Desolate World

The next day, Mars, the refugees, and Ace's family started their journey to the cave. Ace took initiative to scout the way with Geo. 

Of course, he did it not only to clean the monsters that could disturb the group's journey, but also to give another chance for Geo to raise 3 more skeletons. This time he raised a skeleton rider, a skeleton soldier, and a skeleton archer. Ace intended to do that every 10 hours, so Geo could get the 40 ordinary skeletons soon.

As for raising the elite skeletons, it was a long way to go. Because, if they had waited until Geo had enough mana, they had to wait for him to level up to level 32 so he had more than 2,000 points of mana. So the faster option was to wait for the construction of the village to be completed, so they could use the mana pool, where Geo could raise the elite skeletons in one go.

In the afternoon, they had arrived in the cave. Ace learned that no other monsters attacked the refugees and the goblins last night, which is good news. Another good news came, Mila —the sister of Nila— had woken up. 

After hearing it, Cloud and Noah hurriedly went to where Mila was. Ace wanted to follow along, but Cloud declined. She said she wanted to facilitate the sisters to talk with each other. As for Noah, he wanted to apologize.

Ace and Geo then accompanied Mars to meet the other refugees and the goblins. To build their first impression on him, Mars turned himself once more into a big dragon. It made the refugees that hadn't known him panic, but for some reason the goblins' reaction was unexpected. 

They were frozen at first, then they knelt down in front of Mars. It made the refugees, Ace, Geo, and even Mars himself to be surprised. 

Mars then asked, "Why did you do that?" 

Then, a goblin said, "Lord dragon. We have been waiting for your arrival for many years. The great goblin shaman had made a prophecy that the goblin's dark age would start when the world changed. And the dawn of our era will begin when a dragon that can change his form appears in front of us, goblins. 

She then ordered us, if we meet you, we must serve you with all of our heart, so the goblin race will be able to survive in this new world."

All people who saw it were stunned, including Mars. He then coughed and asked, "Where is she now?" 

The goblin then answered, "She passed away 30 years ago, many years before the world changed."

Mars nodded. He then said, "Then, come to our village. I will promise you one thing. It's also for humans. As long as you work hard, live harmoniously with the rest of the villagers, and together defend the village from its enemies, I will never abandon you."

Then Ace saw the human refugees also knelt down and he didn't know who had started it, they said loudly, "We promise."

It made Ace goosebumps, he then also said, "We promise."

Geo also followed along saying it.

Ace then felt the invisible gaps among the goblins and human refugees that he saw the day before had disappeared. And for himself, he didn't know how. But, the last barrier in his heart that prevented him from recognizing the NPCs as more than data disappeared. 

From that day, Ace fully integrated with this world. He felt that the people in this world were similar to the people in the real world, No! He had to say his original world. Their lives were as precious as the lives of the people in his original world.

After he had this viewpoint, he was surprised to get system notifications.

*Ding*

[Congratulations, on realizing the truth of the world]

[You have made an achievement 'knowing the truth'. You get 10 quotas to migrate to the sky world. 

For a note. This achievement can only be made by one person in one world. For getting this achievement, you will be given some privileges]

[You can use the quotas to migrate yourselves and the ones that you choose from your original world to your designated sky island. You can move there anytime you want. But you can also make more achievements to multiply your quotas.]

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[As a person who made 'realizing the truth' achievement, the system will inform you of other achievements that you can make in this world.

Warning! You are prohibited from telling others about this information. If you violate it, you will be forced to migrate with the people you have chosen directly to your designated sky Island.]

[The achievements that you can make:

• Becoming one of the core circle of your settlement;

• Reaching level 50;

• Making 10,000 reputations at 5 settlements;

• Making 1,000 continental fame;

• Making 100 world fame;

• Winning 100 guardian matches;

• Reaching level 100.

Each time you make another achievement, your quotas will be multiplied by 10.]

[You get a personal guide]

[Your inventory is expanded to ten times bigger]

Ace was shocked.

'T-This! Isn't it the things that Cloud has said? Isn't this information that the Human Union seeks all this time. A way to save humanity,' Ace said in his heart.

He wanted to rush to Cloud to inform her. But, he then realized that if he did that, he would be forced to migrate to a different world directly. It would be counterproductive.

As he thought about it, a woman's voice was heard in his head.

'No, you can tell anyone that you have quotas. But you are prohibited from leaking information about the achievements to other people,' She said.

"...," Ace was silent. He was once again shocked. He heard someone's voice inside his head. Then he remembered that he had gotten a guide from the system.

'Are you the guide?' Ace asked.

'Yes, you can call me the guide. I'm from The Sky World. I was assigned to be your guide ahead of time. I will assist you until you die. Nice to meet you, Ace Nightglow, or should I call you Alex Smith?' The guide said.

***