Infinite Field War (4)
Unlike other games, Tayen didn't impose any village usage penalties on Murderers. You know, the usual PKer drawbacks like getting aggro from village guards on sight, being barred from shops, or unable to pick up NPC quests. As long as you didn't kill NPCs, it was just player-versus-player squabbles, so being a Murderer only meant your ID turned red—nothing more.
Of course, there was one brutally powerful penalty that made all that seem like a joke. If Murderers died in the field, their item drop rate skyrocketed by dozens of times. And players who killed red-ID Murderers didn't become Murderers themselves. In short, once you turned Murderer, you had to play in constant paranoia, never knowing when some random would gank you. Plus, you had to brace for dropping almost all your gear on death while hunting mobs to clear the status.
That's why most players despised going Murderer. Surveys even showed over 75% of users had never experienced the state.
Anyway, for me—stuck in an indefinite field war solo against Taeseong—it was perfect conditions. I was the type who'd drop the Holy Sword on death anyway. With players swarming to kill me on sight everywhere in Tayen, Murderer status or not made zero difference.
From massacring a hundred in Benton Forest moments ago, I'd looted six items total: one Unique weapon, two Unique armor pieces, and three highly reinforced accessories. Due to my habit of maxing weight gauge for Unyielding Valor effects, I quickly stashed them in storage, Stealthed up, and bolted for Bernstein Castle.
About six or seven minutes had passed since the first kill victim in the smoke trap zone respawned. But if I hustled into the main keep, I could arrive before their respawn debuff wore off.
Whoa, having this makes it way too easy!
Breaching the firmly shut inner gate? Piece of cake with Great Thief Willipeng's Strange Boots. Still Stealthed, I dashed vertically up the inner wall, then along the battlements to the main keep. Archer NPCs patrolled spots here and there, but none could detect 8-star Stealth yet.
Finally reaching the keep, I long-jumped from the wall to the roof, descended stairs to the first floor, and hit the familiar main hall—right on cue, Taeseong guildies were yapping loudly.
"We gotta report this! One player toying with a hundred? Balance much? And against our mighty Taeseong guild, no less?"
"He didn't even use a Titan! To catch that bastard, we'd need top rankers for at least a few minutes. Otherwise, hundreds wouldn't make a dent!"
"How many minutes, Jisung? I'd say ten rankers minimum to even have a shot. Man, why's the guy who snagged our lord's Holy Sword obsessed with devouring our guild?"
"Think he only ate the Holy Sword? What about my Unique axe he just dropped? I'm losing my mind—how'd I even get that?!"
Around forty users lounged on chairs and floors scattered across the vast hall, waiting out respawn debuffs. Makes sense—Bernstein was Taeseong's current cash cow castle, so tons registered here as respawn points. Plus another thirty who'd been hunting the castle's exclusive grounds, now chatting about me and the fresh respawns.
Listening in, I almost feel bad. But can't be helped—I'm staking my one life on this too. Started it, so gotta do it right.
Positioning myself dead center amid their chatter, I murmured softly.
"Summon Luitus."
Terrain too narrow to summon Titan here.
Damn. Didn't expect it to fail here. Ceiling looked high enough, but no dice. Guess with the spot being what it was, my plan to blitz and bounce was off.
"Hear something? Summon this, summon that?"
"Huh? Nah."
"No, I swear I heard...?"
The puzzled archer character—yep, the very one I'd one-shot with my sneaky opener earlier.
"You heard right, archer. Sorry it had to end this way."
"Wha—gahk!"
Critical hit from behind!
Respawn debuff tanks stats hard, HP too. No way to survive a Holy SwordStealth Strike in that state.
"Stuck you where it hurts again."
The archer grayed out and crumbled to ash. He'd respawn in the castle's sole safe zone: the respawn room. But with me here? Not stepping foot outside!
"In-sane! Sandro's inside the main keep!"
"You nuts? Who storms here?"
They spewed exclamations(!?), but no time to retort. Debuffed worm-bait everywhere—easy pickings!
Evasion boosted!
