Mercy Amidst the Chaos
Tarantor's pupils trembled.
"No, you fucking shit!"
He hurriedly pulled a marble from his inventory.
But the battle-drunk users didn't listen easily. Only his squad members tilted their heads and paused their attacks.
Only after he laced it with curses did everyone finally turn their heads.
"What? What's up?"
"Squad 2 leader, what's going on?"
Tarantor furrowed his brow.
Fuck, how embarrassing.
Explaining the reason wasn't easy.
Ha, why the hell did I do that?
The moment he saw the NPC, he'd instinctively acted without thinking.
Regretting it now felt off, and reversing it felt even worse.
"Ah, whatever! Just stop for now!"
"We need a reason."
"Huh? Isn't that an NPC over there?"
"Yeah?"
Some users' gazes shifted that way.
"No way, because of the NPC?"
"Well, it's..."
"Oh, squad leader. What's this about?"
"Hm?"
"Killing NPCs doesn't sit right with me either."
"R-Really?"
"Come on, let's just avoid that building and the area around it. Everywhere else is fair game."
"Ahem, th-thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Tarantor gave an awkward laugh.
Swoosh.
He turned back to look at the NPC again, but it was already slipping out the back door. Suddenly, he remembered the guys assigned to guard that spot.
"H-Hey, wait a sec."
"What?"
"Clear a path! Hurry!"
"Yo, make some space!"
"Ah, it's tight for us too!"
"Just move, asshole!"
Tarantor squeezed through the narrow gap. He dashed out the entrance he'd come through, running along the walls of the small city.
In the distance, he saw the ongoing fight. Reaching them, Tarantor let out a sigh of relief while frowning at the man single-handedly holding off the Kairon Continent users.
"Fuck, this guy's a real bum."
"What, Tarantor?"
"Why the hell are you here?"
"Ha, well..."
He turned to glare at the man.
"Stop the attack first."
"Why?"
"Ah, just listen for once."
"Tch. You take responsibility."
"Got it."
The man backed away warily as the attack suddenly halted.
"You there, what's your name?"
"Name?"
"Your character name!"
"IronFist."
"Ah, that explains why you looked familiar. You're that guy who hangs with Mu-hyuk."
"..."
Tarantor's face twisted sharply.
"Hey, asshole."
"What? Suddenly cursing?"
"Do we look like total trash to you?"
"What...?"
"No, fuck. Do we seem like complete garbage?!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Why are you bitching alone here? Trying to let the NPC escape?"
Sung Min-woo's eyebrow twitched.
How...?
He couldn't reveal his suspicions.
"Ha, what a bum. Asshole. We're not that trashy. Killing NPCs sours our mood too! Now get lost with them!"
Sung Min-woo pondered for a long moment.
At that instant, the back door opened.
Ye-rin emerged, followed by the NPCs. Finally, Kim Ji-yeon and Mu-hyuk came out, and the door closed again.
In the tense standoff.
Mu-hyuk stepped forward.
"I heard from back there."
"Ahem."
"You're not attacking?"
"Yeah, so hurry up and go."
"Thank you."
Mu-hyuk bowed slightly and led the NPCs away.
Of course, everyone stayed on guard for any tricks.
But their worries proved unfounded—the Kairon users guarding the back slowly retreated.
They didn't move until Mu-hyuk and the NPCs were far enough away.
"Ha, fuck."
Tarantor spat a curse and turned back.
"Hey, Tarantor."
"What!"
"Beer after dinner? It's been a while."
"Ahem, sure."
"Heh. But first, we gotta win this fight."
"Obviously."
"Then back to positions."
Tarantor nodded and returned to his spot.
Mu-hyuk and his group returned to the small city after evacuating the NPCs. The back door guards went into combat stance.
They'd yielded to the NPCs moments ago, but these were still enemies.
To get better items, to rack up contribution points—they had to kill each other.
"We're players, right? No need to hold back—charge!"
A Kairon Continent user's shout sparked it.
"Let's farm contrib!"
"Hit 'em first!"
The Kairon users unleashed skills.
Magic and arrows flew, loaded with fierce energy.
"Let's go too."
"Yeah."
Sung Min-woo and his spirit dodged skills while closing in.
White Tiger Steps.
Mu-hyuk did the same.
With about three minutes left on the summon absorption skill, the enemies' attacks looked sluggish.
