A Hidden Alliance in the Blood Alliance
**Fafnir** kept advancing deeper into the Northern Legion, engaging in battle. Rather than continue the full-on fighting, he focused on assassinating low-ranking officers and non-commissioned officers, making the orcs and the legion fight each other nonstop.
"Raise your spears! Do not retreat! Hold back the orcs!"
"The orcs are attacking the legion! Think of them as enemies and respond accordingly!"
After killing the low-ranking commanders, Fafnir would raise his voice to send soldiers rushing forward in their place.
The soldiers, looking dazed, charged headlong into the orcs.
**'Still, these Northern Legion soldiers are no ordinary lot.'**
Their average levels were high, and high-level knights and mages were everywhere.
**'So that's why the orcs decided to ally with them.'**
The Northern Legion consisted of the kingdom's best warriors who had fought against the northern barbarians. After wiping out the royal army, they must have felt confident they could crush the orcs in a single breath.
**'That's why the original novel had so many high-level users gathering in the north.'**
With so many high-level NPCs there, the users had no choice but to head that way.
As Fafnir moved slowly, something interesting caught his eye.
**'That looks like users.'**
A different group of users from the ones who had been with the royal army the previous day was mixed in with the Northern Legion.
Fafnir's eyes sparkled upon spotting the familiar Hwalyindang members among them.
**'That's the Hwalbindang... So their support force must have been the Grand Duke.'**
It made sense now why they were growing so rapidly — they had been cooperating with a major NPC faction.
**'But if they catch wind of me right now, there's nothing good waiting for me.'**
Since they had met for business dealings, the odds were high that they would turn hostile and attack if they saw him here.
Fafnir deliberately avoided that area and continued the fight.
**Ding!**
- Through tactics, results of over 1,000 enemies killed were achieved. - Massive benefits were obtained through tactics. - New achievement **Tactical Overwhelming Success** unlocked. - Experience points acquired. - Reputation increased by +500. - New title **Miraculous Tactician** acquired. - Intelligence stat +3 gained. - You can now apply for the role of chief of staff. - You achieved great results by greatly misleading the enemies. - You can now walk the path of the **Callous Strategist**.
Each time the orcs he lured in died, a small amount of experience points flowed in.
Fafnir's level rose by one more and reached 125.
Summoning Skeleton Soldiers had also leveled up to 8, and the Elite Skeleton Soldiers were the same.
**'This turned out better than I thought.'**
Killing over 1,000 enemies was no small feat.
Not only was the current record impressive, but it also ensured that the Northern Legion and the orcs would clash with even greater intensity from now on.
**'Still, this is a hidden class.'**
**Callous Strategist!**
The class that turns soldiers into just packaging material and can sell out even allies for victory. A ruthless path to take.
Powerful poison-control leadership and various legion buffs were just bonuses.
**'I should add this to the options.'**
High-level users who mastered one class could also pursue others.
It was one of the classes that synergized especially well with necromancers, who could summon and consume subordinates over and over.
**'Then it's time to stop dragging things out and settle down.'**
While it was good to keep luring them in, it would deviate from the original purpose of testing their abilities.
Fafnir climbed a suitable hill.
"Come!"
To lure the orcs closer, he made himself look vulnerable. Then he rushed at them and fought.
Leaving Skeleton Soldiers beside the Northern Legion to help them advance was just a bonus!
From a distance, the Northern Legion led by Fafnir appeared to be fighting the charging orcs.
---
The royal army's right flank had collapsed.
Celica the Count was eliminated.
**Cheolhyeolpaegun** had already decided to betray.
The Iron Blood Myeongsaeng Alliance had sent several high-ranking officers and elite guild members toward the Northern Legion.
Upon arrival, the alliance members took up positions at the front of the Northern Legion once the battle erupted.
"Your contribution has increased? Tsk... I should have betrayed sooner."
The rankers who had received orders charged forward with high spirits.
The reputation they had already built with the royal side remained intact. Even while fighting the royal army, additional reputation would still be gained.
It was the perfect chance to rise to first place by earning contributions.
