Jinyoung watched with wide open eyes, absorbing every move and attack. He could see that while he was well trained, Cyrus still didn’t prefer the sword. Once or twice, he saw the paladin’s free hand press against the sword guard when attacking or defending. It was a habit Jinyoung had seen countless times before when his friend still used an ax.
The earth shook from the battle. The constant explosions and the force of the giant snake caused deep rumblings in the earth. From their position on the mountain, the party could see boulders shaken loose from their foundations and tree roots shifted loose from the soil.
But then there were the three arrows. They arced out of the forest, just like the others, but they missed their mark so clearly. They were giving the monster an opening. The Guild Master and his party groaned before jumping to their feet after the monster attacked Cyrus, seemingly cornering him.
“See that?”
Hana was standing behind him with her arms crossed. Unlike the others including Jinyoung himself, Hana and Willow watched with apathetic expressions on their faces. That didn’t make sense unless-
“It’s a show?” he mumbled. Unbelieving.
His sister nodded. “Like a bullfight. It’s been choreographed to perfection. It’s no wonder Seah isn’t here.”
Willow leaned forward and said, “I feel bad for the squire.”
“I kind of feel bad for the viper,” Jinyoung heard himself say.
“Here it comes,” Hana said. “The big finale.”
***
The timing has to be right.
Cyrus ducked low as Nox Viper’s tail sailed overhead. He brought up his sword and readied the [rally charge].
“For glory!!”
This time, the ground shook and the trees swayed from the force of the skill. Cyrus prided himself on the effectiveness of his party buff. This was a rare chance to give others a glimpse at how much power he had.
Just on cue, Markus’ lighting bolts flashed down and crashed on the monster, shattering its shielding. A volley of arrow shots flew in sideways striking the creature’s thick scales. None of the arrows exploded or even pierced the armor. They weren’t meant to.
The moment the snake turned to face the source of the arrows, Cyrus rushed in and used [powered strike] to focus power into his legs before driving them into the earth, propelling himself off the ground. It was an old fighter’s trick that worked beautifully. The monster never even noticed until Cyrus brought the blade down with a [charged hit] cleaving its head (and the majority of its body) in two.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/xcmHJbX.jpg]
Just for good measure, Thina loosed two explosive arrows, detonating the body of the beast and putting it down definitively.
***
The notification appeared to everyone in the quest area. Even those who weren’t close enough to see the fight.
Nox Viper has been defeated.
The Guild Master stood up and brushed the dust off himself. It was time to get back to work. The mid-boss had been discovered earlier than he’d hoped.
QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak
OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week
Progress: 14,310 / 20,000
REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)
FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans
Less than 300 monsters had been hunted during the mid-boss battle. If they were lucky, the day would end with 80% of the monsters hunted. Even 20% would be difficult to finish by the designated time, but he’d done it before. Not to mention Hana had mentioned that Dae was roaming these woods somewhere wreaking havoc on the plant life and monsters alike.
“We’ll see you back at base for the festivities tonight, Hana.”
“You’re not coming, sir?”
He felt like he should go. His bones ached and his muscles were exhausted, but his party had strength to go on.
“No, no. I’ll leave that to you all. We’ve got enough energy to hunt down a few more… Right, men?” He shouted the last bit to his party who gave half-hearted thumbs up and grumble-roared in response.
“Shouldn’t we do some more hunting before we head in for the night?” Willow asked.
“There are at least 200 players in our immediate area. We’ll be tripping over other parties chasing after each monster.” Hana shook her head. “No, the best thing we can do is head back for the night and get a fresh start in the morning once the field is cleared.”
***
That night, all anyone could talk about was the Pegasus clan. Each bonfire had a different version of the events being told. To some, the battle was neverending. A test of skilled men and a beast that stretched on as long as the sun held fire. When the smoke finally cleared, only one lone paladin stood between the leviathan and a fallen comrade. A lone paladin that was able to pluck victory from a certain and gruesome defeat.
Another retelling told of a quick and decisive victory by a single warrior standing against the darkness. A poisonous snake that had taken the lives of scores of players before one man stood up against it. A lone warrior with the strength of hundreds who could strike with lightning and move in a blinding flash of light. A single man who could swing a sword and cut through stone while controlling the elements.
Hana walked through the crowds and heard enough of them to turn her stomach. And she’d spent enough time with Cyrus to know that this was the point. Pegasus’ goal today wasn’t to save lives or even defeat the mid-boss. Their goal was to build a legend. And she hated them for it.
QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak
OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week
Progress: 14,521 / 20,000
REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)
FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans