[BONUS]
When Hugo burst into particles, the remaining members of Great Dynasty scattered all around and didn't know what to do.
Their leader was gone. Their numbers were small. Their HP and MP was non-existent. And Inti's HP was still more than half.
Ren turned into a bat again and quickly flew away from Inti's reach. He went away from Inti, and the God quickly forgot about him when he couldn't catch Ren.
Inti focused his attention on players within his grasp, and with a graze, those players dissolved into nothingness.
While Inti was playing with the players, Ren watched as the God was eliminating Great Dynasty one by one.
Ren noticed that Roni was running for his life, and he was glad that the guy was still alive.
Roni's life was his to take.
When the God set its sight on Roni, Ren immediately used [Butterfly of Deceit] and transported him away from Inti's reach.
Roni was baffled, and he blinked rapidly, wondering what had happened.
"You're safe now," Ren said.
"Y-you . . ." Roni couldn't comprehend why Ren saved him that he didn't even notice the spell Ren used. He was too shocked at the turn of events.
When Inti's golden skin reverted back to his dark-skinned color, the only players who remained were Ren and Roni.
"W-what are we going to do?" Roni clutched his head in despair. Now that he was the only one left from Great Dynasty, didn't it mean that the fate of his guild rested in his hands?
It would have been better if he died first so the blame and responsibility wouldn't fall on his shoulders.
Ren ignored Roni's rumbling, and he released Pii into the air. As much as he was having fun strategizing and killing bosses with his hands, now was not the time.
He was in a hurry, and if he could kill his opponents quickly, the better.
Instructing Pii to engage, the little creature zoomed to Inti and attacked the God's face with its beck.
"Hmmm . . . ? What's with this . . . creature?"
With a flick of Inti's finger, he flung Pii away from his face. The little guy quickly lost its HP, and while hurling mid-air, a puff of smoke enveloped everything in the area.
The next thing that happened was a loud roar shaking the ground, and Roni gasped when he found another beast in front of Inti.
The beast was very familiar, and Roni knew why. It was the World Boss who defeated the Kraken together with the Empire's battalion when they were after Jibblinplip before.
What's it doing here? Roni thought. He didn't see Pii transformed because of all the smoke, so he thought that its lair must be in the Maze Forest.
Roni was ecstatic that he knew of the information. He could surely use this knowledge to increase his station in Great Dynasty.
But then, dread warped his face when he realized what was happening.
"Wait . . . Does this means that . . . we will be facing two Bosses?" Roni shrieked.
Roni's worries were laid to rest when the beast attacked the God, and they were locked in combat.
"W-what . . . what's happening?!" Roni was baffled at the turn of events. He didn't know the game in-depth, so he couldn't explain why the beast and the God were attacking each other.
Was it because of a territorial dispute? Roni thought. Or was this part of the quest? Or did he trigger something?
They were in the open field, so anyone could join in the fight. It wasn't a dungeon or cave where the area was sealed, and no other creature could enter. In the open field, anyone could just barge in – players, inhabitants, and beasts alike.
So Roni really believed that the beast lived in these woodlands and that it was fighting the God because of some territorial dispute. Not one bit thinking that it was Ren's pet.
"That's my pet," said Ren. "It's on our side." He didn't intend to hide Pii from players anyway.
Things changed. In the pursuit of his goals, Ren would have to associate with players while he was in his merchant identity. And if his life was on the line or if he was contested with the gods and bosses he wanted to kill, he would use Pii without regards for his identity.
Ren didn't have the time to play nice and cautious, unlike before. He needed to play aggressively. He would hide his merchant identity if he could, but if he was exposed, then he couldn't do anything about it as long as he could acquire the money for Frizkiel's debt.
"Pet?" Roni uttered before he realized what Ren had said, and he shrieked. "It's that little black guy from before?!"
Roni was having a hard time digesting everything. The only thing he had in his mind was . . . "Ren. Are you a god too? Or a boss, perhaps?"
It was the only possible idea Roni could come up with.
Ren didn't say anything while Roni looked over Pii, overpowering Inti.
If this keeps up, Inti would be defeated . . . and that meant . . . he would survive!
Then that meant that he did it! He was the last man standing, and because of him, Great Dynasty wouldn't be wiped out, and they wouldn't suffer any death penalty!
Roni laughed, and his mind couldn't think of anything from the euphoric sensation he felt. He was full of relief from escaping death.
"This is great. I will surely get a reward from this!"
"Are you happy?" Ren asked.
"Happy? Of course, I am happy! We're alive because of me! I'm a fucking hero!"
"Good."
"Huh?" Roni was confused when Ren's scepter was pushed against his stomach, and before he could ask, a torrent of wild bursts of fire melted him to the bones that not even ashes remained.
Roni couldn't even think of anything, even after death and was trapped in the great beyond where players stayed until their whole group defeated the boss or was wiped out. Only when the notification rang in his ears did he shout so loud his ears and throat were bursting.
[You have Died!]
[Your group Great Dynasty has been WIPED OUT!]
[You have suffered 5 000 EXP from the death penalty!]
Meanwhile, Pii made quick work of the God Inti. Against a bug pet that assumed its enemy's ATP and doubled it, Inti couldn't do much but struggled until its HP went to zero.
<CONGRATULATIONS on getting the first blood from defeating the High God, INTI!
REWARDS:
❶ 100,000 EXP
❷ 1 000,000 Gil
❸ Platinum Chest x5
❹ Gold Chest x10 >
