The sudden eruption of power from Kaito's Doppelganger sent a jolt of alarm through the Everhold Dominion players, many of whom had been acting with indifference just moments before. In the next instant, a vast sea of thunder and flame exploded outward—Blazing Thunderclash, a powerful skill Kaito had recently acquired at the Black Market auction.
The pressure radiating from the elemental surge felt even more oppressive than that of the Nether Leopard King. Players caught in the path of the incoming blast felt their hearts freeze. A few of them, wide-eyed and trembling, cried out in terror and turned to flee. But it was far too late.
The skill's effect radius spanned five meters, and it descended like a storm—fast and unforgiving. The players had no time to escape. All they could do was watch, helplessly, as flame and lightning swallowed the battlefield.
Those fortunate enough to have life-saving skills didn't hesitate. Assassins activated Phantom Step, Swordsmen used Parry, and Berserkers slammed down Block. However, for the unfortunate few whose skills were still on cooldown, survival was no longer an option. Their HP had already been whittled down in the previous fight. Now, caught within the epicenter of destruction, they vanished in streaks of light—consumed by fire and thunder.
By the time the smoke cleared, four of Everhold Dominion's elite had perished. The rest who barely survived let out shaky breaths of relief, their bodies soaked in sweat, hearts pounding in their chests.
"Hmph! Brat, you're done for. Just accept your fate."
The level 14 Berserker, Grudgehowl, sneered with contempt as he glared at Kaito's Doppelganger. Without hesitation, he raised his massive greatsword and unleashed Cleave, a powerful, sweeping strike aimed to finish the job. The other nearby survivors followed suit, casting their most devastating skills toward the flickering image of the cloaked swordsman.
But in that instant—Kaito's Doppelganger… smiled.
Rather than dodge or block, the Doppelganger leapt forward, blades arcing mid-air as it unleashed Aerial Claw Slash, twin swords tearing through the air in a brutal cross-strike aimed at the clustered Everhold Dominion players.
The sudden move stunned them all.
"Is he trying to go down with us?" someone shouted in disbelief.
The raw power behind Aerial Claw Slash caught them off guard. In a flash, two low-HP players were cleaved apart—instantly turned to streaks of light. Three others, too slow to react, had their HPs shredded, dropping into critical range. Blood-red damage numbers exploded in the air.
Yet, despite the brutal counterattack, Kaito's Doppelganger paid the price.
Dozens of enemy attacks landed all at once. Cleave, Frost Arrow, Flame Strike, and countless basic attacks struck the phantom in rapid succession. Its HP plummeted like a falling boulder. In the blink of an eye, it was on the verge of vanishing.
"You lunatic…" Grudgehowl spat, but a gleam of greed flickered in his eyes. He glanced at the shimmering black armor on the Doppelganger's body—gear that radiated extraordinary value.
"This one's a red-named player for sure... Heh, if I'm lucky, he might drop every last piece."
Grudgehowl's mouth curled into a grin. At this stage of the game, very little equipment had class restrictions—and both Swordsmen and Berserkers wore plate armors. That meant anything this mysterious figure dropped could very well become his.
And if even a few of those items were usable…
His heart pounded in anticipation.
Even Rhine let out a long breath of relief. The Mysterious Swordsman before him had been far too terrifying. If not for the sheer number of players overwhelming the figure from every angle, he would've likely fallen in mere moments. And yet… as he replayed their brief sword exchange in his mind, a strange sensation tugged at him.
That fighting style… why does it feel so familiar?
He couldn't place it—but the moment lingered.
Just then, the Doppelganger turned its head slightly and offered Grudgehowl a faint, knowing smile.
Swap.
In the instant before the Doppelganger dissolved into fading light, Kaito's original body seamlessly took its place—blending the motion so perfectly that none of the Everhold Dominion players noticed.
And then… all hell broke loose.