"Charge! Charge!"
The Iron Blood Myeongsaeng Alliance's elite strike force, the Iron Blood Martial Corp, advanced.
Facing overwhelming equipment and morale advantages, the royal army bounced back like ping-pong balls.
"Move quickly! We must reach the center first!"
From the command headquarters, a high-ranking officer of the Iron Blood Alliance, Cheolhyeoligum, shouted.
**'Since I'm betraying anyway, I should grab the title too.'**
The royal army still had the king left alive. Killing the king would bring enormous reputation — even more than what Fafnir or Yi Siwoo could gain.
Seeing the king's face in the news and additional titles from killing him.
**'It would have been better to hand the NPCs over, but there's no way those bastards are taking it from me.'**
The robber guild wearing the Hwalyindang masks.
The famous Hwalbindang, known from the underworld, had joined the Northern Legion.
Several other allied guilds had betrayed as well, so now it was truly a race against time.
"Hmm..."
At that moment.
The eyes of the Grand Duke in the command headquarters narrowed.
"Hey, what is that?"
"What?"
Cheolhyeoligum approached, and the Grand Duke spoke.
"The orcs are mixed in with our army."
"...!"
Cheolhyeoligum's pupils shook wildly when he looked at the direction the Grand Duke was pointing.
"Seriously?"
On one side was the army of orcs charging in, and on the other was the Northern Legion blocking them.
It looked almost like a full-scale battle — despite both sides supposedly being allies.
"There it is. That reason."
The Grand Duke spoke. At the same time, Cheolhyeoligum's brows furrowed.
"A black magician...?"
It wasn't an ordinary black magician.
**'He's digging through the open spaces among the soldiers like a ghost, killing even officers and field commanders. An enemy to both sides.'**
Cheolhyeoligum, for the sake of gaming, had studied tactics and command manuals. Thanks to that, he immediately understood how extraordinary this was.
"Quickly dispose of him."
- New quest **Clear the Interrupter (?)** has been generated.
An instantaneous temporary quest.
Since Cheolhyeolpaegun and the others were at the front lines, the one who had received the command had to solve it himself.
"Hah."
Cheolhyeoligum quickly gathered a few members of the Iron Blood Martial Corp.
"You, you, and you. You three will move with me."
"Yes."
"Yes."
The Iron Blood Martial Corp members followed the orders without a word.
---
Through tactics, results of over 2,000 enemies killed were achieved.
Reputation increased.
As the Northern Legion soldiers and orcs mixed together, Fafnir jumped in among them.
**'This is the jackpot chance.'**
Fighting those elite orcs alone would cost too much mana and stamina.
**'Besides, these guys are still royal army, so I'm just fighting enemies I should have fought anyway.'**
He wiped away any lingering guilt and attacked!
It was a thought he could never have had if he didn't normally use every object and enemy without hesitation.
At that moment.
A few people surrounded Fafnir after he had driven the orcs away.
"You bastard... What kind of nonsense is this!"
"Um...?"
The pattern overlapped with angular teardrop shapes and hammers.
That of the Iron Blood Myeongsaeng Alliance.
"Business interference ends here. Eliminate them."
"Understood."
The assassins pulled out their blades and rushed forward.
**'This is it.'**
The rankers of the Iron Blood Myeongsaeng Alliance were a good chunk higher level than Fafnir right now.
**'Time to fight properly.'**
Fafnir immediately summoned Skeleton Soldiers.
Skills from the Iron Blood Martial Corp poured down upon them.
*Clang!*
*Clank!*
The moment they touched the blades, the Skeleton Soldiers crumbled as if their blocks had failed.
Facing overwhelming level and equipment differences, the Skeleton Soldiers could only buy about a second.
Since they had been surrounded, there was no escape.
"Attack!"
From the assassins' blades, light blades shot out.
At that exact instant, the real combo Fafnir had prepared activated.
**Hades' Seal, Pandemonium Nepenthe!**
The moment a pattern of circles and straight lines crossed.
An explosion erupted right in the middle of the gathered Iron Blood Martial Corp members.
"Kyaaah!"
