In an instant, Yor arrived in Oris Mons—a war-ravaged expanse locked in brutal conflict for three long years—amidst a furious battle between human and lizard men.
The teleportation left him dizzy, and the deafening noise of shouting warriors and clashing steel only made it worse. The chaos overwhelmed his senses, making it hard to think clearly. Sunlight stung his eyes as he squinted against the brightness, only adding to the disorientation. He glanced around, searching for Ludwig—but saw only turmoil.
As he brushed the dirt from his knees and began to rise, an arrow zipped past, catching strands of his hair and snapping him back to his senses.
"Human!" a lizard man hissed, mounted on a creature that looked like a carnivorous plant-beast—its coiled, vine-like body twisting, and serrated leaves forming a dragon-like head.
Above the Lizardman Warrior, a glowing name appeared.
[Lizardman Warrior]
[5000 HP]
Below it, a bright health bar flickered into view, showing his current hit points in vibrant numbers.
He bellowed, "All of your kind will pay for the death of our chieftain, Gehakku!"
He looked at the lizard man and felt a wave of fear.
He was much taller than a human—nearly seven feet—with sharp spikes along his back. His scales were a dark, swampy green that shimmered faintly under the daylight. His long snout was filled with razor-like teeth, and his tongue kept flicking out, making Yor feel sick.
The lizard man threw his bow aside and charged, gripping a bone spear.
Despite the pressure, Yor forced himself to stay calm. He quickly looked around the battlefield and spotted a pile of dead warriors, with weapons lying around them.
But before he could reach one, the lizard man's spear was already in range to strike.
The lizard man drew his arm back, muscles coiling like a spring, then lunged forward with brutal force, driving the spear in a swift, violent strike.
—but a paladin stepped in with a thunderous crash, raising his shield just in time to intercept the blow.
Yor let out a shaky sigh of relief and grabbed a bow and arrow nearby.
A system message flashed in front of him:
[You are free to change your weapon anytime.]
Then it faded away.
He kept his distance, pulled the bowstring, and aimed for the lizard man's eye.
Thank goodness—that was close. That thing has five thousand hit points, and I've only got around three hundred. One hit and I might die...
He released the arrow, but it hit the skin on the lizard man's back, which couldn't be easily penetrated.
"Aim for his eye, warrior!" the Paladin shouted at Yor as he exchanged strikes with the lizard man.
Damn this guy!
Im still trying to get the hang of this game!
"Don't be so loud about it!" Yor replied, trying to hit the eye again. But his plant-like mount blocked the shot with its vine.
"Damn it!" Yor cussed.
I thought archery class would give me an edge, but this avatar's body just doesn't sync with my instincts. Not that I'm complaining, though. It just gives me more reason to get better.
Here it goes.
Yor aimed again for the eye. This time, his shot hit perfectly—a critical strike that shaved 1,000 HP off the enemy's health.
He slowly lowered his bow, blinking once before narrowing his eyes. A quiet realization dawned—this wasn't like those hack-and-slash games where every hit deals the same damage.
A single well-placed shot had just taken a massive chunk out of the enemy's 5,000 HP.
The lizard man fell from his mount, which writhed and twisted the moment it sensed no one was controlling it, its thick vines thrashing wildly as it recoiled and slithered away. Despite taking a critical hit, he still managed to stagger to his feet, swaying but refusing to collapse.
"My death will not end my vengeance!" the lizard man screamed, fists clenched tightly at his sides, veins bulging with rage. "My comrades carry the same hatred for humanity—and it will not fade until your race is destroyed!"
"Goddess of War, Leonyra, grant me the strength to vanquish the enemies before me!"
A red magic circle flared beneath him, and a fiery aura burst outward, wrapping around him like living flame.
This was the lizard man's ultimate skill: Crimson Wrath, a rage-triggered state that boosted his attack power and speed.
"Good job, warrior—we've triggered him into going berserk. That'll drain his stamina quickly."
The Paladin braced himself. "I'll try to withstand it while you shoot from a distance. Don't worry, I'll cover you as best as I can."
He planted his feet firmly and raised his shield with one arm, his sword gripped tightly in the other. His armor creaked as he leaned forward, locking his stance and preparing for the oncoming attacks.
"Thank you, Sir! I'll do my best!" Yor replied, already stepping back. He pivoted smoothly, pulling an arrow from his quiver and nocking it in one swift motion. His eyes narrowed as he raised his bow, tracking the lizard man's movements with steady breath and sharpened focus.
But then—
The shadow of an enormous, plant-like creature swept over the battlefield.
It looked similar to the beasts ridden by the lizard men, but this one had wings and much larger—far more menacing.
It hovered above them, shrieking again and again.
"I'm not even done yet..." Yor muttered.
The creature descended, landing not far from where he stood. Its eyes gleamed blue, and several throbbing red flowers along its body spat clouds of thick, green smoke—a deadly poison that tainted the air.
From its landing point, screams erupted—loud enough to be heard across the battlefield.
The monster shrieked and lashed out with its vines, sweeping through the crowd and tossing bodies like ragdolls.
