"Shoot shadows!"
"Aim for the legs!"
Like the PKers who made the area tremble, they desperately tried to resist. All kinds of skills meant to bind or slow the target were activated, and they tried to widen the distance using movement skills. While it was a faithful application of basic tactics, it was precisely the kind of act that infuriated their victims.
By slowing the opponent and increasing their own speed, they aimed to maintain distance and fire their bows.
'Little cubs… … .'
In a state where neither attacking nor escaping was possible, a target's health would continuously drop, meaning even a higher-level player would eventually die.
That's why they had returned, questioning Lokan's use of cheats but confident they could capture him.
*Whoosh!*
But it didn't work on Lokan. Lokan, who lightly swung his arm and battle axe to deflect arrows, closed the distance with a powerful charge.
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!"
And without even waiting for a reaction, he unleashed a "War Cry." A War Cry amplified by the power of the Sealed Helmet of the Lion King.
"Take this!"
Their abilities were instantly reduced, and their minds went blank. Their feet, which had been constantly moving to maintain distance, faltered, and they staggered.
Their levels were 10-20 higher, but the difference in base stats and the power of the Sealed Helmet of the Lion King were overwhelming.
"Dash!"
Lokan was not one to miss such an opening. He smashed the heads of those who had been kiting him with ease.
"Ugh!"
*Swish!*
And he followed up by throwing hatchets in rapid succession!
One nearby archer barely regained his senses and frantically tried to turn and block. But the terrifying killing intent emanating from Lokan made his legs go weak again. He collapsed on the spot as if his strings had been cut.
"Oh, no… … !"
*Whoosh!*
The outcome was inevitable. An archer who stops moving is no different from a warrior who has lost his weapon in front of the enemy.
Lokan tapped him lightly to reduce his health to zero and ran toward the next target.
"Hey, cast a shadow bind!"
"Shoot his legs!"
Two were defeated in an instant, but five remained. Adding the warriors trying to stop him, the total was seven.
They all tried to hinder Lokan, but it was impossible.
"Where are you aiming?"
*Swish, swish.*
Their aimed shots found only empty space; Lokan was already out of range. They couldn't even comprehend Lokan's movements, which transcended their own speed and combat sense.
"… … Fuck this, we should report him."
"What are you talking about? Just shoot!"
*Whoosh!*
In the end, they were dispatched in an instant. They died with expressions of injustice, suspecting Lokan of hacking until their final moments due to his unbelievable performance.
All that remained was to collect the loot.
Lokan, humming to himself as he picked up items, paused at one particular piece.
"Huh?"
[Cloak of Stealth] [Rare]
A cloak with special powers that hides the user's appearance.
Although its defense is low, it contains a special power.
- Defense: 30
- Durability: 236/300
- Consumes 50 Mana to use [Stealth]
- Agility +10
It was a rare item. A cloak with an active skill! An item that allowed the use of special skills regardless of class, and a high-utility skill like [Stealth].
"This is great."
A smile appeared on Lokan's lips.
How many rare items had been unlocked at this point?
He didn't know the exact number, but it had to be less than a hundred. Usually, rare items started appearing around level 100.
And even then, they weren't easy to obtain.
"To carry something like this while doing PK… what an idiot."
He wondered what kind of fool would carry such a valuable item while engaged in Player Killing, where the drop penalty was high. But he was thankful they had.
Of course, the previous owner must have been confident they wouldn't die, but it was still foolish.
"The world is wide, and there are many fools."
Lokan recalled the old adage and stored the 'Cloak of Stealth' in his inventory with gratitude. He collected the rest of the items as well.
Again, there was nothing below Superior grade. All were Superior or Magic grade items; it seemed he could make a significant sum just by selling them.
Conversely, the PKers would shed tears of blood trying to replace this gear. Three weapons had been dropped immediately, so their losses were likely substantial.
"Huh?"
*Whoosh!*
Then, light descended from the sky again.
"Is it here?"
"Yes, but… … There doesn't seem to be anyone here."
This time, it wasn't PKers who appeared. They were normal users without red names.
But just by looking at their guild insignias, Lokan knew they weren't ordinary.
'Wow, they sent the right people.'
Lokan was currently in stealth.
He was confident he could take on anyone, but it would be foolish to fight head-on when he had the advantage of stealth.
However, their conversation was strange.
"He can't stay in one place all the time unless he's insane. But he really must be a hacker."
"He grabbed a flying arrow with his bare hands and blocked a volley of Guiding Shots from the hunting party with his weapon. A few arrows hit him directly, but they just bounced off. One person recorded it, and it's being downloaded externally. Oh, and we've already reported him."
"What was that guy's name?"
"Lokan… … he said. We found out by using 'Farsight' when the gatekeeper incident first happened."
They weren't PKers, nor were they the Blood Chasers. The insignia on their chests was different.
But they were clearly talking about Lokan.
'Huh?… Where have I seen that insignia?'
As he looked at them carefully, the memory of that insignia flickered back. He had definitely seen it before.
"It's not just about reporting. Just in case, release the hounds and find his location immediately. Whether you kill him or threaten him, you must get the Cloak of Stealth back. Why did she even take it out… … ."
