The Perfect Ambush
In the main conference room of the Hayaku Guild headquarters on the right flank of the Wakan Empire, Miyamoto drummed his fingers on the table.
Tap, tap.
He opened his eyes at the sub-guild master's report.
"They're going around our hunting grounds, stripping them clean?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Puhahaha!"
Miyamoto burst into loud laughter.
It stopped abruptly.
"What absolute fucking bastards. This can't go on. I'll move out too, so just pinpoint their location for sure. You said they're hitting hunting grounds, so scout the ones they haven't touched yet and have our guild members stand by there first."
"Got it."
"Haa, why the hell did they even add the guild mark system."
Upon joining a guild, members must wear a mark identifying their guild.
Designated spots include front/back of helmets, front of armor, back of cloaks, backs of hands, pauldrons, elbows, etc.—impossible to miss.
A safeguard against guilds massacring regular users... but now Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo were exploiting it in reverse.
"If it weren't for those marks...!"
Miyamoto sighed and issued orders.
"Anyway, find those bastards no matter what. They're probably swapped items to hide it, so make sure everyone knows to check there too."
"O-okay."
"What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"Why aren't you moving?!"
The sub-guild master bolted from the conference room. He gathered guild members waiting in front of the main building and relayed instructions.
"Um, so first off..."
He listed Miyamoto's orders one by one.
"Oh, and let's split into squads. And..."
It took quite a while before the guild members finally left headquarters.
"Ugh, so frustrating."
"Sub-guild master?"
"How is he so damn slow?"
"Then you do it."
"I want to."
"Heh, even if he's the guild master's buddy, it's too much."
"Buddy my ass."
Someone was watching the Hayaku Guild members heading to the warp gate.
"They're heading out?"
"Probably to hunting grounds."
It was Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo.
"Let's tail them."
"Okay."
They followed to the warp gate.
"Alleder Village."
"Step up."
About 80 mounted the warp gate.
"Next group for warp, step up."
Another 80 followed.
They headed to another spot.
"Next..."
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo confirmed five groups splitting off in total, then exchanged glances.
"80 each."
"400 total. That's a shit-ton."
"Hmm."
The numbers were overwhelming.
A head-on fight was suicide.
What to do?
Mu-hyuk's eyes gleamed as he thought it over.
"Here's the plan."
"What?"
"Follow them to the hunting ground first. There, we'll just use our summons—you and mine—to take them on."
"We hide?"
"Yeah."
"Sounds good. I've got Spirit's Eye too."
Spirit's Eye
Secures vision via spirits.
"We'll keep our distance so even if all the skeletons die, they won't spot us. Repeat a few times, and we're good?"
A grin spread across Sung Min-woo's face.
"Heh, total cheat. Us."
"Cool?"
"Hell yeah, jackpot."
"Warp to Alleder first."
They boarded the warp gate.
"Two of you?"
"Yes."
"Where to?"
"Alleder Village."
"2 gold."
They paid, and the warp gate glowed.
At the same time.
The Illusion homepage chat room buzzed with idle talk and hot topics as usual.
Bragging about loot was standard.
Venting PK rage was common too.
The topic naturally shifted to that guild.
The story unfolded.
The chat exploded with activity.
Hours later.
It blew up instantly.
Hayaku Guild vs Two Users
Debates on truth and whereabouts raged.
*
The two who warped to Alleder Village spotted the 80 Hayaku members lingering and held their breath.
They casually entered the general store. Conscious of nearby users, they moved to a corner and lowered their voices.
"Gonna camp the village?"
"Nah, they'll hit hunting grounds. This one's untouched."
"Right."
"Wait a bit."
After chatting more, they left.
"Huh?"
"Gone?"
No Hayaku in sight.
"Seems so."
Without summoning warhorses, they left the village. They crossed the plains toward Hayaku's occupied Alleder hunting ground, spotting users hunting monsters here and there.
Two users rushed past Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo. Some headed back to Alleder, hunts done.
But their expressions were off. A nagging feeling made Mu-hyuk check his gloves—shield hid them.
He shook it off and kept walking. After a while, Mu-hyuk raised a hand.
"Shh."
Far ahead, Hayaku members walked.
"Stay careful."
"Yeah."
They tailed, hiding behind tree trunks and rocks.
After some distance, the group started debating.
"Sticking together's pointless."
"True."
"Split up?"
"Hmm, but..."
"Hey, it's fine."
"Maybe..."
"Yeah, scout separately, meet here."
"Okay."
"Not too far. 30 minutes."
They split into four squads of 20, scattering.
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo nodded.
Prime chance.
They tailed the left group of 20 first. Attack once distanced from others.
After distance.
The 20 sat to rest. Mu-hyuk grinned, nudged Sung Min-woo's shoulder. Eye contact.
"Summon."
Mu-hyuk called skeletons, Sung Min-woo spirits.
Kirrik, kiririk.
Sent them forward.
They encircled the 20 instantly.
"Wh-what...!"
"Skeletons out of nowhere?!"
They panicked—then smirked.
Footsteps and voices from behind.
"Thought you'd fall for that?"
They whipped around.
Dozens had surrounded them.
Step.
Not over.
"Ah..."
From rocks and trees, more Hayaku emerged.
At least 200. They glared murderously.
*
When Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo entered the store.
A Hayaku member was buying, chatting with the owner.
Finishing, he eyed the whispering pair in the corner, tilted his head. Approached cautiously, overheard.
Hunting ground.
Untouched.
Hayaku.
Items.
Key words stuck.
Wait, those guys...
He bolted out, reported. Guild master Miyamoto planned the reverse trap.
"I'll go too. No fuck-ups."
"Yes!"
Front and rear groups split. Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo sandwiched.
For orders or reports, sent users.
Miyamoto commanded, a couple dashed "to hunting ground," relayed to front. Front needed to report? Sent back a few.
Pretending to return to village, shields hiding glove marks.
Result: this.
Perfectly trapped.
Damn.
Mu-hyuk's face hardened. Die here, respawn at Alleder temple.
If they camped it, Sung Min-woo doomed. Mu-hyuk could evade eyes post-death; Sung Min-woo couldn't.
Must save him. Or endless Hayaku hell.
"Hey."
"Y-yeah...?"
Whispered close.
"When I signal during fight, run that way."
"What? No."
"I'll clear a path. Just bolt. I can escape solo. You die once, you're fucked. Might have to quit."
200+ layered encirclement. Some far out.
"Still..."
"Fuck, you're no help. Just go."
Sung Min-woo's eyes shook.
"For real?"
"What? No help?"
"You can escape."
"Yeah, real."
"Shit, or we die."
"Whatever."
Sung Min-woo nodded.
One stepped forward.
"You two."
Hayaku guild master Miyamoto.
Mu-hyuk eyed him.
"Killed a ton of our members, huh?"
"Yeah, a lot."
Miyamoto scowled.
"You brazen fucks...!"
"Bullshit."
"This bastard!"
"Why your bastard, asshole."
Rage boiled in Miyamoto with every word.
"Kill 'em! Hundred, thousand times. Till they quit!"
Hayaku unleashed attacks.
"Fire Ball!"
"Ice Spear!"
But the two weren't sitting ducks.
Flash.
Mu-hyuk dashed left, Sung Min-woo right, plunging into the enemy ranks.