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If that worst-case scenario had really come to pass, then it would mean all of the guild's effort over the past several days had been for nothing.
They would have lost both the prize and the price paid to chase it.
At a crucial stage like this, when the game was still in its opening rush, wasting large amounts of time and resources was absolutely lethal for Sacred Sanctuary.
If the guild's core members fell behind in gear and levels, and the guild warehouse ran dry, they would quickly be dragged out of the first tier and thrown into the crowded lower ranks, left struggling in the pack with no way to climb back out.
Gerald folded his arms across his chest, brows tightly knit as he thought through the future of both the guild and himself.
Wendy, seated beside him, did not really understand the details of what they were discussing.
But seeing the increasingly grim expressions on everyone's faces, she could tell the situation was bad.
So, being sensible enough not to interrupt, she simply sat quietly on the tavern sofa, occasionally lowering her head for another small sip of red wine.
"Of course, maybe it won't be that bad..."
Across from them, Jacob said with a bitter smile,
"Honestly, based on what you've both described, with the speed and reaction time that Sobble showed, there's a very real chance it could have survived a disaster like that."
"So... there's still a good amount of hope."
As the true decision-maker of Sacred Sanctuary and the one responsible for setting its long-term direction, Jacob now had two choices in front of him.
The first was to cut their losses and head back.
Stop now, before the guild's losses grow any worse.
If he did that, they might still have a chance of holding onto their position in the first tier.
The second option was to ignore the risk and keep searching for Sobble at all costs.
It was a massive gamble.
If they succeeded, then with the overwhelming advantage that Sobble represented, they could recover everything they had already lost and maybe push even further, reaching the very top of what players in the early game could possibly achieve.
But if they failed, their guild would fall completely, with no realistic path back, from the first tier to nothing more than an ordinary player organization.
All the hard-earned advantages they had built up until now would dissolve like smoke.
As the leader of a large guild with over a hundred members, Jacob should have chosen, and in many ways needed to choose, the first option.
Stay steady.
Play it safe.
Advance step by step.
Deep down, he understood that perfectly well.
But Jacob was unwilling to accept it.
Ten years ago, just after graduating from college, he could have leaned on his parents' connections and taken a high-paying job with a bright, stable future.
But he had refused to follow the path they wanted for him.
He hated that kind of life, the sort that looked safe and smooth on the surface but was so predictable you could already see the end of it before it had even begun.
So Jacob had chosen to start from nothing. Using the savings he had scraped together during his four years at university as seed money, and relying on intelligence that put him ahead of most people his age, he earned his first real success.
From there, he founded the gaming guild that would become Sacred Sanctuary and began chasing his dream.
Unfortunately, it was as though his luck had run out there.
Once he entered the gaming industry, things did not go smoothly.
The market had already been carved apart by capital and dominated by established forces. There was no real place for him. Even with a passion most people could never match, with relentless effort, fierce determination, and undeniable talent, none of it had any room to shine.
He could only be pushed along helplessly by the changing tides of the market.
That period became the darkest stretch of his life after entering society.
If not for the handful of friends around him, people just as obsessed with games and just as determined to pursue their own dreams, Jacob would never have managed to hold on.
Fortunately, later, a single opportunity allowed Sacred Sanctuary to rise inside a certain virtual game, and from that foothold, it slowly began to grow.
By now, Sacred Sanctuary had become a player organization of respectable size in the world of video games. It was still nowhere near the absolute giants at the top of the industry, but at the very least, it had secured a firm footing in the middle tier.
Was Jacob satisfied with that?
Obviously not.
His ambition matched his ability, and where he stood now could never truly satisfy him.
He wanted to climb higher.
And now, Pokémon World, this virtual game carefully crafted by one of the top game studios in the world and all but guaranteed to explode in popularity across the globe, was that chance.
Jacob had already made up his mind.
He had to seize this opportunity and ride it upward.
Still seated, Jacob's eyes, which had narrowed slightly in that bitter smile, suddenly snapped wide open. His golden irises shone like brilliant stars, burning with ambition and fighting spirit.
Ignoring the surprised looks from those around him, he sprang up from the tavern sofa.
Like a lone wolf driven into a corner, his voice rang out sharp, ruthless, and decisive.
"Damn it."
"We're doing this."
"We leave right now. I refuse to believe that one tiny Sobble is enough to stop a bunch of veterans who've spent over a decade clawing their way through games."
The passionate force in his voice hit the room like thunder, shattering the soft haze of music lingering through the tavern.
In the dim light, a fire of fierce resolve seemed to flicker and burn.
The idea was good.
The conviction was real.
But that did not mean they were guaranteed a good outcome.
Especially when the one they were chasing was not an ordinary target at all, but a soul from another world standing far outside the normal rules.
"Ah... choo."
Lying lazily on the bed in the Pokémon Center, Kael suddenly sneezed so hard it startled even him.
"No way. Can a Pokémon's body really catch a cold too?"
Instinctively, he pulled the soft blanket around himself a little tighter.
His injuries were already serious enough. With a little body like this, if he came down with a real illness on top of everything else, he might just end up back in the cycle space for good.
His blue eyes shifted, sweeping across the tightly wrapped white bandages covering his body as a thoughtful look appeared in them.
Now that the girl in traditional dress had rescued him, he was no longer trapped in Molten Season Forest, a place full of danger and utterly unsuited for him to survive and grow in.
That was a good thing.
But now Kael also needed to start thinking about something else.
Once his wounds healed, where was he supposed to go?
If anyone expected him to return to Molten Season Forest, that was out of the question.
Kael had to find another path.
Tap! Tap!
While he was lost in thought, the crisp sound of footsteps came from nearby.
He looked up.
What came into view was Nurse Joy's lovely face, with its delicate features and soft complexion.
A gentle smile spread slowly across her expression, carrying a deeper meaning behind it.
"Don't be scared, little one."
"I'm taking you somewhere better."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!