There was a way to escape, I needed to log out if possible, but if the system considered this situation as a quest, PVP, or any form of in-game currency activity, logging out would be impossible.
In a desperate attempt, I swiped my finger in the air, summoning an avatar panel before my eyes, but there was no log-out button to be found.
It could only mean one thing—the system had categorized this event as a quest.
[Private System: You are currently engaged in a hidden quest. Please proceed until you are able to log out.]
Were these individuals truly hidden NPC bosses, or was this simply part of a quest?
I pondered their motives, considering that PVP and murder were strictly prohibited within the city according to the system's rules. I turned to glance at the calm and seemingly unfazed purple-haired girl, who maintained her lazy smile.
Hopefully, she wasn't a part of their scheme.
Right then, I remembered that I still possessed a teleportation orb. With my thoughts, an item panel materialized before me, displaying the list of items I currently owned.
[Private System: Item List
Buff Potion (16)
Mystical Healing Potion (2)
Healing Elixir (8)
Teleportation Orb (1)
... Click to see more
]
A single teleportation orb was equivalent to three months' worth of expenses, but it could only be used once, sending me back to the initial summoning rift. If I was born with the rare, Alchemist archetype, I would have gained the ability to teleport, although only within a limited range visible to my eyes.
[Private System: You cannot use the teleportation orb at this time, as the quest is designed exclusively for you.]
Damn it, what did that mean? It was absurd that I couldn't use the teleportation orb, especially since I could rely on it to escape from death even in battles against an S-tier dimensional creature known as Fire Scale Drake.
Yet, against these people, I was unable to use it.
As if sensing my growing concern, the elf girl smiled and uttered, "There is no point in trying to escape this place. It has now become a PVP arena. You either come with us or die here!"
I could kill the three of them, however, there must be more of their ally hidden somewhere, it wouldn't be worth it to anger them unless I had no choice.
These despicable NPC—what were they aiming to achieve? Furthermore, how could she disable the non-PVP area? It was clearly beyond the capability of a single person; there must be a complex organization involved in this.
Contrary to the tense situation we were in, the purple-haired girl seemed to find it amusing, which earned her disapproving glances from everyone present. The four-armed alien shouted, "Hey, lady! Do you even realize the gravity of the situation you're in? Just because you're in your avatar doesn't mean we can't make your experience a living hell."
The purple-haired girl let out a small chuckle and responded, "So, what do you want from us? If you want our cooperation, there's no need for violence."
Suddenly, the sound of knives being brandished came to a halt as the two hefty orcs lowered their knives and approached us, fixing upon us with their emotionless gazes. Stepping forward, the elf girl declared, "Follow us, and you'll find your answers. If you choose to stay here, be prepared for a painful death, as I've set the pain system to its maximum for your avatars."
Maintaining a calm tone despite my anger, I asked, "Who exactly are you people?"
With a stern voice, the elf girl replied, "As I mentioned before, we work for the Eternia government."
Why would the city's government force players like me to participate in their absurd quest? Were they facing a shortage of personnel? No, that couldn't be the case, considering the number of skilled players and individuals willing to work for Eternia just for bonuses and titles.
Unexpectedly, the purple-haired girl uttered, "Alright, lead the way."
Damn it, I had placed my trust in this girl, but it seemed she might be a big idiot.
I was about to touch her hand to get her attention but refrained out of respect. However, when she noticed my attempt, she turned to me with a confident smile.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. After all, I was equipped with battle armor, and these individuals didn't seem to be formidable rankers either. In the worst-case scenario, I could defend myself. However, I worried about the girl beside me and how difficult it might be for her to protect herself.
I wasn't foolish enough to believe I was invincible in this situation. These NPCs might have a hidden advantage that I wasn't aware of yet.
"I will trust you this one last time, but if nothing else works, I will probably have to fight them," I declared.
The purple-haired girl smiled once again and responded, "Well, they can manipulate the system. Do you think you can win in a fight?"
"That..." I murmured, unsure of my chances.
Before I could finish my sentence, the purple-haired girl confidently stepped forward into the narrow passage. I wondered what kind of archetypes she possessed that made her so assertive. However, the NPCs didn't follow her; instead, they stared at me as if awaiting my decision.