"Azakkin, the mother of Vinewraiths, is here!" the lizard man burst into harsh laughter, his chest heaving as his tail flicked wildly behind him.
"Enough of that—fight!" the paladin shouted, planting his feet firmly as a glowing white magic circle appeared beneath him, casting a steady light across the ground..
"God of the Sun, Solarius, grant me the strength to vanquish the enemies before me." He closed his eyes and raised his sword above his head.
But before he could unleash his skill, the lizard man leapt forward, breaking his concentration, and the magic circle vanished.
"What a sly monster. I should've expected this from the likes of you." The paladin grinned as he parried and blocked a flurry of quick, empowered strikes.
The lizard man had grown stronger under the effects of Crimson Wrath, making it difficult for the paladin to keep up. His attacks targeted the head relentlessly, forcing the paladin to focus his defense on the upper body.
But then, an unexpected, powerful kick from below knocked him off balance.
The lizard man immediately grabbed the Paladin by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
"Any last words?" the lizard man asked.
Fingers dug in deeper, cutting off his breath as choking coughs burst from his throat.
The lizard man laughed, enjoying the sight of the Paladin struggling for air. His helm fell to the ground as he kicked and thrashed helplessly.
Meanwhile, Yor kept firing at the lizard man from a distance, aiming for his eye. Some shots missed, but a few found their mark, striking his body. The attacks only chipped away 100 from his 5,000 HP.
Man... this guy's really giving me a hard time. I wonder how the folks who got dropped into a low-star region are holding up.
"You did put up a decent fight, but still—easily forgettable. A little more practice and you—"
The lizard man was cut off mid-sentence as an arrow pierced his right eye—fired by Yor. He let out a scream of rage and pain, instantly releasing the paladin, who collapsed to the ground, coughing.
"You worthless being! You should've run when I gave you the chance!" he shouted, cutting off the fletching of the arrow stuck in his eye.
Using his sense of smell to locate Yor, he leapt toward him.
"Shit, I'm so dead." Yor tried to run, but the lizard man was too fast.
When he landed, his massive weight created a deep thud and left a dent in the ground. Yor saw the shadow stretch before him—the lizard man was behind him.
He turned around and saw a terrifying, furious monster towering over him. It was silent, but the air around him felt so heavy. He never thought a game could make him this afraid.
The lizard man's palm reached for Yor's hair, revealing an intricate circular tattoo on his palm.
"Your death will be painful."
He grabbed him by the hair and immediately slammed his face to the ground, breaking his bow in the process.
Yor screamed—but abruptly stopped when he realized there was no actual pain, only a faint burning sensation.
"Eh?"
There was no blood. Instead, brown ashes slowly floated away from his skin, like dust breaking off an old statue. His face didn't bleed — it crumbled.
"Now I'll carve out your eyes first. I hope you don't die just yet." The lizard man let out a short, maniacal laugh as he slowly pressed the tip of his bone spear against Yor's eye.
But Yor only felt a faint sting—just enough to register he'd been struck.
Thank goodness! Because of the game's realistic graphics, I honestly thought I was going to feel pain.
The lizard man tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing in confusion. His tail flicked once, showing a hint of curiosity.
"Interesting."
Realizing he couldn't escape, Yor reached for the dagger strapped to his baldric and, in a desperate final move, drove it into the lizard man's throat.
The lizard man grunted and threw Yor aside.
"Solar Judgement!" the paladin cried, calling upon the wrath of the Sun God, raising his sword as the sky above him seemed to part, a glowing magic circle shimmering into existence among the swirling clouds. Another magic circle ignited beneath his feet, pulsing with radiant energy as a brilliant beam of sunlight began to descend, poised to strike from above.
The damage scaled with the number of lives he had taken—and unfortunately for him, he had slain many of the paladin's comrades, which left him dead soon after.
"You did well, warrior," the paladin whispered as he picked up his helm, readying himself to fight once more.
---
Meanwhile, Yor respawned at the rear of the battlefield—not far from the fighting, in a safe zone.
"Yor!"
It was Ludwig's voice, calling out to him.
Yor turned around and saw about a hundred players forming a rough circle. At the center stood a charismatic girl with red eyes and short blonde hair, a little over 5'7" and looking like she was in her early twenties. A dagger hung at her side, and a sword was strapped to her back.
They seemed to be holding a meeting led by her.
"What's happening here?" Yor asked, stepping closer to Ludwig with a curious glance.
The blonde girl smiled warmly, raising her hand and motioning toward the group with an open palm. Her voice had that certain pull—calm and clear, the kind people instinctively listened to.
"Those handsome folks over there, come here!"
Ludwig straightened up, a faint flush coloring his cheeks as he replied, his voice suddenly a little deeper than usual. "Thanks!"
Yor raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You sounded like an old person."
They started walking toward the crowd, which wasn't far off.
"It's not every day someone calls you handsome. Gotta treasure that."
Ludwig smirked, while Yor shot him a look that screamed, That's the most ridiculous lie I've ever heard.
"Alright, everyone — drop all the info you've gathered so far. We're starting to strategize a plan to take down that monster over there: Azakkin."