CHAPTER 3
THE RAID
“Hmpf, hmpf..” Jayden gasped, running nonstop in the secret passage that had left him exhausted but at long last, he caught sight of the exit — a glimmer of light seeping through the crack, hidden behind the grand portrait of Argon's ancestral lineage. “Creek, ” the frame made a sound as he slid it carefully. Just beyond the door before him lay the grand hall, referred to by otherworlders and the quest window as the formidable boss room
He could hear the metal clashing,” Clink, clank.” The elite knights of Argon and otherworlders were colliding, with an occasional sound of spells blasting off. And with a “BOOM!” another spell went off, sending tremors to the castle again. Almost staggering, he managed to stay on his toes with the support of the walls.
He needed to enter the great hall quietly, but many were guarding its entrance. “Shit, now what?” There was no way he could charge straight against these numbers. So he gave up on rushing head-on and instead pulled out a mana bomb from his dimensional pocket. He only had one with him, and it was of the non-lethal category. “The odds are not in my favor, but in the first place, my plan never needed lethality.”
Intending to open the door and run straight inside, he threw the mana bomb to the guarding otherworlders, “one, two, three, ” he counted, and then “BOOM.” Shielding his ears and sealing his eyes shut, he recalled what he was taught: ‘Without sharpened senses, detecting a non-lethal strike was a difficult feat.’ He sighed, “Let's hope, no one is supersensitive here’
And fortunately for him, these were the lowest members of the raid team, who only came to share the XP and loot by association. Despite their numbers, they did not have anything, and like idiots, they all got blinded by the bright flash and deafening sound. Losing eyes and ears for a while, but the effect of this low-level mana bomb was not something to boast about.
Jayden, instead of taking their lives, avoided the risk of being detected and rushed inside.
Notice!!!
You've entered the Boss Room.
Quest: Deekan's Ambition (PROGRESSING)
Quest: Rebirth (PROGRESSING)
Time remaining: 00:33:56
“Oh come on, there was a time limit?” he frustratingly gritted as he looked at the floating window before his eyes,“ You Bastards are high or what? What if I got in late ?” But as he expected, there was no reply this time either.
“One, two,... Five” he counted, “only five, that’s much I’ve killed till now. I can say goodbye to the third one,” he said, looking up at the quest again.
Scenario 3: Apostle of Killing
Kill Otherworlders as much as you can before dying. Your kill tally will decide your rewards.
Reward - Resurrect as a ??? XP bonus of ???%, ??? Exclusive Passive Skills (MAX).
“I’m too far behind to use this, let's try to get another one.”He looked at the ones above the third.
Scenario 1: Apostle of Duty
Take the critical hit for the Boss, showing your loyalty to gods and mortals.
Reward - Resurrect as a ??? , XP bonus of 130%, Two Active Exclusive Skills (MAX).
Scenario 2: Apostle of Ghost
Assassinate the party leader of the Otherworlders
Reward - Resurrect as a ??? , XP bonus of 150%, Two Passive Exclusive Skills (MAX)
“Only the first one is sure and feasible.” He thought, hiding behind a large pillar that supported the dome of the great hall. It was a structure to be marveled at before, a place that only castle elites were allowed, a place that he dreamed to reach, but it was now in shambles.
He looked ahead, his lord Count Argon fighting toe to toe with Deekan, “That traitorous son of a bitch” he mumbled, clenching his fist. He would have killed him if he could, but Deekan was just below Argon in power level. He did not know the exact numbers since there was no way for him to find out, but both were strong, stronger than any he had seen till now.
Getting rid of useless thoughts, he focussed ahead. Just beside Deekan, there were a few otherworlders who were helping him. They were not as powerful as Deekan and Argon, but they sure were abundant and were blocking the elites from joining Argon.
“My Lord.” The words left his mouth as he looked at the battered body of Argon, but his opponent, Deekan was in way better shape. “It's like lord’s fall is set in stone. I need to close the distance,” he thought, “Only then, I can take a critical hit for the Lord.”
But it was easier said than done, there were a plethora of people fighting for both sides, but only the corpses of the Natives were piling up since the otherworlders respawned somewhere when killed. “What fairness!” he retorted as he silently approached the main battle.
He was moving, closing the distance without bothering anyone, but his senses alerted him. He heard a loud noise, “Where are you going, you NPC.” He quickly turned, ducking the massive axe swung by a bulky otherworlder, cleaving a pillar in half.
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Jayden was astounded, if a blow like this had connected, he would have died without even feeling the pain. He rolled and unsheathed a sword that he had picked. “Damn it,” he shouted, “ I don’t have time for this,” and lunged toward the big man.
As far as he understood the physique, a body this big had strength far more than his, “ It sure will lack speed,” so was the norm, but he learned the hard way that the otherworlders were different from the commonsense he understood.
In no time, with twice the speed, the axe struck again, leaving his sword shattered and giving him a push so great that he flew and hit the mural walls of the castle. He bled through his mouth, his shoulders and his back broken. The pain was something else entirely, but the thought of dying like this had helped suppress the pain.
“At this rate, I would be forced to inherit the third scenario of ‘Apostle of killing’ with a mere count of what, five, Shit !!, move Jayden, move,” He thought, but his body did not respond and only welcomed the kick of the axe-wielding man without any resistance. Once again he flew, this time only to be crashed into the ground.
