The four Rysas charged him in perfect sync, their movements identical. Even for a seasoned player like Kael, telling them apart was impossible, let alone landing a clean shot.

  But Kael didn't panic.

  A second later, Phantom Barrage came off cooldown. He unleashed it on the four assassins instantly.

  -23845

  -8942

  -76493

  -79058

  Four different damage numbers popped up. Since clones took 200% increased damage, only the real Rysa would have a damage value under 10K.

  Without a doubt, the one that took 8,942 damage was the original.

  However, just as Kael drew his bow to take aim, the real Rysa’s form blurred.

  She was gone.

  Stealth. A level 35 boss’s stealth, at that. Kael had no way of detecting it preemptively. If he stayed put, she’d be on him in an instant.

  Without hesitation, Kael vaulted onto a nearby rooftop, turned on his heel—and ran.

  The maneuver left the defending players on the ground completely stunned.

  “Holy shit, he’s running away!”

  “Damn it, I was treating him like a boss and forgot he’s a player!”

  “Are you kidding me?!”

  “Where’s Rysa? Anyone see where she went?”

  “No idea. Maybe she followed him.”

  “Her clones are on his tail, so the real one must be close.”

  “Ah! Who’s attacking me?”

  “Crap, look around you!”

  Only then did the defenders realize that the attacking forces had broken through the front lines and had them completely surrounded.

  Kael hadn’t forgotten his objective: rescue the western assault. He’d tried to burn down the Shadow Assassin in a few minutes, but it was clear she was no pushover. So he switched gears, making a break for the west wing of the battlefield.

  If Rysa chose to hunt him, his teammates, empowered with five stacks of the Sunfire Bell, would make short work of the remaining grunts. If she stayed behind to fight the other players, Kael wasn't worried either. Could her kill speed even compare to his?

  As he sprinted across the rooftops, Kael kept an eye on his pursuers. The three Rysa clones were still hot on his heels.

  He glanced back, took aim at a cluster of players below, and fired.

  Phantom Barrage!

  System: You have killed a player. +3 points.

  System: You have killed a player. +3 points.

  System: You have killed a player. +3 points.

  .....

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Dozens of kill notifications flooded his screen again.

  From then on, he fired the skill every four seconds like clockwork. Each volley harvested the lives of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of enemy players.

  To an outside observer, it might have looked like a desperate retreat.

  In reality, his points were skyrocketing.

  Five minutes later, Kael reached the western gate, having killed over 3,000 players and amassed more than 10,000 points along the way.

  The western front was a disaster. Lacking any real coordination, the assault had devolved into chaos. Their initial zerg rush on the outer fence had been mercilessly cut down by ten arrow towers, sending them scattering in disarray. They finally managed to bring up three catapults, but with no one to direct their fire, they failed to make a dent before the defenders simply repaired the towers.

  The defenders then seized the opportunity, charged out, and destroyed the siege engines.

  This tragic cycle had repeated itself. The defenders had lost only 5,000 players while wiping out nearly 20,000 of the attackers on the western front.

  After the Third Chieftain cast his mass resurrection spell, the attackers, buoyed by the temporary buff, finally broke through the fence—at the cost of another 15,000 lives.

  But by then, they had lost their numerical advantage. The Chieftain's buff was just enough to counter the defenders' fortifications, resulting in a bloody stalemate. The remaining players could only huddle around their commander, inching forward slowly.

  Fortunately, the Third Chieftain's AoE healing was potent. By the time Kael arrived, a core force of 5,000 attackers was still alive.

  Now, perched on a rooftop overlooking the siege, Kael saw their desperate situation. Wasting no time, he summoned his own clones, splitting his forces into three to rain death upon the defenders.

  Thanks to his [Right Wing Commander] title, his clones were no longer the glass cannons they used to be. With 250,000 HP and 6,000+ attack power, they could one-shot nearly anyone but a dedicated tank. In the dense crowds, their Splintering Arrow and Pierce effects became god-tier reaping tools. A single shot from a clone would often drop seven or eight players at once.

  And Kael himself? Anything within 100 yards was his personal shooting gallery.

  With Rysa’s three clones still chasing him, Kael couldn't stay in one place. He circled the battlefield, turning the defenders’ formation into a kill zone. In less than three minutes, he’d harvested another 7,000 kills.

  “Screw this, that guy’s not human. I’m out.”

  “Fall back to the safe zone! There’s an Archon there!”

  “Retreat!”

  The defenders finally broke, fleeing for the rear.

  A wave of relief washed over the attackers on the western front, and they erupted in cheers.

  “The Fourth Chieftain is a god!”

  “Ullr! Ullr! Ullr!”

  “Get back here, you Starlight Village bastards!”

  Seeing the enemy rout, Kael finally slowed his pace, walking toward the allied players.

  He’d barely taken a few steps when a crushing blow slammed into the back of his head.

  -4383 (Stun)

  Rysa’s form materialized from a shadowy figure right behind him.

  Kael froze for a split second before cursing under his breath.

  “Holy shit, you’re still on my ass?!”

  Rysa offered no reply. Her form blurred, and four identical assassins appeared, their daggers descending on Kael in a vicious flurry.

  -7642

  -2529

  -2923

  -2543

  ...

  Kael’s health bar plummeted. Worse, a debuff icon appeared above his head: Crippled.

  [Crippled]: Attack speed and movement speed reduced by 20%.

  He couldn't even run. Rysa had been chasing him for ages, forced to watch as he slaughtered her faction's players. She was absolutely livid. Now that she finally had her chance, she wasn't letting go. With an attack speed of half a second, she was carving away over 30,000 of his health every second.

  Damn it, Kael thought, his mind racing. His clone ability was on a ten-second cooldown, so he couldn't use it to break the effect. If he turned his back to run, he'd take even more damage. At this rate, she'd kill him long before ten seconds were up.

  Just as he was out of options, a gentle breeze washed over him.

  The [Crippled] debuff vanished.

  Not only that, but the three Rysa clones around him dissolved into nothing!

  [Dispel]: Removes harmful debuffs from allies in an area and deals massive damage to hostile illusions.

  It was the Third Chieftain. He’d made his move.

  A flash of holy light enveloped Kael.

  +100,000.

  A heal for 100k HP.

  Kael marveled.

  Rysa, seeing her clones vanish and her target restored to full health, paused. She knew she couldn't kill Kael alone now. Sheathing her daggers, her form blurred once more.

  She was in stealth again.

  Kael reacted instantly, firing a Phantom Barrage at the spot where she’d stood.

  -31868 (Silkbind Shot)

  A damage number floated up, but Rysa didn't reappear.

  Shit, Kael thought, stunned. It has to be a high-rank Phantom Step.

  Without a target, even Manual Mode was useless against an invisible enemy.

  Just as Kael was about to give up the chase, an inconspicuous ball of light drifted over the area from above. Suddenly, it pulsed, shooting out rays of brilliant light in all directions.

  Bathed in the glow, the invisible Rysa was revealed.