BXBX NOVEL Chapter 73 : Exposed
[Request from General Asami Hito – "Stockholm - Adventurer’s Guild." Your presence is requested. Attendance is encouraged but not mandatory.]
They moved swiftly through the land. Sweden had no zones with danger levels above 90, allowing them to pass through effortlessly. With their speed, traveling overland posed no challenge.
In no time, they reached Stockholm.
They could see that most people had already gathered. It seemed few had spent the full three days in Kiruna, opting to return to Stockholm early for various reasons.
Sora and Kara entered the Guild.
Inside, the hall was packed. As they stepped in, a few heads turned, and gradually, more people took notice of them.
This was their first public appearance since the Final Battle.
One player began clapping. Another joined in, and soon, everyone in the room was looking at Sora and Kara, clapping in unison.
"Make room for the strongest couple!" someone shouted, causing Kara to glance around, trying to spot the culprit.
Players started making room for them, splitting the crowd and creating a passage for the duo.
Sora didn’t know how to react, but part of him knew they really were two of the most valuable players in the war. Maybe they deserved such treatment?
Oliver soon came to greet them.
"Hey, Ralph, Kara. Did you get some good rest?"
"Yes, thank you," Sora replied. "We’re here for the military summon. Is everything okay?"
"It’s to distribute contribution rewards to everyone. Come upstairs; upper ranks are gathering in the Guildmaster’s Office."
The Guildmaster’s Office was spacious, but with 50 captains, some vice-captains and all colonels packed inside, it felt cramped.
Sora and Kara entered and quietly found seats in a corner of the room.
The Adventurer’s Guildmaster stood, speaking with the Vice-Guildmaster. She wore red armor, and her long silver hair flowed freely. Sora couldn’t help but think, ’She’s really beautiful.’
As their conversation ended, she turned to address the crowd. "You might not know me, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m Hannah, Representative of the New European Union Region of our New World Kingdom and acting Guildmaster of Stockholm during the war."
A ripple of shock spread through the room—this meant she was a player, and one of the strongest in West Europe. Sora was surprised to see her name and question marks appearing above her head, as if she was in control of the information showing above her head. Her level didn’t appear, indicating she was over 50 levels above him.
"Congratulations on your victory. However, we will not celebrate too much. Finland and Norway have been lost, and we’re now surrounded by the Dark Elf Kingdom. They will end up attacking us again when they think it’s time.
"Players who want to take part in the next war need to focus on missions, travel, and grow stronger. The next conflict may be far more difficult than a simple Tier 4 war.
"You might not realize it, but our continent is one of the weakest regions in the New World Kingdom. Our average level is low, and we struggle in Tier 4 Defense Wars, while China has already conquered half of the Demon Kingdom.
"The Americans are fighting three kingdoms at once, from Canada to Cape Horn, and have never lost a battle. Southeast Asia has produced the first known player to reach level 180 and is a high-level region. And Lagos has recently become the largest city in the world, boasting the strongest adventurer squad globally.
"If we want to avoid relying on everyone else and bringing shame to our Kingdom, we need to catch up—one way or another."
"This means that each of you, considered elites in Spain, France, England, or Italy, must continue to grow. We have high-level players who left Europe to train elsewhere, but elites who don’t return to help when we’re under attack aren’t worth mentioning. And those of us who are too high-level, like myself, are restricted from participating in Tier 4 wars.
"Before Captain Ralph’s arrival, our two strongest players were from other regions. Let that be a reminder of where we stand. We must use this period of peace to strengthen each of you."
"For now, you’ll all be rewarded for your service. You’ll receive War Points, which you can use to gain experience points or items, though I highly recommend using it to boost your growth factor or talent level for players who can afford them."
Everyone was stunned at the announcement. Increasing their talent level or growth factor had always been a distant dream. Many had fantasized about multipliers of 2, 10, or even more, imagining themselves becoming gods in a matter of weeks.
A notification appeared before each player:
[Congratulations on your victory!][You have been awarded 12,550 War Points.][Please spend them in the War Shop, accessible through your system panel.]
Eager to see what the War Shop offered, Sora quickly opened it.
