In the dead of night, at a grinding spot just outside Willow Creek, a twenty-player party had surrounded a group of five.

  Or more accurately, four people and one corpse.

  "Preston! What the hell are you doing?" Sylvara shouted.

  A wicked grin spread across Grimthorn's face as he took a few steps forward. "Isolde, darling. You know exactly what I want."

  AzureSky immediately stepped in front of Sylvara, glaring at Grimthorn. "Preston, Isolde already turned you down. Why do you always have to be so damn clingy?"

  Grimthorn burst out laughing. "Haha, me? Clingy? That's rich!" He gestured dismissively toward Zara, who stood nearby. "Now she's the definition of a clinger. Acts all high and mighty during the day, then sneaks into my bed at night."

  "You… You're lying!" Zara sputtered, her face flushing with anger. She never imagined Preston would just expose her like that.

  Sylvara and AzureSky stared at her, stunned. They couldn't believe their own roommate was that kind of person.

  Grimthorn threw his head back and laughed again. "Am I lying? Who was it that 'accidentally' got wasted with me at that party? And who was it that suggested we get a hotel room?"

  "Aaargh!"

  A raw, agonized cry tore through the air. It was Aidan. The revelation hit him like a hammer—he had been chasing Zara for ages, never expecting…

  Before Aidan could do anything, Grimthorn was on him, sending him sprawling with a vicious kick. "Who the fuck do you think you are? I only friended you so you'd report Isolde's every move to me. You pathetic mutt!"

  Sylvara's mind reeled, struggling to process the rapid-fire betrayals. "You… so that's how you always found us. He was the rat."

  Grimthorn savored her shocked expression. He sauntered over to her, his voice dropping to what he clearly thought was a cool, seductive tone. "Don't worry, Isolde. Other girls are just toys for me. But with you, I'm serious. You stick with me, and I'll give you a ten-thousand-dollar allowance every month."

  A greedy glint flashed in his eyes as he mentioned the money. He pointed a thumb back at Zara. "Trash like her? I toss her a grand a month, and she kneels before me, sucking my cock. But you’re different. For you, I’m willing to pay ten times that."

  Sylvara looked at the man's twisted face, a wave of revulsion washing over her.

  As Grimthorn leaned in closer, AzureSky once again blocked his path. "You better back the hell off, Preston. Her… her brother… her brother is Dawnbreaker!"

  "Hahahahaha!" Grimthorn howled with laughter. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Her brother is Dawnbreaker? Please." He gestured proudly to the squad of players behind him. "And even if he were? So what? You think he can survive a coordinated nuke from my fifteen mages? He won't even make it to our stronghold in Stormhold. But if he does, I'll send him straight to the graveyard!"

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  "Is that so?"

  A low voice echoed from the darkness.

  "Who's there?" Grimthorn spun around, but all he could see were three or four faint lights in the distance, the figures obscured by the gloom.

  Suddenly, a soft, brilliant light flared to life, illuminating a 40-yard radius around them as if it were broad daylight.

  A knot of dread tightened in Grimthorn's stomach. Rumor had it that Dawnbreaker possessed a rare item that could do just that.

  As the figure drew closer, the crowd finally saw the crimson ID floating above his head: [Dawnbreaker]!

  Behind him, the other faint lights extinguished as his companions closed in, revealing themselves to be Lila, Elon, and another player.

  Kael’s face was a stony mask as he strode forward. He looked at Grimthorn with undisguised contempt. "What was that you were saying? Something about sending me to the graveyard?"

  Suppressing the panic rising in his chest, Grimthorn frantically typed a command into his party chat. "This is it, boys! Our chance to become legends! Nuke him! Focus fire on Dawnbreaker and make him drop that Galeharrow!"

  He had built this mage-heavy roster for this exact purpose, dreaming of the day he could one-shot the so-called number one player on the server. Today, that day had come.

  Grimthorn's hand trembled, not just from nerves, but from a surge of adrenaline. This is for you, brother.

  His brother was Cole, better known as "Ashveil," the player Kael had placed a double bounty on.

  And Kael, of course, recognized Preston. This is the piece of shit who almost ruined my sister's life in our last one.

  Kael was about to taunt Preston further when the sky suddenly crackled. Over a dozen bolts of lightning slammed down on him.

  CRACK-BOOM!

  CRACK-BOOM!

  Of all the mage specs—Ice, Fire, Wind, Arcane—Lightning was known for having the most terrifying single-target burst. In Grimthorn’s mind, a coordinated volley from fifteen Lightning Mages was a death sentence for any player, no matter who they were.

  So many young players judged the world only by what they had seen. They couldn't comprehend that some people existed entirely outside the normal rules of the game.

  But their understanding was about to be shattered.

  Amidst the blinding flashes and deafening thunder, a string of damage numbers popped up over Kael's head.

  -1

  -1

  -1

  …

  As the smoke cleared, Kael casually waved a hand in front of his face, dispersing the acrid air. "You really should learn to take care of the environment," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "All this pollution is just awful."

  Grimthorn stared, his jaw slack. "No… impossible… My invincible mage squad…"

  Kael offered a faint smile. "You'll find a lot of things are impossible. For instance…"

  Whoosh~

  Kael's form blurred. In an instant, five figures of Dawnbreaker stood in his place. A closer look revealed it was four solid clones and one ethereal spirit.

  With a flick of Kael's wrist, the three clones and the spirit raised their bows in unison.

  -6285

  -21382

  -20983

  -21525

  …

  One arrow, one kill. His clones methodically picked off the twenty players, wiping them out with chilling efficiency.

  He could have ended it instantly with Phantom Barrage, Kael thought, but with his sister so close, the AoE was too risky. He couldn't risk the piercing shots hitting her. That was why Grimthorn was still standing.

  It didn't take Grimthorn long to realize why he'd been spared. He was Cole's brother, after all; cunning ran in the family.

  He lunged, positioning himself directly in front of Isolde, using her as a shield. "Go on! Take your shot! I dare you!"

  Kael had to admit, the little shit was clever. But did he really think that would solve his problem?

  Kael turned and caught Lila's eye. She gave a single, sharp nod.

  She launched herself forward, a single powerful stride closing the distance, before leaping high into the air. She came down with the force of a meteor right beside Preston, slamming her feet into the ground. A shockwave erupted from the impact, stunning him for a crucial second and a half.

  The skill, Hakkar's signature Earthshatter Leap from the Hidden Realm raid, also empowered her next strike with a 150% damage boost.

  Lila gripped her two-handed sword and brought it down on the stunned Grimthorn's head.

  -5785

  A squishy mage like him never stood a chance. He was dead before his body hit the dirt.