204 - The Perfect Leader

“Is this what he is capable of? No wonder he was so confident about coming back. Hahaha… I told you guys. He is Jason Hope.”

His laughter filled the room as Bruce’s voice rose above the excited chatter

His words earned smiles from many, their enthusiasm ignited by the stunning display of power they had just witnessed on the screen. However, three individuals from Earth and Xanders, a native of Yuriel, wore expressions filled with heaviness. They knew the truth that lurked behind the facade of Jason’s powers.

The Crystal Pulse was on the edge of despair because of recent events and found a glimmer of hope in Jason’s might.

“If this is what he is capable of, no wonder he didn’t want to reveal his magic.”

Xanders stared at the footage in disbelief, his eyes wide with astonishment. 

In the execution of two unique spells and the summoning of an otherworldly entity, Jason’s ability was undeniable. Even Xanders, with all his experience, recognized the sheer power displayed. Against such forces, he knew even he would struggle to hold his ground.

“He can single-handedly defeat countless Grandmasters. I can’t do anything against him.” 

Xanders muttered in shock. Jason’s spell-casting speed wasn’t something he could compete against. No Grandmaster reacted against any of his spells. 

‘He has trained his students to do the same. They prepare spells beforehand. Why did he train them like that? There are no wizards who use this kind of tactics in battle.’

Xanders felt this was a cheat that even worked against assassins like him.

“The only limiting factor is the duration he can maintain that summons.”

The weight of Jason’s untapped potential settled upon the hearts of those who knew the truth. They understood the responsibility that came with holding such extraordinary power, the future of humanity on Earth. While the others enjoyed the footage, this small group struggled with the secrets they bore and the consequences that awaited.

A single misplaced piece of information might bring out a disaster they couldn’t handle.

This wasn’t a secret to the members of the Crystal Pulse who witnessed the battle, and they had to share it with the others. They could again force the players to hide the truth as they did before, but the responsibility was getting heavier as time went by. 

“We can probably take down Alexandria if we want.”

Xanders felt heavy. This was the power they had in Light Shone.

The room fell into an eerie silence as Xanders’s words pierced through the air. His bold proclamation made everyone freeze, their attention fixated on the old assassin. He knew well that all eyes were on him, waiting for an explanation.

“Why are you so surprised?” 

Xanders’s voice lacked excitement, carrying a weight of the heavy realisation. 

“He could single-handedly take on many wizards. What can Alexandria do to stop him? If they dare to challenge him, they’ll need a Master Wizard. Besides, they didn’t deny that Amelia is a Peak Grandmaster, right?”

Xanders was the only one with an understanding of Jason Hope’s immense power and danger. His unparalleled spells and unmatched abilities were not to be underestimated, but they were not enough for their Light Shone to become a superpower, at least not in the current circumstances.

“Grandmaster Xanders, what does it mean to be a Peak Grandmaster?” 

Logan asked with his voice laced with curiosity.

“Hm... A Peak Grandmaster represents the pinnacle of power among warriors. Can’t you see? Amelia claimed to have taken lives without ever leaving her carriage. She possesses the ability to control any object within her range, turning it into a deadly weapon.”

Xanders took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. 

“Eh... Grandmaster Xanders, can you count a leaf as a weapon?”

The mention of a potential weapon sparked Logan’s curiosity further. He looked for clarification from Xanders. 

“Huh? A leaf? Yes, it is indeed possible. Why are you asking about that? She can even use a rock as a weapon.”

Xanders nodded in affirmation. 

Logan glanced at Scott, trying to convey the situation silently. A sudden realisation flashed across Scott’s eyes.

“Wait! That day... Grandmaster Amelia used a leaf as a weapon. We just didn’t realise it.”

Amanda, who had witnessed the same footage from Dawn’s point of view, spoke in a daze. 

“Wait! Did you all know Amelia could do that?”

Xanders yelled at them with a mixture of anger and disbelief. 

“Well... Grandmaster Amelia used a leaf to show us her aura. But we didn’t understand the extent...”

Dawn realised the incredible power they had witnessed on their second day in The Endless. She never thought she saw something only a few other people or NPCs in this massive world could do. 

“Are you telling me this now? Hopeless! You all are hopeless!”

A slight pang of regret shot through Xanders’s chest. 

He had foolishly clashed against a Peak Grandmaster, unaware of the unimaginable power Amelia possessed. If only he had known, he would have never attempted to fight her.

“Sigh... There are only three other Peak Grandmasters in our world. Amelia is the youngest Peak Grandmaster in our history.” 

At that moment, everything he had achieved paled in comparison to Amelia’s extraordinary abilities.

