Chapter 41: RIP Soon To Be Dead NPC!
Chapter 41
’Crap! That trash was right. They are indeed C ranks. Damn it!’ She thought as she was unable to change her trajectory in time. One of the beasts swung its metallic club toward her face at full speed, and all she could do was watch her life flash before her eyes.
"ERIN!" Kael cried out as he slammed his hands on his huge shield and bolted forward with every ounce of strength he could muster. In a flash, he appeared in front of her and thrust his shield out.
Slowly, the shield began to get encased in rocks, covering every inch of its surface just in time as the ogre’s club came crashing down.
BANG!
RING!
"Ahhh!" Kael cried as he was sent skidding across the ground. His hands ached and throbbed in pain from the impact of the ogre’s metal club slamming into his shield. His teeth gritted, and veins popped on his neck as he roared, "Attack now!"
"Ice Veil!" Erin called as she bolted toward the ogre. Her sword became encased in ice, the air around her turning so cold that her breath fogged. In a flash, she was right beside the ogre, her aura sharp and merciless.
"Cold death!" she declared as she swung her sword with all her strength. The icy blade sliced cleanly through the ogre’s neck. Its head dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, followed by its hulking body, which froze solid as ice crept across its skin.
"Damn, damn it! How did the gate change rank just like that?" Jace muttered, his knuckles white as he gripped his sword tighter.
The group instinctively backed away, step by step, until their backs pressed against each other. Their weapons trembled in their hands, sweat dripping down their foreheads as they stared at the advancing beasts.
The ogre boss, massive and imposing, remained seated on its throne. It hadn’t moved an inch, simply watching them with a sinister grin stretched across its grotesque face.
’Damn it! What kind of trouble have we landed ourselves in? Why... why... why did the gate change rank?
I knew something was off the moment we ended up in this cursed dungeon instead of another location.’ Zen thought, clutching his dagger tighter. His palms were slick with sweat, yet his eyes refused to leave the circle of beasts that surrounded them.
"We can still get out of this. We can still get out of this." Aria whispered shakily, her voice trembling as she nocked an arrow. Her bowstring stretched taut, her knuckles pale, yet her eyes glimmered with a fragile determination.
The ogres suddenly froze in place as the boss tapped its finger against the armrest of its throne. The sound was soft, but the authority in it was undeniable.
None of the humans dared blink, their gazes locked on the beasts as silence weighed heavily over the room.
The only thing that echoed was the thunderous beat of their hearts, pounding so loud it seemed to rattle in their ears. Ten long, suffocating seconds passed.
Then—
SNAP!
The sharp sound echoed, and in an instant the ogres charged forward like a flood of savage beasts, their guttural roars filling the air, weapons raised high.
"Guys! We can still get out of this. Be brave and don’t break formation. Erin, stick with Kael!" Jace barked, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest.
One of the ogres leapt toward him, its shadow engulfing his face, but Jace remained calm. His eyes locked on the beast mid-air, unwavering.
"Water Veil: Wheel of Death." He muttered, his voice low but firm.
In the blink of an eye, his sword became wreathed in swirling currents of water, glowing a deep, sparkling blue.
With a swift arc of his hand, the water exploded outward, forming a spinning wheel of razor-sharp liquid. The wheel surged forward with terrifying speed and smashed directly into the airborne ogre, splitting the air with its force.
Its hand, which had been holding the metallic club, fell limply to the ground, and so did the beast’s body as it was hurled backwards, crashing heavily into a wall.
"We can still get out of this," Jace mumbled under his breath as he spotted another club hurtling toward his head.
But like water, his body became fluid; he leaned so far back that the back of his head nearly brushed the ground.
In the same motion, his sword shot up, slamming into the incoming club and knocking it aside. With a swift twist, Jace stood upright and dashed forward with explosive speed.
His katana flashed like lightning, cleaving the ogre’s head clean off before it could even react.
’C-ranked beasts shouldn’t be a problem for me. Nor would they be for Erin. But my main concern is how the others will handle this. And then, there’s still him...’ Jace thought as his gaze darted toward the boss, who was grinning wickedly, enjoying the carnage like it was entertainment.
GROWL!
The feral sound snapped Jace back to reality. From above, another club came crashing down toward him, and he quickly leapt back, narrowly avoiding the devastating strike.
The weapon smashed into the ground with brutal force, kicking up debris and clouds of dust.
Jace braced himself to counterattack, but before he could move, the air around him suddenly turned heavy and suffocating. His instincts screamed danger.
Whipping around, he found another massive club thrust straight toward his face. Reflex took over. He brought his sword up just in time.
BANG!
The impact reverberated through his arms. The sheer strength behind the strike forced him to skid back several inches.
Pain jolted up his hands, and he grit his teeth, clinging to his blade with all the sheer willpower and endurance he could summon.
But he had no time to recover. He hadn’t even dealt with the ogre in front or the one behind him when another guttural growl came from his left. His eyes widened in horror as he spotted a third club arcing toward his head with terrifying speed.
’Shit! I really thought we would be able to get out of this.’
---
On another side of the battlefield, Zen was locked in his own nightmare. Trouble wasn’t just staring him down—it was circling him, grinning with malice.
Four ogres stood around him, their massive forms blocking every possible escape route. Their bloodthirsty eyes fixed on him, their clubs raised, eager to crush him. Zen gulped loudly, his fingers trembling slightly as he tightened his grip around his dagger.
’I don’t think any of this is a coincidence. Something is terribly wrong here. This whole thing feels rigged against me,’ he thought, his throat dry as he swallowed again.
{And when I said the game lord didn’t have your time earlier, you thought I was kidding? Lol! Before I go, RIP in advance, our soon-to-be-dead NPC. Just know that I won’t miss you.}
’Fuck you!’ Zen roared internally. But before his anger could even settle, his eyes widened in shock.
All four ogres dashed toward him at once, their massive feet shaking the ground with each step.
Heart pounding, Zen planted his feet firmly and took a forceful stance, his dagger raised high. He knew it was futile, but in that moment, he wasn’t welcoming victory. He was preparing himself to welcome death.