With the Solstice Blade in one hand and the Dragon Fang in the other, Kaito exploded into motion. His dual blades became a whirlwind, carving through the unprepared melee fighters like a storm of death. Sixteen sword images shimmered in the air, each one targeting a vital point with surgical precision.
Grudgehowl blinked.
What…?
He stared, wide-eyed, as his HP plummeted—hundreds of damage numbers flashing above him.
–314
–472
–538
Even with his high defense and full HP, his 850 points meant nothing.
Wasn't the Mysterious Swordsman supposed to be dead…?
Then why was he still attacking? And this speed… this power… as if it's not the same person.
Before he could fully process what was happening, the final blade pierced through him.
Grudgehowl collapsed, eyes frozen in disbelief.
Rhine, watching helplessly from a few steps away, felt his heart seize. His mouth parted slightly—but only one word came out, full of blood, fury, and realization.
"You're… Raen."
His gaze locked onto the cloaked figure with blades still gleaming with blood, expression as cold as death.
Rhine's eyes burned crimson as his body fell backward, lifeless.
His eyes were filled with disbelief and deep unwillingness. Rhine never imagined he would fall at Raen's hands—again.
The moment he recognized that final move, all doubt vanished. It was unmistakably Raen.
He had been slain by this very technique—twice—and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget it.
Once, he'd stood on the brink of becoming a dominant force in South Glade Town, pushing Everhold Dominion toward the influence of a third-rate guild. But everything had unraveled… all because of Raen.
After placing a bounty on Raen and his teammates, the tables turned—Raen retaliated with a bounty of his own, making Rhine a laughingstock throughout the Astralis City Region.
He had expected to humiliate Raen with numbers and overwhelming strength. Instead, the core of his guild had been shattered. The member count of Everhold Dominion in South Glade plummeted—from over two hundred to lesser than a hundred. Their reputation was in ruins.
Now, even after setting up a perfect ambush… even after calling in reinforcements from three towns… the result was the same.
Another crushing defeat.
No matter how many times Rhine tried to corner Raen, it always ended in failure. Time and again, Raen emerged unscathed—while he lost everything.
Is this man my curse?
He had once rationalized his defeat—blaming the first loss on ignorance. He hadn't known Raen's strength.
But this time was different.
This time, Raen hadn't even used a skill. Just two casual slashes—and Rhine was dead.
An icy fear rooted itself deep inside him. Every time he crossed paths with Raen, the gap between them only grew. It reminded him of his past, of the terrifying Nightshade Vale who had killed him repeatedly without effort. He had once sworn revenge… but in the end, he had chosen to compromise, to retreat.
Now, he felt the same despair again.
Raen, like Nightshade Vale, was no longer someone he could afford to provoke.
When the players of Everhold Dominion heard Rhine's dying declaration, shock rippled through their ranks.
In mere seconds, five of their strongest had been slaughtered—including branch leaders like Rhine and Grudgehowl.
The realization struck them like thunder:
This swordsman's strength was on an entirely different level.
"So this is Raen?"
It was Gravemind's first time seeing him in person.
He instinctively tried to inspect the mysterious swordsman's information—but to his surprise, all that appeared was a blank window with a single visible HP bar.
No name. No level. No class.
Unknown.
The system's response alone sent a ripple of caution through Gravemind's heart.
Yet what unsettled him more was Raen's gear.
His pitch-black armor radiated a unique glow—undoubtedly a full Equipment Set. A long hooded cloak obscured much of his face, concealing his identity. In his hands, he held two swords—one pulsing faintly with a crimson hue, the other cloaked in subtle shadow. The crimson blade alone gave off an aura unmistakable to a veteran like Gravemind.
Secret-Silver rank at the very least. Possibly higher.
Watching Raen cut down Rhine and Grudgehowl as if they were nothing but weeds… Gravemind realized just how far off Rhine's reports had been.
This man… is much more dangerous than I was led to believe.
If he had encountered Raen earlier—before this grudge had spiraled into open warfare—he would have avoided provoking him at all costs.
But that was no longer an option.