The Great Thief's Desire
Click.
—Ah, thanks, Great Thief. You've got some sense.
Yong-yong snatched the potion and gulped it down.
"...I opened that for myself..."
—Oh, really? Then I take back what I said about you having sense.
'Tae-hyun, I miss you!' Ed-an wept inwardly.
As Yong-yong was the divine beast of Archisus, Ed-an couldn't treat him carelessly (and in a fight, Ed-an would likely lose anyway), and Tae-hyun wasn't around to keep the dragon in check. He hadn't realized it when Tae-hyun was around, but now he truly felt the sheer absurdity of the creatures Tae-hyun dragged along. Without Tae-hyun, these monsters would run wild and cause absolute chaos! Of course, Ed-an was one of those "monsters," so he wasn't really in a position to talk.
"Anyway, it's convenient that there's no one here, but it's a bit creepy."
A crimson energy was continuously draining his HP bit by bit. Perhaps because of that, the palace was completely deserted, which only made it scarier.
—Great Thief. Where are we supposed to go? Don't tell me you're lost...
"No way. Do you think this is my first or second time here?"
—"First or second time"? Have you actually been here before?
"Of course. I came here in the past. I got caught and had my arms cut off, though."
Back when the late father of Damiano II was still king, Ed-an had tried to rob the palace. He had been clumsy, of course, and had paid for it with both his arms.
—You got caught? Then you don't seem like much of a Great Thief.
"H-Hey, surviving that is impressive enough..."
—My master wouldn't have lost his arms.
"..." Ed-an slumped.
"...Anyway, let's hurry up and get out. It's terrifying how fast my HP is dropping right now."
The Vampiric Drain accelerates.
HP decreases at a faster rate.
"!!"
Ed-an panicked. It was dropping even faster! He wouldn't have time to search the entire palace. He had to hit the most important spots quickly.
"Follow me!"
Patter-patter-patter—
—Are you sure you know where you're going?
"I told you, yes! If we pass the throne room and go behind it, there's a treasure vault. It's small, but it's where the king keeps his personal collection."
Under normal circumstances, this hall would be where Damiano II sat on his throne, protected by countless knights and magic. But now, it was completely empty. On the throne where Damiano II should have been sitting, there was no one...
"Aaaack!"
—What's wrong?!
"What is that hideous thing?!"
Ed-an recoiled in horror. Atop the throne where Damiano II should have sat, a cocoon made of crimson blood had taken root. It throbbed like a beating heart, growing larger by the second!
—I can feel divine power coming from there.
"Divine power or not, I don't think we should go anywhere near it!"
—But didn't you say the vault was right behind it...?
"...C-Come to think of it, there are plenty of other good places to rob."
—I don't think we have the time to go elsewhere. Even with my magic protecting me, this place is dangerous.
Yong-yong was stubborn. They had to finish what they came to do!
"Ugh..." Ed-an walked forward with a tearful face. He hadn't expected it to be this dangerous...
'This is so incredibly creepy!'
Squirm, squirm—
Goosebumps broke out all over his skin every time the growing blood cocoon throbbed.
'Huh? Is that...?'
Ed-an spotted something glittering inside the cocoon. A very familiar crown! It was the Crown of Atali Kingdom that Damiano II used to wear.
Gulp.
Seeing the crown he had dreamed of stealing his entire life right before his eyes, Ed-an couldn't just walk away.
—What are you doing, Great Thief! It's dangerous!
Yong-yong panicked as Ed-an reached his hand toward the cocoon. There was no telling what would happen the moment he touched a cocoon covered in such ominous divine power.
"That... I must steal that!"
—You'll die!
"Even if I die, I can't just leave it!"
Flash!
Ed-an thrust both arms forward and pulled the crown out. At that exact moment, a bloodcurdling shriek erupted.
Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!
A shriek that shook the entire palace—no, the entire capital!
"What was that?!"
