"Whoa—there are this many?"
Even with prior warning and mental preparation, Lucas was still taken aback by the sheer size of the group now surrounding the altar.
Hundreds of players. A quick scan told him there were at least four to five hundred, possibly more.
It was a terrifying number—half the total new contestants who entered the Secret Realm.
Lucas felt his scalp tingle.
No matter how powerful he was, he wasn't a god. Killing hundreds of coordinated players—who were all gunning for him—was nearly impossible.
Even if they stood still and let him strike freely, it would still take several minutes to mow them all down. But of course, they wouldn't just stand there and take it. These were organized teams of five—each with tanks, DPS, healers, and, worst of all, crowd control specialists.
"If I get locked down once… I'm toast."
That was his biggest weakness.
Lucas's entire combat style revolved around agility and explosive damage. He wasn't built to tank damage, and he definitely couldn't survive multiple stuns, roots, and slows. All it would take was one round of focused attacks while he was immobilized, and he'd be reduced to white light on the spot.
Even someone who had advanced to a second-class profession would get torn apart like that. It was like a tiger being mauled by wolves, or an elephant overwhelmed by ants. One man couldn't fight them all.
He didn't have the natural resistances of a boss monster. He wasn't immune to control.
He was human.
Lucas looked again at the group forming a ring around the altar—his only route out was completely sealed.
They were everywhere.
His heart sank. He understood the reason for this mess well enough: his rapid climb in the rankings had driven the other contestants into a panic. And now, they had chosen a single strategy:
"Crush the king before he reaches the top."
He had become the common enemy.
"Man, I'm really getting kicked out like this?" he muttered with a bitter smile. "This is gonna be humiliating."
His first instinct was to go invisible and flee, but there was no escape route. Not when they had encircled the entire altar.
Realizing this, Lucas took a deep breath and calmly descended the long staircase from the altar. His footsteps were steady, his expression oddly serene.
He walked straight into the plaza below, facing the ocean of bloodthirsty players without flinching.
"Hey! Hi, everyone!" he called out, raising a hand cheerfully. "Nice day for a brawl, huh?"
It didn't work.
"That's him! That's Lucas!"
"Kill him! Don't let him walk out of here alive!"
"Chop him into dust! Let's goooo!!"
The crowd roared with fury. No one returned his greeting. The moment Lucas's face appeared, they raised their weapons and shouted like madmen.
Lucas was now the target of everyone's wrath.
He felt their glares like knives, stabbing into his skin, shredding his nerves.
He could already picture what was coming next—dozens, hundreds of blades descending on him, tearing him apart with no mercy.
But instead of fear, a strange calm settled over him.
"Even if I die today, I'm not going out quietly."
He clenched the Bone-Pale Dagger in his hands and let his arms fall open in defiance. He wasn't just going to sit and wait for death. He would meet it head-on—with fire in his eyes.
Lucas had wanted to talk his way out, reason with the crowd or bluff them into backing off.
But not now.
The time for words had passed.
He had accomplished everything he wanted—he'd cleared the boss, gotten the loot, and risen to the top ranks.
Now?
Now he would fight.
Even if he was cut down.
Even if his body was trampled.
He would die standing.
Just as Lucas was about to surge forward, ready to unleash his skills—
a group of five figures rushed in from the crowd and stood protectively in front of him.
"Don't even think about hurting our brother!!!"
The voice was full of steel and fire.
Zach Darnell and his party—Logan Barrett, Mason, Alexis Lane, and Claire Rivers—stood shoulder to shoulder, weapons drawn.
Their arrival was like a beacon of hope piercing the storm.
"Lucas! We're with you!" Zach shouted, eyes blazing.
"If anyone wants to touch our boss, they'll have to go through us first!" Claire added fiercely.
They stood firm, shielding Lucas without hesitation, ready to fight to the death.
And they weren't alone.
"Add me to that list."
Noah Chen stepped out of another team, broke away from his temporary party, and walked toward Lucas with calm determination. Without saying more, he summoned three powerful beasts—a roaring bear, a striped tiger, and a swooping falcon—that immediately spread out into a defensive formation.
Lucas's heart swelled.
Warmth spread through his chest.
Then came Amelia Su.
"Don't touch Lucas!" she cried, pushing through the mob.
Despite her petite frame and shy demeanor, she stepped forward, raised her shield, and stood tall before him. Her voice shook slightly—but she did not waver.
Behind her came Alexis Lane, her hands already glowing with magical energy. She nodded at Lucas and took position behind Amelia, her staff beginning to glow with ice-cold power.
If they moved, she'd unleash a storm of blizzards to lock them down.
Their other teammates—three more girls from the same class—took their places without question, joining their captain with solemn, unwavering loyalty.
Lucas stared at them, stunned.
He hadn't expected anyone to come.
But they had.
And then came even more.
"Lucas is Tianhai No. 1's pride! We won't let you gang up on him!"
"Yeah, stand down! Or fight all of us!"
Another team of Kyoto University students stepped up. Though only A-rank talents, they stood tall and proud, ready to defend their schoolmate.
Lucas's throat tightened.
They weren't even close friends. Some had barely exchanged greetings with him.
But now they were risking everything to stand with him.
"Support our class rep!"
"Class 1, let's show them what output means!"
More students poured in—this time from Class 1 of the DPS department.
More than a dozen players, both male and female, formed a second line of defense behind Lucas.
Even students who weren't officially part of the class were being dragged along by sheer energy, looking confused but following anyway.
Lucas chuckled softly.
"Guess I really am the class rep, huh?"
He had never truly wanted the position. It had been forced on him. Still, he had taken it seriously, helped when needed, and now…
Now, they were standing beside him.
Despite the odds.
Despite the danger.
Despite the fact that losing here could cost them their spots in the competition.
They stood there anyway.
And Lucas?
Lucas stood taller than ever before.
He would not go quietly into the light.
He had his people.
And if the rest of the Secret Realm wanted a war…
Then that's what they'd get.
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