“So… Are we going to release the video? This is what we need. The Crystal Pulse is the number one player organisation in The Endless.”

Bruce became more and more excited as he listened. Not only Jason, but Grandmaster Amelia was also an extraordinary NPC. 

“Release? Only those who are very trustworthy can see this. No one else should learn what Jason or Amelia are capable of.”

Before anyone else, Xanders made his decision. This knowledge was too dangerous for them. 

“They are powerful, and there will be many who want to get rid of them and many who want them on their side. It will not be good. He is not announcing he is part of the Reapers. Then we are only bringing a disaster to us.”

“Then it is only to the exclusive members, again.”

Bruce’s face deflated like a balloon. He knew this would bring a massive wave into the media world, but he had to listen to the others. Even his father, the media giant of Earth, listened to the arrangements of the Crystal Pulse. Weirdly enough, NPC like Xanders could also affect their decisions. However, he admitted with the way many pieces of news spread through NPCs and players, any gossip was far too dangerous in this ultra-realistic game.

“We have to release it to them. How many videos are there?”

Scott looked at the screen with a heavy face.

“One hundred and fifty-seven, Mr Scott. We have all of them.”

“But that is one hundred and fifty-seven players who saw the entire thing. We can’t hide it.”

“Shall we go for another binding contract?”

Amanda suggested.

“Sigh. Yes, that is what we can do. Another contract.”

Dane nodded his head. They had to do it to save themselves. Every time they thought they knew about what Jason was capable of, Jason showed them something way beyond their comprehension. 

‘What else are you going to do, Jason? Can’t you give me a break?’

…

“Another binding contract? Seriously? What is going on?”

“Hush! Didn’t you hear?”

“Hear what?”

Gillian raised her head, ignoring the rest of the contract. Even though she read it with care, she knew the others would speak up if there was an issue with it. Also, she trusted the management of the Crystal Pulse to not put them in danger. 

“There was a massive battle yesterday. Jason has killed like fifty people. I don’t know the full details, but it says he killed wizards.”

“Wow!”

“Wizards….”

“That is….”

“Why didn’t we hear anything until now?”

Gillian didn’t get excited like her friends. She instead frowned at the silence they experienced. There were many new players who got into contact with NPCs in the past months, and much news came to the forum even before they got them through the Crystal Pulse.

“Because everyone who saw the battle is dead. Only the people of the Crystal Pulse are alive, and we have to keep it a secret.”

“Where did you get the news?”

Gillian pressed for more.

“Well… A friend of mine is in the caravan. He also has a recording of the battle. He said it was a brutal battle. Quick. Just sign that thing so we can see what exactly happened.”

“Brutal….”

Gillian whispered in a low voice, wondering how brutal it could be. The training she received every day made her question the limitations of the civilised world. They were turning into brutal warriors of the Crystal Pulse. 

“Come on, sign it. I am so excited to see it.”

Gillian saw her friend’s smile that didn’t fit a beautiful gamer girl who just heard of a brutal battle. 

…

“That is awesome.”

“Wow! I want to be a wizard!”

“Isn’t he so cool? Look how he protects everyone.”

“Sigh. I can see that.”

Gillian shook her head, looking at her excited friend. The bloody battle should have made her throw up, but instead, it made her excited. 

Jason looked like a tall mountain that stood against the strong wind when he stood up to protect everyone from the scorching fire. To Gillian, this felt like the ultimate display of trust. 

Jason asked his NPC students to fight, but he didn’t put them in danger. In fact, Jason already had the upper hand from the beginning, and she believed Jason only allowed them to fight because he was confident. Otherwise, Jason would have taken the lead on his own.

‘They are so excited and I feel relieved.’

The Endless affected their lives so much, and the Crystal Pulse held a great meaning beyond a game guild to them. Even though she knew about Jason’s plan to fail the assessment, it made her nervous when the news of Jason’s failure started to spread. 

They maintained a cheerful appearance as none of them wanted to doubt Jason, but only now she felt relieved. 

However, Gillian saw the same relief on many other faces at the moment. Jason proved his undeniable power in The Endless, and he showed them why he was the leader of The Crystal Pulse. 

The power, the reliability, and humanity. This man had it all. Also, he could be a Grim Reaper to all his enemies. This was the perfect leader of the Crystal Pulse. His justice was swift and absolute. 

............

Note:- Sorry guys, been away for a while. Also, I failed to give chapter 200 for free. So I will leave this as a free chapter. Hope you all are doing well, my dear players of The Endless. I am having little trouble with uploading the Spells of each sphere for your reference (Because I can't insert a table or a picture here). I will try my best to get the Apprentice, Noice, and Wizard-level spells of each Magic Sphere for you guys to learn.