"Brother Crim, why so quiet? The team feels so lifeless without you. Say something."

Crimson Reaper was nearly in tears. "Little Chili Sister, Little Chili Aunt, Little Chili Grandmother, I was wrong. I will never dare to offend you again. Please spare this dog’s life."

"No, no, it’s my fault. I didn’t realize how lonely you were. I only ever wanted to make you smile..."

Don would have wagered real money that Crimson Reaper would never tease this particular cute little beauty again as long as he lived.

Crimson Reaper looked around desperately, small eyes filled with despair. "Someone save me."

Dust glanced around casually. "Oh, there are wolves over there. Let’s go hunt them."

"Dust, you absolute traitor."

"Hm? I thought I heard someone cursing me. Ah well, never mind."

"Brother Don, Uncle Don..."

Don looked up at the sky. "The weather is really nice today."

"Come on..."

Just as the whole team was enthusiastically torturing Crimson Reaper, a bright silver light flashed from the teleporter’s location in Ghost Wolf Village. One by one, players in gleaming armor streamed out of the village and assembled at the entrance, forming a compact team of roughly thirty people. The names above their heads all shared the same prefix, Adventure.

Every one of them was Level 23 or above, which was a respectable standing at this stage of the game. They didn’t look like they were here to sightsee. Something about their formation suggested a specific objective.

While Don’s group of a dozen or so continued killing monsters, a very effeminate voice rang out from the direction of the adventurer group.

"The Adventurers’ Club has officially claimed this area! All unaffiliated personnel must evacuate immediately to avoid unnecessary casualties!"

Before Don could even speak, Crimson Reaper had already declared, "Go to hell with your ’go to hell’ attitude. You really think that intimidates anyone?"

Cappuccino’s message came through privately, expression grim even in text. "Don, you guys should get out of here. Crim’s having another episode."

Don could see it clearly enough on his own. From the moment he’d first met Crim, that bright red forehead and those restless eyes had told him everything, this was a born warmonger, the kind who couldn’t stand a peaceful day.

Dust’s face was equally unpleasant, his dissatisfaction barely concealed. But out of consideration for the team, he suppressed it, raised his hand, and shouted, "Reincarnation players, stop fighting and fall back!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The production players put their weapons away.

The one who’d given the declaration was called Adventure King, Level 27, Swordsman. He had a distinctly effeminate appearance, with a pale face, thin eyebrows, and a small flat nose that gave him the permanent look of someone who’d never been loved.

He said sarcastically, "Oh dear. Was that a pig farting just now? The smell was awful."

Crim was already opening his mouth. Don grabbed his arm and lowered his voice. "Dust, tell all the production players to pull back. Chili, you go back too."

Little Chili said flatly, "I’m not going back, Don. I’m not afraid of fighting."

"This is an order. Execute it immediately." Don’s tone carried an edge he rarely used.

Before anyone had even taken a step, a thief in leather armor stepped forward from the other side. Medium height, average appearance, his eyes were fixed on Don. His ID read Mark, Level 27. "You’re the Extraordinary one, aren’t you?"

Don smiled slightly. "That’s me. What can I do for you?"

Before Mark could respond, Adventure King cut in. "Oh dear, looks like you’re truly doomed today. So you’re Nolly’s old nemesis."

Crim looked down at Adventure King with undisguised contempt. "Looks like you’ve got something going with that gangster Nolan Hart. Tell me, did you enjoy being sodomized by him?"

Those words ignited Adventure King. The murder in his eyes told Don everything he needed to know, a serious fight was coming.

Mark and Don entered stealth mode almost simultaneously. Don spoke quickly in team chat. "Kira, Dust, Cappuccino, Crim, we’re outnumbered. The four of you go in first. Don’t kill anyone. Lead the rest of the players into Vellari Village. These people came because they caught wind of a boss nearby, we don’t need to deal with them right now. Get everyone into the safe zone."

Crim started to protest. Don’s tone didn’t waver. "Crim, don’t cause problems for your team. I’m captain right now. Listen to me."

Crim went quiet and followed orders.

The next second, the high-level warrior players surged forward, charging directly into the enemy formation before it could even properly organize.

