Chapter 169: The Hero Emerges (1)

Unlike its usual calm, Frica Village was bustling.

“Damn it! Bring more logs!”

“Bricks and furniture too! No, anything we can stack to make a wall, bring it all!”

Both players and NPCs were moving about frantically. This peaceful mountain village had suddenly become so hectic because a Gate had opened nearby, and the monsters pouring out of it charged straight toward the village.

“We need to fortify the fortress while the advance party holds off the monsters at the Plains of the Gnolls.”

While Toban, the master of the Crimson Sunset guild, was overseeing the expansion of the fortress, his younger brother Au led several guild members to the central square.

There, the players who had gathered after reading the community announcements were already packed.

“

Ahem.”

Clearing his throat, Au began speaking naturally, “As you all know,

MID Online

is currently hosting the Invasion Event. And unfortunately for us... an Easy Gate has appeared near our village. We’re short on hands, so everybody gets ready for battle.”

His tone was authoritative, as if he was merely assigning an obvious task, and his gaze was just as commanding.

Naturally, the players were irritated and displeased.

Hah. You treated us like nobodies when we weren’t part of your guild, and now it’s suddenly “our” village?

And what? Get ready? Who does he think he is, my boss?

Should I just leave? I kind of hope the village falls apart so those guys get what they deserve...

Sensing the discontent among the players, Akan, a Wizard, placed his hand on Au’s shoulder and whispered, “The mood among the players isn’t good. I’ve told you before, if you act so forcefully, no one’s going to listen to you...”

“

Ugh!

Just shut up already.”

Au roughly shook off Akan’s hand, and frowned. “I’ve noticed for a while now—you act like you’re someone important. This guild belongs to my brother.”

“And I’m the strategist of that guild.”

“You...”

Au gritted his teeth, at a loss for words.

He wondered when everything became like this.

Right... It must’ve been when we got involved with that cleric bastard, Kai.

Au had taken an overwhelming force to hunt down Kai but had made a foolish mistake and failed.

Since that incident, I’ve been branded incompetent... while this guy’s been on the rise ever since...

Akan was smart. Au knew this better than anyone, having hunted with him since their beginner days. However, Au wanted Akan to support him with his sharp mind, not surpass him and take a key position in the guild.

“This is something my brother entrusted to me, so stay out of it.”

“But if you keep giving orders in such a high-handed manner, it could lead to a disaster...”

“I’m not a child. Do you think I don’t know that much?” Au snapped irritably and glanced at the players with a displeased expression.

Just as Akan had said, they all looked like they had the word dissatisfaction written on their faces.

Au clicked his tongue.

Tsk... They couldn't even make eye contact before the Gate appeared...

Now, they were all staring at him as if waiting to see what he had to say.

Au didn’t like the situation, but after taking a deep breath to calm himself, he said, “Look, I’m asking for your help, alright? And it’s not just for our guild’s benefit. This is an event, after all. If you participate, kill monsters, and close the Gate, you’ll earn contribution points, and your reputation of Frica Village will increase. If you plan on staying active here in the future...”

"Enough of that. If you're asking for help, shouldn’t you start with an apology first?"

One of the players, commonly referred to as a graduating player since they were about to leave Frica Village soon, casually picked their ear and said, “To be honest, the Crimson Sunset guild has been a real pain. You guys act all high and mighty, running your set item factory, but you’ve been bullying regular players, and it’s really annoying.”

“Yeah! And why do you get to decide the hunting rotations for Red Gnoll Chiefs?”

“I’ve been getting pretty sick of a tiny guild like yours controlling the field all the time...”

Once one player voiced their complaints, it was like a dam had broken, and complaints began pouring out.

Au was not the kind of person capable of handling such a situation with grace. Eventually, the method he chose was...

“Everyone shut up! You think this is just for us? We’re trying to protect our village—”

"Our village? How is this

our

village? It’s

your

village. You go ahead and protect it. I’m about ready to graduate from here anyway, so good timing.”

“There are other hunting grounds beyond level 30. I’ve been putting up with this place because I didn’t want to waste time moving, but now? I’m done. I’ll leave.”

“If you don’t like the temple, the monk has to leave, right? What else is there to say?”

As one player snorted and left the square, others quickly followed.

“

Huh?

W-what...?”

Aou stared blankly as they walked away, unable to hide the look of shock on his face.

Normally...

Yes, normally, the Crimson Sunset guild wielded immense power, practically ruling over Frica Village. Toban, the guild master, could have a player endlessly hunted with just a simple gesture. But now, the situation had changed with the Invasion Event and an Easy Gate opening near the village.

“

Tsk.

”

Biting his lower lip, Akan furrowed his brows and began typing on the guild’s messenger window.

To close the Easy Gate, we absolutely need the players’ help...

The Crimson Sunset guild was essentially a business, created to mass-produce Red Gnoll set items. Thus, to prevent potential traitors or industrial spies, they operated as a small, elite force. They had only about thirty members. And no matter how low-level the Gate near Frica was, thirty players alone couldn’t close it.

“Au!”

Toban, who had been briefed on the situation by Akan, hurried to the square.

“You idiot!”

He reprimanded his younger brother, then bit his lip as he watched the players leave the village. After a brief moment, Toban let out a bitter smile, as though resigning himself to the situation, and slowly closed his eyes. He instinctively realized the truth.

...We’re done for.

There was no way to reverse the situation. He trusted his brother because he was family, but that had been one of Toban’s biggest mistakes. He never thought Au would fail even at such a simple task.

