Chapter 18: The culprit
[True Elites Headquarters, The Upside]
*Camera Shutters*
*Flashes*
"It fills me with profound sorrow to convene this press briefing. Today, we at True Elites grapple with a crisis of unparalleled scale.
Joe Jones, a key figure in squad 16 and a recognized member of our guild, has been implicated in collusion with the Agents of Olympus, suspected of playing a pivotal role in the abduction of his team leader, the rising star Riva Yadav.
On the day of the incident, Joe, tasked with Riva's security, was the initial responder to the explosion at her apartment and is suspected of wiping away any useful evidence that could have been collected, torpedoing the reconnaissance efforts.
Currently, Joe has vanished from his home and was last observed entering the tower solo.
Our intelligence points to his presence on floor 21, a known stronghold of the Olympians, further casting doubt on his allegiance in Riva's disappearance.
This incident marks the first instance of a human, a fellow member of our society, committing such a stark betrayal against our community, and it pains me to acknowledge the emergence of such a traitor from within our ranks.
Going forward, one of the guilds foremost priority shall be to apprehend Joe and make him stand trial for his crimes, right here on Earth and to aid this purpose, we the Elites issue a massive bounty of One Million Tower Gold for his capture alive and a hundred thousand if dead.
Despite this adversity, we the True Elites remain unwavering in our commitment to secure Riva's safe return, whatever the cost so may the Gemini Gods extend their blessings and give us strength, amen" declared Karna in a global press statement with his words causing a far reaching ripple effect.
For an Earth climber, a devotee of Gemini, to forsake their gods for Olympus and collude with extraterrestrials to kidnap an Earthling represents an egregious violation.
Historically, Earth's climbers had been known for their steadfast devotion to their guardian deities and fellow humans. By forsaking both, Joe had now not only become a renegade of faith but also the planet's foremost adversary.
***********
( Meanwhile Rocky )
Rocky watched the press conference live and felt his blood come to a boil when he found out that uncle Joe, the same man who he and his sister trusted so much, was the snake that betrayed her.
"Uncle Joe.... No..... Bastard Joe you will pay for this, I swear!" Rocky said seething, as he resolved to make Joe pay for this betrayal.
[ Strongest System Notification:- You have a new quest!
Quest Title- Punish the traitor.
Quest Description- Joe, a man your sister trusted so deeply has been revealed to be the one who betrayed her.
Avenge your sister by capturing Joe and turning him over to authorities on Earth.
Time limit - None
Failure Penalty - None
Rewards - ???? ]
A new system notification issued Rocky his first mission without any penalties.
Without a time constraint on it either, the system was very lenient with this quest, however, the rewards for completing the quest remained a mystery.
With or without the quest, Rocky had resolved himself to bring Joe to justice anyways, and hence even if the reward for this quest was nothing at all, Rocky still would not care.
However, while Rocky seethed in anger, a new wave of support began emerging for him and his previous statement on social media, as his public image took yet another major shift once his baseless allegations were proven true.
The same people who were cursing him just a couple of days ago, began to change their tone and sing his praises as they commended Rocky on his bravery to call things as he saw them, even if it went beyond social conformities.
From a positive figure to a hated villain to a visionary, Rocky's image took violent turns, however, as a result of all the controversy around him, he became a household name that gained global popularity.
In the week following Karna's interview, Rocky went from having about one and a half million subscribers on his channel to over 15 million as he observed explosive growth unlike anything one could have imagined.
Brands came knocking to make Rocky their brand ambassador, promoters lined up with thick stacks of money for Rocky to give a shoutout of their products in his vlog and other popular influencers begged Rocky to make a collaboration video.
He also got invited to 'Dinnertime With Sunny' for the second time in the same month, however, Rocky rejected all offers.
Focusing solely on his system workout routine and his upcoming final exams, Rocky bided his time until he could officially enter the tower as he was now burning with ambition to begin his climber journey and bring his sister's kidnappers to justice.
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