Battle against the evil

"Level-99?! That's surely not possible… right?!"

"And did you see?! They are saying the mage has over a hundred minions! This is absurd!"

"The hell. Even minions should all be over level-60. How are we going to fight those things?!"

The natives as well as the players were all panicking right now. 

The situation was not good. The powers of the mage that they had estimated was much, much greater.

They would have to fight against a being that was practically more than fifty to sixty levels higher than them as well as a follower of evil… a task that seemed visibly impossible from any logical or unrealistic point of view.

"Everyone, calm down. The guard captain has confirmed it with his own eyes. We even have a legit screenshot!"

There was proof of this fact so the things that people could say in opposition to this were very little.

There wasn't much that could change this fact and since there was no one else that had a better explanation to what they had gathered from their recon, this outcome just made sense to them.

"In addition to the hundreds of minions, the dark mage also has an army of around three hundred dark beasts… this is just absurd!"

In addition to the information that the guard captain had brought directly, the other members of the recon team also brought crucial information from the dungeon that they had somehow managed to infiltrate.

And the overall result of their search was not something anyone in the town, not even the mayor who was looking at the citizens and foreigners in that kind of panicked state could ignore.

Presence of an enemy just a step away from (Level-100), a stage where one receives their first awakening and are recognised by the system for the great achievement, was not something any player could ignore.

They surely could come back to life but it was not some instantaneous process.

They had to wait for a long time- and entire day- to come back to life. 

Some of their equipment that they had on them would drop upon their deaths as well, and they would lose thirty percent of their current level's Exp.

For the newer player, this was not that great of a penalty since they could just take a break from the games and regain the lost Exp with hunting or with the things that they liked, for the players of higher level, death meant as worse of a fate as the real death.

For the rankers who fought with their lives on the line every day to maintain their levels, and positions in the rankings, not being able to be in this world for three whole in-game days was the same as being thrown out of the rankings.

They had to constantly farm and keep their status up, and for that, they would have to survive no matter the situation they are faced with.

{ "Please calm down, everyone." }

Rankers who wanted to keep their rankings and reputations mostly avoided fights where the chances of loss were greater. 

None of them would even think about fighting an opponent that was fifty or sixty levels higher than them. Most certainly not the creatures who had also received their second or third enlightenment and were so powerful that they possessed enough power to destroy small towns like this with merely a slash of their hand, or with a sigh… or with a single skill.

The creatures that one faces after crossing hundred, or two hundred, or perhaps three hundred levels are on a completely different dimension than the creatures that the players of beginner town might ever face– but a Dark mage summoner of (Level-99) was the same as those unfathomable beasts to these new players.

{ "Though the situation is dire and we are facing a great threat right now, panicking does not resolve anything.

Right now, what we need is not the concerns for what will happen, but the courage to face what we already know will be coming." }

The Mayor was not losing any hope even in this situation.

He was still just as resolute as he was when they all first saw him earlier.

There was the same kind of light in his eyes as he did when he was telling them about the quest.

The quest was just starting now.

They had information on what was to come and they already knew the forces of the dark mage had left their stronghold so they were going to fight the dark creatures soon.

-Ting! Ting! Ting!

Bells throughout the town had started ringing already, announcing the arrival of the evil forces from all directions.

{ "The enemy is here already." }

The evil was here and with it, the start of the quest was going to be marked.

{ "Though you all are outsiders that also value your life… I ask you for your help once again." }

[Ding.]

The quest contents were updated and a new reward- (Coins in proportion to the contribution) was added to the whole of the quest window.

Nothing much had changed aside from addition of the information that they knew already, so the players had something new to look forward to now.

{ "Please. Help us save the Moongold." }

If push comes to shove, the Mayor would use his last resort and ask help from the mage tower master.

He knew the librarian was not going to be pursued until half of the town was destroyed, so there was no need to waste his time with that old man.

There were knights and the guard captain that he trusted the most here, and with the help of the players who possessed strong items beyond what even he knew about, there might be a chance to deal with this evil.

He knew it was too much to ask help from the materialistic otherworlders who mostly only did something if there was something in it for them, so, he had no choice but to issue a reward that he would have to pay with his own money… but he was fine with it.

The finite lives of the citizens of his town were much more important to him than his wealth.

He was ready to go bankrupt if it meant they could repel the evil that was aiming for their town.

He had reported to the Viscount already, so his forces should be on their way now.

If they could just hold on until they get here, there is also a good chance they will be able to resolve this crisis.

He just had to be careful since he knew how materialistic the foreigners were. 

There was no telling when or how they would jump sides and start doing something… evil themselves.