Madman: "What the heck? The other side seems pretty strong. Wasn't Wild Gale leading the group in the public dungeon? How did so many people end up dead?"
"Aren't there at least ten A-rank professionals on their side, along with three S-ranks? How's Wild Gale supposed to handle that?" A level-28 warrior grimaced. He was part of Wild Gale's team.
Iron Cavalry: "Damn it, they're even killing life players!"
"Any survivors?" Bradley asked. Once he got a confirmation, he immediately messaged Orson privately: "Orson, should we gather a group and head over?"
Orson reviewed the latest battle report. Dozens of guild members, who had been farming dungeons or gathering herbs, had been killed.
While it wasn't unusual for guild members to be attacked occasionally, such incidents typically occurred over contested resources and rarely involved mass killings. No major guild would usually dare to act so brazenly. Even SSR had been lying low recently. But this kind of large-scale slaughter was unprecedented.
"Rescue those stuck waiting to respawn and drive them off, but don't chase too far," Orson replied.
Bradley and Ruby sprang into action and rushed to where the most members were trapped—the Toxic Assassination dungeon.
This dilapidated village, poisoned to death and overrun by monsters, served as a level-30 legendary public dungeon. Since Bradley's group had cleared it, the area could now accommodate hundreds of players farming for loot, making it a hot spot for mixed groups from various guilds.
"You won't get away! When Orgod arrives, you trash will be dead!" roared a mage from The King Family. All seven of his teammates were already lying dead around him.
"What I hate most are corpses that can't stop yapping," sneered Kawakita, an S-rank Frost Mage, as a priest behind her began casting resurrection spells on The King Family's fallen members.
"Souls, return to your bodies!" The priest waved his staff, and an A-rank area resurrection spell enveloped the fallen.
"No! Stay down! Don't accept the resurrection!" The King Family mage quickly realized what was happening and ordered everyone not to revive.
But it was too late. A sinister smile crossed the face of another priest as he activated a Slave Rune Stone, a gray talisman hovering above the corpses.
"Resurrection denied—forced revival in progress."
"Resurrection denied…"
Panic spread among The King Family players. The rune stones were forcing them back to life?
"You bastards… you'll die horrible deaths!" The revived players barely had time to move before they were struck down again by a volley of frost arrows.
"Let's hope you can spell 'karma,'" Wild Gale snarled as he was forced to his feet. His round shield deflected numerous frost arrows as his eyes burned with defiance.
Kawakita frowned. Sharp frost spikes erupted from the ground, aiming to skewer him. Wild Gale darted between the gaps with agile footwork.
"Dragon Lion's Roar!" Wild Gale bellowed. The force of his shout shattered the frost within a ten-meter radius.
Raging Wolf Seven-Slash!
Wild Gale's sword slashed wildly, breaking through Kawakita's frost magic. The ferocity of his assault threw her off, forcing her to retreat despite herself. Clad in legendary gear, she couldn't afford to falter and resumed her bombardment.
Even after being knocked down with his health reduced to a sliver, Wild Gale knelt with one knee, his gaze undeterred. "Kill me ten times, a hundred times—Godslayer will pay it back a thousandfold!"
"A B-rank warrior with such strength?" Shimoji's eyes darkened as he observed. It was clear this man's skill was exceptional, and his gear wasn't bad either. But his class limitations held him back.
"How ridiculous for a B-rank warrior to challenge us! Know your place, you American!" Kawakita, her pride wounded, launched two ice spikes that knocked Wild Gale down again, forcing him to drop his Heroic Sword.
"That's enough. Move to the next location."
The group of a dozen UJ players, after slaughtering teams from Godslayer and The King Family, left with a haul of gold and equipment.
"Raise my brother! Anyone who kills Godslayer members dies!"
A furious roar echoed as Wild Gale's resurrection halo activated again.
Moments later, a figure descended from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust. The figure held twin swords that seemed almost alive, brimming with the power of light and darkness, like twin dragons coiling around their wielder.
"Run!?" Iron Cavalry bellowed, raising his anti-magic shield. "You killed our comrades and now you think you can just leave?"
"The Light-Dark Sword Saint?" Shimoji's face darkened. Seeing Godslayer's main force arriving, he smirked and said, "Ignore them. Retreat! Regroup at the next location."
"I'll cut off their escape! You dared kill my brothers? I'll crush your skulls!" A high-pitched but fierce voice rang out. A petite girl holding a giant sword the size of a door charged in, using her weapon like a skateboard.
Kawakita sneered, "A mere level-32 dares speak up? Kill her!"
Three A-rank mages cast a massive array of elemental spells—fire, earth, and wind—that engulfed the petite warrior.
Tyrant's Descent.
The purple-haired girl grinned, her smile tinged with a menacing aura. Her body grew taller, her legs turned bronze, and her tiny fangs extended into tusks. Black runes erupted around her as if a beastly warlord had emerged on the battlefield.
Magic Resistance -400.
Magic Resistance -350.
...
Kawakita and her team of elite mages were stunned. Their barrage barely shaved 2,000 HP off her.
"Done yet? My turn!" Ruby's smile turned wicked as the Beast Sword Saint took over, her presence terrifying.
Iron Cavalry groaned, "This is broken. I'm a knight, and I don't even have this much magic resistance. We've created a monster."
The Warrior of Tyranny, an S-rank hidden class specializing in colossal swords, was notoriously difficult to unlock. Bradley and Iron Cavalry had spent an entire morning in an ancient battleground just barely managing to complete the trial. It was as challenging as clearing a level-30 abyss dungeon.
The class, inheriting the power of a half-beast Sword Saint, was a natural counter to magic users. When Tyrant's Descent was activated, it drastically reduced incoming magic damage for 10 seconds, with only a 30-second cooldown.
Ruby charged forward with her signature move, Giant Blade Dash, using her weapon like a battering ram. She closed the distance to a stunned earth mage in a heartbeat.
"Ready to take a little hit?" Ruby cackled before slamming her massive sword down. The ground cracked as mud and rocks flew everywhere.
-2400!
-2200!
Critical Hit -5000!
The poor mage was smashed into the ground before he could react.
"This is a 'little hit'? Did they die from being slashed or just flattened by that oversized door?" Iron Cavalry muttered. Ruby's sword was easily twice the size of his greatsword, more like a massive door panel used to crush people.
"Are you siblings even human?" Absolute Kid quipped. "If she upgrades to that Colossal Blade in the warehouse, she'll be unstoppable."
Bradley sighed, "Great, she's stolen the spotlight. Poor planning on my part."
Though clunky, Ruby's giant sword style had immense potential. Even with a level-25 heroic blade with only 1,300 base attack, her Warrior of Tyranny class doubled her damage output. A single normal attack could deal 2,600 damage, and her critical strikes made even Bradley wary.
However, its drawbacks were clear. The slower attack speed made her vulnerable to agile warriors, but she excelled at breaking through enemy rear lines and tanking magic attacks.
"Who's next?" Ruby taunted, balancing on her sword like a board.
"Forget her. Move out!" Shimoji barked. Two A-rank warriors engaged Ruby to buy time while the rest of the team fled.
"They're running? I only took one down," Ruby said, disappointed as the UJ fighters retreated during her cooldown.
Iron Cavalry: "Should we chase them? They don't seem that tough."
Wild Gale: "Be cautious. It could be a trap. My advice is not to go."
Bradley's eyes gleamed coldly as he watched Shimoji's group disappear. "Retreating after one strike is odd. But who's really setting the trap?"
"Move out. They have a relic that can force resurrections. Let's save our teammates at the next location!" With that, Bradley led Wild Gale and the others toward the next skirmish site.