Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 274: Emerald Fortress Major Repairs Part 3
Ongel: Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ ???
Players: (⊙o⊙) !!!
The training ground fell silent.
Rune grinned triumphantly. This was the choice he felt most satisfied with doing in his life; the question was on the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels, and he, Rune, had already reached the atmosphere!
He was sure to secure this hidden mission.
He just didn’t know what methods this old champion knight would use to satisfy himself. Would he roughly handle them, the players, against the wall?
Or would he lead them into a private bath and casually drop a bar of soap on the ground?
Ongel quietly looked at the new recruit commander in front of him, who was posing seductively, looking even more charming than the prostitutes in the brothel.
Taking a closer look, he was quite good-looking.
He licked his lips, his gaze shifting from surprise to irritation, followed by a fleeting hint of desire, which was ultimately suppressed by the restraints of morality.
The old knight remembered his identity.
Therefore, his mood was immediately replaced by extreme anger.
“Insolence!”
He roared indignantly.
“You are insulting an imperial champion knight. According to the laws of any country, your words and actions would be punishable by death!”
With that said.
Ongel took out his great hammer from behind his back, gripped it with both hands, and swung it with the force of thunder, infused with his anger. With a “boom,” he smashed it onto the ground.
The shockwave blasted the debris off the ground.
A huge crack spread towards Rune.
Rune was controlled by the system and could not move.
Even if he could, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge it.
The crack spread extremely quickly. He could only watch as the ground split open beneath his feet, and then, with a “rip,” his canvas pants split open.
He was forced to do the splits in front of all the players.
[HP-2]
Without a pain system, he didn’t feel pain, but the sensation was somewhat peculiar.
Ongel stared at the new recruit commander doing the splits and subconsciously licked his lips again.
His words were flirtatious, his movements alluring, and his flexibility was so good. If only…
Having a different thought, Ongel changed his tone and snorted:
“However, considering you are a new recruit brought by Your Majesty Winter, and since you can be the commander of the new recruits, it means you must have some exceptional qualities. I will not pursue this matter further. All soldiers will go and repair the fortress. You, come with me.”
[Novice Mission Received]
[You have been automatically matched to a team]
[Your team will be responsible for repairing the damaged arrow tower on the northwest side of Narvit Bastion and a section of the weathered city wall connected to it]
[Tools have been placed in the area that needs repair. Those who don’t know the specific operating procedures can consult nearby veterans. If your actions negatively impact the repair work, you will be deducted 5 gold coins and a certain amount of experience points. If gold coins and experience points are insufficient, the system will record it as a deferred payment]
After Ongel finished speaking.
The players found that they could move again.
Moreover, they had been automatically divided into 500 teams by the system, with forty people per team, and their missions were slightly different.
Some were repairing the city walls, some were repairing the towers, and others were going outside the bastion to clear corpses and re-lay trenches.
As if afraid they would destroy the fortress while trying to repair it, the mission prompt added some restrictions at the end, which made some players who were full of mischievous ideas and wanted to cause trouble temporarily give up.
After all, doing a task only yielded 5 copper coins.
If they were deducted 5 gold coins for causing damage, wouldn’t they have to work until the year of the monkey to pay it back?
Guided by the map prompt, the players headed to the areas of the fortress that needed repair to take their positions.
Only the immobile Rune and Duke North Wind Ongel, who was still floating in the sky, remained in the entire training ground.
“Whoosh—”
A gust of cold wind blew by, swirling up a few leaves on the gravel ground. They spun and danced in the low air, adding a touch of desolation and loneliness to the already barren training ground.
Of course, there was also a bit of lingering awkwardness.
[King of Winter’s Favorability +10, Current Relationship Status: Watching]
Rune was a little stunned.
He didn’t know why his favorability had increased.
He had a strange feeling.
However, there was one thing he was very sure of.
That was that the reason he was chosen by the system to be the player representative and the 10 points of favorability added by King of Winter before had a great deal to do with it.
“What is your name?”
Ongel landed and walked up to the player Rune. He was a head taller than Rune and had a robust physique, so even though he was an old man, he still exuded an oppressive aura.
Rune had just entered the game.
This was the first time he had faced a powerful NPC up close. This old man named Ongel carried a powerful killing intent and the unique demeanor of someone in a high position.
He had once given a statement to the security bureau in his early years.
At that time, a very famous criminal investigator was interrogating a suspect.
Rune happened to make eye contact with the criminal investigator, and a cold sweat immediately broke out on his back, like a mouse seeing a cat.
The feeling now, facing Ongel, was similar to that time, and even more intense.
“Rune… Your Excellency Ongel, my name is Rune…”
Rune didn’t know what was happening to him.
Although he kept telling himself in his heart that this was just an NPC and there was nothing to be afraid of, and to be tough, his lips couldn’t help but tremble when he spoke.
“Rune, a good name.”
“From today onwards, you will train with me. You don’t need to help repair the fortress. I will personally train you to become a qualified guard, a guard capable of remaining calm in any situation!”
Ongel’s tone was not one of negotiation; it was a command.
Recalling his previous answer.
Rune’s backside tensed.
He could almost foresee what Ongel intended to do to him.
But he was here to play the game, not to experience free philosophy.
He had only intended to trigger a hidden mission with that previous answer.
Now, the hidden mission hadn’t been triggered, but a special scenario had.
He just didn’t know if he could refuse?
The system’s selection box popped up again. Rune’s heart stirred, and he was full of anticipation.
[A. As you command, Your Excellency, I am happy to serve you]
[B. Yes, Your Excellency, I am happy to serve you]
[C. I shall obey your will, Your Excellency, I am happy to serve you]
Don’t all these answers mean the same thing?
Rune was stunned.
He remembered that “Nobody Does Human Things” had mentioned that there were many interesting plot choices in the game on Cain Continent, and each one was worth careful consideration.
Now, he wanted to know what was worth considering about these three options!
If “Nobody Does Human Things” were in front of him now.
He swore he would smear a plate of braised pork rice on “Nobody Does Human Things'” face.
Rune thought for a long time but got nowhere.
After the five-second time limit passed, the system randomly selected an answer.
“As you command, Your Excellency, I am happy to serve you.”
Under the system’s control, Rune said with an awkward smile, while still doing the splits.
“Good, he’s a good lad.”
Ongel grinned, his gray beard on his chin trembling. Then, with a “boom,” he threw his great hammer onto the ground.
He pointed at the great hammer that had smashed a large pit in the ground and said to Rune, who was looking confused:
“The first lesson of becoming a guard is to help your commanding officer carry his weapon. Now, take my weapon to my tent, it’s not far from here, about two miles. Begin, Rune.”
