"You're still so naive, Rhine," Gravemind said, his voice suddenly sharp as he stopped in his tracks. The cheerful hum vanished, replaced by a low growl. "No wonder that brat Raen made a fool out of you. You've dragged the entire guild into this mess."
Gravemind's eyes glinted coldly as they locked onto Rhine. "Because of your incompetence, Everhold Dominion's reputation has hit rock bottom. Do you even realize what you've done?"
Rhine lowered his head, jaw clenched but silent.
"If the guild leader hadn't stepped in when he did," Gravemind continued, "our presence in Southglade Town would've been wiped out entirely. To clean up your disaster, we had to transfer elite teams from the other three branches just to salvage what's left of your squad."
His words were merciless, echoing through the forest with no concern for saving face.
"You dare question me now?" Gravemind snapped. "One more word from you, and I'll personally see you removed from the guild."
Rhine's face flushed red, both from anger and humiliation. But he bit his tongue. The guild leader had already made it clear—if this mission failed due to his defiance, he'd be out. No excuses.
The branch leaders from the other three towns smirked at the scene, exchanging mocking glances. They had long grown tired of Rhine's arrogance.
Every time the guild migrated to a new game, the hierarchy shifted. In previous titles, Rhine's close ties to the guild leader had secured his place at the top—but not this time.
Now, he was only Level 13. They were all Level 14. Their branches had flourished with promising new recruits and solid progression, while Southglade's team had become a joke—undermanned, underleveled, and unsupported.
No one pitied him.
He had ruled like a tyrant when he had the power. Now, stripped of it, all he could do was watch his former peers surpass him—one by one.
"Rhine," Gravemind said coolly, "do you honestly believe I'd let any of Raen's people walk away after we've gone to such lengths to corner them?"
His tone sharpened as his gaze swept toward the shadows. "You think I'd let those people escape? You've misunderstood the point of this operation."
Gravemind's footsteps slowed. His eyes narrowed with calm malice.
"Raen is our real target. His teammates were always just bait to draw him out. Now that we've sealed them within Echoing Deep's entrance, we've already won the first round."
Rhine didn't speak, only clenched his fists as Gravemind continued.
"But we're not done yet. It's not just about luring Raen. It's about restoring Everhold Dominion's dominance. That little girl, NyxBlade—she's racked up too many kills against us. Plenty of players have noticed. If we erase her... no, if we crush her back to Level 0, people will think twice before crossing Everhold Dominion."
Gravemind's voice turned razor-sharp.
"Players in town will remember what happens to those who defy us."
He stopped, a smirk curling his lips.
"And if, by chance, we manage to take down Raen himself…"
His eyes gleamed.
"…then Everhold Dominion won't just regain face—we'll surge past the threshold and cement ourselves as a true third-rate guild."
Rhine looked up, startled. That kind of recognition was no small feat.
Gravemind, however, had other motivations. Unspoken ones.
The truth was, he had no intention of just helping clean up Rhine's mess. For him, this was personal.
Rhine had always been close to the guild leader—his brother-in-law. Many of the guild's elders also supported the guild leader Silent Reign's leadership. And as long as that support remained, Gravemind's ambition to seize control of the guild would remain a dream.
But fame could change that.
Raen was already well-known across the Astralis City region—a publicly acknowledged swordmaster. In fact, his name carried even more weight than Silent Reign's in some circles.
If Gravemind could be the one to defeat him… if he could broadcast that moment and claim credit for the kill…
Then overnight, Gravemind wouldn't just be Everhold Dominion's strongest member.
He'd be an apex expert.
Moreover, if successful, this operation would allow the Everhold Dominion's South Glade branch to rise back to prominence. Once that happened, Gravemind was confident the elders in the guild would shift their support to him—and the day he replaced Silent Reign as guild leader would no longer be far off.
"Raen will definitely become my stepping stone," Gravemind said with a confident chuckle, pride flashing in his eyes.
He didn't believe a lone player, no matter how skilled, could survive the encirclement of over two hundred elites. And yet, up until now, Raen hadn't even shown himself—something that increasingly tested Gravemind's patience.
Meanwhile, Kaito, silently traversing through the thick canopy above the Echoing Deep's entrance, had finally spotted them.
He paused atop a tall branch, eyes narrowing as he took in the scene below.
A large team of Everhold Dominion players steadily pushed forward, clearing out the Nether Leopards blocking their way. From his vantage point, Kaito counted over fifty elites. The lowest among them were level 12, with most being level 13—and four were already level 14. Every single one of them wore full sets of Mysterious Iron equipment, and their weapons gleamed with the same tier of quality.
Leading them at the center was a strikingly handsome youth with a silver-tier longbow slung across his back.
"Gravemind," Kaito muttered under his breath, immediately recognizing the man.
In his past life, Kaito had crossed blades with Gravemind more than once. Cunning, ruthless, and dangerously sharp in combat, Gravemind ranked among the top five within Everhold Dominion's elite hierarchy. Compared to Rhine, Gravemind's strength and command were on a whole other level.
Kaito's gaze swept across the group again. The other three level 14 players were also familiar—branch leaders from nearby towns. No wonder Everhold Dominion had suddenly grown so powerful.
"So they've summoned reinforcements from the surrounding towns," Kaito realized, his expression sharpening.
Back then, in his previous life, Rhine had slowly gained an advantage only because of the unwavering support from his brother-in-law, the guild leader. That support allowed him to rise steadily, widening the gap with the others and eventually leading South Glade's mini-branch of Everhold Dominion.
But that timeline was long gone.
Now, not only had Kaito killed Rhine twice, but he had also decimated Everhold Dominion's presence in South Glade Town—shattering their foundation before it could even solidify.
And Rhine? Now, he was just a shadow of his former self. Compared to the other three branch leaders, he had clearly fallen behind.
In his previous life, if Kaito encountered even one of these leaders, he would have treaded carefully. Two of them together? He'd have retreated without hesitation.
But now?
All five of them were together—and Kaito had no intention of turning back.
This life... was different.
Not only did Kaito possess a growth-type weapon, but he had also obtained the Dragon Fang and several other top-tier items—each one considered exceptional at this stage of the game. Combined with his higher level advantage, Kaito had more than enough confidence to engage in battle. And even if things went south, he could always rely on Windwheel Steps to retreat safely.
At this moment, Gravemind remained unaware that one of his elite squads had already been annihilated. This was due to a system mechanic: players were required to wait ten minutes after death before respawning at the nearest point. Furthermore, for thirty minutes after revival, communication functions were restricted—players could neither send nor receive messages.
As a result, Gravemind and his forces remained completely oblivious to Kaito's presence. They showed no signs of caution, making this the perfect opportunity for Kaito to launch a surprise attack.
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he spotted Rhine among the group, confirming that his teammates were still trapped inside the Echoing Deep's entrance and hadn't been harmed—at least not yet. With that reassurance, he continued tailing the group silently, advancing without urgency.
While traveling, the Everhold Dominion team displayed well-practiced coordination. Their formation was tight and efficient—the healers positioned safely at the center, surrounded on both sides by Gravemind and the other high-level elites. Meanwhile, the vanguard players led the charge, clearing monsters as they advanced.
Interestingly, the players in the middle made no move to engage the enemies themselves, clearly relying on the frontliners to do all the work. This defensive structure ensured that even top-tier assassins would struggle to reach the inner circle—especially the healers.