Chapter 31: The Power of a Misclick

The correction to the Proclamation of Gilma Cheonjon's PK was clear—the target was limited to just one: Hana Guild.

[Bizert Village — All] Hamo: Damn, the shrimp shells are exploding like crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Bizert Village — All] Hamo: High-level folks, please stop coming to the desert~~~

The desert was now packed with people.

Unlike Karma, who owned the Guild Dungeon, Hana Guild had no choice but to rely solely on field hunting... so it was only natural that they'd try to seize the most efficient hunting ground: the desert.

Given the timing of the season, it was still an active map, and if you considered that soon the grind-addicts who just started would catch up in ranking, there was no goldmine like the desert.

Hana Guild kicked out all members below desert tier to protect them, and concentrated all forces except for the Martial God party in the desert.

It was a clever defensive measure that made full use of our “manners policy.”

[Bizert Village — All] WaterIsSelf: The desert is overrunㅠㅠ

[Bizert Village — All] InoHusband: Guys! After Full Moon Hill, do we go to the Ruins???

[Bizert Village — All] NoName: Looking for an angel to help out cute newbies, heart heart

[Bizert Village — All] NogariSoMac: Yup, go to the Ghost Ruins and hunt ghosts

[Bizert Village — All] Ino: Anyone can tell me which is better for warrior, sword or spear?

[Bizert Village — All] Eungae: LOL, as soon as Hana Guild folks show up in the desert, it turns into a warzoneㅠㅠ

[Bizert Village — All] Eungae: Now Karma Guild is flooding inㅠㅠ

[Bizert Village — All] UnderBridge: Spear Warrior sucks, tried it, I know

[Bizert Village — All] Eungae: Man, I liked the desertㅠㅠ

[Bizert Village — All] WaterIsSelf: Guess lowbies gotta go to the Labyrinth or Mineㅠㅠ

“So many complaints.”

I came to town for a quick potion refill and the chat was blowing up.

But it’s not like we want to bother regular players on purpose.

“The Martial God party is camping the desert to protect guild members, so there’s really nothing we can do...”

Thanks to that, our party managed to secure the grasslands, but knowing those guys were in the desert, there was no way we could just ignore it.

So the Martial God party ended up stuck as desert gatekeepers, and we’ve been sneaking in to raid the desert whenever we get the chance.

[Guild] Gakdagwi: Are those bastards just trying to block our rankers on purpose or what—_—ㅋ

[Guild] INFP: Too juicy of a feast to ignore and just grind elsewhere...

[Guild] Ariel: lololol so mean

After burning through Sunday afternoon and early Monday morning, I broke up the party as usual at six and tried to get some sleep. Yet for some reason, I woke up early on Monday.

The time was ten.

No way I’d get back to sleep, so I washed up, ate, and plopped down in front of the monitor, where the guild’s idle chatter was on full display.

“Wow, monsters. Do these people ever sleep?”

I thought of the ones who were still online just before party breakup and set my hands on the keyboard.

[Guild] Happy: Hello

[Guild] Gakdagwi: Oh, Happy’s here hihihi

[Guild] INFP: Welcome, you’re early

[Guild] Ariel: Hi^^

[Guild] Bambi: Hiiiii

[Guild] Assassin: h2

[Guild] Cheonjon: Hello~

“Huh? At this hour?”

It felt odd, so I double-checked, but it really was Cheonjon.

“What the... I’m sure we disbanded at six together. Is it the sub?”

But the sub almost never chats in guild chat.

[Guild] Happy: ? Guildmaster, you didn’t sleep?

[Guild] Ariel: lololol

[Guild] Cheonjon: It’s me!

[Guild] Cheonjon: Sub has an urgent appointment today, so I’m filling in just for today lol

[Guild] Happy: Ahhh

Well, since Cheonjon’s sub played his main server character too, it wasn’t that strange.

[Guild] Cheonjon: Right now, INFP, Ariel, and Gakdagwi are running the grasslands with me

[Guild] Cheonjon: If you want to level, come up!

[Guild] Happy: Oh, thanks

[Guild] Happy: I’ll let you know once I’m done getting ready

[Guild] Cheonjon: Ok ok

“Was gonna enjoy some free time, but maybe I should just go hunt instead? Yeah, what rest does a debuffer need. When there’s a dealer around, gotta hunt.”

Maybe because there’s no Haema tanking, it seems Cheonjon is solo-driving and boosting others.

Well, with a character like Cheonjon’s, the grasslands are practically cleared, so it’s not even hard. Still, with Hana Guild and PK war ongoing, seeing him lead the mid-lower ranks alone is pretty impressive.

“If they’re still leveling with that group, does that mean the Martial God isn’t around? I heard that character is online all day. Maybe there’s really no one from Hana Guild online this morning.”

[Guild] Bambi: Assassin, should we try the second floor?

[Guild] Assassin: Yeahㅎㅎ

Looks like the two who joined when I did are partying in the Guild Dungeon.

Seeing my fellow recruits hang in there so long made me weirdly proud.

“Time to fill up on red potions...”

I loaded up on supplies, crossed the quiet village, and headed for the portal.

[Desert of No Return]

[Deep Labyrinth]

[Abandoned Mine]

[Marius Grasslands]

[Silent Ruins]

[Lava-Boiling Plateau]

“Huh?”

