Chương 357: Chapter 343

Sam had several options for handling the situation. He could go in magic blazing and take everybody down in an all-out fight. Or he could sneak around and try to take care of them one by one. They seemed to be patrolling, so he could at least pick off a few of them that way. But that would quickly devolve into a hostage situation. And he had made sure that all the locals – that is, the NPCs – knew he was a good, honorable person.

So if it came out that he had abandoned civilians to the mercy of the enemy, it could tank his reputation. Frowning slightly, he surveyed the town again. The civilians were gathered in the middle of the square, either sitting or standing, as the Crimson Lotus surrounded them and jeered. Occasionally, they would drag someone forward to threaten them personally, only to throw them back moments later. As if all of it were for show…

'They knew they couldn't delay me long enough with just those morons… So the theatrics,' he mused irritably.

'I have to work around it. Damn it.' For a few seconds, he debated his approach, but then he just let out a sigh and shrugged.

"Fuck it. Balls blazing, it is!" He unsheathed his sword, cracked his neck left, then right, and started creeping down the small hill overlooking the town. Just because he didn't want to stealth through it didn't mean he wanted to give them the initiative. Granted, he was one hundred percent sure that they were waiting specifically for him, but even so, he still wanted to surprise at least one person.

Making sure to avoid any lookouts with his mana sense, he approached the town and began reclaiming it from the enemy by climbing up onto the wall, then silently dropping down and glancing around to see if anyone had noticed his surprisingly 'coordinated' entry. Letting out a relieved breath when he didn't spot anyone, Sam moved toward the nearest house and climbed up onto the roof, crouching behind the chimney. Thankfully, it was thick and tall enough to conceal completely.

Looking over the small town, he saw one other person on the roofs – sitting with their back against a chimney, idly staring at something on their screen while pretending to keep watch of approaching enemies. Sam was sure the man had some kind of detection skill that would warn him of an approaching threat, so instead of sneaking closer, he raised his hand, took careful aim, and began to summon his mana.

He conjured a small marble-sized sphere of void mana, then flicked it forward with a bit of extra force to increase its speed. The small ball of void mana flew silently through the air, its very nature ignoring things like wind resistance, until it arrived right in front of a very surprised player's face. At that exact moment, Sam released the tether holding the mana together.

Even from a distance, he saw the man's eyes widen – but before he could react, the sphere of void mana expanded, swallowing both him and the chimney he had been leaning against. The only sound was the house creaking slightly as it lost weight at the top, the wooden supports almost seeming to sigh in relief.

"One down…" Sam whispered, already aware he was on a timer. He stood, gave the area one last cursory glance, and began bounding across the rooftops, gradually circulating mana through his body and pushing his attributes toward their limits. By the time he reached the third house, his jumps were long enough to clear entire roofs, the wind whistling in his ears.

Grinning from ear to ear, he reached the edge of the square within seconds, launching himself in the air from the last roof and sending a few loose tiles flying. Midair, he watched as everyone turned toward him. A few players shouted warnings and were fast enough to begin casting spells or raising weapons – but it didn't matter.

He hit the ground with the force of an artillery shell, swinging his sword and cutting one player instantly in twain – the surprise strike doing exactly what it was meant to do – while tossing out several runic artifacts. Small metal plates carved with runic symbols, which he would create in his spare time. Instantly, a shield sprang up around the hostages, enveloping them in a barrier strong enough to stop any stray attacks.

The surrounding players stared in shock as their party member dissolved into rainbow pixels – almost missing the shield forming behind him. Sam just grinned.

"Let's play!" And then he moved – no hesitation, no buildup – his body blurring forward in a sudden burst of speed that shattered the fragile moment of shock hanging over the battlefield, his feet barely seeming to touch the ground as he cut straight into the disorganized cluster of Crimson Lotus members.

Behind him, Lucky erupted from his shadow in a violent surge of motion, his massive form tearing free of the darkness with a thunderous howl that rolled across the square like a physical force, pressing down on everyone present and sending visible ripples of fear through those unprepared to resist it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam caught several players freezing mid-cast, their spells sputtering and collapsing as their concentration broke under the weight of the mental pressure, their bodies locking up just long enough to seal their fate. Clearly, they didn't invest in their resistance skills.

