Chapter 51: Tag of Death (2)

Party hunting usually consisted of players with a variety of jobs. Among those diverse jobs, there was exactly one job that had a different perspective of the battlefield.

That would be the Cleric.

Kai's sparkling eyes scanned the battlefield.

While everyone else focused on killing monsters, a Cleric had to look for injured allies first. But that wasn’t all. At the same time, they also had to be aware of the monsters' locations and attack ranges to ensure their own survival. In short, among all the jobs in

MID Online

, none could match the intuition of a Cleric.

When will these guys give me an opportunity?

Kai, with his unique perspective, was waiting for just the right moment. A moment that could disappear with a blink of an eye; a moment that was as brief as a snowflake on a winter day that could melt away instantly!

The battlefield is already a few minutes away from... no, it's completely chaotic now too.

Whether it was at the front or back, the expedition force struggled as it was surrounded by orcs on both sides.

"Damn it! I don't care anymore! Just kill them all!"

"Start with the orcs that are close!"

"Protect the Clerics first! If the Clerics die, we're all done!"

"Come on, bring it on!"

They were already pushed to the brink of death. Like a cornered rat biting a cat, the players fiercely fought against the orcs.

"Come at us, feeble humans! Graaah!"

Of course, their fierceness was useless in front of the Orc Lord, Urghan, who had entered a state of rage. But that wasn’t all.

[Orc Sorcerer casts Tarosh Incantation! +5% to all orcs’ ability power.]

[Orc Sorcerer casts Tarosh Incantation! -5% to all expedition members’ ability power.]

"Kill that skinny anchovy orc first!"

"How can we break through!? There are too many Orc Heroes and Warriors around, it's impossible!"

The Orc Sorcerer had appeared and it was an annoying being who blessed its allies while cursing the enemies.

Of course, Kai brushed off such curses in an instant with Sunlight’s Warmth.

Now, the pressure is real... so what will you do?

Kai stared at the back of Claude's head, wondering what he would do when they were in a situation where they could neither retreat nor advance.

Claude finally made a decision. "We're... escaping from here."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Even his guild members tilted their heads, puzzled.

It seemed impossible since the Orc Sorcerer blocked the escape route.

Claude turned around, his eyes coldly shining as he said, "We sacrifice the expedition force and the players, and leave this place."

It was a terrifying yet rational decision. He judged that there was no need to continue fighting in a battle that was already lost.

But... sacrificing the players and the expedition force?

Kai clenched his fist tightly under his robe. The players would get a penalty for dying but for the NPCs, death would be the end—they would not have another life.

But he decided to do that just to save themselves? Without even a moment's hesitation?

In some ways, this was shocking to Kai. The Black Bee guild would do anything they could to get to the top!

Witnessing this fact firsthand, Kai clenched his teeth hard. But what shocked him even more was the reaction of the guild members.

"Uh... is it okay to do that?"

"Hmm. Wouldn't the lord of Glendale suspect us if the entire expedition force dies?"

"We've gathered so many expedition points... We’ll still be able to use them, right?"

Instead of feeling sorry for others, they showed egotistical behavior and were more concerned about their own benefits!

Stunned by this, Kai gritted his teeth as he stayed quiet.

These guys are so messed up.

They were hopeless; they were trash that couldn’t be saved. Therefore, Kai found it easier to make a decision.

Joining the expedition was your choice, but leaving isn’t.

***

"

Huff, huff

. Somehow, we're still holding on."

"The levels of the NPCs in the expedition force are quite high. There are even ten knights... Damn. It still seems we're going to die."

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"If only those Black Bee bastards had joined us in fighting the Orc Lord, none of this would have happened!"

Sweaty, the players scanned the battlefield as they took a moment to catch their breath.

The situation was desperate! The majority of Orc Heroes and Warriors had been killed, leaving only a few. However, most of the players were already dead, and the same went for the NPCs in the expedition force. Only about one hundred members of the expedition force remained. Death seemed inevitable for them since the strongest orcs—Orc Lord and the Orc Sorcerer—were still vigorous.

"But where the hell are those Black Bee bastards anyway?"

"Now that you mention it, they haven't been seen for a while."

"...Something's fishy."

The Black Bee guild's attacks were flashy and strong. Though the rest of the expedition force didn't move with them, their skill in hunting orcs was quite reliable. But at some point, those flashy spells no longer appeared on the battlefield. Perhaps because of that, players started looking for the Black Bee party as they sensed something was off.

"There! They're over there!"

And as they searched, one player spotted them.

The Black Bee guild members were sneaking near the wooden fences of the orc village.

"Those bastards! Are they planning to escape on their own?"

"Hey, just leave them. Whatever. How are they even going to get out when the Orc Sorcerer is guarding the entrance?"

"...Right, that's true."

"Then what are they doing there?"

Other players tilted their heads, puzzled, at one player’s question. However, it didn't take long to find the answer to that question.

Whoosh!

A huge wall of flames suddenly rose from the entrance of the orc village! The wall, created by eight Wizards, emitted tremendous heat. Even the Orc Sorcerer had to step aside a few paces due to its power!

"We did it." Claude's eyes sparkled.

The wall of flames had pushed the Orc Sorcerer back, creating a slight gap between them.

The question is whether people can even pass through that gap....

