Escape - Chapter 20.1
Chapter 20.1
“No time for meetings and chatter.”
“For such a trivial reason….”
“The serpents have begun searching every corner of District 11.”
Unease rippled through the room. Whispers snaked between the tables. Judai stared at him, confusion etched on his face. “That was the last contact. I haven’t been able to reach them since.”
“Perhaps they logged out in a hurry?”
“You can’t log out in front of that District 12’s boss.”
It was common knowledge that the same rules applied before a boss mob as during a main quest: logging out was impossible.
“So, are you saying… are you saying the Hero guild members are already dead?”
As Judai finished his question, a chilling aura emanated from Shade. A collective shiver ran through the room.
“They’re not the type to die so easily. But we’re out of time. We have to leave now.”
This time, the unrest intensified. A buzz of anxious conversation filled the hall. The original plan called for the raid three days after the strategy meeting. Shade was suggesting they skip that entirely.
“I understand how you feel, but that’s impossible.” Judai replied, his tone firm.
She could understand his feelings. Hero, a small guild known for its close-knit members, cared deeply for one another. Out of only eleven members, three were dead, and seven were trapped. It was only natural that Shade was the most anxious.
“If we leave in three days, I’m out of this raid.” He stated flatly. His tone was even, but the impact of his words was immense.
“If Shade is out, so is our guild.” The guild leader of Liu, who had remained silent until now, was the first to speak up. Four other guilds quickly echoed the sentiment.
Without killing the boss, the raid offered no rewards. The only gains would be the experience points and miscellaneous items from killing the serpents. Without Shade, there was no reason to participate in such a high-risk raid. Judai’s expression became troubled.
“What’s Leon’s position on this?”
“Why’s the arrow suddenly pointing at us?” Gato groaned. With Eric absent, he was the one in charge.
“I can’t say for sure without our guild leader, but personally, I don’t care. A fight is a fight, whether it’s today or in three days. What about you?”
Adeline wore a thoughtful expression. As attention focused on her, a different kind of murmur spread through the room.
‘Oh, that woman,’ ‘Right?,’ ‘What, she was with Leon after all?,’ ‘She was with Gato and Bruja in the video,’ ‘What’s her rank? Show us her level?’
It had only been two days. Anyone who didn’t recognize her was an idiot.
“I don’t mind either.”
Adeline finally spoke, her gaze fixed on Shade. Her reason was simple: she wanted to see more of his abilities. The idea of summoning the souls of the dead was more than intriguing; it was captivating.
‘Could he… could he possibly summon Damian if he’s dead? No, that’s impossible.’
She shook her head, dismissing the thought. Damian was definitely alive. In some form. Her reason for being here was to confirm that. Her reason for joining the raid: to meet the man called the ‘Boss of District 12’ again.
“That makes seven guilds in favor. Seven out of twelve. I believe that settles it.”
“Wait, don’t we need at least a basic strategy? Going now is one thing, but it’s no good if we all end up getting wiped out too.” A woman with a short haircut raised her hand and spoke, frowning.
“We’ll split into two groups.” Shade’s curt reply left the woman looking puzzled.
“Two groups? You mean for District 11 and District 12?”
“Why? Our objective is to reclaim District 11, right? Why split up?”
“Do we really need to go into the Serpent’s Lair?”
A jumble of voices rose in confusion. The quiet atmosphere from moments before had vanished. Then, a clear, cold voice cut through the noise.
“Shade, are you saying you need bait?”
Everyone turned their heads. The speaker leaned against the back door, their pale blond hair gleaming under the lights.
“Eric!” Gato grinned, relieved to see their guild leader. His joy wasn’t so much from seeing Eric after so many hours, but rather from finally being free of the burden of leadership.
“Yes. The other serpents are just numerous, small fry. I can wipe them out alone. What we really need is bait to distract the Serpent’s master.”
Shade, catching Eric’s eye, flicked his hand. The skeletal soldier instantly melted back into the shadows.
“I can imagine how the meeting went. But is there another gaming-addicted idiot here besides you who could play that role?”
Bait was just another word for a suicide mission. A dangerous mission to attract the Serpent’s master’s attention while the other players annihilated the serpents in District 11 and reclaimed the starting zone. Twenty-two rankers had died in the last main quest.