He drove forward, weaving between the first wave of attackers as they scrambled to react – some too slow to raise their weapons, others committing too early, their strikes cutting through empty space as he slipped past them with fluid, almost effortless movements. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Several Crimson Lotus members in dark red garb rushed to intercept him, their black lotus insignias flashing as they moved, some on armor, others dangling from necklaces that bounced wildly with their panicked steps. The one directly in his path stepped forward, face lighting up with recognition and misplaced confidence.

"Solar! We finally meet, and I can show – GHURK" The words never finished. Sam's blade passed through him in a single, clean motion, the cut so fast it took a fraction of a second before the man's body split apart, his form already beginning to fragment into shimmering pixels even as Sam's momentum carried him forward without slowing in the slightest. His focus had already shifted. The next opponent didn't waste time speaking.

Instead, he inhaled sharply, chest expanding, before exhaling a dense, reddish cloud that spread outward in a rolling wave, thick and cloying, pulsing faintly with corrupted mana as it rushed to engulf Sam. Sam didn't even consider stopping. Grinning wider, he locked eyes with the man and charged straight through the cloud, the blood magic unraveling instantly as it met the cleansing aura wrapped around his body, the crimson mist tearing apart into harmless wisps before it could even touch him.

The man's expression twisted in disbelief.

"What–" Sam was already past him. His sword flicked out in a tight, controlled arc, releasing a compressed crescent of mana that struck the man square in the chest, launching him backward with enough force to lift him off his feet, his body beginning to dissolve before he even hit the ground. By now, the rest of Crimson Lotus had recovered and launched their counterattack.

Shouts erupted across the square as Crimson Lotus members regrouped, their earlier arrogance replaced with urgency as they unleashed everything they had. Reddish clouds began to stack over one another, layering the battlefield in overlapping waves of blood magic, while blades, arrows, and spells cut through the air from every direction, converging on Sam's constantly shifting position. He didn't slow.

Melee fighters closed in, trying to pin him down with sheer numbers – but instead of avoiding every strike, he let some of them land, deliberately taking the hits as his body absorbed the impact, his newly gained defenses turning their own strength against them. The moment their weapons connected, they paid for it. His counters came instantly – precise, efficient, and devastating – his blade sliding through gaps in armor, his movements guided by instinct and experience as much as raw speed.

At the same time, his free hand lashed out again and again, releasing concentrated pulses of void mana that tore through space in straight, merciless lines, erasing anything they touched—torsos collapsing into nothing, limbs vanishing mid-motion, entire players disappearing before they even realized what had happened. There were around fifty players in the square. One dead on the roof. One on landing. And as he zig-zagged through them, more fell.

From the edges of the square, more enemy players spilled out of buildings, drawn by the noise, immediately raising their hands to cast – only to find their attacks intercepted. Sam shifted his stance slightly, and a black barrier flared into existence over his body, catching the more dangerous spells – the ever-hungry void absorbing them – while the weaker ones he simply ignored, letting them strike him. Behind him, the situation was no better. Lucky moved like a living disaster.

Massive paws crashed down with bone-breaking force, each step leaving cracked stone in its wake, while his jaws snapped shut around fleeing players, tearing them apart in sprays of dissolving pixels. His howl echoed again, lower this time, almost pleased. And through all of that, Sam just kept moving. Never stopping. The battle – if it could even be called that – lasted maybe a minute. Then Sam stood before the last remaining member of Crimson Lotus.

The player, a young man with terror written all over his face, scrambled backward on the ground, desperately throwing out every spell in his arsenal as Sam advanced at a leisurely pace. Sam simply raised his sword, coated in void mana, and batted the spells aside, still grinning. Behind him, Lucky approached – now the size of a small house – his jaws dripping with rainbow pixels as the last traces of the others faded away. His eyes were locked onto the terrified man.

"S-stop! You… you can't do this," the young man stammered, crawling backward until his back hit the wall of a house.

"Do you know who we are?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Dead?"

"What?" the man blinked, clearly thrown off.

