畅想听吧

Chapter 133: Natural Enemy (3)

Kai turned around to find Seol Eun-Yeong standing there, exuding a chilly aura.

W-what’s going on?

It felt like facing his mother who was genuinely angry!

Slightly intimidated, Kai asked, “...What’s the matter?”

Seol Eun-Yeong approached Kai with a haughty expression until she was right in front of him, and slightly wrinkled her nose. She was clearly trying to look intimidating, but unfortunately, her beauty overshadowed the attempt, making her look simply beautiful instead.

“Are you telling us to leave everything to a mercenary and just sit back and watch?”

“No, that’s not what I...”

“I know. You were trying to be considerate. But we’re not so weak that we need that kind of consideration.”

“Hm...”

Kai looked over her shoulder, hoping for someone to back him up, but Boyd shrugged and waved his hands, indicating he was staying out of it. In the end, Kai raised his hands in surrender and took a step back.

“Alright. We can go together. But promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“If I tell you to run, you’ll do so without question.”

Seol Eun-Yeong stared at Kai for a moment, as if trying to gauge his intent, but the dragon-shaped helmet he wore completely concealed his gaze.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re saying this out of concern for us... so there must be something else.”

“Yes, but I cannot explain.”

“Alright.” Seol Eun-Yeong acceptingly nodded and turned around. “Just once, I’ll follow a retreat order without asking questions. I swear, on my name. Is that good enough?”

“Thank you.”

“Then we’ll proceed with the plan to circle around to the north and strike the Black Bees from behind. Oh! That means we’ll need to completely change our formation...”

As Seol Eun-Yeong muttered to herself and walked away, Kai glanced at Blizzard with a sad look.

“Blizzard, what should I do? It seems it’s not just the women in my family who are scary.”

“Krrk,” Blizzard softly snorted, as if asking if he just realized that now.

***

“Hardrock, deploy Earth Wall fifty meters ahead.”

“The enemies will be forced to the right. Group 2, deploy Ice Field on the ground in thirteen seconds.”

“Now! Attack!”

Until now, Seol Eun-Yeong had been on the defensive against the Black Bees but with Unknown joining them, she found her confidence again and began pressing the Black Bee\'s northern encirclement.

“Communication with Darimun has cut off. He’s dead!”

“The enemy is continuing to advance from the south and west. We need orders!”

“Sting...”

Of course, Sting wasn’t just sitting doing nothing. He immediately ordered the guild members from the south and west to advance north and try to catch Cheonhwa from behind.

Is this a war?

Kai, who was experiencing the commands of both Sting and Seol Eun-Yeong firsthand, couldn’t help but be amazed. They were boldly making move after move as if they were playing a game of chess with each other right in front of them, and each move was a killing blow aimed at the other’s throat!

But this is also reaching its limit.

The main force of the Black Bees was getting too close.

Soon, when the full-scale battle began, it would be time to show how effective their strategies were.

Seol Eun-Yeong was more aware of this than anyone else. She called Kai aside.

“An ambush?” Kai asked.

"That\'s right. A full-scale battle will start soon. We\'ve already reduced their numbers significantly, so we shouldn\'t be at a huge disadvantage. Moreover, if you don\'t show up, the enemy will be forced to keep an eye out for you, which will slightly disrupt their focus."

"Then when should I make my move?"

"I\'ll decide the timing, but..." Seol Eun-Yeong glanced at Kai\'s pets and tilted her head. "I’ve seen that black-armored summon when you fought Aosa, but I’ve never seen the other one before. Can it really be of any help?"

Kai\'s gaze toward Mimic was filled with confidence. "Ah, this one may not seem like it, but it’s like my secret weapon."

***

At a fairly large clearing in the Elven Forest, about 200 players were divided into two groups, each wary of the other.

"Tsk, how humiliating..."

Sting, with the Black Bees\' Wizards lined up behind him, clicked his tongue as he stepped forward. He quickly scanned the Cheonhwa players.

Unknown isn\'t here?

Did that mean it was an ambush? That would have been a simple but effective strategy in the current situation.

She’s a woman who knows how to get under your skin.

Seol Eun-Yeong was a woman who annoyed him in every way.

Sting immediately opened his mouth, aiming to provoke her. "A woman with a stubborn will. Ha, you were lucky to escape the encirclement with Unknown’s help."

