation could become if he got involved with Norwin. Considering it was Norwin's territory, Hans vowed to avoid stirring any trouble with this behemoth of an existence. His mind raced with thoughts, while Walter, growing weary of the impromptu interrogation, knew that Hans could easily find answers on his own if he bothered to check the official notices. Annoyed, Walter sarcastically quipped, "Any other pressing matters, YOUR HIGHNESS?"
But Hans took this as an invitation and asked shamelessly, "I promise, this is truly the last one." He couldn't help but chuckle mischievously before pressing on, “If someone, I’m just saying hypothetically. If I happen to end someone there, what should I do?”
"Simply put, don't. I mean it, just don't do it," Walter responded with haste, the mere thought of imagining the scenario brought him a headache. “I’m telling you to not do it,” He emphasized, "I'm strongly advising you against it," his hands gently squeezing Hans's shoulders for added emphasis.
“But what if?”
Hans persisted, refusing to let go of the matter, causing Walter to almost plead, “The Glory Wars were initiated by Concordia around eighty years ago, but now the Alliance oversees it. So I’m begging you. Don’t kill anyone. We can settle your grudges in red demon trials, I won’t care if you kill a hundred there. But spare the Glory Wars; it's broadcasted worldwide. Please, Hans.”
“Fine, you don’t have to… do this much…I’ll try”
“You punk, I need your word, not a willy-nilly commitment —”
“So when are we leaving for mock practice,” Hans interjected, casting a discerning gaze upon his teammates with his unique mana vision. His eyes finally reached Delimira, “As expected, I can’t see the light in her.” Unlike before, when he could distinguish Delimira from miles away, after removing the tapeworm, she had become indistinguishable from the others, a common mage with four types of mana mixed in her heart. He sighed, “Well, no crying over spilt milk, I guess,” he turned to gaze at his teammates’ potential and nodded in affirmation, “These guys are strong too.”
Walter cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Get ready tomorrow at precisely five o'clock, and don't be late. Starting tomorrow, you'll be hunting second-class monsters." After delivering his message, Walter vanished, leaving Hans with his newly assembled team. They all knew each other well, except for Hans, their appointed captain.
In an effort to dispel the awkward atmosphere, Chris stepped forward and inquired, "How have you been, Hans?”
“Growing more powerful. How about you?" Hans replied.
"Arrogance hasn't left you, I see," Chris remarked, gripping Hans's shoulder with the immense strength of a grade-30 Knight, adding a frown on Hans’s calm face.
“I said,” Hans joked, “I’m okay. What did you hear?” struggling to remove the grip from his shoulder.
“Exactly this,” Chris loosened his grip saying, “I was also not just peeling nuts, Hans.”
“What's with this 'peeling nuts' concept?” Hans rubbed his tense shoulder and addressed them. It was perhaps the first time the most narcissistic person they knew was speaking to them in such a manner, and it was unceasing. "You're all pretty powerful; we'll win. It's just hunting second-class monsters. How hard could it be? You guys had your hunting lessons, right?”
Lux, who was more familiar with Hans than the other newcomers, replied, "We've only hunted a second-class monster once, and that was exhausting. Until now, we've only managed to kill first-class ones by ourselves, except for a few." He gestured toward Chris and Delmira, as well as the other strong members who did it on their own.
But instead of Hans, Chris chimed in, Until now, we've been fighting alone, not as a team—”
“I know nothing about teamwork, but as long as you stay loyal to your positions, I'll lead us to victory. Don't worry, because winning this thing might be a matter of life and death for me." He turned to leave, adding, "And if you don't want to be late, someone should come wake me up early." With that, he departed, leaving some of the team members feeling anxious and Chris to calm them down.
Oddly enough, Hans arrived at the location awkwardly early, almost half an hour ahead of the others. Members gradually trickled in, and finally, Walter joined them punctually at five
“Your seniors have spared some Simulation islands for you. So you should use it efficiently.” Walter announced, “Buckle up…”
"What? Not this again..." Hans protested as a dark, viscous energy surrounded them all, enveloping them. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in the most renowned place in Concordia—an island-sized artefact known for creating practice environments of any scale imaginable.
