C210
He was sitting on a large rock.
My sword had disintegrated due to the backlash from Spirit of the Sword, and my sturdy leather armor was also torn to shreds. My physical condition was terrible. Even with the defense effect of Black Dragon Scale, the penalties from Exceed and Spirit of the Sword, plus the high-speed fall from tens of meters, were severe.
'Nevertheless...'
I had achieved my goal of attracting attention and causing a commotion.
Since Jenna and Belkist had entered under the ruins.
I looked down.
The surface of a field that was once covered with grass was now upside down.
Where I fell, a small crater had formed, as if a meteorite had impacted, and shattered rock fragments were scattered everywhere.
It wasn't just a commotion.
It was difficult to even find corpses.
Probably, the corpses had been torn to pieces and disappeared.
"What the hell just happened...?"
I looked to my side.
In the distance, the heroes who were discussing by the barricade were looking at me.
Forgetting even the act of wielding their weapons against each other.
"Ugh...!"
The face of the man who locked eyes with me turned pale.
Soon, he began to retreat stealthily and then ran as if his heels were on fire.
The same happened with the man's companions. Dozens of heroes attacking Silver Star's defenses fled towards the fortress.
[Pick me Up! - Mad Dog reappears in the ruins?!]
[BJ - Sigyn]
[8312 viewers]
I sighed and got up from the rock.
Then I walked slowly towards the Crystal, where the barricade had been established.
Like a swarm of ants fleeing, people moved away from the direction I was heading.
[Rikyu (Pikapik3): ?????]
[Sangschikom (NolJulAra): Oh, does this kid know how to have fun?]
[LandOver17: That guy is crazy. Isn't this a level 40 ruin?]
[RRAAR: Right. It's a level 40 ruin.]
[LandOver17: I would believe it's a 6-star with that power.]
[YouthWind (Readq2): Super Meteor Rock!]
Once again, I slid the chat aside.
Although I had moved it to the corner, dozens of lines of chat appeared at the same time, obstructing my view.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
A member of the Self-Defense Squadron hastily unsheathed his sword.
Trembling with his right hand, he aimed his sword at me.
"Don't be afraid! It's just one! Don't give him the ruin!"
"But, Miss Sijal..."
"She must be alive!"
Now that I think about it, I don't see that woman.
It seems she was at the center of the explosion, probably turned to dust.
The others who provoked me probably suffered the same fate.
They should have listened to Jenna.
The heroes of the ruin, who had gathered to attack me together, were annihilated as a group.
There was a great void in the battle.
<Wow.>
The Lucette was floating above my head.
The other aircraft had disappeared.
<Impressive.>
"Not so much."
It's a fact that I am 4 stars.
Although my statistics were average compared to high-level heroes, the quality of my skills and Engravings, as well as my dexterity, were on another level. The best I could achieve in this section was to make my body a little faster, stronger, and more resistant.
However, that doesn't mean I could change the course of the battle on my own.
This technique, despite its great destructive power, had broad movements and made it easy to predict the point of impact.
Furthermore, after using it, I couldn't use Exceed or Black Dragon's Blood for a while, making it difficult to consider it a perfect technique.
If I had left my position as soon as I jumped, the damage would have been much less.
That's the difference in experience. The heroes here probably had little experience fighting enemies with extraordinary powers.
'...How ridiculous.'
A monster, they say?
Large movements and a predictable point of impact?
Easy to say. When an 80-ton object falls at the speed of sound.
I frowned.
With just a show of strength, the battle had reached a stalemate.
I looked around the periphery of the ruin. Most of those who had landed to take the ruin were fleeing. They seemed to think that, with the death of the leading heroes, continuing to fight would only lead to greater losses.
They probably thought I could use that technique several times.
I turned my gaze towards Silver Star's barricade.
The members of the Self-Defense Squadron who had drawn their weapons and faced me didn't seem to have any intention of attacking me. They watched me from a distance with eyes full of fear.
Among them, a familiar young man stepped forward.
"Having such power..."
Adilang Curls, the de facto leader of the Silver Star heroes.
His neat attire was stained with dust and blood.
He seemed to have had a magical energy reflux, as blue blood was flowing from his lips.
