*Whoosh!*
No one expected Lokan to attack so aggressively. The Blood Chasers were caught completely off guard. Although Lokan's control was exceptional, the people the Blood Chasers had been dealing with were also experts who had reached Trinshik early. No one had ever withstood an assault like this, not even against a quarter of their numbers.
So they were brimming with confidence, believing Lokan would be forced to negotiate and compromise.
But their opponent was none other than Lokan.
An SSS-class player based on user skill, otherwise known as the King of Violence.
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!"
A terrifying roar erupted from his mouth, as if to prove that a glorious title like that could never be earned by yielding to mere numbers.
"Take this!"
*Whoosh!*
Stats dropped, and some members were momentarily stunned. The effect of the Sealed Helmet of the Lion King, combined with the stat difference from his training and achievements, and the fact that his level was now comparable to theirs after clearing the Forest Lizardman habitat, doubled the effectiveness of his War Cry.
"Dash!"
While everyone was disoriented and suffering from the debuff, Lokan swiftly cut down those nearby.
"What is this?"
"He didn't say that bastard was low-level anymore!"
"Detection!"
They tried to respond belatedly, but three more were already dead.
"Crazy, he's level 50!"
"What kind of bullshit is this? You said he was level 35 a few days ago!"
"Fuck, is this for real?"
When someone checked Lokan's level using Farsight, another uproar ensued. They realized Lokan had completed his second job change after gaining 15 levels in just a few days.
Meanwhile, Lokan was scurrying back and forth among them, slaughtering at will.
"Shoot! Just shoot!"
"Forget aiming, just fire in his direction!"
When Lokan single-handedly forced them into close combat with his overwhelming ability, it was the Blood Chasers who were in trouble. Unlike last time, they hadn't brought only ranged attackers; they had a significant number of melee classes this time, making it impossible to aim properly.
Even Guiding Shots would hit their own allies before reaching Lokan.
"Fireball!"
"Multi-Shot!"
In this chaotic 100 vs. 1 battle, the Blood Chasers' casualties only increased. They made a drastic decision: to inflict damage on Lokan even at the cost of hitting their own allies. They reasoned that with such offensive power, he must be lacking in health and stamina.
"They're using their heads a little."
It was indeed dangerous for Lokan as well.
He could ignore most arrow attacks due to his overwhelming defense. Additionally, his title effect, [One Against Many], was active, increasing his defense proportionally to the number of enemies.
But magic was different. Without proper magic defense skills yet, exposure to area-of-effect magic would cause significant health loss.
"Throwing!"
*Klang!*
So, he chose to intercept.
There weren't many wizards anyway, and ranged attacks like Fireballs would explode on impact. By throwing a stone from his inventory, he could detonate them mid-air before they reached him.
Unless it was high-tier magic, a simple stone was enough.
"Ahh!"
"Guys, aim properly!"
Consequently, it was the Blood Chasers standing in the middle who suffered. Magic exploded prematurely in front of them, causing direct and indirect damage.
It wasn't entirely their fault; it was still early in the game's life, and players were still learning what was possible. But it took them precious moments to realize what had happened.
"So many have come."
Knowing how magic manifested during battle and accurately throwing a stone from his inventory required immense concentration, but Lokan performed the action naturally.
The only variable was mana consumption.
Realizing the Blood Chasers were stronger than he initially thought, Lokan stopped using Throwing solely to counter magic, but his mana was still dropping steadily from using Dash, Strike, and Shoulder Charge periodically.
He had already killed twenty enemies, but many remained. The ones clinging to him were low-level members who hadn't even reached level 50, while those who had completed their second job change were still biding their time.
But it wasn't all bad. As he leveled up slowly, his health and mana would refill. If he could eliminate around a hundred of them, he'd level up once or twice more, which would help manage his resources.
"Die!"
"Where!"
*Whoosh!*
Even without using skills constantly, he could secure kills thanks to the overwhelming stat difference.
*Slash!*
Lokan, seizing an opening, deflected a Guiding Shot with his body and swung his Battle Axe. He cleaved through everything in the axe's path, bisecting another man.
After killing a few more like that, their formation changed.
"Melee classes, fall back!"
The members who had been engaging him directly retreated, and those with secondary jobs moved forward to block the space.
"Iron Wall!"
"Lesser Shield! Deadly Step!"
"Strength! Power Attack!"
Knights with extreme defense, thieves enhancing their agility, and warriors boosting their attack power—they assaulted him with a variety of skills. But Lokan wasn't fooled.
They were merely using two job skills in parallel. With their skill levels still low, proper synergy was impossible.
He simply overwhelmed them with raw force.
"Dash! Strike!"
"Ugh!"
"Fuck, what is this… … ."
The second-job users fell pathetically, their grand attacks rendered insignificant. They lasted a few seconds longer due to their levels and extra skills, but the result was the same.
"Hunter's Trap!"
"Sticky Arrow!"
"Energy Bolt!"
The problem was that they were the bait.
While they occupied Lokan's attention, the wizards and archers set up traps properly. Knowing they couldn't pierce Lokan's defense with normal attacks, they prepared their most powerful spells or unleashed a volley of skills designed to hinder his movement.
With about fifty attackers, even Lokan couldn't ignore it.
A rain of magic and arrows descended before he could even move. Lokan, watching until the last moment, activated a skill embedded in his ring.
"Escape!"
It was a skill that moved him back 3 meters instantly.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack!*
*KABOOM! BOOM!*
All the focused attacks hit empty ground. In that moment, Lokan leaped away with all his might.
