"There must be an intention to show off their strength."
The sudden uprising of the guilds clearly wasn't fueled by a single motive.
In a situation where every major faction was aggressively recruiting new and talented members, demonstrating overwhelming power was a clever strategy.
If they could display dominance in front of the public eye, it would make recruitment far easier and solidify their reputations.
Phyria's miscalculation had become the perfect opportunity for the other guilds to rise.
"Well, I've eaten as much as I could."
After observing the overall atmosphere, Lokan decided it was time to stop squeezing the Blood Chaser any further.
He had started this war himself and had already gained a mountain of spoils, but the returns were now shrinking.
The Blood Chaser members were no longer providing the kind of profit that had made them such lucrative prey.
Their levels had stagnated because they spent more time hunting players than monsters, leaving them barely at the early 50s to 60s in terms of combat power.
The experience gained from killing them was roughly the same as farming mid-tier monsters, and Lokan had already killed many of them multiple times, causing their equipment to drop and their worth to plummet.
If he wanted to progress, it was better to step back now than waste precious time grinding them into dust.
"How will the MP Guild respond…?"
That was the real question.
Would they lead the charge in wiping out the Blood Chasers, like in Lokan's previous life?
Would they remain neutral, unwilling to risk their resources?
Or would they make the reckless choice of siding with the Blood Chasers?
The last option was almost unthinkable, but Lokan couldn't rule anything out—including the possibility that they might abandon their pursuit of him altogether.
"Please… don't give up."
He actually hoped they would continue their attacks.
The Blood Chaser might no longer be worth much, but the MP Guild's elite were still rich sources of loot and experience.
Even if he hunted them alone, Lokan calculated that he could reach at least level 80 just by cutting down their best fighters.
Besides, those guild elites owed him a blood debt.
It would be a shame to let them off without proper payment.
Lokan, the self-proclaimed King of Violence, always collected on debts.
'It's a bit disappointing that I can't use all the traps I prepared,' he thought.
Still, he refused to rush things.
This was only the beginning of the game.
There was no need to let himself get bogged down by one faction.
Instead of chasing Blood Chasers through half the continent, Lokan turned his attention to leveling up and collecting the last page of Harkinne's Journal through the auction house.
[You have leveled up.]
With his combat strength already surpassing level 100, Lokan found that grinding experience was almost effortless.
For most players, gaining one or two levels per day was considered fast, but for Lokan—who hunted monsters far above his level—levels practically flew by.
He had already reached level 62, yet within just a couple of hours of focused hunting he gained another level with ease.
The monsters he targeted were in the mid-70s to mid-80s range, far stronger than the average player dared to approach.
'Hmm… still feels a little slow.'
As his level increased, so did the experience required for each new rank, while the experience gained from monsters remained nearly the same.
The gap between level 70 and 80 creatures wasn't large enough to justify the extra effort.
Level 90 monsters offered better rewards, but hunting them would take too much time.
For now, slaughtering level-70 to level-80 beasts remained the fastest way to climb.
It was still blazingly fast compared to others, but Lokan wasn't satisfied.
He wanted to secure the coveted First to Level 100 achievement, and missing it was unacceptable.
"I'll need to change my gear soon," he muttered.
If he wanted to stay ahead, he needed either stronger monsters or faster kills.
The simplest answer was upgrading equipment.
"Hmm… let's see if anything worthwhile is on the market."
He had plenty of gold.
The real question was whether the right items were available.
His current gear was all magic-grade, but it was reaching its limit.
Then he found it.
"Perfect."
[Hawk Piece Armor] [Magic]
An iron breastplate engraved with the image of a soaring hawk.
While its artistic value was high, its defense and durability were slightly compromised.
Defense: 110
Durability: 300/300
Agility +5
Critical Hit Chance +5%
Level Requirement: 70
[Feral Forest Lizardman Pants] [Magic]
Pants taken from a wild forest lizardman, imbued with primal energy.
Defense: 80
Durability: 400/400
Agility +3
Critical Hit Chance +3%
Level Requirement: 70
[Gloves of the Myeongbung] [Magic]
Gloves once worn by a legendary marksman.
Defense: 40
Durability: 250/250
Bow Mastery +10%
Critical Hit Chance +7%
Level Requirement: 70
[Fatal Belt] [Magic]
Defense: 40
Durability: 200/200
Critical Hit Chance +5%
Level Requirement: 70
[Seeker's Iron Boots] [Magic]
Boots favored by seasoned explorers.
