Read The Battle for Free Online

pressured by a hundred of the more persistent relatives staying in the castle. The promised gathering kept getting re-scheduled, the celebration ended with a terrifying Act of God. The ethereal beauty of the virtual world bared its fangs. The moms cried, the dads yelled, the grandpas threw their weight around, the grandmas flew into a temper.
    No matter how those who were ill-informed about digital technologies had pictured the virtual world, everything turned out to be much more complex. Mystical, yet just like reality, it only got more and more terrifying for them.
    I took a portal to the Altar, taking the scalding-hot coffee along. I hurried to the Main Hall. A blind man could have found it; scores of voices echoed through the surrounding halls, interspersed with hysterical shouts.
    Thanks for the sound signals . By the time I got there, I already knew the overall mood and could guess what kinda questions they’d throw at me.
    My coffee dripping all over the white marble floor, I avoided the goblins’ reproachful glances. One of the hell hounds followed me, purring with delight as it slurped the hot drops of coffee in midair. Its eyes started to glow as it began to stagger. Are you kidding me, high on coffee?
    A few more hell hounds rushed out of a nearby hall, their armor jingling. They were very aggressive, following me with wild eyes. They ignored me, interested only in the coffee.
    "Shoo!"
    I regret to say, I was a little harsh with the doggies. Their hind paws paralyzed, their lean asses scraped the tiles as they tried to keep up. I could hear their piteous "GIMME!" cry and could sense their fear.
    Thoughtfully scratching my head, I whispered to Lurch, "It’s a celebration, after all; get all the hell hounds a 100 coffee each... make it hot!"
    Glancing at the first hound whose sagging muzzle now looked like that of a shar-pei, I added:
    "’Xcept this one; this one’s had enough!"
    I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should pass a clan-wide ban on feeding coffee to hounds. No, it’s worse if these guys find out; everyone’ll want to know the exact reason for the ban. And I can’t say I’ll obey the ban myself... Much to Spark’s delight.
    "Oh, and, Lurch... have a goblin personally take a barrel of the best coffee to Spark. It’s to look presentable, you know, like a leader..."
    Alright, time to act before Cryl is mentally raped . With so much stress, he might just run off to the wild. At eighteen, killing monsters is more fun than being a scribe.
    I entered the hall through a side door, then got up on the podium that had been thrown together in a rush. I set my mug down on it with a bang. That drew attention, but the hall didn’t get any less noisy. Demands for goods, loans, provisions, and explanations poured forth. Buncha cavemen!
    I tried to stare them down. Like hell! A thirty-year-old can’t manage hundreds of worried parents and seniors. Especially after they’ve sensed the magical opportunity to gain eternal health and immortality.
    So, what does he do?!
    Summoning the power of the Fallen One within my soul and mixing it with my Faith Points, I clenched my fists and entered my anchored state of a feudal lord. I am the Master! This is MY land! MY people are behind me!
    The darkness shrouding the corners deepened before my eyes. Obscure shadows flitted by as a whisper echoed in my mind. The air grew heavy. The demanding voices died down. The elderly opened their mouths, suddenly recalling what asthma felt like. The crowd rushed toward the center of the hall, staring in awe at my growing figure on the podium.
    Even Cryl got scared, swallowing heavily.
    I began to speak, mentally applying Tianlong’s pressure. My words fell on the guests like heavy boulders, making them cringe as if they tried to dodge.
    "Those who demand their children back: forget it! They are our clanmates. We have assumed responsibility for their futures and wellbeing. That’s the same responsibility that you’ve dumped on