Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Reversed Ambush
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Boom!
Hers slammed the table. The sound was as massive as the emotions raging inside him. The guild members nearby flinched.
"Fuck, what kind of humiliating bullshit is this!"
The polite mask he'd been wearing up until now was completely gone.
Some guild members who didn't know his true nature looked shocked, but he had no time to worry about that.
Hers glared at the guild members. They swallowed dryly under his menacing gaze.
"That low-level punk has already taken down our main force three times. You know how embarrassing that is, right?"
The first casualty, Doremi from the initial two deaths, and the guild member from the third lowered their heads. Hers's eyes gleamed as he stared at them.
"Next time, the next time, we're going to crush that bastard perfectly. Anyone who dies next time better be prepared."
He didn't specify the punishment, but that alone was enough for the guild members.
Not spelling it out actually sparked their imaginations, instilling even greater fear.
And so, the Hers Guild sharpened their blades for the next battle. They restocked consumable items, double-checked their skills, and pored over videos of Yuseong's fights uploaded online.
No one thought the next battle wouldn't happen. Yuseong didn't seem like the type to back down from here, no matter how you looked at it.
And as they expected, Yuseong reappeared in Verhill.
The moment he heard, Hers led his guild members out.
This time, Yuseong was sitting near the city gates again. No need to search—he was surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
The sight made his blood boil.
The crowd noticed the Hers Guild and parted ways. Yuseong, sitting casually, spotted them.
He stood up.
"Let's get started."
His tone was as relaxed as if he were saying, "Come on, let's grab some food." But to the Hers Guild, it felt like their world was flipping upside down. The crowd, on the other hand, cheered.
Normally, he'd glare at the crowd to shut them up, but right now, he had no such luxury. He had to kill Yuseong perfectly, no matter what. That was the Hers Guild's top priority.
This time, they'd eliminate him without sacrificing a single elite member.
Not treating him as some skilled low-level, but preparing as if facing a high-level player or an equal guild.
And so, the battle at the city gates erupted once more.
Yuseong died. Up to that point, it was the same as always. But something had changed for the Hers Guild.
This time, two elite guild members died.
* * *
"Fuck!"
The moment he entered the guild hall, Hers hurled his weapon aside. Then he threw a full-blown tantrum in the guild master's office.
It was only after some time had passed, once he'd calmed down a bit, that he gathered the elite guild members.
"Tell me why."
His voice from the guild master's office hysterics seemed to have helped—it was surprisingly calm. But not a single guild member relaxed.
His stiff face signaled that his unexpressed rage was even greater and more venomous.
"And this time, two of you died. Even after all our preparations."
The guild members exchanged glances. Speaking carelessly here wouldn't end well. But they couldn't just stay silent.
The vice guild master stepped up. He even had a hunch.
"His stats have gone up, haven't they?"
"His stats went up?"
"He killed our elite guild members, who are way higher level, three times. Not to mention the regular members. Of course he leveled up."
"So you're saying we lost because that bastard leveled up?"
"If it was just 1 or 2 levels, no."
"...More than that? No way, even with our level difference, he couldn't have gained that much... Plus, he lost exp too. That fucker died three times as well."
"What if he was even lower level than we imagined?"
Hers fell silent.
"We don't know his exact level. We've just been guessing based on his skills and the info floating around online."
"But no one at that level could fight us like this."
"The guy's a freak who soloed extra bosses back-to-back. And he's known for his luck too. We might have overestimated his level."
Hers was at a loss for words.
No matter how lucky or skilled, could he really bridge that level gap?
Then a sudden thought hit him, and his heart sank.
"What if the more we fight like this..."
"Yeah."
The vice guild master said it with a face like he'd chewed sand.
"That bastard's only going to get stronger."
Silence blanketed the meeting room.
"...Crazy..."
"Yeah, that's..."
The occasional mutters were just fragmented laments, not full sentences.
"So what do we do?"
"We can't clash head-on. We need to ambush him or trap him somehow."
"The guild? Against one person? And he's not even high-level?"
High-level meant nothing—he was much lower than them.
But the vice guild master was firm.
"If he catches up to our level, things will get even worse."
'Worse.' That word from a group fighting an individual—what the hell?
'Do we really have to?'
Hers sank into thought. As he quieted, silence returned to the room.
But he didn't have long to ponder.
"Um..."
Someone cautiously raised their hand. It was one of the guild members who'd just died.
