Chapter 128: Collision (3)

Chapter 128: Collision (3)

“What the hell?”

“That’s...”

Vulture and the Black Bee party members tilted their heads in confusion as a person they never expected to meet here had emerged from behind the trees.

“... I thought I taught you a good lesson, but it seems the problem lies with the student’s head,” Vulture let out a dry laugh, tapping his temple as he stared at the player before him, Furima.

It was the same person he had attacked just thirty minutes earlier at the Elven Forest base camp. Of course, there was no personal grudge against him.

It was just to set an example. After all, everyone there had trespassed into the western region.

Vulture had destroyed the Furima party to warn other players to stay out of the western region, which he claimed as Black Bee territory.

Master is always right. His teachings say that humans are ruled by fear.

Of course, the players wouldn’t genuinely be terrified of the Black Bee guild. This was just a game, after all.

But specifically because it’s a game, there are things that can be even more frightening.

Once players became attached to things like equipment bought with hard-earned money, or characters meticulously leveled up with their precious time, they wouldn’t dare challenge one of the top ten guilds in the world because they had the power to take all of these away from them.

“Well, I have to give you credit for having the courage to come back... Huh?”

Vulture slightly furrowed his brows and began to look around slowly.

One, two, three, four...

People who had been hiding behind the trees started to come out one by one.

“So, it’s not just the Furima party?”

“... Thirty-one, thirty-two.”

“With that many, it’s almost everyone who was at the base camp earlier.”

“Have they all gone mad?”

“We told you this is Black Bee Guild territory!”

The Black Bee party members shouted to intimidate them, but the players didn’t back down. Instead, they prepared for the upcoming battle to take place with determined expressions.

“...This is troublesome.”

Unlike those who hadn’t grasped the situation yet, Vulture’s expression hardened.

***

Thirty minutes earlier, Kai, who was heading west in the Elven Forest, suddenly stopped.

... Is it really right for me to deal with everything myself?

The reason for this sudden thought was an experience he had gone through before.

Was it back in third year of middle school?

Back then, one of his classmates started being bullied, and naturally, Kai didn’t just stand by and watch.

I reported it to the teacher and warned the bullies myself.

He had told them to stop. He already reported it to the teacher, and if the bullying continued, he would report it to the police. Young as he was, he thought that would solve everything. However, that was a mistake.

The bullying only became more frequent, severe, and cunning. Within a few weeks, the bullied friend had transferred to another school.

When Kai, bewildered, asked why, he was told everything.

Since I reported it, he got bullied even after school.

Kai's assistance had come from goodwill, but the result wasn’t as favorable.

That was why Kai hesitated to act now.

Eventually, Kai's grip on his sword hilt relaxed.

“Even if I take down those Black Bee guys now, nothing will change.”

A clash between Unknown and Black Bee was an intriguing topic. They had fought during the Orc Lord expedition, so there was bound to be intense interest in this conflict.

Players who loved gossip would also undoubtedly watch it closely.

But I want to change something more fundamental.

Fighting Black Bee under the guise of Unknown wouldn’t change the core issue. To the public, it would just appear as another round in the ongoing rivalry between Black Bee and Unknown.

So, what’s the solution?

Kai’s mind began to race.

If I handle this poorly, this incident will just get swept under the rug.

The top ten guilds in the world constantly fought each other, considering themselves rivals. However, there was one moment when they united.

When their interests align, or when their share of the pie seems to be shrinking.

Controlling hunting grounds and exerting dominance wasn’t unique to Black Bee. Any large, powerful guild did the same.

At first, the players didn’t understand what Kai was saying, but soon their eyes began to sparkle. They had bowed their heads to the Black Bee guild, but every player present was over level 200.

Basically, you can’t reach level 200 without a brain at this stage.

They needed the ability to figure out efficient hunting routes, the best skills and equipment sets, and analyze monster weaknesses and patterns on their own. Therefore, there was no way they couldn't understand such pointed words.

“All it takes is one act of courage. If enough people take that courage, we can stop Black Bee’s tyranny.”

“But we lack the power and levels compared to Black Bee.”

“Black Bee recruits only the most skilled Wizards. The gap in skill and talent is huge.”

“In the end, our resistance would be meaningless.”

“Meaningless? Who says that?” Kai asked back.

Kai had once thought similarly after his middle school friend transferred due to bullying.

Was it right for me to help him? If I had just stayed quiet, the bullying might not have escalated, and he wouldn’t have transferred.

However, those regrets vanished after he read the letter his friend sent a few days later.

Recalling that time, Kai said with certainty, “It’s okay if we don’t have the power to change everything. Our feelings will still be conveyed.”

Knowing someone cared and supported one was a great pillar for those facing injustice.

“Don’t you think so?”

“I-I...” Furima, taken aback by Kai’s question, quietly lowered his head.

The other players, seeing this, remained silent, each lost in their thoughts.

“Of course, that’s not all. It will also be a stern warning to Black Bee.”

The saying that even a worm will turn[1] would definitely hit home.

Kai looked around the now solemn crowd and shouted, "Let me be clear, do not be relieved just because you weren't the victim this time. If we don't stop Black Bee now, they will continue to repeat the same actions until this game ends. If we don't act now, who will stand against an even stronger Black Bee? By then..."

There would be no one left to stand up for them.

Kai swallowed the last words, but the players understood the meaning without them being said.

“So, what will you do now?” Kai asked the question with an answer predetermined from the start.

***

Normally, one couldn’t block ten others with one hand. Of course, in MID Online, there were monsters who completely defied this saying with their overwhelming skills. However, Vulture was not yet one of those monsters.

There’s too many of them...!

There were thirty-two enemies. He was confident he could fight off two, or maybe even three alone. However, eight opponents clinging to him was an impossible challenge.

Boom!

“Argh!”

As Aero Boom exploded in front of him, Vulture’s body was thrown backward.

“Ugh...”

Vulture, scratching the leaves and dirt with his fingernails, staggered to his feet. His bloodshot eyes quickly scanned the battlefield as if searching for someone. In his mind, the players couldn't have organized this on their own.

There’s a leader behind this damn mess. It must be one of two possibilities.

One was a ranker from another top ten guild, but this possibility was very unlikely.

No sane person would do something that cuts into their own flesh like this.

So that left only one option.

“...Under.”

The so-called celestial guilds, the Overs,[2] naturally consisted of the top ten guilds.

If so, what about the guilds below them?

Are those who were lying low starting to rise now?!

While the world's attention was on the top ten guilds, Under had been quietly waiting beneath the calm surface. And they waited for one of the top ten guilds to self-destruct or show a weakness.

And at this moment...

“Kugh!”

“You Black Bee bastards. Among the top ten guilds, you’ve been the worst.”

"Who put us up to this? No one. We made our own decisions and acted on our own."

"But from this moment on, let it be clearly declared that the Elven Forest hunting ground is not controlled by anyone!"

A small crack had formed in the seemingly unbreakable fortress of Black Bee.

1. Even a worm will turn: even a meek person will retaliate if pushed too far ☜

2. Over and Under were written in English in the Korean raws, so we have kept it as so ☜