"It's truly a sight to behold," Hans marvelled, examining the place with his mana vision. "The sheer quantity of mana flowing through here is awe-inspiring. The Chairman certainly has refined taste.”
As Hans continued to observe the surroundings, he couldn't help but ask, "Do we know who created this place?" Although the question was directed to no one in particular, Walter, being the professor, responded, "No one knows. It has simply always been here.”
As everyone continued to marvel at the ever-changing scenery—first a desert, then an exotic forest, and finally an aquatic shore—Hans was deeply engrossed, “How the heck this works.” He continued thinking, “This is baffling! It feels like deciphering the intricate mana circuits of tens of thousands of golems all at once”
When the environment shifted once again, this time transforming into one with an active volcano, Walter instructed the manager to halt. "That will be all; you can go now," he said, signalling for the manager to leave. Turning to his students, Walter continued, "This is as far as our simulation can replicate Heat Riddance, a region with similar creatures. So give it your all. Your primary objective is to collect ten mana hearts from second-class beasts. You have one week for this task, and make sure to arrange for your food and shelter as well. You've received training in hunting class, so let's see if Professor Buckworth's salary was well spent or not?”
It took them some time to adapt to Hans's commands, and while his influence altered their tactics somewhat, they mostly adhered to their assigned positions and tasks. Hans provided occasional support, but his interest in the battle seemed minimal as if his thoughts were elsewhere. However, his detachment was misunderstood by the others.
In truth, it wasn't that Hans didn't want to participate actively; rather, there were simply no suitable opportunities for him.“Shit, there are no openings, if I do something it will result in friendly fire. My attacks are useless in the crowd. It would be best for me to be in vanguard not in the mid.”
With Hans contributing relatively little, they managed to complete the task within the allotted time frame, but this achievement was met with a scolding from Walter. He was clearly furious that it had taken them an entire week to accomplish only 10% of the target.
Walter gave another, in their new assignment, the stakes were higher, with a goal of collecting thirty mana hearts in one week. The team entered the scorching forest with a singular mindset: they needed to complete the task as quickly as possible. While Walter's anger wasn't directed at Hans this time, he was determined not to be a dead weight. Hans contemplated his limited arsenal of spells, recognizing the restrictions he faced.
"I can only use VeganBind and SeedBullets variations," he thought. "No flashy moves allowed. ManaStorm is off-limits, as Professor Walter mentioned earlier. VoidZone would render my team ineffective, too. Crying seed won't recognize these artificial things as living beings and will target us. Well, I'm working with some limited shit here."
Hans raised his VeganBind, successfully capturing seven second-class Roaming Spiders. "Vanguard, attack! Rear, start channelling the spells," he commanded, taking charge for the first time. His team swiftly acted on his orders. Garen, the dwarf, bore the brunt of two beasts that had escaped Hans's traps, while Chris and Delimira handled them, allowing Hans to focus on his strategy.
"Two down. Mid, protect the rear from potential ambushes. Rear, how far are we from an area spell?" Hans inquired.
"It's coming right up," Lux, the light mana user, responded. He launched his LightWrath, and the sheer magnitude of the spell, an onslaught of radiant energy raining down on the seven captured beasts, brought a smile to Hans's face. "No, that's nine for you. To hell with a week; we'll finish it in a day. Move!" he commanded, his vines deftly extracting the bloody hearts from the lifeless bodies.
As his vines slithered inside of the corpses he was astounded as he felt the detailing, “Wow the visuals are something but they even imitated the insides.! It really feels like it is an actual thing.”
Shaking off his curious mind, his mana vision ran full swing, detecting the mana signature of the beast, far from them. He pointed to specific locations and directed the quicker members of the team to lure the creatures out. Each member followed his instructions without hesitation. Hans's commands were logical and well-thought-out as if he had extensive experience in this type of situation. While they could sense his presence, what unnerved them was that the more things went according to his plans, the bolder his decisions became. Nevertheless, there wasn't a single instance where his leadership failed, and within just two days, they completed the task.