"No! We are the Crimson Lotus, and this is our territory! Do you really think we'll just let this go?" Sam blinked. Did the guy not know who he was?

"Excuse me," Sam said, almost politely.

"Do you know who I am?" He felt silly that he even had to do it. The young man, seemed to find a shred of courage and snorted.

"Why would I care what a dead man's name is? Once our boss hears about this, you're finished."

"Oh? Your boss?" Sam tilted his head slightly, feeling the mana begin to gather inside the man.

"Who is it?" The man grinned proudly.

'Ah, distraction. Fun,' Sam noted.

"Hah! Our boss is the strongest! He is in the top 100 of the leaderboards!" Sam just chuckled.

"When you respawn, make sure to check those leaderboards… Anyway, could I get his name?"

"Orthur the Crimson Lotus himself will get you, idiot!"

"Orthur? Never heard of him…"

"And you never will!" the young man shouted as the mana buildup reached its peak.

"Taste my ultimate – SQUELCH." Sam glanced sideways. Lucky had raised a paw, his expression one of visible disgust, and lazily swatted the man. The result was immediate. Rainbow pixels scattered everywhere. Sam blinked.

"Really?"

"Wuff…"

"Well, he was annoying…" Some people took the game too seriously. Shaking his head, Sam turned back toward the civilians and, with a twist of his will, dismissed the shield around them. The runic artifacts crumbled into dust, their purpose fulfilled. That was apparently the signal the townsfolk had been waiting for. They surged toward him.

** It took a few minutes to accept their gratitude and shake hands, but as soon as he sensed the observation team moving in, Sam took a few steps back from the adoring crowd and jumped onto Lucky's back. They bolted out of the town, passing the incoming team and exchanging a quick nod before heading straight for Ironwood. His messenger rang. A moment later, he found himself in a four-way call with Adam, Tim, and Lucy.

"Talk to me!" Lucy was the one who spoke first.

"Ironwood and Ferabor are calm. Nothing is happening."

"So Deepanchor?" Sam asked. All of them nodded as one.

"How bad?"

"Short story?" Tim asked flatly.

"It's a shitshow." Sam sighed.

"Well, I've got time before I get there."

"I got the portal activated for you," Lucy cut in.

"Get to Ferabor, and you'll reach Deepanchor much faster."

"You're a doll," Sam said.

"So what am I walking into?" Adam exhaled heavily.

"There's some kind of blood-sucking parasite grass spreading along one side of the city. Then there were multiple explosions – some kind of blood magic – in the warehouse district. And finally… they've managed to drive two krakens into the harbor." Sam stared at him.

"That is a lot." Adam nodded grimly.

"They've also been infected with some kind of blood magic mutation." Sam was silent for a moment as Lucky continued sprinting forward.

"…Yeah. That's a lot."

"Yes, well… please hurry up."

"What about the others?"

"Dan is currently handling the blood grass. The girls are doing their best to keep the krakens occupied." Adam paused, listening to something off-screen.

"Alright – one of the krakens is close to death, so there is that." Sam nodded, then turned his attention to Tim.

"And you?"

"The tamer's guilds are ready to move in," came the simple report from Tim.

"Adam?" Sam asked. Adam thought for a moment.

"Send them. We need the manpower."

"Understood," Tim said – and then disconnected. Adam leaned forward.

"I'm heading back. It's total chaos out there! See you when you get here!" The call cut, but not before explosions, shouted orders, and curses bled through. That left Sam alone with Lucy. She studied him for a moment before speaking.

"Rockfall went well?"

"Amateur hour."

"Good." She hesitated, then added.

"I mobilized all guild teams across all of our holdings. We're at DEFCON 3…" Sam nodded.

"Make sure Liz is ready. We'll only get one shot at this." Lucy snorted softly.

"She's been spamming me with messages. She wants to take her 'son' out and show the krakens who's boss…"

"Ah, she finished it?"

"Last week, yeah."

"Cool. Still, tell her to hold off. A kraken isn't worth it."

"I tried."

"Tell her to build static anti-kraken defenses. That should keep her busy for a while…" Lucy's eyes lit up.

"Oooh, good idea!"