--- Awakening of a Great Threat

*Whooop!* *Splat!*

"Arghhh!"

*Whooop!* *Splat!*

"Gaaah!"

....

A loud sound of a man screaming after being struck by a long rubber-type whip can be heard inside a dark, wet underground area. This started occurring three times per hour every day approximately a month ago.

Walking down the corridor, a row of cells can be seen, each filled with malnourished people in tattered clothing. A strong putrid odor pervades here as well, making anyone with a weak stomach puke in disgust. It was a prison beneath the ground.

The loud noise is coming from the far end of the prison. It's the torture chamber, and there are four people inside.

The one in the center is a half-naked, handsome blonde man who was chained up. He's the one who's been screaming in pain for a while now, and bruises can be seen all over his body. He is Ivan Gale, the man who just got killed by Chris a few weeks ago.

Another person is yet another blonde, middle-aged man with similar features to the person who is chained up. He's the one who does the whipping, and a mix of disappointment and anger can be seen in his eyes. His name is Edwin Gale, the current emperor of the Griffin Empire of the western continent.

The other two people are just some burly men in black suits wearing black sunglasses, which doesn't make any sense at all given that they're underground, but they're just guarding the side door, so let's just ignore them.

"F-father... p-please..."

*Whooop!* *Splat!*

"Guuuh!"

Ivan was having the time of his life being whipped for hours. His eyes are almost devoid of life, and the only thing keeping him sane is his rage. Rage towards the masked man and silver-haired woman who put him in this position, as well as the empire that abandoned him, especially the man in the front, who is his father.

"Hmph!" Edwin snorted contemptuously. "If not for your mother, who kept on nagging me, I would have had you executed already."

"..."

After hearing what his father said, the light in the chained man's eye dimmed. It breaks his heart to see his father be so cruel to him. He did a lot of good things for his empire, and it only takes one mistake for them to forget all of his deeds. He was devastated.

"I can't believe you're thinking through your balls now!"

*Whooop!* *Splat!* *Groans!*

"You're going to jeopardize the entire empire just to taste one woman, huh!?"

*Whooop!* *Splat!* *Groans!*

"What is there to expect from someone who fucks at least three different women a day anyway?"

*Whooop!* *Splat!* *Groans!*

"Yesterday, all of your scandals with almost all of the women you did appeared online!"

*Whooop!* *Splat!* *Groans!*

"The empire became a laughingstock and lost a lot of its remaining face, all thanks to you!"

*Whooop!* *Splat!* *Groans!

"What a disgrace!"

*Whooop!* *Splat!* *Groans!*

"..."

Edwin threw a series of curses at his own son while whipping him, and his face gets darker with each sentence.

Ivan, on the other hand, can only groan in agony because he has nothing to argue against. While inside this hellhole, he had no idea he was being shamed all over the world. His entire reputation has been ruined.

The whipping continues for a few more minutes until Edwin has had enough. On a closer look, two big eyebags can be seen below his eyes, indicating that he almost didn't have any good sleep for the past few days, all thanks to all the trouble his good-for-nothing son had caused.

*Creaaak...*

Edwin and his bodyguards finally began to leave, but not before leaving a message for his son.

"The pope of the central continent proposed a worldwide census for all the current players," Edwin exclaimed, as if his nightmare was coming to an end. "And already, more than half of the major powers have agreed to the proposal."

"..."

"Since you can't enter Gaia anyway, you'll join the central's army to find that blasted Despair in real life once that proposal passes."

"..."

"Hmph!" Edwin snorted contemptuously once more. "Until then, go back and reflect on all of your previous actions here."

He then walked away without looking back, followed by his bodyguards. As the door closed completely, he grinned and said something that completely devastated his chained-up son.

"By the way, I named Andrew as the new crowned prince."

"!!!"

Ivan was completely taken aback by what he had just heard. His whole body shook, and he couldn't stop crying. His emotions were jumbled right now, and no one knew what he was thinking. But one thing is certain: He lost it. Everything.

"Fufu...Hahahahahaha..."

"Hahahahahahahaha...!"

"Motherfuckers... I'll kill all of you..."

"Just you all fucking wait..."

A thick black aura oozed from his body, and his teary eyes had a crazed look to them. Nobody knows that an extremely powerful adversary has finally awakened inside an underground prison. One of Gilona's most powerful villains, bringing death and destruction to the land.

*Creaaak...*

"No, my baby...!"

A few minutes later, a busty blonde woman entered the room. Her eyes are filled with tears and sadness upon seeing him in that state.

"Mom...?"

"Wooo... my baby...!"

It turns out that Ivan still has someone on his side. The busty woman immediately hugged him in her bosom without caring about the blood that sticks to her dress. She then cleaned him up using the first aid kit she brought with her.

"Let me out of here, mom."

"Yes, tonight, we'll escape here, my baby."

*Chup!*

They appear to have a special relationship because the woman sealed his lips with hers. She was never touched by her husband again after becoming pregnant and giving birth. She, too, had needs, which she met through her own son.

*******

January 10, 3663 - 8:30 P.M. - Gaia

"Excuse me, has there been any bandit activity outside the city recently?"

Chris, who was wandering around Crescent Moon City's busy streets, eventually found a suitable NPC to ask a question to. It was about his job upgrade quest, which required him to kill a specific bandit group to pass.

He finally reached this city three days ago, which was supposed to take him about a week more, all thanks to his flight spell.

He was traumatized by the spell on his very first use of it, so he didn't use it anymore. But since he met some roadblocks and had to go around them, which would take even more time to reach his destination, he decided to use a whole day just to practice the art of flying.

It took him some time, but after a few failed "landings" with his face hitting the ground first, he finally managed to master it. He really has no talent for it, or at least that's what he thinks.

Although some might say that learning to master wingless flight was easy, that's not the case at all. As someone who walks on land his whole life, being in midair with nothing to step on will really make you disoriented.

"B-bandits!?" The peddler, a balding man with a bulging belly, who Chris asked jumped on his seat, wide eyed, after hearing the "Bandit" word. Clearly, he had some bad history with those hoodlums.

'Seriously, why be so jumpy?' Chris frowned inwardly at the reaction of the peddler but still kept his poker face so as not to appear rude. "Yes, bandits."

"A-actually..." The peddler then began to recount his story about his frequent encounters with those hoodlums.

"I see. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, and if you find it, please bring it back to me, and I'll reward you handsomely!"

After a few minutes of the peddler's storytelling and accepting the quest that he issued, Chris began to wander around to find more NPCs with related issues with the bandits before heading to the city lord's mansion afterwards. As long as the quest is related to those bandits, he will accept them. It's like hitting multiple birds with just one stone.

After a few hours of finding related quests, Chris can be seen walking out of the city lord's mansion. It is where he got the crucial information about the bandit's movements.

[Quest Update: The Pursuer(S)

Patrol the roads of Crescent Moon City at dusk to find traces of the illusive Moon Raiders.]

"So those bandits only appear at night, huh?" Chris had a frown on his face upon getting the crucial information he needed. "This is troublesome..."

Although it is night in Gilona, it is currently morning in Gaia. Gaia's night and day cycle is the polar opposite of Gilona's, making it convenient for all players who have a lot to do in the morning.

*Sigh...*

"I suppose this quest can wait a little longer..."

With clear disappointment, he then walks out of the city to find some opportunity. His job upgrade quest will have to wait for some other day, as he'll be busy for the next few days in real life.