Chapter 17: Make Sure to Check the Expiration Date

The Crimson Sunset guild trio couldn't easily come out of panic.

"This is absurd!"

"Wasn't he a Cleric!?"

"T-this can't be happening!"

The idea of a Cleric summoning undeads imbued with the aura of death was beyond common sense.

Au immediately put up his shield and turned around. "It's okay, no need to panic! It's just ten monsters... We can definitely win!"

"Then I'll support from the back!"

The Wizard and Archer quickly began casting spells and drawing their bows.

Au puffed out his chest and roared until his voice shook the wilderness.

At the same time, messages appeared in front of Kai.

[You have been affected by the provocation status effect.]

[You can only target player Au as your attack target.]

"Hmm. Solaris Cleric Sunlight’s Warmth."

[HP restored. All status effects removed.]

[The provocation status effect has been removed.]

Boom!

As Kai removed the status effect, the Gnoll Skeletons clashed with Au.

"Argh... It's okay! I can handle this! Iron Will! Reinforce Shield! Shield Bash!"

Au cast various skills, managing to hold up better than expected. Moreover, with continuous attacks from the Wizard and Archer from behind, two of the Gnoll Skeletons were quickly eliminated.

I should help.

Observing the situation, Kai decided he couldn't just stand by and used a skill.

"Solaris Blessing, Solaris Armor, Mass Bless."

Fwoosh!

Normally, undeads, being cursed beings, couldn’t accept Holy Power. However, as summoned creatures, it was different this time.

Flash!

The daggers and bones held by the Gnoll Skeletons began to shine.

Au was the first to express his confusion after witnessing this. "What on earth...?"

From that moment, the movements of the Gnoll Skeletons changed. Their attack speed increased, and the force behind their daggers grew stronger. That wasn’t it.

"W-why have their defenses gone up so much!"

"Argh, magic damage is starting to be less effective too!"

The defense and magic resistance of the Gnoll Skeletons, enveloped in Solaris Armor, had significantly increased. As evidence, the speed at which their HP decreased noticeably slowed.

"This is completely absurd...!"

The Crimson Sunset guild had always been the predators, and their opponents, the prey. A crack appeared in that simple rule which until now, had been uncontested by anyone in Frica.

We should have finished things off when there were six of us.

The Wizard regretted their carelessness as he looked at the battlefield which seemed to foretell their defeat. However, it was too late by the time they realized had realized it.

"Ahhh!" Au, who had been valiantly fighting the Gnoll Skeletons alone, died with a scream.

Then, like reapers, the eight remaining Gnoll Skeletons approached the Wizard. It was practically the moment the battle ended.

***

"That was dangerous," Kai muttered after winning the one-against-six fight.

The coordination between Au, Akan, and the extra Archer had been quite good. For a moment, he distinctly felt he was losing.

I guess being alone leads to such situations.

He felt relieved after the battle ended, but at the same time, he was worried.

The Crimson Sunset guild.

Kai, having been active in Frica Village, wasn’t unfamiliar with the name. He had gotten entangled with some very troublesome folks.

I should move to a different area as soon as the quest is over.

The Solaris Cleric was indeed a class that broke the balance, an overpowered profession. However, this job only became perfect when given enough time to accumulate enough Benevolence stat. In other words, it was a job that blossomed over time.

Facing the Crimson Sunset guild head-on now would be unwise.

He considered various options, but he wasn’t confident.

"This is what being premature is."

Now was the time to get stronger. Of course, he would never forget their attempt to hunt him down.

Enjoy the game as much as you can while I'm growing stronger.

After that, they wouldn't be able to enjoy the game because he would make sure of it.

"Let's see what I've gained."

Kai rummaged around the polygons that the players had turned into to pick up their dropped items.

"The Wizard and the Archer... have nothing?"

In

MID Online

, there was a high chance that one of the items being worn would be dropped upon death. This also contributed to the reason for professional PKs.

Despite numerous complaints from players to Pegasus, the company remained silent.

"Well, the game's slogan is about living freely, so it can't be helped I guess," Kai shrugged and assessed other items. "The two Rogues dropped a normal item and a Magic item each, and the Cleric dropped one normal item..."

He could get several hundred thousand won if he sold them at the auction house.

Then, a shield that shone brilliantly caught his eye.

"Could it be?"

Kai quickly picked up the shield.

[Steel Shield]

Grade: Rare

Defense: 424

Magic Defense: 411

Requirements: Level 45+ Strength: 100+

Durability: 47/100

"A... a rare shield!"

It was the shield that Au had been using.

Nice!

Shields were among the items for which demand often exceeded supply.

Would it be maybe over a million won? Could it even go up to 1.2 million?

