"Damn it... I can't hold on! This bastard's attack speed is getting insane!"
Madman howled in frustration. The Dragon Knight had entered a berserk state, significantly boosting its attack speed, damage, and defense.
With Blank already down, he too got clipped by a dragon halberd — half of his body torn to shreds in an instant. Instant kill.
"Are you seriously still not helping with DPS? With your damage output, Boss Orson, these two Dragon Knights wouldn't last a few minutes."
Stewart timidly asked as he raised his staff, casting the A-Rank resurrection spell, \\[Redemption Through Suffering].
Two glowing crosses appeared where the two had fallen.
Blank and Madman resurrected on the spot. Looking at the increasingly rabid boss, the two could only grit their teeth and charge again.
"I'll help, but not with DPS. They're still too weak. Their teamwork is full of holes."
Orson's eyes were deep and unreadable. Only he truly understood how brutal the fusion world was — a single mistake meant death.
He was thoroughly dissatisfied with their performance.
And this chick Blank? Still putting her hope in others?
That was a joke — a world-class joke.
"Stop worrying about mana, stop worrying about cooldowns — just focus on the enemy in front of you."
Orson's voice turned colder. "In the future, you'll only get one chance to live. You've all got someone to protect."
"Don't let the people who care about you down."
"Don't let yourself down."
"I protect you guys not because I like you... but because I thought you were valuable. That you could make a difference. Right now? You're losing that value. You're just dead weight to me."
It was harsh. It was brutal. And it sent a chill through every one of them.
Orson didn't enjoy saying it. But it was the truth.
No trial-goer ever survived off the pity of others.
"Orson..."
Bradley looked dazedly at his idol — his brother. He could hear the faint tremble in Orson's voice.
"Dead weight?"
Blank's heart shook as she murmured, "But I... Emma... I have someone I need to protect too..."
"I don't give a damn what's ahead of us. I've still got so many chicks to chase. I just don't wanna die!"
Madman grit his teeth and roared, eyes bloodshot.
"Switch with me!"
Blank barked coldly. Madman locked eyes with her, nodded. "I trust you."
He cast \\[Murky Waters Waltz!] and turned into black water, swapping places. Blank appeared right in front of Kaelar.
"Kill!"
"Kill this bastard!"
Orson's words had lit a fire in their hearts.
That last thread of fantasy — gone.
Their blades no longer wavered.
Their will to fight no longer hesitated.
They roared, eyes wild, faces streaked with blood.
Top-tier rogue players needed no words — just a look, and they moved as one.
When one flagged, the other swapped in. They grit their teeth and endured Kaelar's entire Body Domination duration.
"I am the strongest knight — I will become the king beneath this sky!"
Orson's words echoed in Drunken Dream's ears. Hair flying, eyes blood-red, he screamed in fury. Even as Dragon Knight Flay's halberd pierced through his chest...
He still severed Flay's arm with his dragon lance.
Trading wound for wound — fighting to the death!
"Makes no difference if I've got mana or skills... all I need is courage to fuel an undefeated heart!"
Bradley's gaze sharpened. He surged toward the violet dragon like a tsunami. Under a rain of magic, he activated \\[Fleeting Eternity].
Calm, focused — and full of conviction. His greatsword blazed with pure will as he hacked off the dragon's front claw.
Covered in blood, Bradley raised the severed limb and looked straight at Orson.
"I'm Godslayer's strongest. I'll watch everyone's back!"
"That's more like it."
Orson's frown finally eased. He looked at his own trembling hands.
Better to let his friends think he was a cold, self-serving bastard...
Than to watch them die horribly in Hardcore Mode.
"Mana Wellspring Holy Grail!"
Orson grinned, nodded at Bradley, and waved his hand. A radiant chalice appeared above the battlefield.
Mana +5%
Mana +5%
...
The holy light spilled like dawn, bathing every face. Everyone's mana recovered rapidly.
"This grail... this thing's like a fountain of mana?"
Bradley's eyes widened — for someone like him, this was a godsend.
No more worrying about Dragon Knight Body Domination!
"Papal Scroll of the Ancient Faith!"
Orson tossed another item into the fray.
\\[Papal Scroll of the Ancient Faith]
Tier: Relic
Effect: All recipients gain 30 minutes of 40% cooldown reduction for all non-Forbidden-level skills. (Cannot exceed 70% cap). Cooldown: 1 hour.
Drunken Dream's eyes lit up. For him, this relic was perfect.
His skills were powerful but had long cooldowns — a common issue for knight builds.
But now? Him, Lilith, and Denoka would be fighting at full power, nonstop.
"Body Domination incoming again!"
Madman shouted, "Bradley, break it! Blank, go for the vitals! I'll distract!"
Blank dodged Kaelar's halberd by a hair. Madman dashed in to draw aggro. Bradley flanked and broke the Domination again.
Miss!
Miss!
-38,000!
Blank took a few hits but didn't flinch. She leapt onto Kaelar's back and plunged both daggers into his neck.
Lethal Strike -6,000,000!
True Bleed -53,000!
...
With time running out, they had no choice but to go all-in — risking injury, trading wounds, anything to stack debuffs and kill fast.
Kaelar finally collapsed.
No one checked the loot.
Bradley held the remaining dragon, while Madman and Blank turned to support Drunken Dream.
With three top players joining him, Dragon Knight Flay didn't stand a chance.
Only the two dragons remained.
Drunken Dream and Denoka tore one apart.
Lilith and the others finished the second.
"Time's up."
Orson opened his eyes. The final violet dragon fell.
Denoka bit off its head and hurled it at Crimson Lizard King's feet.
"One day, I'll become lord of all dragons — and erase the shadow of death from our bloodline!"
Denoka shifted back into human form, eyes burning as he stared down the Lizard King.
Still stewing about her name, Crimson Lizard King let a smile curl her lips.
"I accept your challenge."
"Fuck me... we're finally done..."
Madman panted, drenched in blood. "Three deaths. I've never been this embarrassed."
Blank looked ready to sass him — but paused.
After what he'd done, the only thing on her face was quiet respect.
Bradley: "Yeah... still lots to work on. Whatever. I'm wiped."
They collapsed on the ground, grabbing Orson's wine flask and passing it around.
Drunken Dream took a deep breath, forcing his exhaustion down.
"Damn... no end to this war, huh?"
"You killed our Dragon Knights, Baron. What exactly are you planning?"
A cold, crisp voice rang out.
Cassandra had arrived, wearing the Crown of Sin.
Behind her stood a man with long violet hair and a steely gaze:
Purple-Gold Dragon King, Daloré.