Defense: 70
Durability: 300/300
Stamina +2
10% reduced trap activation rate
10% reduced damage from traps
Level Requirement: 50
Critical hits—that was the key.
A small boost to defense or stamina wouldn't change much at this stage, so Lokan invested in maximizing his offensive power.
His titles already granted a 20% critical chance, and these new items added another 20%.
With a combined 40% critical rate, nearly every second or third strike would land as a devastating critical hit.
Given Lokan's already monstrous attack power, the results would be catastrophic.
"Everyone's dead," he said with a grin.
For this strategy, he sacrificed defense, durability, and minor stat boosts, but he didn't care.
His Berserker's resilience and the protective Sealed Helmet of the Lion King covered the loss.
Even if he hadn't possessed that helmet, Lokan would have gladly sacrificed defense for pure offensive might.
"I spent a fortune… but it doesn't even sting."
For most players, such gear was a dream, but Lokan bought it with ease.
The prices were steep for magic-grade equipment, but they weren't measured in gold bars—only gold coins.
He also upgraded his weapon.
[Combat Magic Enhancement Axe] [Magic]
A warrior's steel battle-axe reinforced with powerful enchantments.
Attack Power: 150
Durability: 500/500
Level Requirement: 70
This axe boasted fifty percent more attack power than his old Orc Battle Axe.
Axes were notoriously rare, making this weapon a priceless find.
The moment he hit level 70, he sprinted to the auction house to claim it.
"This beauty will last me until level 100," he said, admiring its deadly edge.
All the other pieces of equipment were secondary.
With this weapon in hand, his enemies would crumble before him.
"Harkinne's Journal is missing only one more page… Shall I keep hunting until I find it?"
He stocked up on potions and consumables, then returned to the hunting grounds.
"Where can I check the tempbal?"
Whiz!
An arrow sliced through the air and struck the prey Lokan had been aiming for.
"… …"
"Oh, I'm sorry!" a voice called from behind.
The apology sounded polite, but Lokan instantly understood.
They hadn't "accidentally" taken his kill—they were trying to block him.
'So people are finally crowding this hunting ground too,' he thought.
With the Blood Chaser weakened by the guild assault, high-level zones were filling quickly.
Parties of players desperate to make up for lost time were now invading areas five to ten levels higher than their own.
Even Lokan had to admit it was inevitable.
If he wanted solitude, he'd have to climb to even higher hunting grounds.
But as he turned toward another monster, another arrow flashed past, stealing the kill.
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
Again.
Lokan's eyes narrowed.
The fake apologies, the smug smiles, and—most telling of all—the MP Guild emblem gleaming on their gear said it all.
The MP Guild had finally decided to confront him directly.
"Leaf Attack!"
"Snapshot!"
The archers' arrows rained down faster than his axe could swing.
When Lokan struck, his blade met only empty earth.
Even without scoring the first hit, players could still gain rewards by contributing damage, but it was clear these guild members had no intention of sharing.
They were systematically stealing every monster around him, denying him experience and loot.
'So this is how you want to play…'
This tactic was a notorious problem in many games.
Archers, with their superior range, could preempt melee fighters like Lokan, leaving them unable to secure kills.
It made questing and grinding nearly impossible, and in some games it had even caused more than seventy percent of the player base to roll archer characters.
The MP Guild, known for its "polite" image, was exploiting that very strategy.
No one would suspect them of such underhanded behavior—unless they saw it firsthand.
'They think they're clever…'
If Lokan reacted rashly, they could record the encounter, edit it, and spread it online to paint him as the aggressor.
It would tarnish the reputation he had built by destroying the Blood Chaser and might even turn him into the next public enemy.
But the MP Guild overlooked one crucial detail: Lokan also recorded everything.
"Did you really think you were the only ones with cameras?"
While most players never considered recording their hunts, Lokan made it a daily habit.
His high-end capsule wasn't just for immersive gameplay; it also allowed massive video storage.
He knew that a well-edited hunting video could draw attention, and he had been collecting footage since the start of the game.
Among those recordings were many priceless moments—now including the MP Guild's not-so-innocent ambush.
'Including their stupid grins and fake apologies,' he thought with a cold smile.
Lokan wasn't afraid.
In fact, he was already imagining the delicious ways he would "cook" these arrogant guild members alive.