He glanced around nervously, swallowed once, but eventually spoke since there was no hiding it.
"Sorry, but I lost levels from this death."
Sighs and groans leaked from the others. The vice guild master spoke up.
"Now that you mention it, you just leveled up recently, right?"
"Yeah. So..."
"What else?"
"Most of the drop was in agility, so I can't equip my current weapon anymore."
"......"
"......"
In Arc, when you lose levels, you lose the bonus points from those level-ups, and if you've already invested them, your stats drop accordingly.
The problem is it's completely random which stats drop.
If you're unlucky, it hits the exact stat you raised just enough to equip your gear, making it unusable.
Like this guild member now.
Naturally, that weakens overall combat power.
The vice guild master sighed and turned to Hers.
"...This has already happened to several regular guild members who've died to Yuseong a lot."
Of course, regular members weakening wasn't a big deal. Elites were different.
"...Can we recover?"
"Not around here. The exp from local monsters is too low for us."
"So if we keep clashing head-on, he keeps getting stronger while we keep getting weaker."
"......"
The vice guild master didn't reply. But everyone knew that meant yes.
"...Hoo."
Hers let out a sigh. Then, in a voice strained with irritation and anguish, he said,
"Figure something out. Ambush, trap, whatever."
There was no other way.
No one suggested ending the war.
* * *
Today, too, Yuseong headed to Verhill. Nearby players buzzed at the sight of him.
Yuseong felt pleased. Their attention meant rising fame. The steadily climbing fame stat satisfied him.
"Mr. Yuseong!"
Someone called him. Two player streamers approached. Familiar faces.
Naltorri and BomBom.
"Long time no see."
He no longer felt awkward exchanging greetings. A needless skill had become natural, Yuseong sneered inwardly. But he didn't show it.
"Long time no see. Oh, we've been watching your exploits lately."
"You're amazing!"
These two, already huge fans of Yuseong, couldn't have missed his recent actions.
They thought he was impressive, but soloing a guild and scoring real kills? He shattered all common sense.
"Heading to fight the Hers Guild again?"
"Yes."
"You heard, everyone! Look at that calm tone. If the Hers Guild targeted me, I'd be plotting my escape first."
[Lmao Gotta Run Pantsless Right Away]
[As expected of our Naltorri]
[But it's not just you, Naltorri. Who solo-charges a guild?]
[That's why he's cool. Talking about Yuseong, obvs. Don't get it twisted]
"Got any strategy or plan?"
"Nope."
"You've been doing this the whole time? And still killing their mains?"
"Opportunities appear in the fight."
[lmao give up, BomBom.]
[We knew he wasn't normal since he sniped the old mansion boss]
[Fr, 'dodge if you see it, shoot if you don't'—we normies can't comprehend]
Naltorri and BomBom's viewers enjoyed the chance encounter too.
The three walked side by side. As usual, Naltorri and BomBom led the chat. Yuseong mostly listened, chiming in occasionally.
"We finally reached the level to come to Verhill and thought we'd caught up to you, Mr. Yuseong, but you're on another level entirely."
"How long will you stay in Verhill?"
"I'll move to the next area once this fight wraps up."
"Ah, figured as much."
Naltorri and BomBom looked a bit disappointed.
With Yuseong's current fame, hunting with him would draw even more viewers.
But knowing he was in a critical phase, they couldn't ask.
"Man, that's a shame. I was hoping to hunt with you again after so long."
"We can do it next time when I'm free."
Even if it didn't boost fame as much as fighting the Hers Guild, partying with them still raised it plenty.
"Really?"
"It's a promise!"
They lit up with joy. Yuseong's eyes flicked sideways for a split second as he watched them.
"But not right now."
"Of course. You're in the middle of an important battle."
"You have to fight right at Verhill's gates, right?"
"Not this time."
Puzzlement crossed their faces. The chat filled with '???' and 'What do you mean?'
Yuseong, who had been walking slowly, suddenly moved fast. He drew his gun from its holster and aimed at Naltorri. Ignoring the streamer's shock, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The cold gunshot echoed.
The bullet whizzed past Naltorri's face and struck a Hers Guild member who was just drawing his weapon.
"Shit!"
Yuseong fired several more rounds into the ambusher spewing curses. His magazine emptied in seconds.
But it worked. The guild member collapsed with a face full of rage and injustice.
Yuseong started reloading.
Toward him charged Hers Guild members who'd swapped gear to hide their identities.