Chapter 68: Selene’s Grivances
"Be careful. Something has happened along the northern border."
"Some of the villages have already been impacted."
"Unless necessary, you shouldn’t leave the city for the next few days."
As Aurelius stepped into the living room, he found Elena sitting on the couch with a newspaper in her hands.
The moment she noticed his presence, she looked at him and relayed some important news.
Her expression was stern but not absolute.
In her opinion, Aurelius had no reason to leave the city. As long as he stayed within Blood Sun City and the churches’ power, nothing could go wrong.
But to her surprise, Aurelius seemed interested in that topic.
He raised an eyebrow and stepped closer.
"Do you know what happened?"
Elena didn’t rush to answer.
She glanced at the newspaper, appearing hesitant. After several long seconds, she finally spoke.
"I heard that a large number of monsters have walked out of their habitats."
"Perhaps a powerful monster has appeared and driven the surrounding monsters from their habitats. Or perhaps it’s the result of a natural disaster..."
Elena shook her head.
"Either way, it’s none of our business. The churches and the royal family should deal with it. As for us, we just have to be careful."
Although Aurelius wanted to question her further, Elena seemed unwilling to speak any further. She lowered her head, shifting her attention back to the newspaper in her hands.
Aurelius swallowed the words he was about to say. While picking up his jacket and moving toward the door, he subconsciously summoned the Player forum.
He knew what a possible monster riot represented for the Players.
It was akin to an EXP farm!
Given the forum’s existence, news about it would surely spread.
Sure enough.
Moments later, Aurelius found what he was searching for.
It was a video.
The landscape depicted was unfamiliar.
But as if afraid that the viewer would fail to recognize it, a caption had been added near the bottom.
"Dawn Kingdom’s northern border".
The video was short. Only a couple of seconds from start to finish.
Yet what it displayed made Aurelius’ eyes narrow.
He saw a village in ruins.
Green humanoid creatures wreaked havoc, destroying buildings and plundering everything they met along their path.
Despite their short stature, they were surprisingly powerful.
The Player learned this firsthand.
Following the slash of a silver blade, his vision went dark.
[You’re dead.]
[Countdown to respawn: seventy-two hours.]
Goblins!
This term emerged in Aurelius’ mind as he recalled the green monster.
They were a widely-known race of quasi-monsters, similar to Medusas.
However, unlike Medusas, who were rare and known for their strength, goblins were common and weak, known mostly for their large population and bloodthirsty nature.
Opinions about them were divided.
In the eyes of ordinary people, they were monsters like everything else.
From the view of Awakeners and even mercenaries, however, every goblin was a treasure trove.
Weak. Stupid. With a giant population.
They were the most perfect prey.
Following that train of thought, Aurelius realized that the people of Nova Roma were not the only ones who would regard them as such.
His guess was proven true.
As he went through the comments below the video, everything was as expected.
"An EXP farm! This is surely an EXP farm!"
"Did you look at their Stats? So weak!"
"We have to rush to the northern border! We have to collect EXP to purchase the Sun Knight Class!"
The Players looked ready to go to war.
The news of Aurelius’ shop had long spread through World_Builder’s bragging.
Experience had turned from something that could only be useful in the future to something that could change their fate at the present moment.
The emergence of goblins came just when they urgently needed EXP! It made them go crazy!
Many Players mentioned that they had already started their journey, boasting they would become the first Sun Knights in the game.
Others claimed they were already busy killing goblins.
Seeing such a large-scale mobilization, Aurelius sighed.
These troublemakers were involved in everything. Where there was chaos, Players would soon visit.
’However, this... may be an opportunity.’
Aurelius’ eyes narrowed.
In the past, the number of Players he could come into contact with was limited due to his location. With the Players rushing over to grind for EXP, he would have more chances to unleash the NPC Template’s power.
Furthermore...
’I also need to change my hunting ground.’
’The Dryad Forest has been in constant disarray lately. If I continue killing monsters recklessly, a monster riot will break out there as well.’
Although he was deep in thought, Aurelius didn’t lose track of his surroundings. He expertly weaved through the city’s complicated streets, soon finding himself in a dark alley.
Then, his figure abruptly vanished. He never walked out.
In another part of the city, several streets away, the figure of a hooded man suddenly appeared.
Hiding his face behind his mask, the man made his way toward an abandoned building.
Stopping before the rundown door, he gently pushed it open and stepped inside.
Just as it seemed everything was going well, the sound of an object streaking through the air echoed.
A silver light flashed.
It was the sharp edge of a dagger.
Its aim? The masked man’s throat.
The man appeared utterly defenseless against it. It seemed as though he could only allow it to reap his life.
But just as the dagger was a few inches away, flames erupted from his back, condensing into a small shield that met the dagger head-on.
Bang!
Sparks scattered everywhere as the air boomed.
The confrontation was short.
Only a split second later, large cracks appeared along the dagger’s surface.
With a bang, it crumbled into silver dust.
The hand holding it was forced to face the remaining force. The shadows surrounding them dispersed, revealing their true appearance.
With long black hair and pitch-black eyes, she wore an assassin’s attire that perfectly complemented her figure.
Yet rather than look seductive, the woman looked extremely dangerous, like an elegant flower surrounded by poisonous thorns.
She was forced to take several steps back before regaining her balance.
Once she did, she didn’t attack.
Instead, a sneer appeared on her beautiful face.
"Have you finally remembered me? I thought you had forgotten about me after using me that night."