Tae-hyun, who was waiting outside, was also taken aback. What on earth were they doing in there?!
You have held the [Crown of Atali Kingdom]. You will be unconditionally stunned...
You are the [Avatar of Archisus]. You successfully resist the effect.
'Crazy. What kind of debuff is this...?'
A dizzying message window informed him that he would have been instantly stunned had he not been the Avatar of Archisus.
'Should I go inside?'
Fortunately, the two inside were safe. It was thanks to Yong-yong.
Crunch! Snap!
However, arms of blood reaching out from the cocoon grabbed Ed-an's arms and refused to let go. It was as if they were telling him to leave the crown behind!
"I'm never letting go! Mmph!"
Ed-an bit down on the crown with his teeth. Then he shouted, "Mmph (Cut them)!"
—!
Yong-yong was stunned. What kind of human was so blinded by greed! Even if they were prosthetic arms...
But there was no time to hesitate. A massive shriek had echoed out, meaning enemies from the outside were highly likely to swarm them.
The [Soul Fragment] pulses, accelerating the Vampiric Drain.
On top of that, the soul fragment was draining HP even more aggressively! Yong-yong swiftly severed Ed-an's arms. Crunch!
"Mmmph!"
Blood Golems are being summoned.
Golems made of crimson blood materialized as if to guard the cocoon!
—Oh no... We have to get out of here!
"Mmmph mmph mmph! (We have to take those at least!)"
Ed-an pointed desperately at the walls of the hall. Even if they didn't have time to reach the vault, they had to take as much as possible. The collection in this hall was the pride of the Atali Kingdom's art collection! Every single piece was a masterpiece that would make any artist weep tears of joy.
—We don't have time for—ugh, fine! What do we take?!
"Mmph, mmph, mmph! (That, that, and that!)"
Even in the midst of the chaos, Ed-an pointed them out with lightning speed. He then kicked the statues. Whir— The wide wall rotated, revealing the hidden artworks.
The hidden artworks have been revealed.
"Mmmph! (Take everything here!)"
—I acknowledge you, human. You truly are a Great Thief!
Yong-yong was filled with admiration for Ed-an's sheer willpower. His arms were severed, and Blood Golems were trying to kill him, yet he maintained his absolute dedication to pulling off a heist!
"What on earth are those idiots doing..."
Tae-hyun sighed, looking ahead. In the distance, vampire warriors and demonic beasts of the Salavian Church were rushing toward them. It seemed the shriek from earlier had indeed awakened the entire capital. Under the circumstances, staying here any longer was out of the question. They had to escape as quickly as possible.
'Huh?'
The Death Knight running at the very front of the horde looked strangely familiar. "...?"
—Forward! Follow my command! Go... gasp.
Golgol-i had been shouting excitedly, but he froze the moment he spotted Tae-hyun standing ahead.
—...
"..."
—T-There is no one here. Let us go that way!
Golgol-i quickly led the warriors in a different direction.
—What do you think you're doing?
—T-That is...
Golgol-i began to explain in a panic, making absolutely sure to mention that Heuk-heuk had bullied him first!
—...Right. Good job.
—T-Thank you.
He would scold him later; for now, he had to make use of Golgol-i.
—Buy as much time as possible so we can escape.
—Understood!
Golgol-i led the warriors, running this way and that.
—This way!
—No, I believe it is this way!
—Actually, perhaps it is this way?
—...?
The vampire warriors found it odd, but they followed Golgol-i anyway. Since he was a Death Knight summoned by Dominic, surely he had a plan!
Meanwhile, Yong-yong burst out of the palace, carrying a half-dead Ed-an on his back.
—Master! We are out!
"I'd like to say good job... but what happened to him?"
—Well...
Yong-yong quickly explained what had transpired inside. Hearing the story, Tae-hyun asked with a dumbfounded expression:
"So you went in there and came out with nothing but a single crown and some art pieces?"
—...I-It is because of this thief!