Adilang looked at me with desolate eyes.
"Have you been manipulating us from the beginning?"
"What are you talking about?"
"We are just..."
"Save your pathetic excuses. I'm tired of hearing them."
I scoffed disdainfully.
This guy isn't a fool.
He probably knew that Silver Star's Self-Defense Squadron would betray them.
"We're finished, aren't we?"
"I suppose so." I replied impassively.
All the heroes of Silver Star in the fortress were dead.
There weren't many left at the barricade, and the elite heroes had also been annihilated.
Even if we retreat from here, others will soon come to take possession of the ruin.
"Innocent people have died too."
"That's right."
The entire ruin had become a battlefield.
Most of the non-combatants of Silver Star here were probably dead.
Player PvP fleets fired indiscriminately, even at the aircraft carrying refugees.
"..."
There had been another option.
To help Silver Star expel the Self-Defense Squadron and receive the necessary resources in return.
There was no need to shed blood in this way.
There was no sign of fighting intent in Adilang.
He probably already heard that Jenna and Belkist were approaching the goddess statue.
But he remained silent, only showing a bitter smile.
"If you don't want to fight like this, stay locked in the Lobby and don't come out."
I opened my mouth to speak.
"Survive there being self-sufficient, cooperating with the children in the Lobby. Don't inject strange ideas into others. It will never work as you wish."
Anyway, the Silver Star Guild was ruined.
It would have been dissolved soon, even without me.
I just hastened that moment a bit.
'Am I rationalizing this?'
Well, it doesn't matter.
I leaned on the rock behind me.
[General Announcement!]
[Master Anything has successfully conquered the ruin.]
[Heroes from other Masters will be automatically expelled from the area in 10 seconds!]
With a flash.
The crystal beyond the barricade turned blue.
It was a sign of successful conquest.
"Mr. Han."
"What's happening?"
I looked back at Adilang.
His body was faintly glowing.
Reverse Summoning. It was the return to the Lobby.
"We won't forget what happened today."
"Do as you wish."
Adilang disappeared in a burst of light.
Other heroes who were waveringly pointing swords at me also disappeared one by one.
Finally, no one was left here except me.
[Master, congratulations on the conquest of the ruin!]
[Tips/ A 'Ruins' tab has been created in the menu. In the ruins tab, you'll be able to check the status of resources and the date of the next battle. Strengthen defenses and replenish troops. We wish you success in the next battle!]
A victory message appeared on Anything's screen along with fanfare.
I headed towards the barricade with a throbbing pain in my head.
The residual effect of Exceed and Black Dragon's Blood, plus contamination symptoms.
My body was in bad shape.
<Hmph, we won't forget. This body has heard those words thousands of times.>
"I suppose so."
<Don't worry. After all, being a hero means advancing while carrying thousands of grievances and hatreds on your back.>
He's talking nonsense again.
If I had cared, I wouldn't have started this.
I was tired of words like hero.
Anyway, the battle for the ruin ended with Taonier's victory.
Anything proceeded immediately to the next step.
After installing a dimensional portal connecting the Lobby to the ruin, he called the workers.
Then he ordered the collection of rare woods and minerals scattered around the ruin.
These resources would be useful for crafting equipment and aircraft.
'I should take advantage of this and then leave.'
The remaining time until the next conquest is approximately one real week.
If we loot the resources by then, it will be enough to increase our strength.
Probably, in the next round, enemies will form an alliance to attack us.
Attacking in minority and defending in minority are completely different problems.
It would be better to make the most of what we can and then withdraw.
We can't waste the Lobby's strength here.
--------------------
[Black Dragon's Strike!]
In Taonier's fourth-floor office.
Iselle, wearing a black dragon mask, was flapping her wings.
Iselle spun rapidly and descended.
[Ha, ha, ha!]
Iselle took off the mask, laughing out loud.
[Invincible in the sky and on the ground! Unstoppable! Undefeated! I am the incomparable Loki! This is the prelude to the legend... Argh!]
I grabbed and stretched Iselle's cheek.
Her soft cheek stretched like clay.
[Why, why are you doing that? I prepared all night to show it to you!]