"It wasn\'t wasps, but honeybees that swarmed me, so I tore them apart."

"And where’s Unknown?"

"This isn’t the time for you to be worrying about him, is it?”

"What? Pfft... Bwahahaha!" Sting laughed heartily, clutching his stomach, then abruptly stopped and glared at Seol Eun-Yeong. "...If it weren’t for Unknown, you would’ve been dead long ago, yet you still dare to talk."

"Recruiting him was part of our ability too."

"Ah, so you used your pretty face to seduce him, I suppose?"

"How dare you! If you utter one more filthy word to milady..."

Fwoosh!

The moment Boyd, enraged, stepped forward, something brushed past his cheek. He didn’t even realize he had been attacked.

[You’ve received 1,427 damage from Wind Cutter.]

It wasn’t until the system message appeared and blood trickled down his cheek that he realized it.

... Wind Cutter from this distance?

Boyd\'s eyes trembled.

Wind Cutter was far from being a high-level spell. It was a low-tier wind-based attack magic that even a level 20 Wizard could use.

But he hit such a distant target, at that speed, and with such precision...

It was a level of skill that required an exceptional understanding of magic, something even Boyd wasn’t sure he could achieve.

Sting glanced at the dumbfounded Boyd and sneered. "When masters are speaking, dogs should keep their mouths shut. You need to keep better control of your pet."

Seol Eun-Yeong didn’t feel it was worth responding to and slowly raised her right hand. "Everyone, prepare for battle."

"Soft. You’re far too soft."

Realizing his provocation had succeeded, Sting smirked.

Unknown’s ambush was a good move. However...

That was only up to a point. An ambush was most effective when the enemy was unaware of it. But now, everyone in Black Bee, including Sting, was on high alert for his presence.

Our focus might waver slightly... but it won’t change the outcome of this battle.

Sting leisurely raised his hand high. "Remember this. This is the power of a top ten guild."

Snap!

The moment Sting snapped, a barrage of pre-prepared spells covered the forest floor and sky. It was an overwhelming scene that couldn’t be described with words unless witnessed firsthand!

A hundred Wizards casting spells, and there’s no damage miss?

Each Wizard precisely dealt the amount of damage needed to their assigned target, ensuring not even a single point of damage was wasted. It was truly a flawless display of control!

This demonstrated why the Black Bees consistently ranked among the top one or two in offensive power within the top ten guilds and why, despite being composed entirely of Wizards, they easily outpaced other guilds in episode progression.

“Aaaagh!”

“Th-the Tank line needs urgent healing!”

“Healers, focus on healing the Tanks and use resurrection spells on the front lines!”

“W-we’re losing people faster than we can heal or revive them!”

Seol Eun-Yeong bit down on her lip so hard that it began to bleed.

Our difference is really this big?

They had dismantled the encirclement in the Elven Forest and killed two hundred Black Bees. She had thought they were doing well enough, and that if Cheonhwa’s strength were just a bit higher, they could even rise to the ranks of the top ten guilds.

Ugh, how stupid. That was so stupid, Seol Eun-Yeong.

She had pretended to be so clever, yet failed to realize such a simple truth. Wizards were not a class suited for guerrilla warfare. In fact, they were known as the flower of the battlefield because they were more specialized for full-scale battles than any other class.

I can’t believe I engaged such people in a full-scale battle...

Her overconfidence after easily breaking through the northern encirclement of the Black Bees had been the cause of her downfall.

Wait, could it be that Sting sacrificed the northern guild members on purpose...? To prevent us from dragging this out into a war of attrition?

As Seol Eun-Yeong’s expression showed disbelief, Sting let out a low chuckle. “Hah. That’s why they say you’re too soft.”

He looked at his subordinates dominating the battlefield.

Guild members are expendable anyway.

They were nothing more than pawns to solidify his position as an absolute leader.

So it’s only natural to sacrifice them if it means securing my victory.

However, Seol Eun-Yeong couldn’t do that. In the media, she acted to be cold, but in reality, she constantly sent reinforcements to aid isolated allies and sought ways to save even one more life.

“That’s the difference between you and me. The difference between those who will always be Under and those who are Over.”

Sting’s words were like a death sentence. Though the distance between him and Seol Eun-Yeong was far, it felt as if his mocking laughter echoed in her ears.

I feel dizzy...

Seol Eun-Yeong’s vision blurred as she staggered.

