245 The Surest Way

Before the massacre of a group of players in the hands of the Orcs, Zack, Josh, Ray, Kylie, and Lily were all murdering Ren with their stares.

"WE have to get even with him," Zack hissed through the gap of his gnashing teeth. "We can't let him steal our items and walk free like this."

Ray took a sharp breath. Honestly, he didn't want to do anything with Ren anymore. "Let's just go and find that beast for Lily." He was thankful that they didn't suffer any ATP reduction when that strange beast killed them.

Though it was a mystery as to how that happened, most didn't want to figure it out.

"What do you mean, coward?" Zack snapped. "He didn't even defeat us, but he stole our items when that beast killed us."

He did kill you. Ray thought but shut his mouth. Least he wanted to antagonize Zack more.

"I do want to get my items back," chimed in Kylie and shifted her attention to Ray. "Can you steal it from him?"

"I tried stealing from him before, remember? It wasn't successful. That guy's LCK is extremely high."

"Then, we have no choice but to kill him and get those items back," said Zack, failing to keep his voice down.

This one was naught but a bad influence, spreading corruption wherever he went. Both Josh and Ray knew that. Everyone knew that. But what else could they do but suck it up? It's either that or they stop hanging out with Lily altogether because wherever she was, Zack followed –– they followed.

"I don't know," Josh spoke, "he is together with the inhabitants. What's more, we don't even know if our items are still with him."

Ray nodded. "Josh is right. Attempting to fight him again is a waste of time. Let's just concentrate on finding that beast."

"What do you mean concentrate? I can't even think straight when that man is around. I want revenge," Zack firmly said. "And besides, we don't even have a lead to that beast. It could be anywhere!"

"That's why we have to concentrate all our efforts on finding it."

Zack got angry with the decision of Josh and Ray, and their talk quickly escalated into an argument.

"I . . ."

Everyone stopped when Lily's soft voice rang in the air, ". . . I want my stuff back." she pouted.

Kylie and the others looked at each other. They knew that face of Lily. It was her stubborn face that said that she would get what she wanted no matter what.

Josh and Ray clumped their mouth shut while Zack's face brightened.

"That's the spirit, Lily. If we let him get away with it, then what would others think of our group? You're Scar's sister. In a way, we represent Black Lion, your brother's guild, after all. I think payback is in order."

Lily firmly nodded, and there was nothing the others could do but agree. Their Princess had spoken.

"But what about those Orcs he's with?" Kylie was worried because Orakh wasn't straying from Ren even just a meter.

"What about them?" Zack sneered. "They're NPCs. They won't get in the way. Have you ever heard an NPC getting in the way of a PvP fight?"

". . ."

". . ."

The others couldn't say because they really didn't know. They hadn't heard of anything of that sort, so . . .

"Let's go."

Before Josh and Ray could stop Zack, the latter was already creeping toward Ren. But before he could unleash his wrath, Orakh was before him in the blink of an eye.

Betraying no intent, his ominous attacks were at Zack's throat before the latter could raise a defense.

A sudden, painful twinge forced Zack to bite back a reflexive gasp. He experienced an instant of pure, exquisite pain that thankfully disappeared just as suddenly. But after the pain was the realization that he was disappearing at an alarming rate and thousands of damages flashed red over his head.

W-what in the world?!

All blood drained from Zack's face. He hadn't even uttered a scream before he burst into particles.

Josh and the other's faces turned white, and they couldn't even lift a finger when the other warriors sprung to the attack with a mangled cry, bringing to bear a deadly ferocity that intended to tear them apart.

Orakh's warrior companions didn't show any mercy, and they all run after Josh, Lily, and the others with reckless abandon. Pretty face or not, it wasn't important in the eyes of the Orcs. They showed no mercy.

The violent swing that came from the Orcs roved into their bodies, cutting a ruinous furrow into their flesh, and all of them couldn't do anything but stood frozen in horror.

Couldn't even muster to raise their weapons, everyone in Lily's group disappeared from sight. The only clue of their existence was the flashing damage over their heads before they were gone completely.

Heavy silenced descended, thick and heavy.

