Chương 52: The Shadowsteel Set

Ch 52 - The Shadowsteel Set

"What exactly do a pack of low-ranking players with no reputation think they're doing, stirring up trouble in the middle of the night?" Naldrom's voice echoed across the camp.

"You've marched armed men into Stonegate Garrison without permission, threatened my soldiers, and disrupted military operations. By the authority entrusted to me as Knight Commander, I order every one of you to drop your weapons immediately and surrender without resistance. Refuse, and I will have every last one of you arrested. Whether you leave this place in chains or in coffins depends entirely on the decision you make in the next few moments."

"Hah!" Justhole answered with a faint grin.

"Naldrom... you bastard. Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for this?" His smile faded into a cold glare.

"You deliberately sent your troops to raid my people, then made sure they disappeared before anyone could trace them back to you. Now you stand here pretending you've done nothing." He took another step forward despite the dozens of weapons pointed at him.

"I didn't come here to negotiate. I came here to declare war. From this moment on, every one of your soldiers is my enemy." Naldrom's expression remained completely unchanged.

"Justhole... don't mistake a little fame for actual worth." His eyes narrowed with open contempt.

"You're nothing more than an arrogant loudmouth with a fragile temper. Weak men always mistake noise for strength. You bark because that's all you're capable of. Men like you burn brightly for a moment, then disappear without leaving behind anything worth remembering." He let out a quiet scoff.

"You are beneath my attention. If your guild vanished tonight, the world wouldn't notice, and neither would I." Naldrom slowly raised his right hand. The moment his hand reached shoulder height, dozens of knights surged forward from every direction. In perfect formation, they surrounded Justhole and every member of his guild, sealing off every possible route of escape as swords, spears, and shields closed in around them. For a brief moment, neither side made the first move.

The two forces stood locked in a tense standoff, weapons drawn and ready. Every knight tightened their grip on their weapons, while the members of Silverwings silently prepared themselves. It felt as though the entire battlefield was waiting for a single spark to ignite a full-scale battle. At the same time, the confrontation quickly became one of the hottest topics on the internet. An anonymous account had begun livestreaming everything that was happening outside Stonegate's encampment.

The viewer count skyrocketed within minutes as players flooded into the stream.

"Whoa, what's going on? Why is Silverwings near Necroton? And why are they fighting the knights?"

"Those look like Stonegate's knights. I almost forgot what their armor looked like."

"Silverwings really has guts. Everyone knows picking a fight with the kingdom's military never ends well. Well... unless they're fighting Caelan."

"I thought Stonegate was preparing to launch an attack on Necroton. Why are they fighting another player guild instead?"

"Damn, I'm willing to bet Silverwings is getting thrown into prison after this. They've been causing way too much trouble lately. Hahaha." Moments later, the battle erupted across the livestream. Explosions shook the battlefield as blades collided and powerful skills flashed through the night. Magic and steel clashed one after another, filling the screen with chaos. It quickly became clear that Knight Commander Naldrom was an exceptionally powerful fighter.

He kept Justhole and several of Silverwings' strongest members occupied almost by himself while his knights maintained perfect battlefield formations.

"Damn... this Knight Commander is ridiculously strong, and he's only a Knight Commander. What's a Royal Knight supposed to be like?"

"Royal Knights are on a completely different level, you idiot. The entire Silverwings guild couldn't defeat even one Royal Knight. An Imperial Knight? Hahaha... that would be a complete nightmare for any guild." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. As the battle continued, Silverwings' numbers began dropping rapidly. One player after another was defeated until the guild was completely overwhelmed.

Before long, every surviving member had been subdued. Heavy iron collars were locked around their necks, while steel manacles secured both of their hands behind their backs. Under the watchful eyes of Stonegate's knights, the entire Silverwings guild was taken into custody.

"Lol. Honestly, I'm neither a Silverwings hater nor a fan, but they've seriously been causing trouble everywhere lately."

"Yeah. They're going to spend an entire week in prison. That's such a stupid punishment."

"Well, at least they'll finally get a break from playing the game."