The power of the massive explosion!
One of the people who had been stamped with the seal was completely pulverized on the spot.
His dark-attribute resistance had dropped sharply, causing the damage to spike.
Just as the other assassins tried to get up.
"Go where!"
Fafnir jumped in at that moment. His sword pierced through the helmet of one assassin who couldn't yet stand.
**Critical Hit!**
**Weak Point Attack!**
"Kuaaaah!"
No matter how good the equipment, stabbing someone in the eye was hopeless.
Fafnir took out two in an instant.
The other members rushed toward him.
"This... this guy!"
"His specs are strong, though."
Clang, clang! Fafnir skillfully struck the wrist of the assassins.
"Not a single one of them has A+ control."
Even the Iron Blood Martial Corp were basically just ordinary office workers in their 30s or 40s with a little extra skill.
Kim Ganghan, playing in the body of the healthy Oh Jinhwan, dodged the assassins' attacks lightly.
**'Still, I can't be careless.'**
The assassins' skills and items were all filled with paralysis, stun, and status effects.
One wrong guess and he would be cut down, but Fafnir felt no fear.
"You bastard...!"
Cheolhyeoligum tried to jump in. At that moment, the spear and sword blocked his path.
"Skeleton Soldier?"
Five elite Skeleton Soldiers equipped with armor and weapons.
A blood aura burst from Cheolhyeoligum's sword as he laughed.
*Clang!*
The arm of the third one, which had been flowing aura, was severed.
Cheolhyeoligum, about to counterattack, flinched and retreated.
*Thud!*
A halberd immediately pierced the spot.
The second one flashed his eyes, and the remaining Skeleton Soldiers charged without pause.
"Seriously...!"
These weren't ordinary Skeleton Soldiers.
The instant Cheolhyeoligum realized it, his spine turned cold.
**Cheolhyeolgun has died.**
**Cheolhyeolmisam has died.**
Two death messages followed him.
**'What...!'
He had beaten only the weak points and taken them down one by one.**
"Th-this can't be."
It was clearly a necromancer.
**'How did he kill the knight?'**
No time to question it.
Behind the Skeleton Soldiers, Fafnir approached after catching his breath.
---
Experience points acquired.
Reputation acquired.
Killed an enemy high-ranking officer. Additional reputation acquired.
A normal experience and reputation acquisition notification window.
The battle with Cheolhyeoligum and the five others ended there.
"...Hah."
Fafnir exhaled slowly.
**'These guys were high-ranking officers of the Iron Blood Myeongsaeng Alliance too.'**
High-ranking officers received additional reputation, unlike regular monsters or NPCs.
The same went for users on the opposing side.
**'Let's see...'**
Fafnir checked his reputation.
[Fafnir]
- Total Reputation: 173,035
His reputation had increased greatly because of his outstanding performance this time.
He had even compensated for three days of rest.
Yi Siwoo's total reputation was 110,000, so he had practically secured first place.
**'I need to earn more while the opportunity is there. Missing out and regretting it would be troublesome.'**
Since there was nothing special happening, he planned to fight as long as possible and enjoy the experience points.
However, at that moment.
- The Baran Kingdom King has died. - **Cheolhyeolpaegun** has acquired the title **King Slayer**. - The result of the integrated frontline battle is fixed as **Defeat**. - Morale has automatically dropped to the lowest. - Orc camp and Northern Legion camp morale have risen to the maximum. - The Baran Kingdom army has begun retreating. - New quest **Pursuit of the Enemy Camp (Rare)** has been generated.
The king's death message.
For users on the royal army side, this was a shocking event.
But Fafnir, upon receiving it, quietly let out a sigh of relief.
**'Thank goodness I got the princess out.'**
Since the princess had escaped, the royal family would continue safely.
Of course, he never had any loyalty to the kingdom.
**'It's good I can still get reputation and experience rewards.'**
No matter how great the achievements, you needed a living sponsor to receive payment.
Fafnir once again felt sincere relief.
At the same time, he slowly stood up.
**'It's time to leave.'**
The battle was over, so it was time to return home.