Chapter 67

"Ah, darn it..."

"It seems that in an ambush, the initiative lies with the other side."

On the enemy-identification radar map of the ruined city, countless points were displayed in blue and red. Blue indicated players, and red indicated monsters. Currently, a cluster of blue points was concentrated in the central square of the ruined city, surrounded by a ring of numerous red points. The players serving as the vanguard were now surrounded by enemies.

"The display is different inside and outside buildings... I forgot because I only did solo field battles."

"It's not as if we only have vanguard roles. They will handle it well on their side. If the situation turns bad, there are plenty of options. Leave it be."

"Sahana is there, and so are Exis and Yeager. Let's think about it after we get an emergency message."

Without much deliberation, Kena and Ops focused on their assigned tasks, leaving the vanguard in a tight spot.

── About an hour earlier.

Yeager gave the command, and preparations for the annihilation battle began. Immediately, all players were divided into the assault group and the overall support group. The assault group consisted of about twenty players, and the overall support group had two.

"Hey, aren't we being sidelined here~?"

"What are you saying now? If you put all of us and you two on a scale, it's the same, isn't it?"

"Having four level 800s is too harsh~"

Though it sounded like a complaint, everyone's faces were smiling. It was a prearranged harmony, and for Kena and the others, such exchanges were routine. It was just that when they reminisced about the past, the familiar response came back as expected. The four high-level players, excluding the limit break, were Sahana, Yeager, and Spiraal, and the late-arriving Hidden Ghost.

"Grandpa~!" "Oh, my grandchild~!" *hug*

Everyone ignored the farce between Kena and Hidden Ghost. He couldn't use the emergency event item because he had forty-four sisters (adopted children are not included in the item's effect range). Reluctantly, he arrived by hanging from a ship with four dragons. Incidentally, his sisters were stationed around the perimeter of the [Barrier] as barricade personnel with eleven dragons. This was because their levels ranged from 300 to 50.

"Ugh, I wanted to make a grand entrance with 'The 12th Cavalry Arrives!'"

"Your sisters will die, so stop it!"

The reason for the 12th was that Hidden Ghost was the Skill Master No. 12. Sahana, who was not connected through Kena but from a previous event, scolded Hidden Ghost. Kena, who knew this from the past, when she introduced the two for a hunt, smiled dryly while being clung to by a female demon, Uni, the 54th sister of Hidden Ghost. For some reason, the hidden background setting for Uni, who was created as an adopted child, included "being attached to Kena." "You even picked up the hidden background... How mysterious," the two commented belatedly. Kena was relieved that she didn't need to set a hidden background for her adopted children. Is it a feature that even without a hidden background, they are still odd? She ignored the voice in her heart.

"Anyway, the surface sweep is a bit hasty."

"From what I can see through the [Barrier], the buildings are still standing. They look pretty dilapidated, so they might collapse if we kick them in, right?"

Because there were Skill Masters, there was a suggestion to concentrate command of the vanguard group. However, Hidden Ghost himself declined, saying, "I am not fit to be a commander," so the original plan was followed, with Yeager and Spiraal taking charge. The Exis, who were on guard at the entrance, returned and reorganized the party to enter the interior together. It seemed that the monsters that had been sporadically emerging from the inside of the barrier had stopped, but they couldn't be complacent given the example of the Felskero capital attack. During the strategy meeting, sirens and the Wankoos were stationed at the entrance.

"Divide everyone into three teams and sweep through, then head to the castle. Enter the capital dungeon from the castle's underground, and then it's routine work, right?"

"Kena and the others will provide backup, and the rest will adapt as needed."

"That's a harsh order..."

"Then, shall we crush both the surface and the underground?"

Kena projected a map of the city (a proper use of [The Rose Scatters Beautifully]) in the air. The castle was in the west, behind the city. On the north and south sides of the castle were guilds, libraries, weapon shops, and equipment shops. In the center was a square with a fountain, and the eastern part was mostly residential. The players would enter through the main gate on the east side. From there, the central breakthrough team and the teams that would bypass to the north and south would advance. Kena and the others would ensure that no one was ambushed from behind and would eliminate any stragglers. Everyone was startled by Ops' casual comment.

"Hey, what are you planning to do!?"

"If we collapse it, they will rush to the exit for a place to hide. All you have to do is hit them there. It's a drive-in hunt."

Some players nodded, "Ah, I see." Considering the danger of diving into a complex dungeon where enemies could come from anywhere, it was a reasonable approach. To prevent being caught in a pincer attack, it was necessary to eliminate the surface enemies first. If it was just a matter of destroying the city, Kena or Ops could use high-level magic, but generally, area magic was centered on the caster. Unlike in the game, magic did not automatically distinguish between players. If the city was to be destroyed by magic, someone would have to go in alone. If that happened, the purpose of gathering players for the emergency quest would be lost.

"By the way, does this quest even have a reward?"

When Coral mentioned this, several people slapped their hands as if they had just realized something. In the game, the rewards for emergency quests were chosen by the participating players from bonus experience, minor bonus effects on costumes, or money. Ops, the organizer, furrowed his brow and muttered, "Hmm." It seemed he hadn't thought that far. The players, who had just realized this, began to murmur.

"By the way, since there was an announcement angel, there must be a GM, right?"

"Weren't the 'witches' given GM privileges?"

"That's just having the privilege. I think someone involved in the operation has infiltrated."

"Ah, there's a GM. I've seen a fully red knight before."

"Is that so? I've seen a ghost-like figure."

"Alright, quiet down!"

Kena gave a meaningful look to Hidden Ghost and Ops and smiled. Using a sound amplification spell, she clapped her hands to silence everyone. When she saw the players' puzzled gazes, she smirked. A few who knew her well felt a sense of danger and backed away. The other players, seeing this, also felt a sense of crisis and braced themselves. Ignoring their reactions, she made a proposal.

"The reward for this quest... is a skill from a Skill Master!"

"──..."

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