NOVEL NEXT Chapter 98: Otherworldlers
News about the Otherworlders' appearance spread all over the world, and there were mixed perceptions from the public.
This wasn't the first time Otherworlders had appeared. The last time was a couple of decades ago.
At that time, they had been quite helpful, as the denizens realized they could assign quests to these Otherworlders—just like the way it worked with the Adventurer Guild—and reward them.
They weren't too worried. After all, these Otherworlders were unkillable.
It made life easier for the denizens of Earth.
But with every system, there were bad eggs.
Some individuals with nefarious goals had taken advantage of the Otherworlders, assigning them quests to further their own agendas.
Some of these goals involved assassination of rivals, theft, and destruction of private properties. This brought about widespread chaos.
The chaos was so severe that some of the mundane citizens wished for them to leave their world.
And their wishes were answered when suddenly, the Otherworlders vanished without a trace.
But now that they had returned once more, the denizens feared the same cycle would repeat itself all over again.
"Makes you wonder—why did they suddenly disappear in the first place?" said the vice guild leader of the White Flame Guild.
He was a slim man with spiky ash-gray hair, wearing a suit that clung to his lean, lithe physique. His name was Felix Darkwood.
The White Flame Guild was located on the outskirts of Stoneheart City, which was the third-largest and most populated city in the Valerian Kingdom.
It was classified as a Tier Two town, and the city lord was someone who was already at Hero Rank.
Just outside the city, about 5 kilometers away, there was a base with towering walls over 40 meters high, 12 meters wide, and 8 meters thick.
This was the White Flame Base—
A settlement built and inhabited exclusively by members of the White Flame Guild.
Patrolling around the outer walls were archers and a sparse number of Gunslingers.
The Gunslinger class was very rare, and because of the scarcity of mechanics and the high cost of magical firearms, not many chose this profession.
Inside the base, there were many facilities: shopping centers, residential homes, training grounds, and even a mini academy where recruits were being trained.
Presently, across what appeared to be a lake where the statue of the guild's founder stood, a meeting was being held inside a large conference room.
At the front of the room stood Felix Darkwood, his arms clasped behind his back.
"Vice Leader, I think I know why the Otherworlders vanished unannounced the last time," someone said from the seating rows.
"And what do you think is the cause?" Felix asked, narrowing his eyes.
That person nodded and confidently explained, "There were rumors that before the Otherworlders disappeared, they had been constantly talking about the game glitching... and that it would crash."
"Hm. Let me get this straight." Felix narrowed his eyes further. "You're saying whatever transported these people to our world was faulty... and now it's been fixed?"
"Most likely."
"Well, whatever that is—it's none of our concern," Felix said casually, waving off the topic. "The reason for this meeting is to discuss how we're going to utilize these Otherworlders in the upcoming event."
When they heard "event," everyone's expressions became serious. This was something they were all aware of—and had been preparing for.
"The last time, we performed poorly because our numbers were low. But with the Otherworlders' unique ability to respawn, we will gain a major advantage."
---
Elsewhere, in another base about 8 kilometers away from the capital city of the Valerian Kingdom, the Olympus Base stood proudly.
It was arguably one of the largest and grandest settlements on the human continent—its size was roughly equal to that of Stellar City.
The base was arrogantly named Skybreaker's Bastion.
The city was designed like ancient Rome, with similar luxurious buildings, pools, and fountains.
Life here was very peaceful, and if one never stepped outside the city, they might believe the wilderness was just as peaceful.
Inside the official meeting room—similar to the White Flame Guild—the members of the Olympus Guild had gathered as well.
"From past experience, I'm certain the other guilds will try to use the Otherworlders as cannon fodder," Jack Arefield said. "However, the Olympus Guild has never been one to depend on outsiders."
"Vice Leader, with these Otherworlders' respawn ability, it'll be difficult to get rid of them," a woman commented. "Do you have a way to counter this?"
"Of course I do." A slow smile curled up on Jack Arefield Hanson's face, which looked as if it were sculpted by the Greek gods. He shifted his gaze to the back.
There, a woman stood wearing a milky-white gown. Her hair was tied back with a golden hairband. Jewels adorned her neck, and countless rings sparkled on her arms.
"That's where Aria comes in," Jack said, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
---
In the base of the Crimson Star Guild, Lilith Valentine was pacing back and forth, her expression cold.
All those present swallowed nervously whenever her gaze fell on them.
They were all aware of the reason behind her mood.
Behind her was a large screen.
And on this screen were the faces of four individuals with red warning signs and X marks drawn over their images:
Scarlett, Gabriel, Sophie, and Cassie.
These four were the reason for her current sour mood.
"Unlike the others, I won't be optimistic about this competition," she said. "I already know the winners will either be the Martial Palace, the Holy Church, or the Olympus Guild."
She paused and turned back to the screen, her gaze lingering on Scarlett and Gabriel.
She had actually watched Gabriel fight against Ghostface and his squad from a distance—and saw how he even broke out of Ghostface's illusion.
To Lilith, he was one of the biggest threats.
And with her growing feud with the Adventurer Guild, he might become a major problem later on.
"We will not be optimistic about winning the event," she paused, and with eyes gleaming with murderous resolve, she declared, "Rather, our goal will be to get rid of these people!"
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