"What is the Black Dragon's Strike?"
[It's Loki's technique name. How does it look? Pretty cool, huh?]
I grabbed one of Iselle's wings and spun her around.
Iselle's body rotated like a windmill.
[Aaaaaah!]
"Throw it."
While spinning Iselle with my left hand, I moved the hologram cursor with my right.
In the window in front of me, the official Pick me Up forum screen appeared.
■ Incident and Accident Bulletin Board.
<Report Anything>
<Seachorom (Sea*****)>
[I am Seachorom, the guild master of the Silver Star herbivore guild.]
[I posted this message to talk to the numerous SimCity users, herbivorous users, and those who enjoy camaraderie. I want to inform you about an incident that occurred in our guild.]
So it happened.
I increased the speed at which I was spinning Iselle.
[Aaaahhhhh!]
Seachorom, the master of Adilang, had posted a message on the incident board.
The message, which included several screenshots, detailed how Anything joined the guild and the situation when the territory battle began.
Of course, it omitted what Anything had heard from the members of the Self-Defense Squad and what had happened during the resource distribution.
<548 Comments >
There were hundreds of comments.
It seems to have attracted quite a bit of attention.
For community users who are always thirsty for stimulation, it was a good article to open popcorn to.
<Naradima>
[Isn't Anything the user who posted a victory video on MyTube?]
└<Response - RedShoot>
[That's right. Those who know him know. All his videos are captures of a hero.]
<Romantic Bunny>
[Anyway, isn't it true that that guy named Anything did something despicable? He joined the guild to receive resources and, at the slightest problem, he razed everything. It would have been better if he had attacked from the beginning, what kind of action is this? It's not even mocking. It's just garbage.]
<IWantToChangeMyID>
[What a lack of personality, hahaha! I saw that territory battle, and it seems he got furious because the herbivore guild didn't help him. There are quite a few people like that, you know. Those who act as if they are professionals just because they got a powerful hero are the worst.]
<Bowl Smasher>
[Give me that guy's coordinates. I'm going to smash his base.]
└<Response - Kar98>
[Let's go together. I was bored, so it's perfect. Send me the coordinates by message. I'll prepare the fleet. After sending him on a 'tour', I'll post a test photo.]
[Again with the typical community stuff. It's not a bug, it's something allowed in the game, why so much bile? Did that guy do something to them? I saw that after taking the ruin, he simply finished. Here come the 'supreme judges' of the community again, hahaha.]
└<Response - Kar98>
[You sound like a photo gallery addict. Go back to your base and don't make a fuss here. If you don't want trouble, of course.]
└<Response - Prickly Witch>
[That's right, photo gallery-goer. Don't pay attention to him.]
"Note: The expression 'frequenting photo galleries' suggests that the person spends a lot of time in online image galleries, possibly obsessing over something or someone, or simply wasting time. In this context, it is used to discredit someone, suggesting that their opinion or behavior is trivial, obsessive, or unserious, comparing their participation in online debates or activities with aimlessly browsing image galleries."
<NanaKing>
[Those who are preparing to do justice, be careful. That guy is very strong. I investigated, and his specifications are no joke. He was one of the top students of Niflheim, he swept the individual championship in a 4-star Dimensional City, and he handled the conquest battle alone.]
└<Response - Kar98>
[Still, he's just an insignificant rookie.]
The comments section was a mess.
Although some users defended Anything, they were quickly overwhelmed by a barrage of criticism.
[Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!]
I increased the speed at which I was spinning Iselle even more.
According to Iselle, Anything had also read the message.
But he hadn't responded.
That was better.
It's not like I haven't experienced something similar.
Once public lynching starts in the community, counter-response almost never works.
I could see in the comments the usernames belonging to the Silver Star guild.
They were pushing with numbers.
Even if Anything posted what he heard, they would find some excuse to keep being rude.
The witch hunt doesn't end until the target becomes complete trash.
That's how 'herbivores' take revenge on 'carnivores'.
'It's okay.'
I looked up.
Anything, connected to the game, was staring at the main screen.
No matter what they say around you, just do what you want to do.
That's what I'm here for.
