Cedric and Cecilia were perched at the summit of a lofty hill, surveying the hordes of monsters that swarmed below. Beside them stood Sir Morel, the Knight Commander of their Fae Tribe.
“Sir Morel,” Cedric said firmly, “Why don’t you stop those monsters? You know that the person we’re talking about isn’t with them, right? There are humans among them, Yunateans, and they can die! Shouldn’t we avoid intentionally attacking other races? You need to stop this! Wait until the person we’re really interested in arrives.”
Morel smiled slyly, crossing his arms. “This is all part of the test, Cedric. You don’t understand what I’m doing. If he can’t even protect his own friends, then how can he be the one to save our tribe?”
“No, I don’t understand!” Cedric retorted. “But what I do know is that you’ve made Cecilia feel guilty for what you’re doing, and you need to stop this! Those humans are in danger! We shouldn’t be treating them like this-we need their help.”
“Who said we need their help?” Morel countered. “If that person truly is the one from the prophecy, then it’s only fitting that he be tested first. This is entirely reasonable for me to do.”
Cecilia stood stiffly, tears streaming down her face. “Sir Morel… please, stop this attack. This is all my fault. This shouldn’t have happened. If I hadn’t revealed his identity, none of this would be happening. I’m scared that those humans will die because of this monster attack.”
“Ha ha ha… Isn’t it entertaining to watch humans and players struggle to defend themselves?” Morel replied nonchalantly. “If they get through this, they will come out stronger. I’m actually just providing them with a shortcut.”
“Cecilia,” Cedric said firmly, “let’s go down and do something for those humans.” freёweɓnovel.com
“Cedric? What can we do?”
“Just follow me. We won’t accomplish anything by just standing here.”
Cecilia nodded quickly. “Yes, Cedric.”
Without hesitation, the two of them sprinted down the hill, leaping gracefully from tree to tree.
“Cedric, what can we do?” Cecilia asked frantically. “There’s no way we can fight those monsters ourselves.”
“I know, but we can help bring the one we need-the human named Broken-to the place where his friends are,” Cedric said firmly. “That way, he can reach them faster and more safely.”
“Yes, Cedric, I think we can help that way. I’m sure the one named Broken will come soon since his friends are in danger.”
“You don’t need to worry so much, Cecilia…” Cedric added. “Let’s hope that Sir Morel had a good reason for his actions.”
***
Maylock continued attacking relentlessly, all the while monitoring the progress of everyone in the group. His mind was racing with thoughts of how to escape the situation and find a way out of this mess safely.
He cursed to himself, feeling limited by his class, which lacked any extraordinary abilities. With only three players, including himself, and three knights at relatively low levels, the situation was truly dire.
“I think this might have something to do with the Faeries that inhabit this region,” he said aloud.
“Do you think we could have done something to anger them?” Starfall responded, her voice
tense.
“What could we have done to provoke them to the point that they want to destroy us like this?” Maylock continued, trying to read the situation they were facing.
He went on. “From what I know, the Faery race is usually quite friendly with other races. As long as we don’t attack them, they generally don’t cause any trouble.”
“But you know we’re here to hunt the Eternal Flame Fae Beast, right? Do you think that’s not something that could have upset them?”
“Not really,” Maylock sighed. “Others have done it before us. We aren’t the first. And this… this is the first time something like this has happened.”
He paused before adding, “It happened when we brought Broken with us.”
“Are you saying this is related to Broken?”
“I don’t want to think that way,” Maylock replied, his expression grim.
Maylock kept checking the time repeatedly, and the more time passed, the greater the tension grew within him.
“Broken should be here in forty minutes! But I only have ten minutes left. Damn it!”
Starfall tried to remain optimistic. “I’ll do my best to hold out until Broken arrives. I can stay until he gets here.”
“Please, just follow the plan I’ve set, Starfall. This is going to be a bit of a gamble, but use all the resources you have to their fullest over the next 30 minutes. I hope Broken arrives before you all run out of everything,” Maylock said, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Maylock was worried that the team’s damage output wouldn’t be sufficient once he logged out. Even though his damage wasn’t particularly high, losing one more person would have a significant impact on their defense. The monsters would have an easier time breaking in and causing greater destruction.
He cursed repeatedly in frustration as his time dwindled. “Damn! I’m sorry! I can only do so much.”
He felt an overwhelming urge to shout in anger, frustrated at his own limitations and inability to do more. He was out of time, and soon he’d be forced to log out.
Maylock called out to the others, “Focus! Increase your concentration! Don’t make any mistakes-Broken will be here soon.”
He still clung to the hope that Broken could reach the cave in time and wouldn’t be blocked by the monstrous horde gathering outside.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold on any longer,” Maylock said, his voice filled with regret. And with that, his body vanished from the battlefield-his playtime had expired, forcing him to log out
of the game.
Starfall held back her emotions. “We have to keep holding on for 30 more minutes until help arrives! Follow the plan that Maylock laid out!”
After Maylock logged out, the remaining members of the group fought more fiercely, trying to maintain their ground. Though they battled with increased skill and precision, their mana regeneration was no longer sufficient to withstand the relentless onslaught of the monsters. Suddenly, a monster the size of a human, with a body resembling a troll, managed to breach Ivana’s barrier. It charged at Anna, swinging its massive arm down with crushing force. Anna, caught off guard, faltered and dropped her greatsword.
“Anna! Someone help Anna!” Ivana shouted in distress.
“Ivana, stay at your post!” Starfall ordered. “I’ll hold off the monster.”
Livelywood dashed forward, making it to Anna just in time to intercept the attack. He swung
his sword at the troll-like creature, managing to strike a blow.
Despite his efforts, the damage was already done-Anna had taken a critical hit to her chest and lay on the ground, struggling to breathe.
“Anna, drink this potion, it will heal you,” Livelywood said, his hands trembling as he helped Anna drink the potion.
Moments later, two more monstrous creatures broke through the barrier, their eyes locking
on Anna as they sensed her vulnerability. The beasts charged toward her, determined to finish
what the first had started.
Livelywood gritted his teeth, rushing in to confront the monsters. He moved with all the agility he could muster, slashing at one of them in an attempt to draw its attention away from
Anna.
However, as one of the monsters lunged at Anna, Livelywood stepped in to shield her. The monster’s attack, a vicious swipe of its claw, broke through his defense and struck him square
in the chest.
The impact was devastating-much worse than anyone had anticipated. Blood poured from Livelywood’s wounds, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His face twisted in shock as he
realized the severity of his injuries.
“Livelywood!” Starfall screamed, her voice filled with desperation. From her position, she launched a volley of spells at the monsters, hoping to force them back.
But it was too late. Livelywood’s body glowed faintly before vanishing from sight, his form fading as he was forced out of the game.
Starfall was now alone-the only player left. Maylock had logged out, and Livelywood had
died heroically while saving Anna.
Yes, Livelywood had made a tremendous sacrifice, but his loss was a devastating blow.
Without him, their defense would only grow more difficult to maintain. The pressure weighed heavily on Starfall as she considered her options.
What could she do now? The monsters were relentless, and without Livelywood’s strength, it was only a matter of time before they overwhelmed the rest of the group.