Demoting him from "Great Thief" back to "thief," Yong-yong immediately pinned the blame on Ed-an.
Carbanog wonders if that is really a Gold Dragon.
Hanging around Tae-hyun, it seemed Yong-yong was only picking up his worst habits.
'I sent them in to grab some Orihalcon, and yet...' Tae-hyun felt a bitter taste in his mouth. After all that effort, they had only brought back art pieces and a crown. Of course, those artworks would be highly coveted by players with artistic classes, like painters or sculptors... but compared to the other potential items in the palace, it was a letdown. And a crown, of all things. Unless it was exceptionally good...
"Let's get out of here first. Staying any longer is too dangerous."
Even though Golgol-i was buying them time, the shriek from earlier was drawing every vampire in the capital toward the palace. If they weren't careful, they would end up completely surrounded!
"They're here!"
The players gathered at the Valley of Despair and Sorrow held their breath in anticipation. A massive army was approaching from the distance! It was the army of the Salavian Church, led by Dominic himself. Thanks to players who had gone out to scout, information about the size of the Salavian Church's army was already circulating. Even now, posts and videos about the Salavian forces were being uploaded in real-time.
If one were to name the most highly anticipated hotspots in Pan-On right now, it would be the border region between the Erangs Kingdom and the Auston Kingdom, and right here!
"I'll buff you!"
"Anyone who hasn't received buffs, come over here! Casting now!"
"They're handing out silver arrows up ahead, so archers, make sure to grab plenty!"
The Salavian Church was targeting the Valley of Despair and Sorrow...
You have participated in the Siege Quest. Contribution Points increase.
You have blessed an ally. Contribution Points increase.
You have repaired an ally's equipment. Contribution Points...
Normally, siege quests were played individually or in parties. There was no reason to buff strangers or repair their equipment—no reason to do favors for others. But this siege quest was different. It was part of the Succession Quest, in which every player in the territory participated! Because of this, simply buffing others or repairing their gear accumulated Contribution Points. It was a golden opportunity for crafting classes, who usually had nothing to do compared to combat classes.
"Do you have any more gear? I can fix that too."
"No, that's all..."
"Those boots look a bit worn! Let me have them for a second!"
"These are brand-new boots with full durability! What are you talking about?!"
Meanwhile, Dominic continued his approach, leading his army. It wasn't just the Salavian Church; a significant portion of the royal army, which he had seized after instigating the rebellion, was also visible.
"Hear me, rebels..."
Swish!
The moment Dominic opened his mouth, arrows began flying from afar. It wasn't the players who shot them. The players had been waiting, thinking, 'Let's hear what he has to say.'
The ones who fired were the Tyrum Hunters! People who had absolutely zero situational awareness or tact!
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
"Fire! Fire!"
"If we take that guy down, won't the war be over?!"
The Tyrum Hunters fired away in high spirits. Of course, not a single arrow hit Dominic. Clang-clang-clang— A crimson barrier materialized around Dominic, blocking all the attacks. However, it was more than enough to interrupt his speech. A thick vein throbbed on Dominic's forehead.
"Uneducated fools, you don't even know how to listen—"
"Huh? Did the attack start?"
"Looks like it."
"Then let's fire!"
The problem was that the other players took this as the signal to attack. Since everyone else was firing, it must be time! A ferocious onslaught erupted from the meticulously built fortress and the outermost walls. It wasn't just arrows; a barrage of various siege weapons rained down!
Boom! Crash!
Even before the mages could step up, the rain of arrows and massive boulders shook the earth and tore up the terrain.
"Lord Dominic! Please step back. We will handle this!"
The Salavian cultists went so far as to pull Dominic back. Seeing this, the morale of the defending forces soared.
"Waaaaah!"
"They're running! They're running!"
The morale of the territory's defending forces increases.
"Those... those insolent pests...!"
And this reaction thoroughly rubbed Dominic the wrong way.