As the chaos within the world chat settled, I found myself contemplating the significance of the map and the repercussions of my actions.
It was clear that the map held immense value, not just in terms of its potential for navigating dungeons but also in its ability to stir up desire and conflict among the people active in the world chat.
Introducing myself in the world chat without testing the attitude of people using it could have become a huge unredeemable mistake from my side. Using " lostsoul 45 " was wise move, as I could see groups forming here and there in the world chat discussing about who this "lostsoul 45" could be.
With a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of my consciousness, I made the skeleton archers retreat deeper into the shadows, pondering my next move.
The chaos from the chat had revealed the significance of this map in my hand. A sense of insecurity flooded my mind and again made me realize the horrors of this world, where allicances were fleeting and trust was a rare commodity. Asking others to help secure this map would probably be foolish action to take after knowing its significance.
With each revelation, my resolve strengthened. I knew that I had to trade carefully, for the path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty. But the allure of the map's power was to great to ignore.
Despite my initial intention of merely observing and learning, I now found myself entangled in the intricate web of intrigue and rivalry that permeated the world chat. The alias " lostsoul45 " had unwittingly become a player who possesed the map but did not know its significance.
Even amidst the turmoil, a glimmer of determination sparked within me. If the map held such power and influence, then perhaps it could be wielded as a tool for greater purpose. It was not merely a means to navigate dungeons and acquire riches; it was a symbol of potential, a key to become the strongest.
Fishing in muddy waters meant one had to get mud in their own hands to have some gains. One cannot wish to remain clean when he throws mud at others. Even though I did not kill for the map, there was no guarentee that some lunatic from world chat would hesitate to hunt " lostsoul45 " for the map. Echoes of Viktor and Elaine's fate would always act as reminder of the consequences of wielding greater power without wisdom.
But I was not like Viktor who once got the map, sought after power and women without having any prior plannings. I refuse to be defined by these types of mistakes. With each step forward, I sought to forge a new unexplored path, one guided not by fear or doubt, but by unwavering determination and conviction that even in the darkest of times, there existed a way out, possibility of redemption.
Afer sorting everything out, I started making plans to use this map to its fullest. Dungeons provided a lot of things like gold, equipments but the most important was the evolution materials that were needed to successfully evolve.
Evolving was a important step of growing my power but I had kept evolving at the last of my to do list as acquiring evolution materials was very hard and time consuming as well. But now it was just a matter of luck and patience of exploring as much dungeons as possible.
Thinking about dungeons, I suddenly remembered about my dungeon exploration team that were grinding hard inside the dungeon.
After tying Viktor and Elaine up, skeleton soldiers and rider did not have any other spare work and keeping them would have alerted the hostages so I had ordered them to go back and farm exp points inside the dungeon along with the newly incubated skeleton rider.
The team of 4 skeletons consisting of 2 soldiers and 2 riders were still inside the dungeon clearing it slowly and steadily, helping each other out from harms in way.
The dungeon exploration team had not encountered any major problems till now but they had yet to find the boss room. I looked at the entrance of the dungeon and pondered how magical the dungeon was.
Everything was in place. Skeleton exploration team were providing me with a continuous stream of exp points even though two of its core members were here with me.The map in my hand was shining brightly showing locations for more dungeons. Now I needed to clear this dungeon as fast as possible to explore the other.
SWOOOOSH...SWOOOOOOSH.....
Sounds to two arrows being released startled me. I hurridely looked at the skeleton archers loading another arrow in their bow and firing again.
SWOOOOSH ... SWOOOOOSH.....
DING ... DING ..... DING ...
MUTATED RABBIT HAS BEEN KILLED....
465 EXP POINTS GAINED...
DO YOU WANT TO ABSORB THE SOUL ?
Y / N
The sound of mechanical voice along with the string of messages startled me. Without having time to think about it properly, I had unconsciously said " YES ".
ABSORBING THE SOUL ...
DING ..... DING .... DING ...
465 EXP POINTS GAINED....
After procesing all the things that had happened, I realized the firing of two rounds of arrows done by my skeleton archers who now stood motionlessly guarding the periphery had just neutralized a beast that was approaching me while I was immersed in my own thoughts.
Skeleton archers would never move without any orders and if they moved, it meant that there was some condition that prompted movement from stationary skeleton archers. The order that was given to this pair was to guard the periphery and shoot anything that was showing abnormal movements. And it was what they did. Skeleton archers proved their usefulness time and again without any failure. I praised them heavily in my heart but they could not recieve it as they were not living beings.
Now I looked at the place where the skeleton archers shot the arrows. There was a lifeless body of a creature that looked like a hybrid between a rabbit and a kangaroo. It was a bizzare creature that was sneaking up to me but was caught off guard by the two skeleton archers. Everything this world has was bizzare, the huge godzilla like beast and bird beast from before and now the mutated rabbit. If rabbits were like this in this planet then thinking about what other creatures could be like, would surely make goosebumps appear.
This incident once again made me realize how important security was in this planet. If I had not ordered the two skeleton archers to guard, I could have been ambushed by this bizzare looking creature while immersed in my own thoughts. I was thinking of sending these two inside the dungeon to help others conquer the dungeon faster but not doing so saved me from this imminent danger.
I promised myself that I would always keep two or three skeleton archers to guard me at all the times.
As I was thinking about ways to keep myself secure from the external threats, the mechanical voice rang again announcing something I was preparing for from somewhile. I was not eligible to appear in the rankings before but with this map in my hand I was confident.
RANKING OF PLAYERS STARTS IN ...
47 HOURS : 59 MIN : 59 SEC
With the announcement by the mechanical voice, suddenly a countdown appeared infront of me stating the arrival of the first ranking of players will be in 2 days.