“NO” he shouted, not because of the pain and suffering but because the distance from the main battle had just doubled. “Stand Up Jayden, stand,” he said to himself. And his fingers flinched as his willpower suppressed his aching body.
He staggered but stood, unarmed, his armor shattered too, he did not have any means to fight this behemoth, but giving up was no choice as all the bridges back were charred black. “I can only move forward.”
He forced himself, grabbing a nearby sword of his fallen brethren,
Blood Ritual: Blood Sacrifice
His body was already battered beyond, not to mention, once but handling this self-sacrificing skill twice was out of the question. Still, he chose this and cried, “Aagh,” he shouted as the wounds of his body sprayed the blood, bulking up his muscle and strengthening his core.
The skill ignored the pain and Jayden lunged at the huge axe man. “OH, you are packing heat, interesting” the axe-man mumbled as he took a stance to receive the feeble-looking blow. But to his surprise, the incoming native moved past him.
Quest: Rebirth (PROGRESSING)
Time remaining: 00:01:56
Jayden did not know why the timer had shortened, but he could not afford to waste a second now, avoiding everyone he ran, and kept running to the main battle until he saw the Argon on his knees and Deekan’s sword falling on his neck like an ongoing execution. “NO,” he shouted, as he jumped to receive the blow for Argon, but a whip slithered at him like a snake and grabbed his foot in the middle. However, without a second thought, he severed his foot and jumped again like a frog.
Just a moment away from fulfilling the first scenario, his eyes met Argon’s, and with the remaining strength of his, Argon pushed his loyal subordinate, jumping to take the hit for him to the side. He shouted, “You've done enough, Captain Jayden, Live. They will spare you after my fall.”
“No,” he shouted back, only to see the smiling head of Argon rolling on the ground. He was slain. “No, No, you sons of a bitches, that was my chance, ” he whined, and a huge window like his appeared above the Count’s body.
Quest: Deekan’s Ambition (CLEARED)
Distributing XP in proportion to the contribution
Many shined with a light like a god was granting them blessings while the defeated elites lowered their sword. There was no point fighting for a lord who was dead. But Jayden was feeling worse, his chance of reviving Jini, his niece just vanished in front of him. “So there is no hope after all, you fucking god, you wouldn’t have given me hope –” Another window above the count’s body lit up.
Summoning the hidden treasury of the boss as the reward
The massive treasure of wealth that Jayden saw before got summoned right in front of him, and looking at the wealth, the mouth-watering otherworlders started cheering up.
'Shit, this was tough.' one spoke.
'Yeah, taking on a level hundred boss was no joke. If that fucking Deekan was not level 99, it would be an impossible quest to clear – '
Another otherworlder hit the speaker's head and said,
'That's why the participation cap was level 50 you dickheads.'
'Oh, Captain, you’ve come.'
The man ignored his subordinate and picked Jayden by his hair, “Oh, where is your vigor, you look lifeless,” he said and added while pointing to the corpse of the boss, “Oh, were you fucking him, pft… sorry that I took your lover from you, what do you say about me, I like the feisty one like you – ”
'Hey, Banzo, stop it.' the majestic-looking man spoke, 'That man fought for his lord till the end. He should be respected.'
'It looks like the party leader does not like me dicking around.'
Jayden took a look at the party leader, with ashen Hair, and a longsword, and the air around him gave off a threatening feeling. He was strong enough to look down on this axe-man. Jayden recalled how this Banzo had beaten him to a pulp. He laughed at himself, he had thought of assassinating a powerful man like him. But his thoughts were broken as Banzo slithered a hand on his ass. Sliding his fingers all over his body, he added “What if I insist, you are not even my guild leader.”
“Whatever, you fucker” The ashen-haired man left both men to their business while Jayden’s eyes shook with fear. He had no means to get out of this situation.
Scenario 8: Apostle of Death
Commit suicide in the boss room, let everyone witness it
Reward - Resurrect as a ??? , XP bonus of 130%, Two Active Exclusive Skills (MAX)
“Yes, there was still this option,” he thought and started searching for something to stab himself with, and his vision led him to all of his lord’s possession, lying right before him. The otherworlders stood, encircling the treasures while the man whom they called the Party leader ordered some to tally everything.
As his eyes searched desperately, “Even a shard would do, come on,” he muttered and saw the anti-siege weapons among the gold and gems. “It looks like I don’t even have to kill myself, ” he mumbled in anticipation. “Just a little, little more, you sons of bitches.”
“Come on –.” “PHAT,” Suddenly a hand rained on his head, striking him and engraving his face in the floor. “What the fuck are you mumbling? You are my bitch now, only say when I asked you to say.”
“TICK,” A sound Came and alerted the elite otherworlders, “Run,” one shouted, but they were too late. On the other hand, Jayden screamed in joy, “Die you, fuckers.”
“TICK, BOOM !!!”
The deafening sounds of simultaneous blasts rang, and the explosion wiped many along with Jayden, but when they all were screaming, only Jayden laughed like a madman because a message solely for his eyes has appeared before him.
Quest: Rebirth (CLEARED)
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