BONUS Chapter for reaching 500PS!
Thank you all for the support!
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Silvia’s face went dark at the strings of notifications, and she asked with an ominous tone, “What’s the meaning of this, Robert?”
Robert merely smiled. “Just like what it said. We left your group since your usefulness had reached its end. And we already got ninety-seven percent of the map. I bet the remaining three percent is the boss’s room.”
Lucia’s mouth skewed to the side. “Huh?”
“What do you mean by that?” Pamela asked. Her soft voice was on edge.
“It’s exactly what it meant.” Jack grinned.
And before the others could ask what was going on, another group made their presence known and entered the secret area.
As the women watched Robert and the newly arrived party getting acquainted with each other, something finally clicked in their minds.
They have been tricked!
“You . . .” Silvia gnashed her teeth. She couldn’t believe that she was tricked by a person her friend recommended to her.
She and Sumeri really need to have a heart-to-heart talk.
“Thank you for the map, ladies,” Robert said and laughed. “But we’ll be taking our leave now.”
“You . . . you planned this?” Rafaela couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Was that why Robert and his friends were adamant about equipping the weapons and armors in the previous chests?
It was because they couldn’t get those in the group inventory if they were going to leave.
“Don’t blame me. Blame yourself for being ignorant and gullible.” Robert shrugged with a smug smile. “Thanks to you girls, we get to acquire more than ninety percent of the map, and we got a free ride as well.”
Silvia and the others looked at Robert’s groups full HP and MP bar.
“Now we can take on the final Boss in full health.” Jack chuckled. “And soon we will get a hundred percent of the map.
Silvia took a step forward. “Robert . . . are you forgetting who you’re talking to?”
Silvia didn’t like to use her powers, but her temper got the best of her. Robert crossed her first, so it was only right to get even with him.
“Oh, he didn’t, Silvia Rutherford,” said a voice of a lady who appeared last in the room.
Upon the sight of a beautiful girl with short black hair, phoenix eyes adorned by thick lashes, and pouty red lips, Sumeri and the others hissed.
“Trixie.”
“Hello girls,” Trixie beamed at Silvia and the others before she sashayed to Robert and kissed him on the cheek.
“Hey, Bo. Miss you.” she slurred.
Robert laughed. “Miss you too.”
The women all looked disgusted while Ren put a hand over Nikolai’s eyes.
No wonder Robert was brave enough to double-cross her. Silvia thought and faked a smile at Trixie. She has someone to back him that had enough power to rival hers.
Trixie belonged to another powerful family and could content with Silvia in wealth.
Now that she was part of the story, Silvia couldn’t do anything to Robert without risking her father’s eerie. Mr. Rutherford was a doting and kind father.
However, it came with a price. Obedience and reputation. Those were his terms for the comfort and wealth they received.
If Silvia made a move at Robert, then Trixie would too. And their clash would surely bring the two of them in the limelight . . . in a not so graceful way.
“Is this your plan?” Silvia said and stifled a laugh. “Are you still salty that Ragnar chose me over you?”
The smile on Trixie’s face dropped, and she nervously defended herself when Robert questioned her.
“Is that true? I thought you were over him.”
“O-of course I am!” Trixie stuttered before she regained her calm and looked Silvia up and down. “Clearly, that man had no taste. You’re way hundred times better, Bo.”
Robert raised his head and smugly smiled while Silvia and the others rolled their eyes.
“Anyway,” Robert changed the topic, “You ladies are welcomed into my group if you want. Seeing that your MP is low and you no longer have a tank, I think it’s best if you join my group. But of course, loots and chest belonged to us. Right, Bo?”
“Right.” Trixie sweetly smiled before she faced Silvia and the girls with her lower lip puckering out. “You ladies can join. After all, we’re not so bad to actually leave you here all on your own.”
“The nerve of you to say that after you stole our map and used us like meat shields so you can have your HP and MP at full.” Alecia was fuming with anger, and it seemed like she wanted to storm Trixie and have a go at her hair.
Robert only grinned while Vida shook her head and sneered.
“Don’t blame your naivety on us. We merely used whatever stepping stone we had to advance. If you were smart, you should have done the same.”
Silvia and the women clenched their teeth, and there was statics between the two groups. One wrong move, and the place would explode.
Ren yawned, waiting for the next big thing to happen, while Evie stayed at the very back, trying to hide her presence. She was confused at the turn of events, but it didn’t take a genius to know that Robert betrayed Silvia’s group.
Just like what she was about to do them. To the women who were nothing but kind to her.
Evie closed her eyes shut and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
Ruru and Nikolai shrunk beside Ren while Nikolai grabbed Ren’s cloak and squeaked. “W-women are scary.”
Ren couldn’t agree more.
Ren really thought that a fight would break out, but against all odds, everyone was stunned when Lucia broke from the group and went to Robert’s side.
“Lucia . . .” Silvia frowned. “What are you doing?”
Lucia merely replied, “Changing sides.”
“What do you mean changing sides?” Alecia almost went out of her skin.
Lucia rolled her eyes. “Come on, you guys. Without a tank and zero MP, what good are we? Our chance of defeating Vulcan is near zero at this rate. However, if we joined Robert, there still a sliver of hope for us to carve our name on that stone pillar and leaderboard.”
“OUR guild needs to be on that stone,” Silvia said with an edge to her voice.
Lucia shook her head. “No. Your guild! I just wanted my name on that stone! And nothing else! Who cares about some guild or whatever? The important thing is . . . our name is on that pillar and leaderboard. Who cares what group gets firstblood.”
“. . .” Silvia was indignant while the rest of the women looked at Lucia like they were burning her in hell.
“You traitor,” hissed Rosie.
“Whatever.” Lucia flipped her hair. “Thank me later when my name appeared among the firstbloods of Vulcan’s cave. At least one of your members managed to get it.”
Silvia scoffed, raising her chin. “Huh?! What do you mean by one of your members? Are you still expecting us to take you in? After what you did? Good luck in finding a guild that would take a traitor in.”
“You’re welcome to join us,” Trixie immediately butt in and beamed at Lucia before shifting her gaze at the others. “All of you are.”
“Except you.” Robert interceded and jabbed a finger at Ren. “We don’t need you anymore.”
Ren ignored Robert. He just stood there and watched everything like a bystander. If only he had popcorn, hotdog, and drinks to go with the show.
“M-mister . . . t-things are looking grim for us,” Nikolai stuttered at the side.
“Leave them if they don’t want to join. It’s there lost,” Lucia said and pressed the button that allowed her to leave Silvia’s group and entered Roberts.
Robert shrugged before leaning a little closer to Silvia. “Well . . . don’t say that I didn’t invite you. As compensation for my actions, you can keep that chest over there. But you have to fight those monsters yourself.”
He winked and patted Silvia on the shoulder while the latter slapped his hands away with a disgusted face.
Robert merely grinned and rubbed his hand before he said to his group, “Let’s go. Scar is already ahead of us. We can’t let them take firstblood.”
“Yes!”
Trixie sent a flying kiss to Silvia and giggled. “See you after we get firstblood.”
As Robert’s group left, Silvia and the girls could do nothing but glare at their backs.
At the side, Ren, Nikolai, and Ruru were hit with a wave of killing intent coming from the ladies. It was so hot and blistering more than the landscape itself.
The women’s beauty was shrouded in darkness, and it looked like horns would erupt from their heads and fangs in their mouths.
“This is just a game . . . but they just made it personal!”