NOVEL NEXT Chapter 114 : World Event (4)
Axton's mischievous thoughts made him laugh to himself more than once. He could already imagine the chaos that would unfold once all the players started flooding into Atlas City. The idea was so amusing that he had to shake his head to stop grinning like an idiot.
"Enough," he muttered, forcing a small sigh through his nose. "I'll let the madness sort itself out."
He had already made up his mind.
He was going offline to rest, maybe grab a meal and forget about whatever insanity was happening in New Eden, at least for a few hours.
By the time he logged back in, he hoped the situation would have stabilized a little. Maybe, if he was lucky, the players who arrived would have figured out a few things for him.
Free information, courtesy of the chaos.
"Log out."
******
The teleportation plaza of Atlas City was bursting with light and noise as players appeared one after another.
Some stumbled forward in disbelief, while others cheered at finally escaping their beginner villages.
[Location: Atlas City]
[Teleportation successful]
The messages echoed repeatedly as new arrivals flooded in.
Excitement buzzed in the air.
For many, this was their first time setting foot in a major city. The sight of towering buildings, busy streets, and armored NPCs made them feel like they had truly entered another world. But more than anything else, they were eager for one thing.
…The World Event.
Groups of players formed instantly, talking loudly, comparing quests, and even calling out one name repeatedly — Khan.
They wanted to meet him. Some to join him, others to challenge him and a few simply to see the player who had become a legend overnight.
Unfortunately, shouting the name of Atlas City's mayor so casually turned out to be a very bad idea.
The moment a few players began yelling his name across the plaza, the soldiers stationed nearby turned sharply, weapons drawn and ready to be used. Their expressions were stone-cold, their eyes filled with a chilling warning.
"Show some respect when you speak of Mayor Khan!" one guard barked. His blade gleamed in the sunlight as he pointed it toward the crowd.
Another soldier added in a stern voice, "Insult our mayor again, and you'll lose more than your tongue."
The sudden hostility silenced the players immediately. Some laughed awkwardly, thinking it was a scripted NPC reaction, but when a few ignored the warning, things turned violent fast.
Within seconds, chaos erupted.
Blades flashed.
Several players were slashed before they could even pull out their weapons. Others panicked and ran, only to be tackled or kicked down by other guards.
The NPCs were not holding back.
Screams filled the plaza.
Some players tried to fight back, but their attacks barely scratched the guards.
The level gap was simply too wide.
[You have been killed by Atlas City Guard]
[Warning: Aggressive behavior towards Atlas City NPCs will lower your reputation!]
The message appeared for dozens of players almost instantly.
Reality struck.
The people of Atlas City weren't just mindless NPCs. They were fiercely loyal citizens. To them, Mayor Khan wasn't just their leader. He was practically divine.
Any word spoken against him was treated as blasphemy, like a sin against a god.
One player hiding behind a stall whispered nervously, "It's like Khan's a god to them…"
Another, still nursing a deep cut from a blacksmith's hammer, groaned, "Yeah, and we're the idiots who came here acting like tourists. I just said his name too casually, and the guy went berserk! Talk about power and influence."
He spat to the side and grumbled, "This city feels more real than the real world. Even politics here has consequences."
The guild leaders among the crowd quickly realized how dangerous this situation was becoming. They shouted orders to their members, urging them to stay calm and avoid trouble with the locals.
"No fighting! No arguing! Keep your weapons sheathed!" one of the guild leaders shouted, pushing back one of her reckless members. "We can't afford to lose people before the event even starts!"
She wasn't alone. Leaders from other guilds were doing the same, dragging away hot-headed players before things escalated further.
They all knew the same thing — getting a bad reputation in Atlas City before the World Event began would be a disaster. They needed the city's cooperation, not its hatred.
The message was clear:
Atlas City was his domain.
And the more the players saw how much respect and fear his name carried, the more envy they felt.
"He's too far ahead," one player muttered bitterly. "How the hell did he get all this power so fast?"
"Over level 30 already," another replied, shaking his head. "And the strongest of us haven't even hit 20. That's… that's insane."
Their frustration grew with every whisper.To them, Axton's rise was almost unnatural. They had all started on the same day and yet he was already in a league of his own, commanding an entire city like some emperor.
******
Meanwhile, far from the chaos of the plaza, a certain group had gathered in a quiet corner of Atlas City's outer district — Grand Nexus, one of the guilds in the game.
Their leader, Kiran, leaned back against a wall with a smug smile. He had been watching everything that was happening all this while, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"See?" he said, gesturing toward the plaza. "Everyone's bowing to him like he's some divine ruler. But inside a dungeon… that's where he'll bleed like the rest of us."
His words drew a mix of nervous chuckles and dark grins from his guildmates.
Kiran straightened, his expression turning cold. "We are a guild. He's just one man. Don't forget that."
One of his officers frowned. "Yeah, but you saw what those NPCs did out there. They'll protect him like mad dogs."
Kiran waved dismissively. "Let them worship him. They can't follow him into a dungeon, can they?"
The logic hit home.
The members of Grand Nexus began nodding one after another.
"He's got power here, sure," Kiran continued. "But when the World Event starts, it'll take us beyond these walls. That's where things will be different."
He smirked. "He won't have his army of loyal NPCs there. No city guards. No worshippers. Just players."
"And us." one of his subordinates chipped in.
"Exactly." Kiran's grin widened. "We'll make sure he doesn't walk out of that dungeon alive. Nobody can stay that far ahead forever."
The guild members exchanged determined glances.
Their rivalry with Axton had already grown beyond pride. It was now personal. and dangerous.
Still, even as they plotted, an uneasy feeling lingered among them. They had seen what Axton was capable of, even if only through rumor and reports. His level alone spoke volumes. And then there were his mysterious summons — the Undead General, the Dragon, the clone and even the Great Bear — which Kiran was yet to find out abeg.
But Kiran was confident. "He bleeds, he dies. The system won't protect him from that."
He turned toward the streets glowing under the artificial sun of Atlas City, his eyes narrowing. "Enjoy your throne while you can, Axton. When the dungeon opens… we're coming for you."