The creature landed nearby, blue eyes gleaming as red flowers along its body spewed thick green smoke into the air.
Screams of horror burst across the battlefield as it shrieked and lashed out with its vines, tossing players like ragdolls.
The lizardman's tail flicked. "Azakkin, the mother of Vinewraiths, is here!" he shouted, laughing.
"Enough—fight!" the paladin commanded, planting his feet as a white magic circle appeared beneath him.
"God of the Sun, Solarius, grant me strength to vanquish the enemy before me." He raised his sword, golden armor gleaming.
But before he could unleash the skill, the lizardman lunged, breaking his focus.
Then the circle vanished.
"What a sly monster. I should've expected this from the likes of you," the paladin said, grinning as he parried the creature's rapid blows.
Empowered by Crimson Wrath, the lizardman struck hard and fast, forcing the paladin on the defensive.
A sudden kick knocked him off balance. The lizardman grabbed his neck, lifting him off the ground.
"Any last words?"
Fingers tightened around his throat. The paladin choked and thrashed while the lizardman laughed.
From a distance, Yor fired arrows—some missing, some landing—but barely scratching the monster's massive HP pool.
Man… this guy's tough. I hope the others in low-star zones are doing okay.
"You fought well, but forgettable—"
The lizardman's words cut short as an arrow pierced his eye. He screamed, dropped the paladin, and ripped the shaft from his face.
"You should've run kid!" he roared, scenting Yor and leaping after him.
Yor tried to run, but the lizardman was too fast. He landed hard, cracking the ground, and grabbed Yor by the hair.
The air grew heavy. Yor froze as the monster slammed his face into the ground, breaking his bow.
"Wuaahhh—!"
He screamed, then blinked. No real pain—only a burning tingle. His face crumbled into brown ash instead of bleeding.
"I'll carve out your eyes," the lizardman sneered, pressing a bone spear to Yor's eye.
But Yor only felt a faint sting.
Thank goodness… I really thought that would hurt.
The lizardman narrowed his eyes. "Interesting."
Yor, desperate, grabbed the dagger at his side and stabbed it into the creature's throat.
The lizardman growled and hurled him away.
"Solar Judgement!" the paladin cried, sword raised as sunlight tore through the clouds.
Twin magic circles flared—above and below—and a blazing beam of divine light slammed down on the lizardman.
The stronger the guilt, the stronger the damage. And this one had slain many of the paladin's comrades.
He let out a final scream as the light burned through him—roasting him crispy and black.
"You did well, warrior," the paladin whispered, picking up his helm and turning back to the fight.
---
Meanwhile, Yor respawned at the rear of the battlefield—not far from the fighting, in a safe zone.
"Yor!"
It was Ludwig's voice, calling out to him.
Yor turned around and saw about a hundred players forming a rough circle. At the center stood a charismatic girl with red eyes and short blonde hair, a little over 5'7" and looking like she was in her early twenties.
They seemed to be holding a meeting led by her.
"What's happening here?" Yor asked, stepping closer to Ludwig with a curious glance.
The blonde girl smiled warmly, raising her hand and motioning toward the group with an open palm.
"Those handsome folks over there, come here!" Her voice had that certain pull—calm and clear, the kind people instinctively listened to.
Ludwig straightened up, a faint flush coloring his cheeks as he replied, his voice suddenly a little deeper than usual—trying to sound cooler.
"Thank you, ma'am!"
Yor raised an eyebrow and snorted. "You sounded like an old person."
They started walking toward the crowd, which wasn't far off.
"It's not every day someone calls you handsome. Gotta treasure that."
Ludwig smirked, while Yor shot him a look that screamed, That's the most ridiculous lie I've ever heard.
"Alright, everyone—eyes up." Rywes clapped her hands, snapping the group to attention.
"The gods are watching, and this is our shot to stand out. Drop everything you've learned so far."
She drew the sword from her back with a sharp hiss of metal.
"We're putting together a plan to take down that monster."
She leveled the blade at the creature ahead.
"Azakkin."