“Shit, Milady!” Boyd hurriedly cast a magic shield and supported her as he pulled her behind a rock, shouting, "I know damn well know you\'d refuse, but I have to ask anyway. How about a tactical retreat?"

“...By myself?”

“If you aren’t captured, Cheonhwa can always rise again. But the moment the guild master is caught...”

Capturing the leader or failing to do so determined whether there would be another chance, and that was why Sting was so determined to wipe out Cheonhwa and personally kill Seol Eun-Yeong.

“I can’t... you know that.”

It had always been this way. She always strived to be the best, and tried to keep only the best by her side. But unfortunately, her efforts always ended in failure.

This time too, I...

MID Online was her last chance. If she couldn’t succeed here, her life would ultimately follow her father’s plans.

I couldn’t do anything.

As Seol Eun-Yeong resigned herself to her fate and closed her eyes tightly, a familiar voice nudged her.

[Hey. We’re getting pushed here. Are you timing this right?]

Unknown...?

Without him, they wouldn’t have even made it this far. Even though they were in an employer-employee relationship, she felt grateful to him.

No matter how amazing he is, he can’t do anything alone in this situation.

If he got involved now, it would only lead to a pointless death.

Eventually, Seol Eun-Yeong sighed softly and apologized.

[I’m sorry. You chose Cheonhwa, but we couldn’t meet your expectations.]

[... What do you mean by that?]

[The battle is already over. We’ve lost. You should escape, at least. As an apology... I’ll pay you the full success fee, even though we failed.]

Seol Eun-Yeong opened the guild window and looked at the names of her guild members. Their names, glowing white, flickered out like dying light bulbs with each passing second. It was evidence that they had all died and logged out.

There are fewer than twenty left now.

Meanwhile, about eighty Black Bee Wizards still remained. It was a result that could only be seen as a near-complete defeat.

[Escape, you say...]

Unknown chuckled softly and continued speaking.

[Though it may not seem like it, my family had a bit of a Spartan approach to discipline. My father always used to tell me, “Help those who cry, help the weak.”]

Seol Eun-Yeong stayed silent, not being able to understand.

[Right now, you fit both categories. A weakling who’s crying.]

What is he talking about... Crying? Me?

It was only after she touched her fingers to her eyes that Seol Eun-Yeong realized she was crying, and she quickly denied the reality.

“N-no way...”

“It’s Unknown!”

What?

Before she could even wipe away her tears, Unknown appeared, standing on the highest branch near the clearing.

“So, it’s not just a simple mercenary relationship... Did you really use your charms on him?”

As Sting joked and laughed, the other Black Bee members burst into loud laughter.

“Bahaha! I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“With a face like that, there aren’t many men who wouldn’t fall for her.”

“If he’s showing up on a battlefield that’s already lost, they must be closer than we thought, right?”

“Look at the way they think,” Kai muttered to himself.

Listening to the childish chatter of the Black Bees, he pushed off the branch and jumped into the middle of the battlefield.

“Oh? Quite confident you are...”

Thud, thud!

Blizzard and Mimic followed him, leaping down as well.

Sting, who had been interrupted mid-sentence, made a puzzled expression for the first time since the battle began.

I’ve seen that black-armored warrior before when he took down Aosa. It was a warrior with pretty quick movements. However...

What really caught his attention was something else.

“What is that?”

“Isn’t it a skeleton?”

“No, I mean, why is something like that on a battlefield like this?”

“Still, it’s holding a sword and shield, so it doesn’t seem like a low-level skeleton.”

“That’s right,” Kai smiled and responded to the Black Bees’ speculations. “Allow me to introduce it. This one’s name is Mimic, and now...”

It was his pet, currently imitating a skeleton knight.

Flash!

The Depraved Knight’s Ring on Kai’s finger flashed.

“Activate Appoint skill.”

[A total of 1 Skeleton Knight can be evolved to a Dullahan.]

[Appoint skill has been successfully activated.]

[A total of 1 Skeleton Knight has been evolved to a Dullahan.]

Darkness poured out from beneath Mimic\'s feet. It quickly filled the gaps between the bones of the creature that had become a skeleton knight.

“Right. This is the maximum performance Mimic can achieve right now.”

Mimic, surrounded by pitch-black darkness and holding its head under its arm, stood protectively by Kai.

“It’s my secret weapon.”