Walter refrained from scolding them this time, but to their dismay, the task became even more daunting after a brief break. The deadline remained the same, but the required number of beast hearts had surged to a hundred. One crucial detail that Walter had omitted was the limited quantity of artificial beasts, which had already been reduced by forty.
Moreover, the artefact was capable of learning from its trainees, enhancing the intelligence of the beasts with each iteration. This time, the creatures actively concealed themselves from the team, and even Hans struggled to pinpoint their locations. By the end of the week, they had only managed to obtain around forty of the required hearts.
After their failure, they emerged from the simulation. Walter didn't say much, only offering corrections on what they should have done differently. However, Hans hated failure, and when Walter urged them to try again, his obsession with victory kicked in. and he ran around with his team. He raced around with his team, searching for the beasts with the determination of a madman. But, despite giving his all, they only reached a count of sixty.
Upon exiting, Walter asked them about their experiences. Everyone had something to contribute—whether it was advice, suggestions, or complaints. However, Hans remained silent. So Walter nudged him, "What about you, Captain?”
“We can eventually achieve it," Hans responded. He added, "But we don't have the time for it. Why should we struggle to break down the door when there's clearly a knob waiting for us to turn it and open it?”
He looked at everyone, his gaze sweeping over each member of the team. After assessing them, he concluded, “There's no way we'll be able to gather all one hundred mana hearts in just one week. There are too many variables out there.” He thought hard, about what could help them and suggested, “We should shift our focus to combat—real, brutal fights. Not with the beasts but the people.”
He cast a hopeful glance at Walter, seeking his approval but Walter inquired, “What about teamwork and tactics?”
“They are already good at this. They do what I say without asking why. As long as they follow. There should be no problem.”
“Fine, you are the captain. We do as you say.” Walter stated, asking others if they had any issues but no one objected.
Hans had realized the limitations of his most powerful spells in group battles and knew he needed to improve without relying on those attacks. “I need an effective method.” He muttered as everyone went to their individual training.
***
AnnouncementNEXT : OLD FRIENDS MEET IN THE NARROW LANE
ACT V
THE GLORY WARS
“Norwin Grimgar, he is bad news.” Hans understood how desperate the situation could become if he got involved with Norwin. Considering it was Norwin's territory, Hans vowed to avoid stirring any trouble with this behemoth of an existence. His mind raced with thoughts, while Walter, growing weary of the impromptu interrogation, knew that Hans could easily find answers on his own if he bothered to check the official notices. Annoyed, Walter sarcastically quipped, "Any other pressing matters, YOUR HIGHNESS?"
But Hans took this as an invitation and asked shamelessly, "I promise, this is truly the last one." He couldn't help but chuckle mischievously before pressing on, “If someone, I’m just saying hypothetically. If I happen to end someone there, what should I do?”
"Simply put, don't. I mean it, just don't do it," Walter responded with haste, the mere thought of imagining the scenario brought him a headache. “I’m telling you to not do it,” He emphasized, "I'm strongly advising you against it," his hands gently squeezing Hans's shoulders for added emphasis.
“But what if?”
Hans persisted, refusing to let go of the matter, causing Walter to almost plead, “The Glory Wars were initiated by Concordia around eighty years ago, but now the Alliance oversees it. So I’m begging you. Don’t kill anyone. We can settle your grudges in red demon trials, I won’t care if you kill a hundred there. But spare the Glory Wars; it's broadcasted worldwide. Please, Hans.”
“Fine, you don’t have to… do this much…I’ll try”
“You punk, I need your word, not a willy-nilly commitment —”
“So when are we leaving for mock practice,” Hans interjected, casting a discerning gaze upon his teammates with his unique mana vision. His eyes finally reached Delimira, “As expected, I can’t see the light in her.” Unlike before, when he could distinguish Delimira from miles away, after removing the tapeworm, she had become indistinguishable from the others, a common mage with four types of mana mixed in her heart. He sighed, “Well, no crying over spilt milk, I guess,” he turned to gaze at his teammates’ potential and nodded in affirmation, “These guys are strong too.”
