Second World Chapter 2001: Chapter 2001. Rebuild

Following the conflict, Four Winds made his way back to Verremor, where he reclaimed the throne with little resistance. Having suffered a wilderness death, Mistress was stripped of her right to rule. During the power vacuum, the native orcs did not attempt to seize control; instead, they supported Four Winds' restoration upon his arrival.

Regarding the player factions, members of Cipher Flight eliminated the remaining World Ruler forces scattered throughout Magna Masat. Since the guild’s elite had been called away to assist Master at Sky Haven, those left behind were largely second-rate combatants. They stood no chance against Cipher Flight, particularly with Four Winds and Purple Mist wielding their pinnacle classes on the front lines.

In Sangrod, Arlcard spearheaded a revolt to take back his crown after Jack facilitated his return. Motherboard remained alive, occupying the Sangrod throne, though she functioned more as a personal secretary for Master than a true warrior.

The submission of the Sangrod natives to Master had been a mere deception. They had been biding their time, waiting for a chance to strike. Once Arlcard arrived with news of Master’s downfall, Darius and the relic marshalls of Sangrod immediately mobilized under his leadership. Saint Edge also arrived to support the cause.

The combined forces marched upon the capital. With the demonic and undead legions vanished, Motherboard was left with only her guild and low-tier soldiers. Despite their resistance, they were overwhelmed by the union of natives and players, especially since Arlcard’s personal strength far exceeded theirs.

Within Themisphere, the mercenaries of the State of Galhana retreated from the capital even before Jack’s return. Being seasoned professionals, they acted with more pragmatism than typical players. The moment they saw their leader’s level plummet to 1 on the guild roster, they reached out to their World Maker and World Ruler allies. Upon learning that Master and Mistress had met the same fate, they realized it was time to vanish before the executioner arrived.

The throne of Themisphere never changed hands, as Jack remained the rightful King. He was greeted by the native officers, including Linda, upon his return to the city.

After addressing the most pressing palace matters, Jack summoned players from across the globe to congregate. He led this massive host toward the primary underworld portal. Players were still capable of using zone portals in Liguritudum settlements to reach the area, provided the portals remained intact.

The player army advanced toward the main underworld portal, braced for a brutal struggle. To their surprise, however, the gateway was defended by only a meager group of demons. Following the death of Master, most of the demons had voluntarily retreated back to the underworld, having lost the motivation to remain in the upperworld.

As the assault began, the remaining guardians fled through the gateway. The entire engagement was concluded in under an hour.

Meeting no further resistance, the players successfully demolished the main underworld portal. As the massive crimson structure collapsed, the presence of corrupted mana began to fade. It was only a matter of time before the mana of the upperworld returned to its pure state.

The presence of any lingering demons in the upperworld was not a major concern. Without the support of corrupted mana, these creatures would either be dragged back to the underworld by force or, in rare instances, transform into standard demon-type wilderness monsters.

A new, smaller gateway materialized where the massive portal once stood. This served as a path for players wishing to venture into the underworld. Because this portal was restricted to players, there was no risk of the demons launching another invasion against the natives.

The gathering dispersed shortly after, with some players immediately entering the new gateway to investigate the dark realm beyond.

*

A week had passed since the final confrontation at Sky Haven, and the world was now focused on recovery. The multitudes Master had pressed into service for reconstruction continued their labor, though now they did so by choice. Former sovereigns took the lead in rebuilding their fallen nations.

Queen Aldryth directed the efforts in Hydrurond with help from Themisphere’s citizens. President Thelgrun managed the restoration of Palgrost alongside Sangrod’s forces. In Aurebor, the guild leader Nova took charge, aided by reinforcements sent by Four Winds from Verremor.

Liguritudum was the only territory left unaddressed for the moment.

"A new ruler in Liguritudum...?" Jack questioned after receiving a briefing from John. They were gathered in the throne room along with Thaergood, Grace, Jeanny, Paytowin, and Linda.

"The identity of this sovereign will definitely catch you off guard," John remarked.

"Who is it?" Jack inquired.

"Ronald," John replied.

"The phantom gunslinger? I assumed he was dead since he was absent during the final fight with Master."

"It appears he went into hiding once Master declared himself a God. His motives are always a mystery; the man is impossible to read."

