The crowd outside the church was buzzing with excitement, and the scene had descended into chaos once again. Some players shoved forward recklessly, desperate to land the last blow and claim the glory of the first Silver Boss kill. Others had their eyes fixed on the scattered equipment that lay glowing on the ground, dropped by those who had just been killed by Elder Faelion's terrifying magic.
Seeing the disorder, Kaito's third uncle and his father immediately barked orders. The melee fighters from Genesis, who had crowded near the church entrance, were told to pull back at once. Only a handful were left to hold the narrow spaces between the town guards, making sure no reckless outsiders slipped in through the gaps.
The retreating melee players didn't argue. They quickly squeezed back, opening up more room for the ranged fighters of Genesis to spread out. Archers, mages, and healers now had space to aim their spells and arrows without worrying about being trampled or blocked.
At this point, guilds and mercenary groups had not yet officially been established in Glory. There were no emblems or banners to distinguish one group from another. Because of this, it took the onlookers a while to realize that the team working so smoothly together was Genesis. Once they noticed, whispers started spreading in the crowd.
"What's Genesis doing here?" one muttered.
But none of this was Kaito's concern. While others were scrambling outside, he was fully focused inside the battlefield, fighting face-to-face with Elder Faelion. He worked to keep the boss's attention locked on him, pulling aggro with precise attacks while interrupting Faelion's attempts to channel dangerous magic.
The Abyss Feast had struck him earlier, the same devastating spell that had wiped out nearly twenty players in one blast. But with Viscount Elrick's holy auras and the Purification Jade Pendant he wore, Kaito had recovered almost instantly. The pendant had stripped away the Abyssal corruption, while Elrick's Holy Light healed his health bar back to full in just two seconds.
Elder Faelion began gathering energy again, shadows twisting around his staff as he tried to weave together another abyssal spell. Kaito didn't give him the chance. He surged forward, his blades flashing. A clean cross slash struck across the fanatic's hand, breaking the spell mid-cast and scattering the condensed energy into harmless wisps.
From there, Kaito pressed the assault. His attacks weren't random swings they were carefully aimed at weak points: the armpits where armor bent, the elbows where joints were exposed, even the shadowy sockets around Faelion's glowing eyes. Every blow landed with precision. To most onlookers, the numbers floating above Faelion's head looked like ordinary scratches, but those watching closely noticed something strange each of Kaito's basic strikes was dealing damage twice. A hidden two-stage effect, born from his mastery and his weapons.
Even though he hadn't unleashed his flashier skills like Flame Arc Slash or Odin's Wrath, his efficiency was shocking. More and more players started muttering among themselves.
"That fighting style… wait a second "
"Isn't that Raen? Who else could it be?"
Although Kaito wore a simple mask, cloaks and masks weren't common yet in Glory. It was easy for veterans to connect the dots. Who else could stand toe-to-toe with a Silver Boss at this stage, cloaked in rare gear, holding the line this long?
"This is like watching a melee versus magic tutorial," one warrior whispered, his eyes glued to Kaito's movements.
Melee players in addition to fighting also studied every step he made. They watched how he closed distance, disrupted spells, and struck weak points lessons that would stay with them long after this battle.
But not everyone was impressed.
"Tch, that only works in close combat," a mage scoffed from the back lines. Still, even he admitted quietly, "Raen really is the bane of magic classes right now. Just look at how he shut Faelion down."
They all remembered how he had instantly slaughtered Everhold Dominion's mages not long ago in their battle video. Still, the balance of power in games was always shifting. In Glory, plate-armored melee classes countered rogue classes, rogue classes countered mages, and mage classes countered the slower heavy-armor classes. No one stayed on top forever.
Suddenly, the crowd erupted into gasps. Eyes widened, and some shouted warnings.
"Look out!"
Kaito's situation had turned dangerous. Elder Faelion, realizing that long incantations were useless against Kaito's relentless interruptions, shifted tactics. With a snarl, he twisted the Abyssal Shadow Bolt spell normally a channeled attack into a rapid-fire, instant-cast ability.
It transformed him into a living turret.
Bolts of shadow shot from his staff in quick succession. Each one wasn't as powerful as his larger spells, but the sheer speed and volume were overwhelming.
The first bolt slammed into Kaito, tearing away a third of his health bar in an instant. His body jerked from the impact, and before he could fully recover, two more bolts streaked toward him. Elder Faelion could now fire three bolts every two seconds, a nonstop barrage.
The crowd's noise rose into a roar. Kaito gritted his teeth, planting his feet as the relentless storm of Abyssal energy hammered toward him...
Kaito's face darkened as the Abyssal Shadow Bolts kept raining down. Each strike not only tore away chunks of his health but also staggered him, making it nearly impossible to move forward. Every time he tried to close the distance, another shadow bolt hammered him back, locking him in place.
If not for Viscount Elrick standing behind him, frantically pouring out healing and buffs, Kaito would have already collapsed. The holy light restored him again and again, but it also made the battle look strange to the onlookers.
To the crowd, what they saw was a helpless Raen his health bar swinging wildly up and down like a roller coaster. One moment Elder Faelion's bolts shredded his health; the next, Viscount Elrick's holy light patched it back together. It looked as if Raen was barely clinging to life, constantly on the edge of being crushed.
Kaito clenched his jaw. I can't keep this up any longer.
A sudden surge of power burst from his body. Sparks of light crackled across his blades.
Lightning surged!
Kaito began swinging wildly, unleashing Odin's Wrath. Bolts of lightning erupted with every strike, lancing forward in brilliant arcs that shot directly toward Elder Faelion.
The spectators were baffled.
"What's Raen doing?" someone shouted. "The lightning strikes don't even dent the boss's health! Why is he wasting them on attacks instead of using them to block?"
Even Kaito's third uncle frowned, worry flashing in his eyes. But the next instant, his expression froze in shock.
Something was happening.
Elder Faelion, the terrifying Silver Boss who had been turning the battlefield upside down, suddenly flinched under the lightning. His movements faltered, as if those weak bolts of lightning weren't weak at all, but a natural nemesis. His abyssal shadow bolts collided with Kaito's lightning and broke apart.
Kaito hadn't even aimed directly at the incoming spells. He simply launched his lightning attacks at Elder Faelion himself, yet the shadow bolts seemed to unravel in the air, their speed and trajectory disrupted. The crowd gasped as they realized that Kaito was no longer dodging desperately he was striding through the barrage.
"What's going on?" players muttered. Even his father narrowed his eyes, stunned to see Elder Faelion actually afraid of Raen's lightning.
Kaito seized the moment.
"Cross Slash!" he roared, his body darting forward like a streak of light. He weaved through the broken rain of abyssal shadow bolts and closed the gap in the blink of an eye.