Walter cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Get ready tomorrow at precisely five o'clock, and don't be late. Starting tomorrow, you'll be hunting second-class monsters." After delivering his message, Walter vanished, leaving Hans with his newly assembled team. They all knew each other well, except for Hans, their appointed captain.
In an effort to dispel the awkward atmosphere, Chris stepped forward and inquired, "How have you been, Hans?”
“Growing more powerful. How about you?" Hans replied.
"Arrogance hasn't left you, I see," Chris remarked, gripping Hans's shoulder with the immense strength of a grade-30 Knight, adding a frown on Hans’s calm face.
“I said,” Hans joked, “I’m okay. What did you hear?” struggling to remove the grip from his shoulder.
“Exactly this,” Chris loosened his grip saying, “I was also not just peeling nuts, Hans.”
“What's with this 'peeling nuts' concept?” Hans rubbed his tense shoulder and addressed them. It was perhaps the first time the most narcissistic person they knew was speaking to them in such a manner, and it was unceasing. "You're all pretty powerful; we'll win. It's just hunting second-class monsters. How hard could it be? You guys had your hunting lessons, right?”
Lux, who was more familiar with Hans than the other newcomers, replied, "We've only hunted a second-class monster once, and that was exhausting. Until now, we've only managed to kill first-class ones by ourselves, except for a few." He gestured toward Chris and Delmira, as well as the other strong members who did it on their own.
But instead of Hans, Chris chimed in, Until now, we've been fighting alone, not as a team—”
“I know nothing about teamwork, but as long as you stay loyal to your positions, I'll lead us to victory. Don't worry, because winning this thing might be a matter of life and death for me." He turned to leave, adding, "And if you don't want to be late, someone should come wake me up early." With that, he departed, leaving some of the team members feeling anxious and Chris to calm them down.
Oddly enough, Hans arrived at the location awkwardly early, almost half an hour ahead of the others. Members gradually trickled in, and finally, Walter joined them punctually at five
“Your seniors have spared some Simulation islands for you. So you should use it efficiently.” Walter announced, “Buckle up…”
"What? Not this again..." Hans protested as a dark, viscous energy surrounded them all, enveloping them. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in the most renowned place in Concordia—an island-sized artefact known for creating practice environments of any scale imaginable.
"It's truly a sight to behold," Hans marvelled, examining the place with his mana vision. "The sheer quantity of mana flowing through here is awe-inspiring. The Chairman certainly has refined taste.”
As Hans continued to observe the surroundings, he couldn't help but ask, "Do we know who created this place?" Although the question was directed to no one in particular, Walter, being the professor, responded, "No one knows. It has simply always been here.”
As everyone continued to marvel at the ever-changing scenery—first a desert, then an exotic forest, and finally an aquatic shore—Hans was deeply engrossed, “How the heck this works.” He continued thinking, “This is baffling! It feels like deciphering the intricate mana circuits of tens of thousands of golems all at once”
When the environment shifted once again, this time transforming into one with an active volcano, Walter instructed the manager to halt. "That will be all; you can go now," he said, signalling for the manager to leave. Turning to his students, Walter continued, "This is as far as our simulation can replicate Heat Riddance, a region with similar creatures. So give it your all. Your primary objective is to collect ten mana hearts from second-class beasts. You have one week for this task, and make sure to arrange for your food and shelter as well. You've received training in hunting class, so let's see if Professor Buckworth's salary was well spent or not?”
It took them some time to adapt to Hans's commands, and while his influence altered their tactics somewhat, they mostly adhered to their assigned positions and tasks. Hans provided occasional support, but his interest in the battle seemed minimal as if his thoughts were elsewhere. However, his detachment was misunderstood by the others.
In truth, it wasn't that Hans didn't want to participate actively; rather, there were simply no suitable opportunities for him.“Shit, there are no openings, if I do something it will result in friendly fire. My attacks are useless in the crowd. It would be best for me to be in vanguard not in the mid.”
With Hans contributing relatively little, they managed to complete the task within the allotted time frame, but this achievement was met with a scolding from Walter. He was clearly furious that it had taken them an entire week to accomplish only 10% of the target.
