n

n

nI didn't run for a minute before I heard fierce sounds of fighting from behind.

"They really came for her,

" I saw three guys fighting against John while Sara pointed her staff towards them.

"Yeah, they are dead,

" I muttered while turning to look forward.

nAs expected, a big bang occured behind and these guys were dead for good. Fighting against a magician looked easy if you managed to get closer to him

/her. However once your cover was blown, then only death awaits you.

nScary class indeed. If not for my hatred towards sitting back and watching the fight from far then I wouldn't say no to such one.

nHowever I knew I was going to be a swordsman, a hidden class awaited me after this fight for sure.

n

"Split up,

" I said,

"but don't get too isolated.

"

nThe enemies were already running for their lives. We could take them from behind thanks to our speed. But trying to fight a cornered enemy wasn't wise. That was why I added my last warning.

n*Slash* *Bang* Slash* *Boom*

nWe worked as a team and took down the runners. Sara helped as well after getting rid of those rats behind. Yet I couldn't be sure if all the rats were gone or there were still a couple remaining hidden.

nThis fight ended with no surprise at all. We were fewer in numbers but we held the higher morale and the initiative here. Despite their last second struggle, they couldn't stand against my high stats or Angelica's.

n

"This is going way beyond my paygrade,

" Angelica joked and I couldn't help but look around to make sure the other fight was done as well.

nIsabella handled the other guys smoothly. Now all we have are less than one hundred people sitting on the ground, shaking out of fear and filled with doubts.

n

"I can't keep doing this alone,

" I realized the hidden agenda of the angels. Just before the first quest was over, my big team that I was proud to find was reduced to only seven people. As for the initial four hundred people who I got here, only a hundred or less remained.

nIf this continued, then I'd doubt my ability to continue in this apocalypse much further than quest five.

nI was a lone wolf, but I wasn't aiming to be running around with my tail in between my legs. I wanted to be a king, that was the only path available to me to survive this sh*t.

nAccording to the old man's wise words he left in the recording, there was a brilliant and unique way to do it. But I needed a bigger and far stronger team.

nI needed to sort out things here and stop losing more of my assets thanks to those bastards.

n

"We are done here,

" Angelica said before adding,

"we can go back now and continue scanning those people.

"

nI felt her excitement in between the lines. She was happy for one reason, less people meant less expenditure on her part. But right now I have another viewpoint on what we should do.

n

"Gather up,

" I said as I motioned to my scattered team members while standing in my place.

nI didn't fear the presence of any more traitors. If even those hundred people had more of them, then killing them all wouldn't be an issue.

nThey were dead meat in my eyes, one way or another. And if a traitor was inside that group right now, then he

/she would lose any hope of survival.

nFrom the stern look over their faces I knew my face must have looked serious. After all, I gathered them to mark a new turning point in my grand plan here.

n

"When we kill a monster, we can salvage its core, various materials, and also its skills,

" I said before leaning over one dead traitor I just killed before adding,

"but when killing traitors and enemies, we can get fifty percent of their inventory, just like that.

"

nI placed my palm over the chest of that dead guy and received the familiar message from the system.

"You helped me kill them, so go around and take your shares.

"

nEveryone looked at me like they doubted what I just said. The next moment Sara moved towards a group of seven she devastated using her skill during the last fight.

n

"Gosh! It's working!

" her eyes shone brightly before jumping from one dead guy to another. She even laughed in excitement as if this was a Christmas present.

n

"Go, what are you waiting for?

" I waved my hands for them to scatter and get their share of the cake.

nOnly three remained behind.

n

"Well… what about me?

" John asked while his face showed how bitter he felt. It was expected, after all this young man here was stingy enough to buy himself a shield despite having lots of coins before.

nHe wasn't alone, Gerry also was standing beside John. The two didn't kill anyone, and that was expected.

nOne was acting as a tank and the other acted as a healer. They seemed to feel like losers at the moment.

nBut fighting without a good tank or capable healer was like a death sentence to my team.

"You can go and take half of those traitors each,

" I acted generously before adding after seeing the weird look on their faces,

"you can get up to ten percent only. But even so with such large numbers you'll get it big.

"

n

"Yeah, Hye is the best,

" John shouted in a thrilling tone and even tried to come and hug me. Sorry dude, if I was to be hugged by someone then it should be a chick.

n

"Go, we don't have the whole night here,

" I sent them around while working to gather my own loot.

nOnly one person remained, Angelica.

n

"One moment before you acted so stingy and cold hearted with me and now… I can't believe you are doing this without something in return,

" she seemed to see through my actions, but she didn't have a clue.

n

"I'm just trying to help everybody,

" I simply said while jumping from one dead traitor to another.

n

"But why?

"

n

"Will you ditch your bodies to others or what? C'mon, we need to scan the remaining humans before moving.