"Leap Attack!"
The maximum distance of Leap Attack was proportional to his Strength stat. The distance was substantial, and in Lokan's hands, distance control became meaningless.
"Ugh!"
"What kind of superman is he… … ."
He began to wreak havoc in the enemy ranks like a wild beast once more.
"This is absurd… … ."
"If it's not a hack, how is this possible?"
As their numbers began to dwindle rapidly again, despair set in.
He ignored normal attacks, evaded their strongest assaults, or simply overpowered them. They lost the courage to fight.
Fear began to grow in the hearts of those who had always dominated other players.
"Heh heh heh heh heh!"
Especially this—the War Cry that erupted every time its cooldown ended—made their throats tighten and their courage leak away. What more could they try when instinctive fear, impossible to resist, seized control of their bodies?
But they didn't realize Lokan hadn't even used Berserk yet.
"Throwing!"
"Dash!"
"Strike!"
"Leap Attack!"
"Shoulder Charge!"
As time passed, the battlefield became Lokan's personal stage. As their numbers decreased, their resistance weakened. Conversely, Lokan replenished the health and mana he consumed each time he leveled up mid-fight.
If not for the guild leader's threat of expulsion for hiding or fleeing, they would have run away earlier. But now, even escape wasn't an option Lokan allowed.
"Fuck… … What the hell are you?"
"Well, try dying about ten more times, then I might tell you."
[You have leveled up.]
In the end, no one survived.
All that remained was Lokan, restored to peak condition thanks to the level-up, and a pile of items on the ground. As he had ownership for a while, there was no need to rush collecting them.
[Unbelievable achievement! You have succeeded in killing a hundred Murderers.]
[The title PKK (Player Killer Killer) has been acquired.]
[You are the first to acquire this title.]
[First!]
[PKK (Player Killer Killer)][Unique]
We commend your courage in killing a hundred murderers and bringing solace to the souls of their victims.
You are the first to win this title.
[Hold Effect]
- Additional 15% increase in attack and defense when fighting Murderers.
- Increases attack power by 10% when fighting all humanoid targets.
- Increases critical strike chance by 10% when fighting all humanoid targets.
"Nice."
Perhaps thanks to the first-acquisition bonus, his combat power against not only PKers but all humanoid beings was greatly enhanced. This would play a significant role not just now but also in future faction conflicts, as enemy faction members were also classified as humanoids.
And for the Blood Chasers, a nightmare-like effect was now permanently attached: increased attack and defense against Murderers. It meant Lokan's already formidable attack and defense were further strengthened against them.
This was a welcome effect for Lokan, who had no intention of ending his feud with the Blood Chasers here. He even began to subtly hope he could achieve a thousand kills.
"It would be nice to get the 'Slayer of a Thousand' title at this rate."
Lokan saved his current location in the Rune Book and returned to the city. He didn't proceed to his original destination because his inventory was full, preventing him from continuing the hunt.
* * *
After making several trips between the warehouse and the field to store the loot, the list of items in his warehouse stretched on.
By paying a fixed fee, he could use the warehouse of the Archirema Item Storage Association to retrieve stored items.
"Register these items for auction."
Lokan, after shuttling between the warehouse and auction house to list another batch of items, opened the game's website before heading back to the hunting grounds. He intended to stir the pot a little, ensuring the Blood Chasers didn't get scared and retreat.
[Initiating Hunt on Blood Chasers.]
[Author: Lokan]
Beginning the hunt on the PK guild Blood Chasers, active in Trinshik. Report their location, and I will come immediately. Please report via private message or comment.
It was a short post, but it was enough. This action made his conflict with the Blood Chasers irreversible, but that didn't matter. As long as Lokan refused to return the Cloak of Stealth, there was no chance of improving relations with them anyway.
*'Once it's in my hands, it's mine. What's the point of giving it back?'*
The account used for this post was newly registered, different from the one used for the secret dungeon and real estate trades. However, Lokan had linked his character to authenticate the post, making it hard for people to dismiss it as nonsense.
Moreover, the Blood Chasers were already quite infamous in the Trinshik area, ensuring the post attracted attention.
The real estate auction scheduled for tomorrow was still a hot topic, but the guilds involved seemed to be staying quiet, perhaps due to Lokan's ominous warning. This allowed Lokan's new post to quickly become a major point of discussion.
Since it was posted on the Trinshik server board, the response was immediate. Views skyrocketed, and comments poured in.
- Penzal: Is this a new breed of player?
- Sori Travel: "Kill the Blood Chasers" hahahaha
- Cracked ttukbaegi: Seems like a new method of suicide.
- Eyes: Ugh, I wish it were real. I died five times to these bastards just yesterday.
└ Banya Simkyung: That's because you're sloppy. They avoid me when they see me.
└ Dew Sword: Do you have shit all over your body or something?
Most initial comments were negative or skeptical. But after a while, the mood began to shift with one particular comment.
- Silky: Awesome. This is real. Go check the auction house right now.
└ Sohye Kim: What does the auction house have to do with it?
└ Silky: A ton of these guys' items are listed. It's not just a one-time thing.
└ Island: Now that you mention it, a bunch of them just appeared at the resurrection point outside the city. I thought they had been wiped by a boss monster… … .
Rumors began to spread like wildfire about the confrontation between Lokan and the Blood Chasers, and the fact that a single player had wiped out an entire group. The evidence on the auction house was hard to ignore.