"A whole week is a really long time for players. They'll fall behind in levels, miss quests, and probably lose out on a lot of important events." [Chaos +25] [Chaos +55] [Chaos +35] Jester stood, hidden within the darkness. A woman stood silently just behind him, watching the scene unfold without making a sound. He let out a long yawn, looking thoroughly bored by everything happening before his eyes. [Jester Lv. 42 - Evil Clown] [HP: 1937 | Mana: 616] [Strength: 49 | Agility: 58 | Magic: 77 | Constitution: 172 | Stamina: 84] [Luck: 20] [Available Stats: 40] [Weight: 145 / 294] [Chaos: 355] 355 Chaos! It was the highest amount he had ever accumulated since gaining access to Chaos. Jester had been saving it as carefully as possible, only intending to spend it on things that truly mattered, such as wielding his Divine Scythe. Or perhaps upgrading something essential. Or, if possible, forming another Chaos Bound.

To be honest, he was extremely interested in creating a Chaos Bound with every one of the Evil Maids. It would make coordinating with them far more practical, especially since he already understood each of their abilities and potential better than anyone else. There was also Igrio. Jester fell silent for a moment as that thought crossed his mind. What would actually happen if I formed a Chaos Bound with Igrio? The game wouldn't unlock... that kind of relationship between us, would it? He instinctively swallowed.

Fortunately, he knew the game didn't allow anything like that. At the very least, marriage mechanics were only available between characters of the opposite sex. A few moments later, several figures appeared before him. One emerged from the shadows themselves. It was Shade. Beside her stood Sliora, her tall, graceful figure illuminated by the faint moonlight. With her usual confident smile, Sliora stepped forward and bowed elegantly.

"Your Highness, your brilliant plan was executed flawlessly. Everything proceeded exactly as you predicted. Pearl has successfully taken control of the target and will remain inside the host for as long as necessary. Michel has also stayed behind to provide support should anything unexpected happen."

"Good." Jester rose from the camping chair before climbing onto the Dire Wolf.

"Let's head back. Tomorrow we'll be welcoming even more interesting guests." A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Things are about to become far more entertaining. At least one of the biggest obstacles has already been dealt with. Now we can focus on gathering everything we came here for." As Carnival Fang continued forward at an unhurried pace, Lucia took her usual seat behind Jester. Shade had already vanished, melting back into the darkness as though she had never existed. Meanwhile, Sliora dissolved into the ground once again.

Her body transformed into a flowing slime-like mass that glided swiftly across the earth, effortlessly keeping pace with Carnival Fang. With maids this capable, Jester genuinely couldn't understand Caelan. What had he been doing all this time? Why leave talents like these to waste away inside the palace, doing nothing more than serving meals and attending to daily chores? He genuinely couldn't wrap his head around how that prince could be so unbelievably blind to the value of the people around him.

Jester opened his inventory and checked the item he had quietly stolen earlier. He had briefly stopped by Silverwings' camp and lifted something straight from Justhole's pocket without anyone noticing. It turned out to be a sealed equipment package that hadn't even been opened yet. Judging by the circumstances, Justhole had probably obtained it from a dungeon clear... or perhaps won it through an auction. What surprised Jester the most was its rarity. It was genuinely an Epic-grade item.

[Shadowsteel Duelist Set | Epic | Armor Set] Once opened, the package would separate into five individual equipment pieces. Helmet. Chest Armor. Gauntlets. Leg Armor. Boots. It was an armor set that should have been worth a fortune. Fortunately for Jester, Justhole had never opened the equipment package. That meant he would have no way of recognizing the set if someone else eventually wore it. The only problem was that the armor was completely unsuitable for Jester himself.

He already relied on his Clown Costume skin. He could certainly equip the set if he wanted to, but there was no real point. A full suit of heavy armor would only increase the weight he had to carry, slowing down the agile fighting style he preferred. He didn't need layers of protection when he already possessed multiple escape methods and enough tricks to avoid direct confrontations altogether. Jester fought through deception, misdirection, and the unique collection of skills at his disposal.

This armor would be far more valuable in someone else's hands. Later that night, Jester returned to his study. He retrieved the unopened armor package from his inventory. The item was still sealed inside a navy-blue metallic cube with silver patterns engraved across every surface. He studied it quietly for a moment. Then a notification appeared before him. [Upgrade Shadowsteel Duelist Set into a superior armor set with unimaginable potential. The armor will automatically adapt to the wearer's physique upon its first activation.] [Chaos Cost: 95] Jester immediately buried his face in one hand the moment he read the notification. He let out a long, helpless sigh.

"I swear..." He could never resist whenever something like this was offered to him. Every single time the system dangled an upgrade with absurd potential in front of him, his self-control seemed to disappear completely.