Raider is the target of everyone.
NPCs hate raiders and users shun them.
Especially some of the large guilds have posted huge bounties without any reason to eliminate raiders.
“Perfect timing! Just when something like this happens!”
And from one of the large guilds, the 16th ranked ‘Cheolshin’ guild member Mashimasita couldn’t contain his laughter.
Mashimasita wasn’t a core member of the guild.
Compared to the reputation of being a large guild, he was lacking in skills, levels, and equipment, serving as a vassal in the Kudas Kingdom, which wasn’t the main operating ground of Cheolshin.
He was in what you’d call a demotion.
Of course, Kudas Kingdom wasn’t a weak country or a remote place, but the issue was Mashimasita’s situation.
“While others are being pampered by NPCs, I have to serve the nobles?”
In the kingdom where Cheolshin operates, one can get treated like a noble, but here he’s nothing more than a mere vassal.
Both Cheolshin and Mashimasita had very little influence within Kudas Kingdom.
However, it was too regrettable to leave the guild due to all the work he had put in, and the guild buffs were quite sweet, so he endured it, but now an opportunity had appeared.
The Banded guys from the neighboring Abys Kingdom were running rampant.
“Raiders?”
“Yes! Those guys that Commander Roms talked about. They seem to be gathering their forces to seriously make a move.”
“There’s no way. What can a bunch of cockroaches picking scraps off trade routes do?”
Cockroaches.
A derogatory term used to belittle users called Outsiders, but Mashimasita didn’t care.
After all, he wasn’t a raider.
“Even if they are cockroaches, they’re still Outsiders, immortals. If they don’t die, greed is inevitable. Absolutely!”
“……”
“It seems like their greed has gone overboard.”
In fact, it wasn’t just a suspicion that it had gone overboard; he really knew.
The information about raiders was periodically shared in a raider information community, and it had been posted that the Banded guilds within Abys Kingdom had been decimated.
Among them, it was also reported that the Banded guild had been unified by a new raider known as ‘Rapina.’
‘Rapina. Estimated to have the abilities of an outstanding assassin and ranked within the top 1000.’
It was clear that she was one of the unknown, undisclosed rankers trying to trigger a ‘World Quest’ within the Abys Kingdom.
The fact that ordinary raiders could devour a ‘kingdom’ had already been revealed through the Grim Reaper.
If someone is skilled enough to control all the bandits, it’s definitely information that can’t be overlooked.
‘But is that really possible?’
Roms, the commander of the Kudas Kingdom’s knights, taps the table with his thick fingers.
Even a small tap reveals his undeniable strength.
“…I’ve kept it because it has utility. But you really don’t know your place.”
“That’s right! We need to discipline those bastards! If we leave them alone, they’ll start sticking their heads into Kudas Kingdom territory!”
“Understood. I will go personally with my Silver Knight Order.”
“That’s a wise choice!”
Mashimasita bows his head and grins.
‘Got it!’
What are you going to do about it?
No matter how much you smash the bandit guild as a ranker assassin in the top 1000, what then?
After all, you can’t face the average level 73 Silver Knights and the level 89 commander NPC.
Especially since Commander Roms is a formidable NPC that’s nearly impossible to take on if you’re not ranked within the top 30.
Overwhelming in both tactics and skill.
Now, if I use this cheat NPC to crush the raider alliance, my influence in the kingdom will skyrocket by dozens of times along with the immense rewards.
‘The Cheolshin bastards will see me again. Hehe.’
In the end, the user named Rapina’s plan to grow the raider alliance and swallow the kingdom will come crumbling down.
‘Life is real combat. Rookie.’
Taste defeat and despair and become the foundation for my success!
■
…or at least that was the plan.
Kraaaak!!
That way! Look over there!
This way! Swing your spear calmly!
What kind of detection are you doing?! Detect properly!
“What the hell!!”
Why is everyone dying?! Do something!
Blood Armor!
Thud!
Another knight is slashed by a dagger and falls from his horse.
The horse, trained by the knights, instinctively charged towards the assassin’s location but she had long since disappeared.
There’s only one opponent.
As I gathered additional information upon arriving here, I heard that the woman named Rapina had formed a guild called “Crazy Bitch.”
According to a user who can analyze the guild system, there is only one member in Crazy Bitch, and no additional recruits have been made.
In other words.
Aaaah!
What in the…!
Everyone stay calm!
The one behind this absurd massacre is just one person.
“I didn’t expect it to be this level…”
“Mas!”
