If Orion had been killed and then resurrected, the players would have gotten credit for the kill.

  But reality was far crueler.

  Orion hadn't died at all. He had simply used one of his signature skills:

  [Glyph of Corpse Rigor]

  Effect: Assume a state of feigned death, becoming untargetable for 5 seconds.

  In those five seconds, Kael’s clones had slaughtered half their number. By the time the survivors saw Orion get back to his feet, it was far too late to do anything about it.

  The detachment sent to kill the chieftain had been wiped out, gaining nothing for their efforts.

  Meanwhile, the other three-hundred-strong force was closing in on Kael.

  As a high-priority quest target, the system had granted them a special buff: a fifty percent bonus to all physical and magical attack power. It was this buff that gave them the confidence to challenge Dawnbreaker.

  Furthermore, this group had done their homework. They advanced in a disciplined, staggered formation, never clumping together. Each rank was offset from the one before it, with more than ten yards between the front and rear lines, giving Kael no opportunity to maximize his area-of-effect damage.

  Seeing their tactical approach, Kael knew he was facing a competent opponent. He wasn't overly worried, however, trusting in his own defenses. The giant tortoise had de-spawned, a clear sign that Lila had succeeded on her end. He ignored the approaching players for the moment, focusing his fire on the three elite mobs still in front of him.

  “Rena,” he said to the priestess beside him. “The boss is gone. Circle around the front and go find Lila. You two don’t need to come back; I’ve got this.”

  “Okay,” she said, her voice tight. She cast a few final buffs on Kael, then turned and ran. She knew that in a fight against three hundred players, she would be nothing but a liability.

  Seeing her leave, the players began to coordinate in their channel.

  “Hey, the priest is leaving. Should we send someone after her?”

  “Forget her. Once Dawnbreaker’s dead, she’ll be easy pickings.”

  “Right.”

  With Rena safely away, Kael no longer had to worry about protecting anyone. He glanced back toward the chieftain’s location; the clones were still active, which meant his own [Mirror Image] skill was on cooldown, as casting it would dispel the illusions currently under Orion’s control.

  His attacks never ceased, but his target switched from the mobs to the players.

  -18,232

  -62,751

  …

  His arrows were still one-shotting them, but his efficiency had plummeted. Their careful spacing meant his [Pierce] passive rarely triggered, and the elite mobs next to him were soaking up many of the stray [Splintering Arrow] shots. By the time the players closed to within thirty yards, they had lost less than twenty men.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  The first of their attacks began to land.

  -81

  -3

  -201

  …

  Kael’s eyes widened in shock. These players were all under level thirty; their attack power should have been in the five-to-six thousand range. How were they breaking his defense stat of nearly ten thousand?

  The answer clicked into place almost immediately: It’s the quest. They must have a massive attack buff against me.

  Only a few were in range now, but soon there would be dozens. Then a hundred. The combined fire of nearly three hundred players… his forty thousand health might not be enough to withstand it.

  [Divine Ward] was still on cooldown. [Mirror Image] was unavailable.

  For the first time, Kael realized he was in actual trouble. He had assumed this would be a simple matter of standing his ground, but now he had to change his strategy.

  As his mind raced, a series of system alerts flashed in his vision.

  [System]: You have been struck by player Legacy's [Frostbolt]. Frozen for 3 seconds.

  [System]: [Spell Ward] has triggered. The effect of [Frostbolt] has been resisted.

  [System]: You have been struck by player GGNoRe's [Flash Arrow]. Blinded for 5 seconds.

  [System]: [Unyielding Will] has triggered, clearing all negative effects. You are immune to crowd control for 3 seconds.

  It was his diadem. There was a reason the [Diadem of Unyielding Will] was ranked fourth on the server’s gear charts, two spots higher than his bow. This was it.

  Those three seconds of immunity were all the time he had to make a decision. His mind cycled through the possibilities, but only one viable strategy emerged: he had to kite them.

  On a flat plain, there was no terrain to abuse. But in terms of pure movement speed, no one here could touch him. Even while using [Moving Shot], which capped his speed at eighty percent, he was still faster than them.

  Decision made, Kael didn't hesitate. He dashed past the remaining elite mobs and broke into a run.

  Seeing him turn tail, the players erupted in a triumphant roar.

  “Haha, Dawnbreaker’s running scared!”

  “He knows we can break his defense! He’s afraid!”

  “Just a few volleys and he’s dead! Keep on him!”

  “Chase him down! Don’t let him get to the mountains!”

  “Don’t worry, Shadowcrag is miles away. He’s got nowhere to go but through more mobs!”

  “Kill Dawnbreaker!”

  “For the loot drop!”

  “FOR THE MYTHIC!”

  “CHAAAARGE!”

  High on adrenaline, they surged forward, the kill all but guaranteed in their minds. But in their excitement, their discipline shattered. The carefully staggered formation dissolved into a chaotic, clumping mob as they raced to get the killing blow.

  Kael had been waiting for this.

  He spun around, nocked an arrow, and unleashed [Phantom Barrage].

  THWUMP-THWUMP-THWUMP!

  Over fifty players dropped dead.

  The sudden loss was like a collective slap in the face, shocking the remaining two hundred back to their senses. They quickly reformed their lines and resumed the chase, but the dynamic had completely shifted. Before, they held the initiative. Now, it was in Kael’s hands.

  He retreated while firing, constantly watching their formation. He would run in a straight line for seventy or eighty yards, letting them settle into a rhythm, then suddenly strafe sideways. The players, a temporary coalition at best, couldn't coordinate well enough to adjust perfectly. Arrows began to [Pierce] through their ranks, hitting two or even three people. With no mobs nearby to absorb the damage, [Splintering Arrow] was now bouncing freely among them. His kill rate skyrocketed to five or six players per second.

  Even so, their sheer numbers were a weapon. Despite the catastrophic losses, they backed him into a corner. Behind him was a dense forest area teeming with high-level mobs, including the giant tortoise. Kael couldn’t retreat any further without pulling aggro, a fatal mistake.

  Seeing him trapped, the players’ pent-up frustration and greed exploded.

  “Nowhere left to run, you fucker!”

  “Go on, run now!”

  “You bastard, you killed so many of us!”

  “That [Solar Mantle] is mine!”

  “I’ll take the [Diadem of Unyielding Will]!”

  “Just give me the [Galeharrow]!”

  Kael stopped. He stopped moving, and he stopped shooting. He just stood there, watching them approach.

  Seeing this, their taunts grew even more frenzied and obscene.

  “Haha, you finally realize you’re screwed?”

  “Kneel and call me daddy, and I might let you keep one piece of gear.”

  “Kiss my feet and I’ll let you keep two!”

  Kael didn’t move. He simply watched them, a slow, wicked smirk spreading across his face.

  The bizarre expression finally gave them pause. Something was wrong.

  They looked around, and a horrifying question dawned on them all at once.

  Where were the rest of their teammates?