The instant the selection popped up, I must’ve been distracted—I accidentally clicked the very top option.

Embarrassed by the random misclick, the screen changed.

[Desert of No Return]

“Ugh. Wrong one... wait.”

Just as I was about to click the exit, I saw a bunch of characters moving below.

“Oh, Hana Guild.”

They hadn’t been waiting—seeing them all move together, it looked like they just happened to reach the entrance after hunting.

I didn’t even have time to check their IDs.

The Hana Guild members spotted me and started sprinting over.

“Ah, wait. Wait!”

Panicking at being alone, I frantically clicked the exit, but then I frowned at the IDs flashing on the screen.

“Hm? Pineapple, FirstSnow, Yongho, Hannari... that’s it?”

No Martial God.

There’s no way he’s not here, and yet—he’s not.

I thought it odd, but still scanned the enemies and prioritized targets right away.

“Buffer: Hannari.”

Last season’s Naria’sDad. The one who suggested joining us this season.

They never spouted nonsense before, nor have they caused trouble this season.

“If the buffer moves, it’ll be tough for me.”

As soon as the 3-second invincibility ended, I spammed right-click toward Hannari’s character.

Unlucky Song failed twice, but landed perfectly on the third try.

“Yes!”

Immediately after, I targeted the debuffer, FirstSnow.

[FirstSnow used Ominous Step.]

[Pineapple used Rending Earth.]

[Yongho used Blazing Flame.]

[FirstSnow used Crumbling Skin.]

[Pineapple used Rending Earth.]

[FirstSnow used Unlucky Song.]

[FirstSnow used Unlucky Song.]

While FirstSnow’s Unlucky Songs kept failing, I leisurely countered with my own.

FirstSnow’s rank was still low, so my skill landed instantly.

Of course, I’d been hit by Slow myself, so my motions were sluggish, but it didn’t matter.

I stood my ground and cast Slow in turn on Pineapple and Yongho.

Then, using Black Melody, I wiped away Hannari’s buffs clean.

[Guild] Happy: I’m in the desert, need backup lol

[Guild] Happy: I’ve got four of them pinned here

[Guild] INFP: Woah

[Guild] Gakdagwi: Go go go go

[Guild] Cheonjon: On my way

“Ah. The peaceful desert’s a warzone again because of me...”

Like a kid tossing stones into a still pond for fun, I grinned, expertly controlling the four who’d become sitting ducks.

[Pineapple used Blaze of Inferno.]

[Yongho used Blaze of Inferno.]

I intentionally didn’t cast Unlucky Song on the two mages.

Even if they hit me, it barely hurt, so I just kept Slowing them to annoy them.

Meanwhile, Hannari began to sneak upward.

Probably trying to get to the village to dispel the debuff. I chased after them and hit with Corrosive Poison.

“That was close.”

With HP bleeding from the poison, Hannari entered combat status and couldn’t leave.

“Just in case, better poison the other three too so they can’t escape.”

I toyed with the four like that while waiting for allies. Soon, a character entered the portal.

The desert’s exit is at the twelve o’clock direction.

All the way at the top.

When a character enters, the top half of the screen covers their character, meaning their ID isn’t visible.

So you usually tell by the outfit, and the new arrival, with black pants, boots, and a tattered cloak, was clearly a “mage.”

“Ooh, is it Cheonjon? Or INFP? Gakdagwi?”

I wasn’t nervous about 1v4, but being alone is always awkward.

I was about to let out a cheer at the sight of reinforcements.

But then—

“Whoa...”

The character that rushed down wasn’t an ally.

It was Martial God, rank 1.

I instinctively squeaked and frantically left-clicked.

Even if I wanted to keep him in check, his 3-second invincibility meant I couldn’t do anything yet.

“Ugh, let Slow wear off, come on, please!”

While I sluggishly scrambled to widen the gap, Pineapple and Yongho approached eagerly.

Just imagining their grinning faces beyond the monitor made my own scowl.

“I’d rather die to Martial God than ever let Pineapple kill me.”

With that resolve, I distanced myself from those two and moved in on Martial God.

The moment he attacked me—

[Martial God used Blaze of Inferno.]

I chugged red potions like mad to endure, spamming Ominous Step on Martial God.

Of course, with Slow still active, my character moved like a sloth.

Just when I thought I’d die of frustration, Slow finally landed on Martial God.

Seeing him slowed, I quickly ran.

Pineapple was rank 7—if I got unlucky and took a crit...

“Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine.”

I shook my head and immediately hit Pineapple and Yongho with Unlucky Song.

Yongho was lower-ranked, so it landed instantly; Pineapple resisted a few times. Meanwhile, the relentless Martial God’s attack made me briefly panic.

“Safe distance, secured...!”

On the fourth try, I sealed Pineapple and hurriedly shook off the three mages.

Then I reapplied debuffs on schedule.

“Martial God probably got buffs, so strip those, too...”

Carefully finishing with Black Melody, I circled around the entrance, holding on.

But every second felt like a minute.

Maybe hoping for a chance, the three mages kept sticking to Hannari, sweat dripping down my back.

If I missed the debuff timing, I’d be the one getting ganged up and killed.

Chewing my lip nervously, finally, new characters appeared at the entrance.

“They’re here!”

[Cheonjon]

[INFP]

[Gakdagwi]

This time, the reinforcements were real allies.