Absolute Craft-Chapter 96: Taming The Rebellious Hounds (1)

Chapter 96: Taming The Rebellious Hounds (1)

"The battle between us and the rebellious hounds won’t be fair," Kyria said as he walked beside Blake and Joel.

"They will hunt us down the same way we hunted them," Joel remarked, and both Blake and Kyria agreed.

It meant their enemies would come at unpredictable hours, leveraging their numbers to gain an advantage. Before, Anonymous House had been the one exploiting this advantage, as they always made the first moves.

But the sides were reversed now. It was all up to the Hounds’ Rebellious Faction to strike first. Armed with that knowledge, Kyria planned to prepare for surprise attacks by coordinating his people’s movements across the tutorial zones.

However, that was easier said than done.

People had their responsibilities outside the game world. Like Blake and Joel, who mostly couldn’t log in until late afternoon or evening due to their work, most of Anonymous House’s guild members also had their own schedules.

A few had flexible hours and could log in whenever needed, but that small group wasn’t enough.

"If only we knew when most of them would be online... wait! Can’t we ask Alex Red Moon for that information? She sees who’s online and who isn’t!" Joel murmured, then raised his voice upon realizing he’d had a good idea.

His idea was solid.

Kyria nodded. "If we limit our people’s leveling areas to a few tutorial zones, we can shrink the Hounds’ scope of activity and prepare for them. The problem is still their numbers..."

"Didn’t I teach you that numbers are only the second most important factor in this game?" Blake chimed in, sounding pretty confident. "Gimme Lily Lift, Wolfang, and a few healers, and we’ll overpower them. Ten, twenty, or thirty hounds—their numbers won’t matter when we strike them down first."

At the simple mention of Blake’s strength and his faith in their collective power, Joel felt goosebumps race down his spine. He was now part of the offensive force and would be one of the few people to decide the outcome between two guilds.

He couldn’t stop smiling at the mere notion of being on such a stage.

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Kyria asked.

Blake nodded.

"Leave the rest to me," Kyria smiled, feeling a new surge of confidence.

What had happened to him and his guild would soon befall another guild. Since he’d assist Blake and be part of the striking force, he also couldn’t help feeling excited.

Tomorrow was going to be a fun day for sure.

-

It was a new day.

Most people had finished their work and responsibilities. It was finally time for some fun, and these days people turned to the fantasy world to let loose. Nothing was better than the rush of adrenaline in a world of monsters, races, and magic.

In one of the tutorial zones, far from a newbie village, a group of fifteen players gathered beneath a dense canopy. Their group looked quite unbalanced, consisting mostly of healers and tanks. Those who didn’t wear robes or heavy armor stood out even more due to their peculiar equipment—two wore masks, another wore a corset and kneesocks, and yet another looked like a white knight of eternal winter.

"I didn’t expect you to participate," Blake said to Alex Red Moon, who had chosen to stand beside him of all people.

Strangely, Blake was all by himself. Sol had noticed a "tasty" weapon in the distance and wanted to devour it, prompting Beatrix to run after him. Joel used this chance to get close to Lily Lift and show off his new equipment.

Kyria and Wolfang spoke to their guild members about the plan.

No one else was familiar enough with Blake to chat him up. Some respected him so much that they couldn’t bring themselves to approach him; others simply didn’t know him.

Alex Red Moon was different.

She raised her right hand and showed three fingers. "Firstly, I must be here to see how your ice cannon tactic unfolds and learn more about it. Secondly, when you defeat our rebels, I’ll mediate the situation and get everyone aboard our alliance. And thirdly, I want to wipe the slate clean between us. On account of me being honest back then, let’s start anew."

"You were honest?" Blake asked.

"Wasn’t I? I could have lied to you and said I’d never go after Sol, all while harboring the opposite intention," Alex replied.

"That’s true," Blake admitted.

"You were so forceful and mean to me as well. That makes us even," Alex smiled, looking deeply into Blake’s eyes.

He had no reason not to forgive her. There was still some resentment toward her because she had tried to snatch Sol away, but this was a game world, and people often wanted everything for themselves.

She’d learned her lesson and now wanted to be on good terms with him.

"What if you’re lying now, though?" Blake asked.

Hearing his question, Alex blinked before bursting into laughter. Her voice echoed across the forest, catching everyone’s attention. She couldn’t stop laughing for a while, leaving Blake standing awkwardly by her side.

’Did I say something funny?’ Blake thought.

Soon, Alex wiped away her tears and shook her head. "Ah, I’m sorry. You’re more naïve than I thought! Haha! Still, I do see the charm in that. You’re one of a kind, quite a rare man. I can only think of one other person like you."

Blake remained silent.

"If I lied to you, you’d eventually find out. Then you’d cut ties with me and never speak to me again. It’s up to both of us not to disappoint each other too much. That’s how relationships work."

"Not to disappoint each other too much?"

"Yes. We’re human. We make mistakes and try not to repeat them. Right?"

"Right," Blake replied.

In that moment, he no longer felt any resentment toward this woman and instead felt a growing fondness for her.

Shortly after, Kyria approached them. He gave Alex a curt glance before speaking directly to Blake about their plan.

In short, the preparations for the assault were complete.