Smiling broadly due to the unexpected profit, Kai quickly stored the shield in his inventory.

"This will surely make him mad."

Though not intentional, the result was that he had caused Au to drop two rare items.

"Serves him right." Kai laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach.

***

"Phew, oh boy. It's really high."

After walking an hour more, Kai reached the peak of the mountain. At the summit, open in all directions, there was a single altar built.

"Why is there an altar here...."

The altar showed signs of not being used for a long time. It wasn't hard to tell, given the rusty pillars and ritual tools scattered on the ground.

"Hmm."

Looking around, Kai approached the center of the altar and discovered a large bell.

Do I need to ring this?

Kai struck the bell with his mace. The bell's sound echoed through the mountains, shaking it as if the mountain itself was a giant musical instrument, creating a majestic feeling.

That was when it happened.

Vrrrrr.

Vibration...!

The mountain vibrated constantly.

Something's coming!

As Kai stepped back several steps, something burst out from the ground as if it had been waiting.

“Kaaaaaak!”

With dirt flying everywhere, the Wyrm Lizard revealed itself. Its size was overwhelming, comparable to a two-story building.

Ding!

[Wyrm Lizard, Ruler of Frica Mountains, has appeared.]

"Was the Wyrm Lizard always this big?"

It was as if a heavyweight boxing champion had appeared in front of a ten-year-old kid! But there was no time for complaints.

The Wyrm Lizard looked around the altar as it showed off a mouth full of densely packed teeth. Realizing there was no offering, it became enraged.

“Graaaah!”

The creature's head lunged at Kai as if to swallow him whole. Its worm-like body was covered in lizard scales, making it resistant to physical attacks, and around its mouth were countless sharp fangs and suckers that could kill with a single bite.

If it bites me, it's over!

Kai, driven more by instinct than reason, threw himself to the side. This action saved his life.

Thud! Crunch! Crunch!

The Wyrm Lizard indiscriminately devoured trees and rocks.

Seeing this, Kai's expression hardened.

Wow, has Pegasus lost its mind? How are we supposed to deal with that?

The oppressive feeling was beyond imagination. He wondered how the top players had managed to kill such a creature.

...Let's stick to the plan for now.

Swallowing hard, Kai immediately used his staff to summon gnoll skeletons. This was what he had been relying on.

Even if only about five appear, I can manage.

Buffing the summoned gnoll skeletons and hunting the wyrm lizard with them was Kai's plan.

The spinning wheel came to a stop.

Ding!

[1 Gnoll Skeleton is summoned.]

"Shit!”

When things didn’t go as planned, nothing seemed to work!

Kai quickly cast buffs on the single Gnoll Skeleton, "Solaris Blessing! Solaris Armor! Shield of Light! Bless!"

Click, click, click!

The Gnoll Skeleton, covered in all the buffs, looked quite formidable.

Kai firmly grasped its frail shoulder bones and looked into its empty eye sockets. The Gnoll Skeleton, feeling his intense gaze, tilted its head.

"From now on, your name is Tom. Tom! You can do it, right?"

Click, click, click!

The Gnoll Skeleton, now awkwardly named Tom, loyally moved its jawbone. Seemingly pleased with its first-ever name, it continuously shook its ribcage.

Seeing this, Kai nodded heavily.

"Tom, hold on as long as you can! I'm counting on you."

Click, click!

Tom, giving a thumbs up, charged valiantly.

“Krooaaaar!”

The Wyrm Lizard, facing Tom running toward it, opened its mouth wide.

Click, click, click!

“Kaaak!”

Tom fearlessly swung its dagger at the Wyrm Lizard. At the same time, the Wyrm Lizard opened its mouth wide.

Crunch!

[Gnoll Skeleton has taken 1,240 damage.]

[The Gnoll Skeleton has taken 1,221 damage.]

...

[Gnoll Skeleton summon has ended.]

"Toooooom!" Kai cried out in a voice filled with despair.

Their time together lasted a mere seven seconds. Although brief, their camaraderie was special.

Full buffs and it didn't last even ten seconds?

Kai felt a cold sweat run down his back and swallowed hard.

Then, suddenly, the Wyrm Lizard's movements abruptly stopped. It started shivering as if having a seizure, then its head drooped.

"Kegh..."

"Huh?"

Unable to understand the situation, Kai tilted his head. Suddenly, unexpected messages appeared.

Ding!

[Wyrm Lizard consumed ancient bones.]

[Wyrm Lizard has been poisoned by food.]

[Wyrm Lizard has lost its appetite.]

[Wyrm Lizard’s stats have decreased by 30%.]

"Huh?" Kai, at a loss for words, blankly read the messages over and over.