In an instant, Yor arrived in Oris Mons, amidst a raging battle between humans 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. He glanced around, searching for Ludwig—but saw only turmoil.
As he brushed the dirt from his knees and began to rise, an arrow flew past, grazing his left cheek and leaving a shallow cut.
"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.
"All of your kind will pay for the death of our chieftain, Gehakku!"
The arrow snapped Yor back to his senses. 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 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, gaining momentum, and struck.
—but a paladin stepped in, blocking the blow with his shield.
"An act of cowardice only brings you shame! Fight someone with a weapon, you monster!"
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 three 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.
"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—unlike in other games I've played.
Not that I'm complaining, though. It just gives me more reason to get better.
Here it goes.
Yor aimed for the eye once more. This time, he hit it.
The lizard man fell from his mount, which fled the moment it sensed no one was controlling it. Despite taking a critical hit, he still managed to stand.
"My death will not end my vengeance! My comrades carry the same hatred for humanity—and it will not fade until your race is destroyed!" the lizard man screamed, hands clenched at his sides.
A red aura surrounded him, like flames engulfing his body.
"Good job, warrior—we've triggered him into going berserk. That'll drain his stamina quickly. I'll try to withstand it while you shoot from a distance. Don't worry, I'll cover you as best as I can," the Paladin said, bracing himself.
This was the lizard man's ultimate skill: Crimson Wrath, a rage-triggered state that boosted his attack power and speed.
"Thank you, Sir! I'll do my best!"
Oh... That's sweet. I'd trust him to walk me home.
Yor drew his bow, preparing to fire again.
But then—
The shadow of an enormous, winged, plant-like creature swept over the battlefield.
It looked similar to the beasts ridden by the lizard men, but this one was 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 beast 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 laughter.
"Enough of that and fight!" the Paladin yelled, as a glowing white magic circle appeared beneath him.
"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 a hundred points from his five-thousand hitpoints.
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. 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.
The lizard man tilted his head in confusion.
"Interesting," said the lizard man.
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, Solarius.
He raised his sword, parting the sky, and aimed the divine light at the lizard man.
A searing beam descended, burning him where he stood. 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—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 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 as he walked over to Ludwig.
"Those handsome folks over there, please come here!"
The blonde girl gestured toward them with an open palm.
"Thanks!" Ludwig replied, his voice suddenly a little deeper than usual.
"You sounded like an old person," said Yor.
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 scratched his cheek.
"Alright, everyone — drop all the info you've gathered so far. We're starting to strategize a plan to take down that boss over there: Azakkin."