Psycho PKer in Ant Hell
Kaboom!
In the underground first floor of the Ant Hell Dungeon, three players were tangled in combat.
"Gahk!"
"What the hell did we ever do to you?!"
Truth be told, calling it "combat" wasn't quite accurate.
One player was just toying with the other two. It was pure, one-sided violence, nothing more.
It hadn't even been a few minutes, but the two on the defensive were soon slammed against the wall.
Full-on groggy state.
Game over for them any second now.
The man who'd been playing with them, Destro, smirked and opened his mouth.
"Reason? Of course there's one. I just didn't like seeing you two grinning like idiots."
"...What?"
"Why are you asking? I just told you—that's the reason."
Quaica and Gaias, the two men, stared at him in utter bewilderment.
"That's... that's your only reason?!"
"It's been so long since we logged into RaSe..."
The pair were coworkers at the same company who'd bonded quickly over their shared hobby of RaSe.
Ordinary office gamers who unwound after work with a couple hours in capsule rooms, occasionally grabbing drinks and chatting away.
But work had piled up over the past week—no gaming, just endless overtime, not even logging in.
And today, on their rare day off, they'd planned to game all day. Now their holiday was about to go down the drain.
All because they were "smiling"?
Impossible to swallow.
"You crazy bastard! We're supposed to smile while gaming, not scowl li—gahk!"
"Ah, you just don't get it. Ordinary humans like you aren't allowed to be happy."
"What kind of bullshit is th—kgh."
Destro could've killed them in one shot but deliberately grazed them with light attacks, dragging it out.
Soon their HP was so low that even a brush would finish them.
"You knew this was a PK zone when you came in, right? So why whine about dying?"
"We were just here for a quest!"
"That's your problem. Whatever. You're annoying. Just die quietly. And after the death penalty, stay the hell out of sight. Show up again, and you're dead again."
"You goddamn psycho!"
"Hear that a lot. Thanks for the compliment."
Slash!
Destro swung his dagger, delivering the final blow.
As they turned gray, he chuckled again.
"If you're mad, go cry to the cops. Tell 'em you got PKed in a game."
He mocked them to the bitter end, then rummaged where they'd vanished.
No items left behind.
"Tch. No drops today. Bunch of paupers, every one."
But Destro's face showed no regret whatsoever.
Items were secondary. PKing itself was the goal.
What he'd said about killing them for smiling? Not banter—100% serious.
He couldn't stand ordinary, unlucky people being happy.
"That's not allowed. No way."
Destro had drawn an 8-star Patron Spirit, using it to job-change into the Unique-grade class Abyss Lord.
Even his third job change held potential for a Legendary-grade class—a top-tier build in RaSe!
He was one of those "chosen ones" hyped in the RaSe communities.
Yeah. I'm chosen. Not like those ordinary losers.
His lucky 8-star draw and solid skills had gotten him to ranker status.
But that was it.
He could cling to the bottom of the rankings, but no higher.
The top was genius territory.
No matter the 8-star spirit or Unique class, "solid" skill just couldn't breach that wall.
Damn it!
Destro couldn't accept it.
How could a chosen one like him be stuck?
But reality didn't care.
Two months of grinding like mad, and his rank slipped further. His mentality shattered.
Whatever. It's fine. I'm chosen, so I'll climb back. Just a plateau.
That recent PK? Therapy for his broken mind.
Perfect spot. Full of ordinary trash.
A hunting ground to reaffirm his specialness.
Yeah, he was special. Luck-given, no effort needed—and that made it feel even more elite.
Ordinary losers don't get to be happy.
The unlucky masses should scowl, not smile.
That way, his luck shone brighter!
Pure reason for his PK sprees.
Friends called him psychopath or sociopath. Even that satisfied him.
Felt like he was something extraordinary.
Thud.
Footsteps echoed from afar.
Lots of prey today, Destro thought with a grin, pressing flat against the wall.
"Camouflage."
Camouflage (6-star)
The 6-star skill Camouflage blended the caster seamlessly with surroundings—a stealth skill.
Movement speed dropped 50% while active, but for a one-shot ambush, irrelevant.
Destro glanced down at his chest.
A wooden goblin face dangled there.
Unique Grade
◈ Amplifies wearer's hearing.
◈ Identifies levels of entities within 100m radius centered on wearer.
◈ Goblin's expression changes based on entity's level relative to wearer.
A Unique-grade necklace, treasure from an 8-star Patron Spirit quest.
A level identifier!
Rare option among accessories.
Higher level nearby? Goblin trembles in fear.
Lower? Sneers wickedly. Both? Expression flips freakishly.
Ugly, but performs.
With Camouflage, perfected his PKs.
[Hee hee hee! Weak! So weak! Pathetically weak!]
Right now, it grinned ear-to-ear wickedly.
Target at least 35 levels below him.
Fry.
Maybe level 60?
Fresh off second job change, probably.
As if confirming, the newcomer muttered.
"Not as dark as I thought. Figured underground would be pitch black."
Beginner in Ant Hell, from the sound.
Bright, curious tone grated.
Clueless idiot.
Newbie straight to Ant Hell? Fearless or uninformed.
Fine. Time to teach as a senior.
Price of the lesson: life.
This level gap? He'd win head-on easy. But he stayed stealthed.
That shocked face post-ambush? Peak stress relief.
Thud.
Excitement built as steps neared.
Thud.
New victim appeared.
Robed—mage or priest class, likely.
Solo? Lame.
Previous two were level 80-ish, tiny thrill.
This? Zero.
Destro raised his dagger quietly.
Thud.
Mage approached, oblivious to stealth.
As he passed by—
Whoosh!
Destro swung full force.
Target: side. Groggy without instant kill.
Perfect timing!
100 PKs here, top-tier among them. Enlightenment-level ambush!
But the man's voice shattered that certainty.
Swish.
"Whoa, had a feeling, but straight-up PK? Your personality for real?"
Like he'd anticipated it.
Robed man spoke casually; the "perfect" attack whiffed pathetically.
"No way! How?!"
"Stealth detection gear, duh."
Destro's eyes snapped to the man's chest. Fancy necklace glowed softly.
Legendary Ring
Reveals target's skills, equipment info. Pierces all stealth skills.
Dragon's Eye.
Legendary necklace piercing all stealth, revealing skills/gear.
"You dare...!"
A measly level 60 mocking him? Rage boiled.
As he swung again—
Grip!
Incredibly, the man grabbed his wrist. No reaction time.
And that strength stat? Immovable.
"What the fuck?!"
Ex-ranker here.
Surpassed in agility and strength?
Possible against another ranker.
But this lowbie? Laughable.
Goblin necklace wasn't broken. Impossible.
"You! You must be a bug user!"
"Yeah, knew you'd say that cliché."
"I'll report you right—"
"Ah, shut up, PK scum. Let's start with a beating."
The robed man, Carpe, snapped Destro's wrist clean.
Clang.
Weapon dropped. Full disarming.
"Looks like you've PKed plenty."
Carpe gripped his other hand.
"You met your match today. Ruining my first hunt in a landmark spot."
Crack!
Carpe's fist smashed perfectly into Destro's face.