Overthinking the situation wouldn't help me come up with a plan. I might as well follow the lead of the purple-haired girl; perhaps she had a reason for her actions. With a sigh, I continued walking toward the small passage. Beyond the passage, I found a staircase leading down, and I descended. The elf girl and her two companions followed behind me shortly after. Meanwhile, the entrance to the passage slowly closed off with a sliding wall.
As I walked through the small passage, illuminated by a dim red lamp, I quickened my pace to walk alongside the purple-haired girl. I stole a glance at her, trying to gather some basic information about her, such as her name and achievements. However, it seemed that her public information was nonexistent.
[Private System: The information of this avatar is unavailable.]
Well, that was unexpected. I suppose I would have to engage in direct conversation with her as we walked into the unknown.
"Hey, miss. Can I know your name?" I asked.
She smiled, her rosy lips curling, and motioned for me to come closer. Out of curiosity, I obliged, and as I approached, her lips almost brushed against my ear. In a graceful whisper, she revealed her name to me. "Lasiv, that is my name."
Lasiv... what an unusual name. It didn't seem to hold any particular meaning and appeared to be a combination of sounds put together to create a pleasant sound.
Not wanting to come across as creepy, I refrained from probing for more information. Knowing her name was sufficient. By the way, I had been walking for quite a few minutes now. I wondered how long it would take to reach the end of this passage.
I turned to the elf girl walking behind me and asked, "How much longer until we reach the end of this tunnel?"
The elf girl responded with a sly grin, "We're almost there, just be patient."
As she spoke, I caught a glimpse of the end of the passage—a hall adorned with a red carpet and beautiful lotus-shaped lamps hanging from the ceiling. Surprisingly, there were many people already present in the hall, looking just as confused as I was.
An assertive voice rang out from the elf girl, "Welcome to the Hall of Judgment."
The Hall of Judgment... what an unusual name.
Stepping into the hall, I noticed several passages branching off from it. The one I had taken was just one of many. Currently, there were around twenty other rankers here, all human like me, accompanied by the NPCs who had brought them. In total, there were thirty NPCs present, representing various races.
Suddenly, all of the rankers began walking toward the six passages, summoning their respective weapons and causing chaos to erupt among them.
"Weren't we brought here to discuss about the Sky-Hidder?" shouted a man with brown hair and leather armor, his confusion evident.
"No, in my case, they told me we were going to hunt the five-armed giant!" said a short man with a black robe and a staff, his eyebrow fused.
"Wait, but they told me we were coming here to participate in a hidden quest to find a lost artifact!" added an average-looking woman with black hair, speaking timidly.
So all of us had been brought here for different reasons, each persuaded by the NPCs. Could they truly be the hidden NPC bosses? Had we fallen into their traps?
Recalling the emblem the elf girl had shown me, the emblem of Eternia's government, it became clear that she must be a spy working for the government as well. This quest was likely designed to expose players like me.
I turned to look at the elf girl and calmly asked, as if I had expected this kind of situation, "So you've been deceiving me all along. What is your real goal?"
"You don't seem surprised at all," she remarked in a neutral tone. Then, her voice rose in anger, "You human rankers from another dimension are trash. You're summoned into the World of Dawn, blessed with skills, attributes, and archetypes that we citizens don't have. And you even see this as a game! This is not a game, this is real life for us!"
Silence fell over everyone, shocked by her sudden outburst. We had believed that NPCs were unaware of how human rankers saw the World of Dawn as a game, but now they had gained self-awareness. Her words made sense, considering that some players had committed unspeakable acts against the citizens.
One man with a tall, bulky physique, brown skin, and cowboy clothes burst into laughter. "Come on, is this some special event quest where the NPCs gain self-awareness? Well, it better have great rewards, haha!"
The elf girl gritted her teeth in anger and drew her sword, pointing it at him.
"Hey, lady. PvP is not allowed in this city," another human woman warned, her brow furrowed.
Unbeknownst to her, the NPCs had found a way to disable the system's PvP protection. PvP was now allowed in this area. It remained unclear if this change affected the entire city, but it seemed unlikely.
Suddenly, the NPCs moved forward, swinging their weapons mindlessly, causing the rankers to back off and gather in the center of the hall, forming a defensive circle. The NPCs quickly retreated.
