The battlefield had transformed into a full-scale confrontation.
With the arrival of Stormlife and Crimson Rose, the tide had shifted. The two guilds quickly cut a path through the Everhold Dominion forces, forming a protective line and rescuing the Genesis team from encirclement. Now, the battlefield was evenly split—three guilds standing against one.
With Genesis reinforcing the flanks of Stormlife and Crimson Rose, the total number of players on their side now equaled Everhold Dominion's. For the first time since the chaos began, Kaito felt the weight begin to tip in their favor.
He looked around.
The enemy side was still massive—over 500 players had gathered under Gravemind's banner. But their composition was flawed. Most of them hovered around Level 11–12, wearing ragtag gear likely sourced from nearby towns. Only about 40 to 50 players wore full Bronze or Mysterious Iron sets, and they were clearly the elite core. Gravemind himself stood as the strongest among them—but even that wasn't enough to shake Kaito's resolve now.
Just then, Gravemind stepped forward, his voice filled with venom.
"Brat, don't even think of running today. Be smart—hand over your equipment, compensate me with 1,000 gold, and let me kill you back to Level 0. Maybe then I'll consider the matter settled, Otherwise, get ready to delete your account and start from scratch!"
he sneered.
"Don't think that just because they're here, you're safe. I can still wipe all of you out."
Kaito didn't even look at him.
To Gravemind's fury, he turned to Zephyr and Velena instead.
"If you two don't mind," Kaito said with a grin, "how about a bet? Let's see who racks up the most kills. Winner gets a Bronze-tier item from me."
Velena raised a brow in amusement. Zephyr grinned, spinning his swords in his hands.
"Heh. My hands have been itching for some PvP," Zephyr said, stepping forward, sparks already gathering beneath his boots. "Let's make this fun."
The other members of Genesis couldn't help but laugh along. After being on the defensive for so long—suppressed repeatedly by stronger forces—they had built up a quiet resentment. Now, with the momentum finally shifting, they felt the thrill of battle returning.
Their recent dungeon runs had yielded powerful new gear, but up until now, they hadn't had a proper chance to unleash its full potential. In the previous fight, they had entered in a panic, barely holding the line. But once Kaito arrived, the pressure on them eased considerably. With him taking on the brunt of the assault—cutting down over fifty enemies himself—and the core members each defeating three or four, most of the Genesis team hadn't been able to do more than defend or support.
This time, though, the numbers were even. They had no reason to hold back.
And with Kaito clearly planning to go after Gravemind personally, the rest of them were free to let loose—to kill to their hearts' content.
At this moment Gravemind's face twisted with rage.
He had been completely ignored. And worse, his 500-man army was being treated like target practice… for a bet. A Bronze equipment wager, no less.
"You bastards!"
Gravemind roared, drawing his weapon. "I'll bury all of you!"
At that moment however, Velena stepped forward from the crowd, her elegant figure standing calmly between the two opposing sides. Her brows still filled with amusement, while her gaze landed firmly on Gravemind.
"Calm down. It's over now," she said plainly. "You've already fought him. You know full well that if it comes to an all-out battle here, with all of us involved, it won't be easy for either side. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to walk away and focus on progressing in the game?"
In Velena's eyes, this was merely a grudge match—Everhold Dominion trying to save face after being defeated by Kaito. She had no idea what Kaito had done to provoke such deep hatred. The truth—that he had massacred over 200 Everhold Dominion members inside the array, and even more at the Echoing Deep's inner perimeter—had not yet been made public. As far as she knew, this was just Everhold Dominion retaliating over a bruised ego.
From her perspective, both sides had already exchanged blows. Now that they were on even ground, Gravemind should logically weigh the pros and cons and back off.
Velena turned back to Gravemind and added softly, "Raen is a friend of ours. If possible, for the sake of StormLife and Crimson Rose, I hope you can let this matter go."
The members of both guilds behind her chuckled quietly, still believing this to be nothing more than a clash of pride. They had no idea just how far things had escalated.
But Gravemind's expression darkened.
"Move aside, you stupid hoe."
His words landed like a slap across the battlefield.
"I don't give a damn about your little alliance," he snarled. "If you want to help that brat—then I'll bury all of you together."
His voice seethed with rage, his body trembling slightly from the effort to hold himself back.
Despite Velena being a world-shaking beauty—and clearly someone of status—Gravemind didn't hesitate to curse at her. His eyes burned with greed as they lingered on the gleaming black runic greatsword strapped to her back. Even a glance told him it was a high-quality Silver weapon. And it just so happened… he needed one, so he could win the loyalty of some elders in the guild.
And If he could kill Velena and Zephyr right here, not only would he gain their gear, he could make a statement—proving that ranks from the previous game meant nothing now. Glory was a new world. Only current strength mattered.
But Gravemind failed to realize something.
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire battlefield turned deathly silent.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him—not with fear, but with cold astonishment.
Even Kaito and Zephyr paused, eyes narrowing.
For the first time that day… everyone silently admired Gravemind's courage.
Or perhaps… his stupidity.
"So… does this mean you intend to start a war with both of our guilds?"
Velena's voice was calm—but ice-cold, her face turning colder.
Her expression darkened, her tone laced with a chill that sent a shiver through the air. Though her words were spoken casually, the frost beneath them was unmistakable. Even those uninvolved felt the weight of her fury.
The members of Crimson Rose stood frozen. Not one dared to make a sound.
They had never seen Velena truly angry.
And now that they had… none of them wished to see it again.
Someone had actually dared to curse at her.
That alone was unprecedented.
No one dared to imagine what would follow.
Yet Gravemind merely scoffed.
"Maybe the others fear your guilds," he said, licking his lips, eyes gleaming with greed as they roamed over the gleaming gear adorning Velena and Zephyr. "But I don't."
He chuckled darkly. "Nice equipment you've got there. Might look even better on me."
Still, as much as he coveted their gear, his hatred for Raen burned even hotter.
Gravemind shifted his gaze, locking onto Kaito.
"You think having these two stand in front of you will change anything?" he spat. "Don't get cocky, brat. None of you are walking away from this."
He raised his hand, his voice booming.
"Brothers! Kill them all! Take everything they drop—we'll split the loot after!"