After letting out a few hollow laughs, Toban opened his eyes, and within them, a glint of madness began to emerge. "Still, I can’t let them off that easily. If we’re going down, we can’t go alone, right?”

With just thirty Crimson Sunset Guild members, it would be impossible to defend the village. In that case, revenge was the only option.

***

"...

Huh?

"

Kai, who was sprinting down the mountainside of Frica, furrowed his brows.

“Please!”

Having fully transitioned into the Solaris Cleric class, Kai's body had become extremely sensitive, including his hearing. He could feel a faint sound brushing against his sharply heightened senses.

"Is the Gate over there?"

Kai’s movements quickened as he pinpointed the location. Already running down the steep mountain at a rapid pace, his body now descended like the wind. Racing down the mountain trail at incredible speed, Kai soon arrived at the source of the sound.

"...They're players?"

Kai widened his eyes and tilted his head in confusion at the strange sight before him.

The Gate just spawned right in front of them... so why are they PKing each other?

Monsters spilling out of the Gate had mixed in with the chaos, turning the situation into a complete mess!

After observing for a moment, Kai approached a player who had collapsed and was gasping for breath.

"Heal."

Fwoosh!

As Sacred Flare healed her, Kai looked toward the battlefield and asked, "Sorry, but could you explain what’s going on here? I’m having trouble understanding."

In a situation where players should have been banding together to defeat the monsters, they were fighting each other instead.

The female player, her eyes filled with gratitude for being healed, began to explain, "It's the Crimson Sunset guild. When some of the players based in Frica refused to help them, they attacked us as we were leaving the village. They're completely insane!"

"...What?"

The Crimson Sunset guild. It had been a long time since Kai had heard that name.

At the same time, a bitter smile crept across his face. "

Ohhh

, that guild. I remember now. It’s a rather nostalgic name."

Come to think of it, it was thanks to them that he had acquired the Solaris Cleric class. But back then, the frustration, the sense of injustice, and the shame of having to flee the village, unable to overcome the limitations of being a solo player, haunted him. All those feelings had once caused him enough pain to keep him awake at night.

Indeed... I never really thought about getting revenge once I became stronger.

Or rather, he hadn’t had the time to even think about it. Kai had become far too well-known to bother with petty thugs in a small village.

I'm already too busy dealing with the world’s top ten guilds to waste time on Crimson Sunset.

However, Kai wasn’t the type to let his enemies go when they were standing right in front of him. As if entranced, he began walking slowly toward the chaotic battlefield.

Shing!

With a smooth motion, Kai unsheathed his longsword and drove it directly into the chest of a Crimson Sunset guild member, sending them back to reality.

Crimson Sunset. Crimson Sunset.

It wasn’t difficult to find them. They were the ones with abnormally high levels for residents of Frica Village. And of course, they wore the Crimson Sunset emblem on their chests. All he had to do was find those distinct players.

"One down."

Shing!

As Kai's Swordsmanship of the Dawn reached the Advanced level, his swordplay became incredibly elegant. The elegance in his swordsmanship meant the sound of his blade slicing through the air and cutting down enemies had become refined, like that of a seasoned knight.

However, Kai’s current power was far from elegant.

Crrrrunch!

As if an old car was being crushed in a junkyard or like stepping on an empty milk carton, crushing it underfoot, Kai's sword savagely tore into those who had once been his enemies, his sworn foes. With each swing of his blade, it was as though a wild beast had clawed through, ripping apart their armor.

“W-what the hell?! Who is that bastard?”

“W-why is his attack power like that? A tank died after just one hit?”

“Why is a monster like him here in this place...?”

Just as they had never answered him when he cried out the truth, Kai felt no need to respond to their questions. He simply swung his sword mercilessly.

Slash, slash!

The once noisy battlefield, filled with the clashing of steel, began to grow quieter. The Crimson Sunset guild members sensed danger and grouped together, while other players retreated little by little. Only the monsters continued noisily chasing after them.

Kai stared at the Crimson Sunset guild members who swallowed nervously and watched him.

That ugly tank from last time is here...

So was the irritating Wizard, Akan. The Archer, that Wizard’s friend, was also there. And finally, there was Toban, the master of the Crimson Sunset guild. His face was clearly visible.

They say revenge is hollow, don’t they?

Kai wasn’t sure who had said that, but now he thought it might be true. Those who once made him wary and cautious now appeared so small.

So this is all they amounted to.

It hit Kai again just how much he had grown, and with that realization came a new feeling.

There’s no longer any attachment to these guys.

In fact, dealing with them felt tedious and irritating. However, once revenge had begun, it had to be finished properly.

Kai's left hand, the one not holding his sword, slowly rose into the air.

“Chasing Light Arrows.”

5,000 of Kai's Holy Power was drained in an instant. Since the skill consumed 10 Holy Power per arrow, a total of five hundred light arrows floated into the air.

The overwhelming sight made not only the Crimson Sunset Guild and the regular players freeze in place, but even the monsters stopped in their tracks.

“W-what the...?”

“That's insane... Is that guy the top-ranking Wizard or something? No, wait... Wizards can't learn Holy Arrow, right?”

“No, that's not what’s important! Look at the number of those arrows... How does that even make sense?”

“

Kerarak?

”

Seeing the panic on the faces of the Crimson Sunset Guild and the monsters alike, Kai lightly waved his left hand.

Farewell, fragments of my past.

Baaang!

Five hundred arrows tore through the air, piercing the enemies with explosive force.