[War Shop]
Armor / Accessories: Click for more detailsWeapons: Click for more detailsMaterials:
Click for more detailsTemporary Effects: Click for more detailsPermanent Effects: Click for more detailsJob Promotion: Click for more detailsClass Promotion: Click for more detailsMiscellaneous: Click for more detailsHint: You can accumulate your war points and use them anytime.Sora opened a random category and was immediately overwhelmed by thousands of items. He was even more surprised to discover that he could accumulate War Points (WP) and use them whenever he wanted.
Curious, he explored various categories to get a sense of the prices. There were weapons of all rarities and levels, but anything above level 105 was locked. He couldn’t even view those items, as if the system was preventing him from biting off more than he could chew.
Skipping over items and materials, he went straight to the Permanent Effects section.
[Talent Boost]: Increase your talent by 1.Price: 20,000 WPWarning: Cannot be traded
[Growth Factor Boost]: Increase your growth factor by 0.5Price: 20,000 WPWarning: Cannot be traded
[Lucky Hand Boost]: Increase your item drop rate by 20%Price: 15,000 WP
Warning: Cannot be traded[Gold Hand Boost]: Gold earned from hunting increases by 20%Price: 15,000 WPWarning: Cannot be traded
There were all kinds of permanent boosts, some being expensive and others extremely so. Sora checked the Temporary Buffs instead.
[Temporary Talent Boost]: Increase your base talent by 1 for a week. (Cannot be stacked with the same item)Price: 500 WPWarning: Cannot be traded
[Temporary Growth Factor Boost]: Increase your growth factor by 0.5 for a week. (Cannot be stacked with the same item)Price: 500 WPWarning: Cannot be traded
Sora ignored most other buffs, focusing on the Talent and Growth Factor boosts. After reaching a new highest level, his Growth Factor had reset to 1, causing his experience to grow as slowly as anyone else’s. Boosting it temporarily when needed seemed pretty useful.
He had no idea whether the boost in talent level and growth level affected his total value, or changed his base value. If it boosted his base value, his overall talent would soar. He needed to test these items.
Exploring other categories, he found countless intriguing items but decided not to spend his War Points without a clear purpose.
’This class promotion category is making me drool… I want everything,’ he thought, reluctantly closing the shop and deciding not to buy anything for now.
Around him, everyone wore excited expressions, like kids told they could pick any toy in a store. Sora glanced at Kara, who looked equally enthusiastic.
"Find anything you liked?" he asked. "And do you have enough points for it?"
"There are so many good options. I’ll ignore gear for now, but those permanent effects are amazing… just so expensive. I don’t even have 10,000 War Points," Kara admitted. "I might go with a temporary buff or decide later."
"I’ll also wait to buy items until I really need them," Sora replied, nodding in agreement.
After a few more minutes, Hannah spoke again. "Now that you’ve received your War Points, I encourage you to take your time before making any decisions. If you’re unsure of what to choose, the Vice-Guildmaster can offer advice." She glanced at him, and though he didn’t look thrilled about the task, he had no choice.
She continued, "You may now leave. Asami, Colonels, Ralph, Kara—please stay behind."
Everyone stood up, and the captains left the office.
The remaining group turned to face the Guildmaster who pointed at the colonels and general. "What I said earlier was mainly for you six. It’s a miracle we won with such a margin, forcing the enemy to retreat. You each have potential, and if you’re interested, I can suggest paths that could lead you to even greater heights. In return, I’d like your promise to support the NEU if we ever face trouble in the future. Can you do that?"
Lois, Edward, Oliver, and Cero agreed to her request.
Asami and Aang hesitated, weighing their commitments and the freedom their backgrounds afforded them. After a moment, they agreed, on the condition that they would help if they weren’t otherwise occupied.
Hannah accepted their terms, recognizing that while it wasn’t a firm guarantee, the seeds she planted in these six might one day aid her region. She looked at Sora and Kara specifically and said, "You may already know this, given your strength at your levels…"
She paused before turning her head toward the other players "You’ve probably heard of Innate Skills—abilities unique to certain players. While these are rare, some players have discovered abilities even more powerful, capable of raising potential to unimaginable levels. We call these Supreme Skills."
The group was stunned. Sora and Kara, in particular, felt exposed, realizing that Hannah had likely seen through their abilities. The others were equally surprised, learning that something existed beyond Innate Skills, a revelation they hadn’t encountered despite years of experience.