“Y-Yes!”
At a distance, the wounded commander Roms calls for Mashimasita, who runs over in a hurry.
He wouldn’t kill me just because things went wrong, right…?
But contrary to his worries, Roms was simply healing his wounds with his unique artifact while exhaling heavily.
Gasping for breath.
“Are you sure there’s only one opponent?”
“Yes, one assassin. It’s confirmed!”
“…It’s a monster. Any other information on that guy?”
“Uh…”
What do we know?
Relying on the community, I honestly have no idea.
It’s only been about 1 or 2 hours since that woman named Rapina started causing trouble.
I’ve been treated like a pariah, so I couldn’t even get support from the guild.
“She’s a woman? And she’s incredibly brutal. A terrifying killer who leaves no one alive.”
“I’ll have to reassess your information skills. This is quite disappointing.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look at that.”
Mashimasita turned his head at Roms’s gesture.
The knight from earlier.
Wondering why he was pointing at the corpse, I finally understood what he meant.
Grrgh…
It’s moving.
It’s not dead.
Not just that knight.
Grrgh!
Aah! My arm!
My leg…!
They’ve all sustained injuries that prevent them from getting up properly, yet not a single one has died.
A stark contrast to how easily a user’s head would roll.
“What in the…?”
“Even attacked his horse to save that knight from being trampled. You know what’s even funnier?”
“…What is it?”
“She didn’t even kill the horse.”
???
What is going on?
Is she really a raider?
Do users kill but spare NPCs and animals? Is she a psychopath?
‘Or is she really just a crazy woman?’
“…To receive mercy from a raider. It’s humiliating.”
Thud!
Roms dismounts from his horse.
He draws a long spear gleaming silver instead of a sword and shouts,
“I am the Commander of Knights of the Kudas Kingdom! Roms Zirnoa!”
…
“I don’t expect mercy from raiders! So if you show yourself, I will fight alone!”
“C-Commander Roms? It’s better if we all fight together…”
“Be quiet. You’re partially to blame for this.”
I’ll need to revise my assessment of you further.
“……”
“If you kill me, the Kudas Kingdom will never attack your group.”
…
“But if you let us go without killing us, we’ll attack this place again and again.”
…
“Until our lives are extinguished.”
With Roms’s words, a sharp energy ripples around.
It feels as if just standing here might cut my skin.
Each knight grips their wounds, swallowing hard, while Mashimasita looks around with a tense expression.
Creak…
Just as Roms grips the spear tightly as if it would break.
“This doesn’t look good.”
The air rippled, and she appeared.
Black hair and black eyes. A black assassin outfit.
A woman clad entirely in black.
‘That woman is Rapina…’
She looked just like the photos posted in the community.
Roms glared at her, spear in hand.
“So, you’re the leader of the raiders.”
Rapina, revealing herself, seemed uninterested in Roms and scanned the area filled with injured people.
Eventually, her eyes, filled with thick darkness, turned to Roms.
“I wish you had left when I spared you.”
“A knight does not beg for his life.”
“Why are you even doing this? Is this place worth risking your life for?”
From my perspective, it doesn’t seem like it.
Rapina said that with a laugh.
It wasn’t so much a mockery as it was just a reaction that invited laughter.
Heh.
‘…She might just be crazy and laughing for no reason.’
Mashimasita, hidden among the knights, thought that.
“The duty of a knight is to protect the kingdom and the citizens behind him.”
Whoosh!
“You’re the one threatening that protection. Do you need any other answers?”
“…Protection. How amusing.”
Sre.
The black dagger in Rapina’s hand emitted a thick killing intent.
“But is that feeling maintained until the moment of death?”
“Of course. My mission does not change.”
“If you turn around and leave, I’ll let you go. All the remaining knights as well.”
But if you really want to fight…
“You’ll really die. No resurrection, forever.”
“…I’m prepared.”
“Hmmm.”
Sre.
“Alright then.”
Rapina nodded and quickly charged.
She moved at the same speed, but without using stealth, at least I can see where she’s going.
“…Grrk?!”
Kahh—!!
Roms barely lifted his spear to block the dagger’s onslaught, stumbling backward.
The spear’s shaft rang out, and Roms’s expression hardened.
Silence fell, and just as Roms took a breath to regain his stance…
“…?”
“……Hmm.”
Without making an additional attack, Rapina distanced herself but looked at Roms with some dissatisfaction.
Even through the mask, her discomfort was clear.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s the spear… No, it’s nothing.”
?
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