Critical spots exposed!
Clumped in convo circles? Perfect. Full self-buffs up, I carved through the nearest like butter. High-level newbie slayer vibes all over again.
"I! Told you! Earlier! Quit Taeseong! Now! Or regret it!"
Swinging my blade to drop one by one, I bellowed for all to hear.
"That goddamn monster!!"
"Nightmare fuel... Why'd that guy snag the Holy Sword?"
"What a mess for mighty Taeseong!"
"Don't just watch! All non-debuffed, pile on!"
That last cry signaled the thirty debuff-free to swarm from all sides. But I wasn't some tank eating hits.
Teleport behind target!
Killing debuffed was easier than squashing bugs—no need to prioritize the healthy ones. Shadow Step to the encirclement's outer healer, drop him, then zip around the hall speed-blitzing debuffed targets. Some bolted for the safe respawn room, but 80% move speed cut was brutal. Fleeing triggered my Weakness Detected passive rear bonus, netting the last twenty even faster.
"What kinda character is that?! Thief that tanky?!"
"See the hit effect? Mana Shield!"
"What Mana Shield doesn't peel? What's his MP pool?!"
Ranged shots peppered me, sure—but my Mana Shield barely dipped 20%. Peak PvP tech tree shining at last in this field war. My freshly optimized Mana Shield thief build unleashed.
Soon, counterplay research'll ramp up...?
But today's fights proved it: Until then, I was near-invincible in PvP!
With this untouchable frame, I dove into the remaining thirty.
AoE whirlwind strike!
Multi-hit combo!
Target low-HP first, focus-fire: Even thirty attacking meant zilch to that victim. Focus-fire rules group fights for a reason.
Flash!Rune Paytona's passive holy proc + Chain Slash vaporized a healer instantly. Shadow Clone to scatter aggro, then Stealth.
"Stealth out of nowhere?"
"Fireball!"
"Ice Fog!"
Taesong elites: AoE skills flew before words to break Stealth. Blasts rocked my spot. Clone poofed in three seconds; I got revealed crouched.
"Not a blink—he was at our feet?!"
Right. Stealth wasn't for escape—it was to clump these thirty for the kill via trap cast time!
Boom!
Death smoke exploded again, Benton Forest to Bernstein interior.
"Argh! What the—can't see!"
"Smoke trap? Same as before!"
The tanker I'd spared earlier—here via return scroll?—recognized it and yelled.
"Gave mercy once... pity there's no twice."
One mercy's enough. In blinding smoke, they couldn't focus one properly. My blade? Pinpoint kills stacking up.
One minute. That minute smoked over half; the rest took half that time.
After the hundred outside, seventy more inside Bernstein. Solo-wiped two waves of 300-range Taeseong guildies in back-to-back massacres.
Savoring the sudden silence in the enemy's heart—
Main keep gates burst open.
"You bastard Sandro! No fear of repercussions? You crossed the line—like, insanely!"
Taesong's vice-guildmaster and famed sub-tank, Don Quixote. Twenty assorted jobs trailed him—including Yeon Woo's ID.
No time to reply—urgent whisper flashed. Front and rear pinched. No intent to keep fighting, but safety demanded quick exfil. Good thing survival prep was my build focus; options aplenty.
"You and Darius's Taeseong crossed first—and harder lately. Anyway, let's see who topples. I lose just me; you lot? So much more."
With that, I wall-ran up to the ceiling, flung open the tallest window nearby, and leaped out yelling,
"Summon Ferari!"
Kieeak—!
Familiar welcoming screech; my red drake burst forth. Mounted up, I soared. Below, Don Quixote's crew summoned a griffon—whatever. Ferari doubled its speed minimum. No catching me now.
One regretful lap over the castle, then Fireball Breath command. Target: Tiese Kingdom flag atop Bernstein's main keep.
Whoomph!
Tayen's physics sim even on trivial objects: Flag ignited instantly.
Roar!
From above, looked like the castle roof ablaze. Burning castle. Leaving Taeseong's flaming keep behind, I rocketed into the sky.