Darius Supreme

April 6th 8760 of the Faustian 4th generation calendar.

It was supposed to be just a normal Tuesday in the Andrato Kingdom as people went to work, peddled, or bought goods and provided legal - or illegal - services.

However, this day was destined to be remembered in history.

An uproar tore through the Andrato Kingdom, originating from the capital city, it soon reached every city and town within. The source of the commotion was threefold.

Mercenaries who had gone to the boards to check if there were any interesting quests were greeted with one that was highlighted on their most important job board.

Usually, it was reserved for jobs from the Royal Family, yet this new job was placed at the very top. As such, many stopped to take a look, their expressions warping greatly once they read through the details while they began sweating profusely.

Many couldn't believe their eyes and quickly went to confirm with their respective Branch Chairmen. Once they found out that things were even better than they had expected, many mercenaries took the lead to get a headstart.

This was something Darius and the Mercenary Guild had tacitly agreed to. Not only that, but the higher-staged mercenaries got furnished with many more secrets and special info compared to others, for obvious reasons.

The second source of the commotion was the daily criers. There were no newspapers in Fallon and news was usually transported through daily criers who would stand at important boulevards and corners to shout the various announcements from the crown, or anyone who paid them to really.

The criers came in the late morning to make their announcements. Since there was nothing much that today, they were able to quickly get to the topic that they had been paid quite lucratively for.

Once the criers shouted it out, even they couldn't believe what they were saying as their voicers faltered, but as they continually repeated it, they returned to normal.

As for the passersby though, many of them froze where they stood, incomprehension and confusion on their faces. They stopped and waited for the criers to repeat their rounds and hear the announcement again.

Some people even waited for the third round before making sure it wasn't a joke played by the little chap(s). In fact, many stopped the little chaps then bullied the info out of them, where they got it and who paid them to say it.

When they heard that the Mercenary Guild was behind everything, many rushed over to the various branches in their towns or cities, only to notice that they were all empty. After all, the majority of registered mercs had long since moved out, so who would be there to play around.

Once the large crowds saw the mainboard with the quest which held the same details they had heard by the roadside, they shook.

This was too much! This was game-changing!

The deal got sealed when the various Branch Chairmen simultaneously appeared in their various lobbies and told the citizens within that everything was true and the Mercenary Guild could vouch for it.

The crowds rushed out to inform their friends, family, as well as various allies about this development and what they should do about it. Many able-bodied youths who could fight quietly registered at the various branches and headed out.

In fact, in front of the Mercenary Guild was a scene similar to MMORPG games from earth.

"A team of 3 looking for a Priest or a Druid! Planning to raid the Plains of Death!"

"A Journeyman Mage looking for a team! I know 10 offensive and 3 defense spells!"

"Recruiting for a coalition of Amateurs! No matter your skills or power, join us to clear the first band safely!"

"Adept Fighter looking for cronies! Only join if you're willing to listen to my orders!"

It was quite comical, but no passerby laughed. Many regretted being weak or unable to fight at this time. If they could get a Scroll of Awakening or Spark Potion, they would be set for life.

Their status would change drastically, even though they would - largely - stay the same. However, the trap here was that to get those items, one needed to already be awakened and powerful.

Otherwise, they would just be seeking death.

Many of those who had registered were Intermediate Adventurers and above. Experience in fighting monsters made them certain that they could easily get this done, which was partially true.

Not to mention many had felt pressured since they had seen the mercs had run off to chew this cake and eat it. It was clear to anyone with a brain that they were trying to capitalize on their advantage and keep all the rewards in-house.

Soon, there was a line of people rushing out of the town to journey towards the Plains of the Death at the far north. It was almost like a pilgrimage of sorts with how busy the roads and pathways became, but anyone in the know was aware that it was just a greed-fueled venture to swallow great benefits.

However, in the end, there was still one problem. None of the truly powerful people had moved out yet. So far, it was only the mercs and the rabble. Those affiliated with various forces and factions were naturally tempted but were waiting by the side to watch the outcome.

This was something Darius and Carlton had expected, so they had prepared for it. This was the third source of outrage for the day.

The capital's Mercenary Guild had invited the leaders of all these powers to verify the quality of the items up for reward. They were free to use any methods they had short of ingesting or using the items on the spot to verify their quality.

Curious, many fellows came forth, not only to give the Mercenary Guild some respect, but to find out if they really had a Master-stage expert pushing this forward.

Naturally, once many of the various Adept leaders had performed the same tests that Carlton himself had done, their faces turned red with excitement. If not for the Mercenary Chairman and contingent of powerful fighters beside him, it would have most definitely turned into a Battle Royale.