He dodged leisurely and swiftly reached a Kairon user.
Storm Blade, Cross Slash.
The target's face paled.
"Wh-What?!"
His HP had plummeted massively.
Mu-hyuk pursued the retreating foe and struck again.
He'd recover with heals, but Mu-hyuk didn't care. With his overwhelming specs, a few solid hits would finish anyone.
-8,236 Damage
Attribute Strike (1,051) triggered.
-14,824 Damage
Attribute Strike (1,905) triggered.
Stat increased: Strength (0.0218)
Just like that.
While finishing one, four hostile users charged.
Storm Blade, Power Dash.
His body shot toward the user on the right.
A dull thud from his shoulder.
He immediately thrust his dagger into the armor's gap.
Critical Hit!
Stat increased: Agility (0.0218)
Three quick slashes after.
Storm Blade, Destroyer's Charge.
He hurled his body at an impossible angle with the skill.
"Uh-uh...!"
The panicked rear user.
Storm Blade, White Tiger Strike.
A skill hitting eight spots simultaneously.
No way to withstand it.
Stat increased: Agility (0.0218)
Followed by White Tiger Swordsmanship Second Form, White Tiger Wave, chaining attacks on those to the left and right.
Becoming light to strike left no escape.
Stat increased: Strength (0.0218)
Stat increased: Knowledge (0.0218)
He melted five in an instant.
"...!"
The situation demanded flinching.
Two minutes left.
He had to kill as many as possible before the summon absorption ended.
Splat.
Mu-hyuk charged again.
Boom, kwarang!
Dozens of users scattered in panic.
Re-entering through the back door, Mu-hyuk fully commanded his summons and plunged into the fray.
Regrettably, the skeletons' stats had dropped from absorption, and as the duration ended, Mu-hyuk's own power returned to normal.
Even so, he showed the prowess of ten men—or more.
Burtan, Ki Wave.
As they flinched, an arrow struck the helmet.
Kwang!
A big skeleton followed, slamming down both fists.
Yetis, Ice Space.
Binding the rising user again.
Armor Knight, Powerful Blow.
Cavalry Archer, Power Shot.
He toyed with users using skeletons.
"Uwaaaah, you bastard!"
The target: Tarantor.
He endured with repeated heals, but it was reaching the limit.
"You, fight me one-on-one!"
The shout came faintly.
What're you yapping about?
Mu-hyuk ignored it and ordered bone arrows.
Papapapang!
Tarantor blocked with his shield. By then, a Poison Ogre had arrived nearby.
-------!
He flinched at the emitted mist.
Pang!
Mu-hyuk fired an arrow coated with confusion poison.
Tarantor staggered like he was drunk, losing bodily control.
"Wh-Why?!"
Confusion and veil potions remained useful since counters weren't public yet.
Slow poison, hallucination poison, weakening paralysis, and bleeding tears had resists developed, so effects were minimal.
Most users carried at least a few resist potions.
Mage: All 1st-circle magic attacks.
Magic flew in the meantime.
"B-Block it! Please!"
But no one saved Tarantor.
Kwagwagwang!
He died cursing.
"Y-You'll pay...!"
Leaving a third-rate villain line.
"Hm."
But the battle remained evenly matched.
Mu-hyuk moved with all he had.
Sung Min-woo pushed a user hard.
"Die already!"
The opponent vanished.
"Hoo! We won!"
With him gone, the fight ended.
They'd defended the small city.
After resting, they moved to reclaim other villages.
Most ended in victory, but occasional defeat threats forced retreats.
Amid it, he enhanced summons' weapons and shields piecemeal.
Five days passed like that.
"You know tomorrow's broadcast, right?"
"Of course."
"Get excited."
Mu-hyuk smiled at PD Kim Min-ho's words.
"Alright, film well today too."
"Naturally."
That day, Mu-hyuk and crew fought as usual.
Contribution rankings rose thanks to it.
The gap to 3rd was bigger than expected.
Well, still fine for now.
Dagger stat gains mattered more than contrib now.
Mercenary participation had netted over 35 stats already.
Above all, he felt stronger daily.
Thanks to forging +8 gear for summons sequentially.
Once he bought runes too?
Not only would baseline power rise, but summon absorption would amplify in crises.
"Alright, everyone—move out!"
"Let's go fight."
Another day passed.
Finally, today.
Illusion's World broadcast day.