All everyone pondered after the fight was the important question. . . Before, it was alright to attack Ren wantonly and wouldn't suffer any EXP reduction since it was only a PvP.

But now that Lily and the others had perished in the hands of an NPC, did they suffer EXP reduction? There was certainly damage, and everyone saw that it was huge. And if there was an EXP reduction, how much since everyone knew that combatant-type NPCs have high ATP.

All of a sudden, every player took a step back from Ren and the Orcs.

Orakh, on the other hand, stood tall while the giant axe that was as large as him struck the ground with a loud thud.

"Let this be a warning to you all. Ren and his group are part of my crew. Anyone who harms them right under our noses will suffer a gruesome death."

. . .

. . .

There was tension in the air, and all the players who thought of stealing from Ren turned tail and left the area.

Even Black Lion didn't even think of avenging Scar's little sister. They turned and left in silence. Maybe in that way, no one would notice that they were in the area when the massacre happened, sparing them the embarrassment of the fact that they couldn't avenge their leader's little sister's death.

Sleeping Dragon also left the area while Golden Phoenix and Dark Python resumed their usual quarrel.

". . ." With a white, heaving face, Roni went back to his group with a tail between his legs.

But when he saw the ugly look Hugo gave him, he turned in Ren's direction and almost stumbled on his feet when he went to his location.

"H-hey," Roni choked and cleared his throat. "Hey, Ren. Funny seeing you here."

"We saw each other yesterday," Ren said flatly.

Roni didn't mind Ren's animosity. He was somehow used to it. His focus was on Orakh when he spoke. When the corner of Orakh's lips rose in a smirk, Roni flinched, and he started to hyperventilate.

"T-the thing is . . . my friends over there wanted to ask you something."

"If it's about how I acquired this quest with Orakh, as I said with the others before you, I don't know what I did that triggered this quest. So if you want to know, ask Orakh over here."

Roni peeked at Orakh under his lashes and couldn't help but gulp and took a step back under Orakh intimidating gaze.

Orakh's lips rose to the side in a menacing grin, and Roni jumped to his toes, shrieking while shrinking from where he stood. He really thought that Orakh would attack him.

Roni cleared his throat and shakingly said, "I-is that so . . . W-well, if you don't know . . . then you don't know."

Roni turned and was about to leave when Ren's voice stopped him.

"You won't ask Orakh?"

". . ." Roni was silent for a moment before he looked over his shoulder while controlling his shudder. "D-do you think . . ."

"I won't tell. You're not qualified," said Orakh without a second thought.

". . ." Roni didn't feel any anger but instead relieved that Orakh didn't kill him by simply asking. He didn't want his hard-earned EXP and ATP to go to waste.

"I-is that so? T-then I-I'll be on my way." Roni crept away with his head so low it reached his chest. There was no need to ask the Orc and risk getting Orakh's eerie by being pushy.

"Roni, wait a minute." Ren hopped onto Roni while the latter's hope ignited a little.

Ren grabbed Roni by the shoulder and pulled him to the side.

"I might not be able to tell you about Orakh's quest, but I can help you with Sharina's blade."

Roni was confused before he looked Ren doubtfully in the eyes. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing. We don't need the axe since we're after a different item," Ren said coolly and acted like he didn't care. "I know that everyone knows this already, but the way to get the Twin Moon Blade is by saving Sharina."

Roni neither denied nor confirmed what Ren said. But a sweat broke when he got the information that Ren knew how to get the blade. Well, it was somehow obvious, but still . . . their guild paid thousands for that information, and so were the other guilds.

Roni was curious and upset about how Ren got that information. Did he put in some money too? But it seemed like Ren didn't care about the thousand bucks' info.

"However," Ren continued after Roni was silent, "Do you think you can get that blade against all these guilds?"

". . ."

"You know that to beat the others from getting the Twin Moon Blade . . . the surest way is to have yourself killed by saving her son, Draki, from the Night Thing."

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A/N (Doesn't consume coins)

Sorry for not updating last 19 and 21

I got tired from the four hours travel last 19th. and 21 we catch up with some friends after three years so we got carried away until morning 🤣

BONUS Chapters will resumed next week �