"

n

"Moving?

" She looked a bit surprised, but I only kept my silence and continued what I was doing.

nYeah, we need to move from here. Thinking that my current team was enough to stand against the next plot of the angels was a mistake. The only way for them to survive was to relocate our current base for now.

nAs she found no hope in making me talk and reveal my current plans, she reluctantly moved and started gathering her loot.

nI needed them to get stronger, and the only way was by gathering more coins. Plus those potions and stat points inside those inventories were a waste to leave untouched.

nRight now they couldn't make the best use of the coins, but later on they would. Just when this quest ends, we would have a chance to get support from a higher being.

nDespite my hesitation towards this matter, it was still an option for them to decide. If it was up to me, then I would never agree to do it.

nBut It was a double edged weapon. If they followed my footsteps then gaining power wouldn't be easier especially during the next two quests.

nTo get stronger someone had to sacrifice something, it was the cruel rule of this life. Nothing was easy or granted, and anything coming cheap for now would mean it would cost us more in the future.

nGathering the loot didn't take more than five minutes. Just as we finished, I stood in front of the scared hundred people and was about to speak when the sky suddenly got bright.

n

"What is that?

"

n

"Is that a new sun?

"

n

"Is this over?

"

nThose people… They were so desperate to even see in such a calamity a chance for surviving. I only stood silent while watching the bright red star that suddenly appeared far away from us.

n

"Do you know what this is for?

" Sara came closer and asked.

n

"Is your girl ready?

" I didn't answer her but said to Angelica who seemed nervous when she heard my words.

n

"Don't tell me…

"

n

"Just inform her to be ready,

" I interrupted her words,

"she had less than one minute after all.

"

nMy eyes conveyed more meaning that I said in my words. This wasn't a normal star, but a mighty weapon getting charged.

nAnd its goal was nothing but that statue of liberty and the ace friend of her standing there.

nI didn't get much hope from that person. After all, what was the benefit in getting high stats in intelligence and high mana but locking up everything else?

nIf this was the case, then her friend would never be able to survive at all during the upcoming quests. Not on her own at the least.

nAngelica started to look busy while her hands kept moving in midair like she was trying to do something.

n

"She isn't picking up,

" she hysterically said,

"what's the meaning of this?

"

n

"Black out,

" I simply said before sighing,

"you have nothing to do now except to pray.

"

nAngelica's body got stiffened but the next moment a new change occurred. That bright red star at a high distance started to emit thick tongues of red rays that kept dancing around it.

n

"And from the depth of hope, despair will rain down over those who thought it was a sign from gods,

" I slowly muttered while recalling a piece of prose that described this terrifying weapon.

n*Rumble*

nThe next moment everything trembled while the air itself vibrated. Everyone looked panicked but I was the only one acting calm here.

nI knew this weapon was aiming at the statue of liberty. Only one use of that terrifying guy would cost those angels lots of their blessing points.

n*Rumble*

nThat weapon was now fully charged before its attack landed. It seemed like everything else in this world dimmed in front of its might.

nA thick pillar of red light fell over the distance and instantly vanished like it appeared. All the sounds were gone like they were worshiping in awe of this dreadful scene.

nThen things started to explode while a big mushroom-like ball of fire rose higher from the distance.

nIt looked small and insignificant, but I alone knew how devastating this attack was.

n

"Should we run?

" Isabella's face ashened while she shouted from her place beside that traitor on the ground.

n

"Yeah, that thing looked pretty dangerous,

" Sara turned to me to see my calm face. I shook and said:

n

"It's not going to hit us.

"

n

"Are you sure?

" John was feeling panicked. He just celebrated getting so many coins and cool stuff moments ago. Just dying after gaining such success was something unpleasant to anyone after all.

n

"Just trust me,

" I slowly said while constricting my eyes. I knew that attack would hit the statue, bringing forth a mighty wave from the ocean. That was why I asked Angelica to let her girlfriend use her boat and wait ten miles away from this explosion.

nBut I wasn't sure of the dirty plots of the angels anymore. What if they increased the intensity of that weapon? What if they paid slightly more blessing to make all of us die?

nHowever just as I hesitated, I saw a small line of darkness rising behind the shining ball of fire. It was the small tsunami wave that was gathering up momentum now.

n

"What… is that?

" Angelica pointed towards the direction of the ball and I knew she noticed the deadly wave coming.

n

"I believe it's the aftermath of that hit,

" I slowly said before all of sudden a gale of wind hit all of us. It was fast and came out from the direction of the Statue of Liberty, an aftermath of that attack.

n

"Damn!

" The wind blew away many people but all of my team stood their ground firm.

nThen loud noises of slash came from the far.. It was the sign that water was now attacking land, drowning anyone closer to the coast at this moment.

n