So, the one who dropped the Cloak of Stealth was a female character? In The Lord, you could change your appearance, but not your gender. Judging by their talk, she wouldn't last long in the guild, or even in real life, after this.
"Understood. Oh, and Guild Master, what should we do about the items the hunting party dropped?"
"Damn it. I'm already exhausted from buying the dungeon info, and now this? What can we do? We still need to use them, so get them weapons again. Watch the auction house carefully. If he lists them at a reasonable price, buy them back. If it's too expensive, supply them with suitable replacements. There shouldn't be any complaints about the fact that you got wiped by one guy. It's embarrassing."
'Well, look at these dungeon-buying bastards… … '
Finally, he remembered. Their insignia.
Ironically, these guys were members of the MP Guild. Famous for their 'Manners Play' and helping beginners, they were the very ones secretly behind the infamous PK guild, the Blood Chasers.
As the group left, annoyed, Lokan broke stealth and clicked his tongue.
"Wow, so it was all an act?"
This meant that in his previous life, the MP Guild's campaign against the Blood Chasers, alongside regular players, was all a setup—a complete farce.
Learning the truth felt like a betrayal. In his previous life, he too had joined forces with the MP Guild to defeat the Blood Chasers.
"Now that I think about it, there were one or two strange things back then."
Lokan, quietly recalling old memories, realized there had been oddities at the time. They seemed to know exactly when he would use Berserk and would attack at the perfect moment when he was suffering from the after-effects.
He had lost count of how many times he'd died like that.
Back then, he thought there was a spy or that they just had a good intelligence network.
"So that's how it was… … ."
Lokan's eyes gleamed faintly. He couldn't just attack them now shouting 'You did this to me in my past life!', but something interesting was bound to happen soon.
Because he was the one who could smell conflict like a ghost.
"First, I need to power up."
For the upcoming battles, Lokan decided to focus on leveling up first.
* * *
[You have leveled up.]
[Unbelievable achievement! You have defeated opponents stronger than yourself 100 times in a row without a break.]
[The title 'Endless Challenge' has been acquired.]
[You are the first to acquire this title.]
[First!]
[Endless Challenge][Unique]
You have defeated opponents stronger than yourself 100 times in a row without a break. You are the embodiment of a warrior who never gives up.
You are the first to win this title.
[Hold Effect]
– Recover 1% of total HP when killing an opponent.
- Increases Critical Strike Chance by 1% for the next battle within a certain period of time (stacks up to 10 times).
A storm passed through the Forest Lizardman habitat as Lokan swept through it. He slaughtered every monster he saw without a single break. Thanks to the hunting ground being mostly empty of other users, the system recognized it as a continuous battle.
Thanks to that, he gained ample experience and a fitting title. Later, when hunting grounds became crowded, earning this title would be much harder, and he had already secured the first clear for 'Endless Challenge'.
"Whew, time to head back!"
During this process, neither the Blood Chasers nor the MP Guild intervened. Everyone assumed Lokan had returned to the city, allowing him to hunt uninterrupted.
He even used Berserk to take down a Forest Lizardman Great Warrior.
[You have reached level 50.]
[You will be given a second job change opportunity. Go to a nearby city and choose an advanced job.]
[You can access more varied jobs and skills through the advanced job change.]
He had reached level 50!
Considering Lokan was level 35 when he first arrived and level 39 after slaughtering the Blood Chasers, his leveling speed was insane.
It made sense, having defeated 100 monsters each at least 30 levels higher than him in succession. But compared to most players still in the 20-30 range after a month of hunting, it was a deceptive pace.
"Heh heh, time to return!"
Lokan tore a Return Scroll with a satisfied smile. Scrolls couldn't be used during battle, but there were no living creatures nearby.
* * *
*Poof!*
When he returned to the city square, wrapped in light, quite a few eyes turned his way. They were the guards, waiting for Lokan to appear.
They had searched the city for him, but when Lokan didn't show, they had waited in the plaza.
'Damn it.'
But Lokan didn't care at all. Having been through this once or twice before, he smiled inwardly and walked proudly.
But before he could take more than a few steps, they blocked his path.
"Let's talk for a second."
Men with flashing red eyes surrounded him like gangsters. Their eyes burned with scorching rage and venom, but Lokan just snorted. What conversation could there be between the hunter and his prey?
When he tried to push past them with a bit of force, the people he shoved aside immediately filled the gap again.
"What?"
*Tch.*
Lokan smiled wildly at the sight. He was curious how these PKers, who had somehow slipped into the city, thought they could act tough here.
"Let's talk."
But they seemed to misinterpret his smile. Instead, their attitude became more aggressive, and they threatened Lokan.
Their behavior was so blatant that even the general users nearby quietly slipped away.
Lokan, on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh.
'Hogu have come to donate themselves.'
PKers could not, in principle, roam the village freely. If they tried to use the main gate, the guards would attack them.
However, if they used a hidden entrance or a Return Scroll, they could enter once. While their access to some shops was restricted, simple movement was possible.
So, these PKers were acting boldly in the city, but they had picked the wrong target.
Instead of engaging further, Lokan tapped his voice settings, switched to shout mode, and raised his voice from within the group.
"Guaaaaards!"
*Boom, boom, boom, boom!*
As if summoned from thin air, guards materialized in the previously empty space around them.