Walter gave another, in their new assignment, the stakes were higher, with a goal of collecting thirty mana hearts in one week. The team entered the scorching forest with a singular mindset: they needed to complete the task as quickly as possible. While Walter's anger wasn't directed at Hans this time, he was determined not to be a dead weight. Hans contemplated his limited arsenal of spells, recognizing the restrictions he faced.
"I can only use VeganBind and SeedBullets variations," he thought. "No flashy moves allowed. ManaStorm is off-limits, as Professor Walter mentioned earlier. VoidZone would render my team ineffective, too. Crying seed won't recognize these artificial things as living beings and will target us. Well, I'm working with some limited shit here."
Hans raised his VeganBind, successfully capturing seven second-class Roaming Spiders. "Vanguard, attack! Rear, start channelling the spells," he commanded, taking charge for the first time. His team swiftly acted on his orders. Garen, the dwarf, bore the brunt of two beasts that had escaped Hans's traps, while Chris and Delimira handled them, allowing Hans to focus on his strategy.
"Two down. Mid, protect the rear from potential ambushes. Rear, how far are we from an area spell?" Hans inquired.
"It's coming right up," Lux, the light mana user, responded. He launched his LightWrath, and the sheer magnitude of the spell, an onslaught of radiant energy raining down on the seven captured beasts, brought a smile to Hans's face. "No, that's nine for you. To hell with a week; we'll finish it in a day. Move!" he commanded, his vines deftly extracting the bloody hearts from the lifeless bodies.
As his vines slithered inside of the corpses he was astounded as he felt the detailing, “Wow the visuals are something but they even imitated the insides.! It really feels like it is an actual thing.”
Shaking off his curious mind, his mana vision ran full swing, detecting the mana signature of the beast, far from them. He pointed to specific locations and directed the quicker members of the team to lure the creatures out. Each member followed his instructions without hesitation. Hans's commands were logical and well-thought-out as if he had extensive experience in this type of situation. While they could sense his presence, what unnerved them was that the more things went according to his plans, the bolder his decisions became. Nevertheless, there wasn't a single instance where his leadership failed, and within just two days, they completed the task.
Walter refrained from scolding them this time, but to their dismay, the task became even more daunting after a brief break. The deadline remained the same, but the required number of beast hearts had surged to a hundred. One crucial detail that Walter had omitted was the limited quantity of artificial beasts, which had already been reduced by forty.
Moreover, the artefact was capable of learning from its trainees, enhancing the intelligence of the beasts with each iteration. This time, the creatures actively concealed themselves from the team, and even Hans struggled to pinpoint their locations. By the end of the week, they had only managed to obtain around forty of the required hearts.
After their failure, they emerged from the simulation. Walter didn't say much, only offering corrections on what they should have done differently. However, Hans hated failure, and when Walter urged them to try again, his obsession with victory kicked in. and he ran around with his team. He raced around with his team, searching for the beasts with the determination of a madman. But, despite giving his all, they only reached a count of sixty.
Upon exiting, Walter asked them about their experiences. Everyone had something to contribute—whether it was advice, suggestions, or complaints. However, Hans remained silent. So Walter nudged him, "What about you, Captain?”
“We can eventually achieve it," Hans responded. He added, "But we don't have the time for it. Why should we struggle to break down the door when there's clearly a knob waiting for us to turn it and open it?”
He looked at everyone, his gaze sweeping over each member of the team. After assessing them, he concluded, “There's no way we'll be able to gather all one hundred mana hearts in just one week. There are too many variables out there.” He thought hard, about what could help them and suggested, “We should shift our focus to combat—real, brutal fights. Not with the beasts but the people.”
He cast a hopeful glance at Walter, seeking his approval but Walter inquired, “What about teamwork and tactics?”
“They are already good at this. They do what I say without asking why. As long as they follow. There should be no problem.”
“Fine, you are the captain. We do as you say.” Walter stated, asking others if they had any issues but no one objected.
Hans had realized the limitations of his most powerful spells in group battles and knew he needed to improve without relying on those attacks. “I need an effective method.” He muttered as everyone went to their individual training.
***
AnnouncementNEXT : OLD FRIENDS MEET IN THE NARROW LANE