"Wasn't Dritzuut destroyed when the demons invaded?" Paytowin asked.

"Jack ordered a full evacuation after the main underworld portal was opened," John explained. "Since there was no army to oppose them, the demons didn't actually level Liguritudum. Most towns and the palace in Dritzuut are still standing. Ronald was likely lurking there the whole time. Once he heard Master was gone, he decided to play king."

"Liguritudum is empty, though. Why bother claiming that throne?" Grace asked.

"When Ronald took the throne, a segment of the Liguritudum military left the rebuilding efforts to return home. He must have used the monarch system to summon them, but only the low-ranking troops obeyed. The elite soldiers ignored him; they clearly don't view that opportunist as their true leader." "He can't honestly believe he'll keep that seat for long, can he?" Paytowin added. "My guild forces are being prepared. We can strike as soon as we're ready," Jeanny declared. "David and his members have already headed toward Liguritudum. He and Serpent Boss have an old score to settle with Ronald. They’ll scout ahead of our main force."

Jeanny looked toward Jack. "When will the Themisphere army be ready to move?"

"I won't be the one mobilizing them, but one of you likely will," Jack answered, leaving the group bewildered.

Jack offered no immediate explanation, instead shifting his gaze between Jeanny and John, which made them both feel uneasy.

Eventually, Jack fixed his eyes on John. "How do you feel about the title, King John?"

Aside from Grace, everyone in the room looked shocked by the suggestion.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying?" Thaergood asked in a panic.

"Jack, this isn't a time for jokes," Jeanny interjected.

"Seriously, I can see this place turning into a dictatorship with him in charge. We'd probably end up fighting another revolution," Paytowin joked.

"Hehe, as tempting as that sounds, I have to pass," John laughed. "I have a personal quest to attend to. In fact, I’m resigning as royal advisor today. I'll be gone for a while."

"Oh..." Jack was the one surprised this time.

"What’s going on, Jack? Have you grown tired of being King?" Jeanny asked, steering the conversation back.

"I never wanted the crown. You've always known that," Jack stated.

"But, Your Majesty, you've performed excellently. The officials are all in agreement," Thaergood pleaded. "The kingdom will be at risk without your leadership."

"Don't worry, Jeanny is a far better leader than I could ever be," Jack countered.

"Oh. If it's her, then I suppose it's fine," Thaergood conceded immediately.

John glanced at Thaergood. "Seriously, man? Screw you."

"I haven't said yes to this," Jeanny reminded them.

"I have to hand it off. I don't want to keep coming back here just to deal with politics. It's a headache," Jack explained. "You know me. I want to explore this new world as an adventurer. I think I've earned that right after taking down Master. There are small pests like Ronald left, but you can handle him without my help. I trust all of you with this kingdom—except you, ma'am, no offense."

"None taken," Linda replied calmly.

Jack turned back to Jeanny. "I have no doubt you'll be a great Queen. Unless you think Paytowin would be better?"

"Ouch, that's harsh, but you're right," Paytowin admitted. "Besides, I’ll be occupied helping Mihos restore the Council of Virtus."

"Grace has leadership potential too," Jeanny suggested, pointing to her.

"I'm going with Jack on his travels," Grace stated firmly.

Jeanny looked at the last candidate. Thaergood quickly spoke up, "No. I am an advisor, and I intend to remain one."

Jeanny let out a long sigh. "Fine, then."

"Excellent!" Jack cheered. "Thaergood, arrange the coronation for tomorrow. I'll transfer the sovereign status to her then."

"As you command, Your Majesty. Before the opportunity passes, I must say that you will be missed," Thaergood said warmly.

"I'll miss you too, old friend," Jack replied. "I'll drop by for a visit whenever I can." Thaergood nodded and departed to organize the festivities.

"So, what is this quest of yours?" Jack asked John. "Why resign? Can't you just use royal resources to finish it?"

"It isn't a standard system quest. It's a private mission that I suspect will require me to leave this world entirely."

"What...?" The room was filled with confused faces.

"It's just a theory for now, one I want to confirm today. I'm going to Chris's place to discuss it. Do you all want to come along?"

"After a teaser like that? You're damn right we do!" Jack exclaimed.

"Very well. I'm requesting Chris to teleport the lot of us," John said.

A brilliant light soon enveloped the group. When it dissipated, the throne room was empty.