Claude turned his head and looked at the Cleric.

"Mr. Cleric, you escape first."

"...Me?"

"Yes. Please go ahead."

Claude intended to test if the gap was truly safe or not!

Unless Kai was a fool, he couldn't miss Claude's intentions.

Is this guy serious? Is he using me as a guinea pig right now?

It was so absurd that it was almost laughable!

However, Kai didn’t refuse and nodded his head. "Sure, why not."

Kai readily replied and swiftly slipped through the gap.

The Black Bee guild members cheered as they watched him go through.

"Sunbae, it seems safe."

"Operation successful. We can get out!"

"Yeah. We did it," Claude smirked.

The wall of flames was still burning furiously, and beyond that wall, players were spewing curses.

"You bastards!"

"Did you just push the Orc Sorcerer toward us to save yourselves?"

"Just wait! I've recorded all this, and I'll upload it to the community!"

Despite their curses, Claude only snorted. "Hmph, idiots. That's why you always remain at the bottom."

What the Black Bee guild pursued was the top position, and to seize that position, the guild's rule was to not hesitate in using any means necessary. Claude thought this rule fit him all too well.

An unspoken rule among players? Hunting etiquette? Bullshit.

All that was just an excuse for the weak. It was a delusion of the weak, comforting themselves that the law within society's fence protected them!

I am a predator.

It was impossible for a lion to be among a flock of sheep and follow their rules.

Claude was talented in gaming, and joining the Black Bee guild was like giving wings to a tiger.

"Now, let's go out too."

Claude, leading his party members leisurely, walked toward the gap, not losing any of his dignity with each step. And the moment he approached close enough to exit through the gap....

Slash!

A sword appeared through the gap, slashing across Claude's neck. Claude hastily retreated, but the attack had already been made!

[You have been afflicted by Silence.]

[You have been poisoned by Fermi’s venom. Vitality decreases by 1,000 every second until detoxified.]

The Black Bee guild members were stunned.

"W-what!?"

"Sunbae! Are you okay!?"

"Who the hell was that!?"

As the members were taken aback and were growling and threatening whoever just attacked Claude, Claude looked for someone. Unable to speak, he was desperately looking for the Cleric!

Shit, I've been poisoned! The Cleric needs to detoxify me...!

It was no ordinary poison. It was a vicious poison that inflicted 1,000 damage per second until detoxified!

Claude felt the urgency to cure his poisoned state as soon as possible. Sensing the crisis in his desperation, the Black Bee guild members hurriedly attempted to exit the wooden fences.

"Th-the Cleric has already left!"

"Go out and bring him back!"

However, their attempt was blocked by a warrior who was filling the small gap completely. It was a warrior who was wearing a black armor set that seemed to be painted with darkness. Needless to say, it was Kai. He had gone through the gap, taken off his cleric robe, and equipped the Armor of the Undead set!

At the same time he appeared, people who recognized him began to emerge.

"Hey, isn't that Unknown?"

"Unknown? The one who made the video of the Crimson Fist getting schooled?"

"But was he even part of this expedition?"

"I haven’t seen him until now."

"Me too... What the heck?"

Not only the Black Bee guild but the other players were also confused by the situation.

However, their expressions gradually began to brighten. And it wasn’t because they thought they could survive.

Wait, Unknown is blocking the entrance.

The Black Bee guild bastards. They're going to die with us!

Ahaha! Look what all your greed brought you, you bastards!

The appearance of Unknown, the protagonist of the Getting Schooled video, was unexpected, but that was all. They didn't think he would defeat the Orc Lord and Orc Sorcerer and save them.

Unknown got popular because his video was entertaining.

Of course, his fighting skills weren't bad, but... how should I put it? It felt unpolished.

In any case, there's no way he can beat the Orc Lord and Orc Sorcerer.

If it became known that the video was filmed when he had been learning the sword for less than a week, their opinion would change! But to the players unaware of this fact, Unknown was merely the star of a popular video, nothing more, nothing less.

"You do know we're from the Black Bee guild, right?"

"Unknown? I've heard of you too. But why are you doing this to us all of a sudden?"

"We had no connection with you."

"Why ask something so obvious? Isn't it clear he’s doing it for fame?"

The Black Bee guild members glared at Kai as they cast their magic.

If that's what you think, I'm grateful.

Kai slowly raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. Along with that clear sound, Holy Explosion shot out!

Boom!

The white beam scattered the wall of flames and attacked the Orc Sorcerer.

At the same time, the Black Bee guild members shook their heads.

"Just a nutjob."

"If you want to die, die alone, why drag us into it?"

Soon, a sinister smile appeared on their lips.

I can’t believe he just attracted the attention of the Orc Sorcerer in this situation.

Does he want to die?

Well, this is actually better for us. We’ll just stay back and escape when the time is right.

The Black Bee guild members who were helping Claude retreated a good distance back. Since a lunatic just drew the Orc Sorcerer's attention, they didn’t want to get caught in the attack. However, contrary to their expectations, the Orc Sorcerer began to charge toward them.

"...Huh? Huh!?"

"W-what!?"

"Why!? We didn't even attack it!"

What do you mean why?

Kai shrugged and opened the interface window.

[Leave your current party?]

"Yes."

[You have left the party.]

It’s because I was a part of your party.