"Stupid NPCs! If I go all out, I can take all of you down in a matter of seconds!" shouted a man equipped with battle armor as he summoned his spear. But something unexpected happened, catching him off guard.
Instead of the elf girl responding, a deep and mysterious voice echoed from the depths of the hall, as if emanating from the far end of the tunnel.
[How foolish are you to think that you are the only civilization to exist in your universe and timeline?]
In the depths of the hall, a grand spectacle unfolded before me and the unsuspecting bystanders. The enormous chamber was bathed in an otherworldly glow, emanating from massive gears that towered over the ceiling, this complex mechanism rotating with precision. The rhythmic clanking and whirring echoed through the hall, creating an ominous symphony of machinery.
As I marveled at the mesmerizing display of gears, my attention was abruptly drawn to the center of the hall. The floor beneath my feet trembled, spreading panic through everyone who stood near me. Without warning, the floor split apart, revealing an abyss that seemed to stretch endlessly below. Caught off guard, the twenty rankers and I stumbled and tumbled helplessly into the depths, all around me I heard a desperate scream but from above perhaps the NPC heard a fading scream into the distance.
Our fall abruptly came to an end as we landed in a new chamber, bathed in a sinister red light that burned with an intensity that almost seemed alive. The air crackled with an aura of malevolence, and my heart raced with a mix of fear and anticipation. I quickly realized we had fallen into a place of great power and danger.
Line by line, standing on either side of the chamber, were twenty statues of fearsome demons, their grotesque forms frozen in menacing postures. I glanced around me and noticed many rankers' eyes widened as they recognized the distinct characteristics of each demon, their features etched with meticulous detail.
The statues seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy, emanating an overwhelming presence that weighed heavily upon me and everyone here.
In the center of the chamber stood an imposing figure—a giant orc man wearing a regal crown upon his head. His crimson eyes burned with an unholy fire, radiating an aura of sheer malevolence. Red veins snaked across his entire body, pulsating with power and corruption. Everyone around me trembled as we realized they were in the presence of one of the NPC characters who had ascended to the coveted status of a demon lord.
The orc's gaze pierced through the onlookers, his presence commanding respect and fear. The 20 rankers, once confident in our abilities, now stood startled and overwhelmed. We knew that challenging this demonic entity would be a foolish act.
The girl with purple hair standing beside me whispered, "So this is the cause behind the real-life murders of rankers and causes them to go into sleep paralysis into a dream world?"
I heard the news that a strange case occurred as more than 10 rankers went into a sleeping paralysis forever, the world government tried to disclose this information and said it was a fault claim, does her words link to the mysterious case happening in reality?
I couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. Did she know all along what would happen and just used me as bait? Now we were facing a demon lord, and I had no choice but to fight. I vowed never to trust a beautiful girl again.
Considering the news about rankers being murdered after joining shady parties, I had always been cautious. But now, I found myself in the very situation I had tried to avoid.
[Private System: You have activated the exclusive skill "Jack of All Trades."
Warrior archetype: Warrior's heart of steel Sword / E-tiers]
"So you knew this would happen? Who are you?" I questioned her, summoning a warrior sword into my hand and assuming a battle stance.
"Yes, I've known all along, but I hadn't found the culprit. I'm glad it wasn't what I initially thought," the girl with purple hair replied with a smile.
Glad? We were about to face a demon lord!
"Don't play games. If my avatar dies, I won't have any more means of earning income," I warned her.
Most of my income came from selling artifacts and completing quests in this game. If my avatar died, it would be game over for me in real life as well, as the cathedral orphanage only provided me with a place to stay and breakfast. I didn't have time for a part-time job either as I focused on my band.
The girl with purple hair smiled and pulled out a tracking device, which indicated that two people were approaching our location. She seemed to disregard my concerns.
"They'll be here soon. Don't worry," she assured me with a confident smile.
Damn it! I hoped whoever she mentioned that was coming here would be high-rankers capable of defeating a demon lord.
Additionally, I also secretly wished that the system had designed a puzzle or an intellectually challenging encounter for this demon lord. In such a scenario, even a low-ranked player with exceptional intelligence could outsmart and triumph over the demon lord.