Ren and the others' attention shifted toward the three Poison Viper players crouching before the massive door of dark metal. Thick webs clung to its frame like hardened veins, glowing faintly as if pulsing with life, sealing the entrance shut.
Ren tilted his head slightly, a sinister smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Still planning to stop us from entering?"
Isolde's hand rested on the handle of her revolver, her expression icy.
Leonel lifted his shield, bracing it before him.
Ragnar swung his massive axe onto his shoulder, his cold eyes narrowing.
The three Poison Viper players huddled together, trembling so hard their armor clinked.
"Y-you . . . you better stop right now!" Player 1 stammered. "Or the entire Poison Viper Guild will come for you!"
Ren's gaze flicked toward him, his eyelid twitching slightly. The player almost bit his tongue, realizing he'd just threatened someone who didn't give a shit.
In COVENANT, it was inevitable—once PvP and Guild Wars were established, grudges would be born. Players made enemies whether they wanted to or not. Even the kindest of players couldn't avoid conflict. When you lost, you wanted revenge—it was human nature. Only saints were exceptions.
Leonel's grin turned wolfish. "Then let them come. But before they do, how about we toss you three around again until you let us through?"
The Poison Viper trio clung to each other, shaking as Ren, Leonel, Isolde, and Ragnar's eyes gleamed with mischief.
Then—
CrEeEck . . .
The sound of ancient hinges echoed through the hall. The webs wrapped around the door frame began to glow a sickly dark hue before disintegrating into ash.
The door to the Boss's room was opening.
At once, the Poison Viper players' fear turned to arrogance. Their faces lit up with malicious delight.
"Ha! You four are in trouble now!" Player 3 laughed triumphantly.
"Yeah!" Player 2 barked. "Ten of our strongest members are inside! They'll come out any second and destroy you!"
Player 1 straightened his back, smirking down at Ren's group. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood. Hand over your items and weapons, and maybe we'll let you live. Otherwise . . . you'll regret it."
Ren and the others exchanged looks. Did these guys forget how COVENANT worked?
Isolde tilted her head, a playful smile curving her lips. "Are you confusing this game with the real world? That's . . . kinda cute."
"Egh—?!" The three Poison Viper players blinked, their laughter faltering. After a brief pause, realization dawned on them—right. PvP wasn't here yet. They couldn't actually hurt anyone here.
Player 1's face flushed scarlet. "S-shut up, ugly!"
Isolde's eyes narrowed dangerously, her smile disappearing. Player 1 flinched and hid behind Player 2.
"S-so what if we can't hurt you?!" Player 2 shouted, voice cracking. "We can still torture you!"
"Yeah! We'll toss you around just like you did to us!" Player 3 added, trying to sound brave.
But their own words made them wince, recalling the memory of being flung like rag dolls.
Player 1 shook off the image and puffed out his chest. "Anyway! Our brothers are coming out any second now! You're all dead!"
They grinned wickedly, eyes locked on Ren's group, waiting to savor the fear that would soon bloom on their faces.
. . .
. . .
"Uh . . . brothers?" Player 1 said after a long silence, blinking toward the open doorway.
Nothing.
Player 2 scratched his head. The cavern beyond was silent and pitch-black. "Where are they?"
Player 3's throat went dry. "W-wait . . . don't tell me—"
Ren's smirk widened. "I think your 'strongest members' are already dead—respawning at the entrance with death penalties flashing across their screens."
"T-that's impossible . . . ," Player 1 muttered weakly. But no matter how much they waited, no one came. The Boss's room remained dark and still.
Ten elite players wiped out by a single Boss? The thought chilled them.
Players 2 and 3 turned to their leader, pale-faced. "W-what do we do now?"
Player 1 grit his teeth. "Shut up. We play our trump card."
The three exchanged grave nods—then suddenly spun on their heels.
"RUN!" Player 1 screamed, bolting toward the exit.
"You're lucky we're letting you go!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Next time, we'll surround you for real!"
"Yeah!" Player 2 yelled. "We'll hunt you down!"
"Bleh!" added Player 3, sticking his tongue out as they vanished into the tunnels.
. . .
Silence fell again.
Ren's group stared at the empty doorway, still processing what they'd just witnessed.
Ragnar finally broke the quiet. "The joke's on them. We didn't save at the crystal—so when we respawn, we'll be in the village instead of here."
Leonel burst out laughing. "I'd pay to see their faces when they realize that!"
Isolde cracked her knuckles, her voice dropping low. "Those bastards better pray we don't cross paths again. Next time, I'll make sure they regret ever calling me ugly."
Ren just sighed. "Forget them. Let's move before more players show up."
He turned back to the now-open Boss door. The air beyond was thick with mana, the darkness almost alive.
Normally, clearing a dungeon took hours—or even days—depending on its complexity. But the Gargantuan Cave was small. If they moved fast, they could finish it within the hour.
He recalled how dungeons began with blank maps, and only through exploration did new areas appear. Some parties brought dedicated mappers—usually Hunters or Animists—to uncover every hidden passage, trap, or treasure. But in this case, the cave was straightforward, and thanks to the groups who had cleared the Arachnids earlier, Ren's party had reached the Boss room in record time.
"Should we really go in?" Isolde asked, her earlier confidence wavering as she stared into the yawning darkness ahead. Memories of Thunder Cave—and their disastrous unprepared run—flashed in her mind.
"R-right," Leonel added, nervously biting his thumb. "Those guys said ten of their best fighters went in . . . and none came out."
"Maybe there's a [Teleportation Crystal] inside?" Ragnar suggested, rubbing his chin.
"Or maybe they all got wiped out," Leonel muttered.
Ren didn't reply. He already knew the truth. There was no save crystal inside a Boss room, and the logout feature didn't work there either. The only escape was through a [Teleportation Crystal], but that item wasn't even available yet—it would only appear once the Guild System was officially implemented. Even then, it couldn't be used inside a Boss chamber.
That left one conclusion: the ten players were dead.
"Let's go," Ren said simply. Without waiting, he stepped across the threshold into the darkness beyond.
"R-Ren!" Leonel shouted, scrambling after him.
Isolde and Ragnar exchanged a glance—then nodded. Their leader was already inside. There was nothing left to do but follow.
One by one, they crossed the threshold, leaving the flickering light of the hall behind as the door began to close, sealing them within the Boss's lair.