The Adventure Club’s ranks looked orderly on the surface, but the moment they saw a reckless charge coming straight at them, their instinct was to scatter. Most of Don’s players made it back into the village, and inside the safe zone, PK was impossible.

But most didn’t mean all.

Little Chili hadn’t made it. A sharp spike crackling with red light pierced her from behind, and a damage number of 3,042 floated above her head.

Crim had already crossed the safe zone line. The moment he saw Little Chili get hit, he flew into a rage, roared, and charged back out.

The moment he did, Dust, Cappuccino, Bernita, Kira, and Lily all came rushing back out after him.

Little Chili’s own response was impressive. She bit down on the alchemical potion already in her mouth, flipped her body, and swung her axe at Mark in the same motion.

Mark’s Backstab and Little Chili’s swing were separated by barely half a second. He had no time to react. Her axe ripped away over 2,000 HP, and there was nothing he could do about it, Nimi Dwarf Strength was already high, and axes were naturally high-damage weapons.

At that moment, the Adventure Club’s priest finished adjusting the formation and raised his arm toward Mark, beginning a heal. Mark simultaneously activated Evasion to dodge Little Chili’s follow-up.

But his skill didn’t save him. A layer of crimson light illuminated his back, and a cold blade was already moving toward him.

Mark twisted his body on instinct, exposing his chest instead of his back. He’d miscalculated. Because the skill Don had just activated wasn’t Backstab, it was a normal attack.

The blade swept horizontally, leaving three precise cuts across the man’s chest in rapid succession. Combo attack, perfectly carded.

[1,864!] [2,095!] [2,785!]

Three high damage numbers burst above his head, mingling with the spray of blood. Mark slowly crumpled to his knees and died. Because he had attacked Little Chili first, his nameplate had already turned pink. Don’s kill didn’t change it further, the color remained clean white on Don’s record.

At that very moment, no fewer than ten mages on the other side began chanting spells aimed directly at Don.

But before he could even activate Evasion, Dust and Cappuccino had already charged in from the left and right flanks, their Sweeping Strikes forcibly interrupting every spell mid-cast.

Dust was ferocious and Cappuccino was precise. The cold tip of a halberd drove into neck after neck with methodical accuracy, and in moments, every one of the mages had been cut down. Two names turned blood red.

At the same moment, Kira and Crim charged into the archer formation. Kira’s expression shifted, a frontal slash chained into a normal attack dropped a human archer who had been drawing aim on Little Chili. Crim roared and unleashed a powered strike, cleaving a crossbowman clean in two.

Their names went famous immediately.

Don’s head started throbbing. It was fine if his own name turned red, he could find a quiet area to level and hide from troublemakers when needed. But where were the others supposed to go? PK fame in the early stages of the game was genuinely devastating. It wrecked leveling efficiency and painted a target on everyone who carried it.

What worried him even more was Lily. A perfectly aimed bolt to the neck from her crossbow had dropped a fully healed Battle Spirit, and the beautiful young woman, expression unchanged, was moving across the battlefield with fluid, almost professional precision. She didn’t look like a newcomer at all. She looked like a trained assassin. Her name had gone famous.

Don didn’t know whether to be proud or frustrated.

He stopped thinking about it. To hell with it. Kill.

In a heartbeat, he was moving in a zigzag through the chaos, weaving past several melee warriors, and heading straight for Adventure King.

The man didn’t disappoint. He turned tail and sprinted back into the village.

Don pulled up short at the gate, staring at two NPC guards whose ranks he couldn’t even read. He sighed. Cowards always had the best protection.

From inside the safe zone, Adventure King shouted, "Brothers, kill every last one of them! Five thousand silver dollars for each kill, real money!"

Crim, frantically pursuing an Adventure Club archer, cursed. "Damn it, I’m almost tempted to kill myself for that."

The archer released a Slowing Arrow, locking Crim’s movement speed, and sneered, "Let me do it for you, you son of a bitch."

A thud. The archer stared at the ground in confusion, a blood-stained longsword sliding free from between his ribs. Kira stepped back, expression flat. "That’s five thousand dollars gone."

Crim burst out laughing. "Kira is hilarious. I like her."

Kira pointed to an arrow embedded in her own shoulder. "Brother, deal with the one behind me before you start complimenting people."