Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 31

Monday arrived, and just like every other day, I logged into Deron the moment school was over.

I didn’t even have to run around anymore; the number of guild members was increasing by itself.

After handing over the admin rights to Hwarang and Iyap, it seemed they were managing things well on their own.

I immediately began to spy on the information of the Ssing Ssing Guild.

Perhaps it was because I couldn’t participate in the much-anticipated Conquest last weekend, but the number of guild members had significantly dropped.

What once was nearly 300 had dwindled down to 270.

As I scrolled through the mailbox, I found a message from a friendly guild that had formed an alliance with us.

I hadn’t just formed an alliance with the [Galaxy] Guild.

There were also [Windstorm], [The Turtle Reached the Sea], [Requiem], and [Divine].

All of them were guilds that had separately messaged after the Conquest to form an alliance.

Excluding Requiem, they were all moderately functioning small to mid-sized guilds, and they had had their share of troubles with the Ssing Ssing Guild.

Adding up the number of members from these guilds, it came to nearly 900.

Of course, not all of them could participate in the Underground Maze content, so the actual operational count was probably around 700.

This was the start of serious guild competition. If more content like this gets updated, this alliance would prove to be powerful.

I was aware that other alliances were starting to form, not just ours.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed that we hadn’t pulled in more guilds.

Rumor had it that some from the Ssing Ssing side were also probing around, but perhaps due to the bad karma from their past antics, no one wanted to team up with them.

I issued a separate order to the guild members to prepare items to use in the Underground Maze.

I bought a mass amount of mines and bombs that could be crafted through magic engineering.

One of the good things about this world was precisely that. There were more players investing in life content than those who enjoyed combat, leading to a wealth of magical engineering items that were hard to craft.

Compared to the original world, the difference was about tenfold.

Magic engineering items didn’t deal significant damage and had long cooldowns.

This meant not many users directly used them.

But that changed with content like the Underground Maze, where large numbers of people gathered.

If everyone used one, the effect would double.

If dozens of people laid mines in the passageway, they could effectively block that path.

Of course, if warriors with a priest’s shield used Charge to break through, it would be a different story, but at least the approach of hidden thieves would be blocked.

I sent five bombs and mines to all guild members.

Along with a message to be sure to buy them with their own money next time.

As time flowed on, the promised time was approaching.

It was a day with no raids. Everyone began entering the Underground Maze in perfect condition.

As we passed through the portal with the guild members, the entire world turned pitch black.

The ceiling, floor, and walls were covered in dark stone bricks shimmering with a glossy shine.

Guilds entered from random positions. I hurriedly spread the map.

The Underground Maze had a square-shaped layout, and clockwise, 12 bosses would regenerate over time.

If all 12 bosses were defeated, the last boss would regenerate at the altar in the center, where the best rewards could be obtained.

This was everyone’s first time. There was no way for them to have information on this map. No info on the bosses either.

Only I had that knowledge.

But playing RPGs like this leads you to intuitively realize a few things.

North, South, East, West, and the center.

Guilds with a bit of awareness began sprinting toward those areas.

True to its name, the maze twisted and turned as we ran along.

I calmly observed the situation with my guild members from the entrance.

“Aren’t we going?”

“No matter when we go, it’ll be the same.”

“Same, huh…?”

As I answered Hwarang’s question, I bit my tongue.

I was nearly about to let slip that I already knew the content.

If it got out, it wouldn’t end well. If the rumor spread that our guild had a favor from the operators, the public would rip our guild to shreds.

When would be the right time to reveal the info?

I started to fidget with my lips and began to move slowly.

“Everyone, follow me. Let’s head to 12 o’clock first.”

12 o’clock was a safe choice.

Although I said that, I turned towards 1 o’clock.

After all, it’s a maze. If you’re wandering unintentionally, you’ll end up anywhere.

As soon as we arrived at the 1 o’clock point, the guild members shook their heads while looking at the map.

They realized they had arrived incorrectly after checking their positions.

But they found it well enough. I quickly glanced at the time.

That moment, a gigantic magical formation appeared before my eyes, and a massive giant revealed itself.

[Captive Cyclops]

The giant, covered in thick scales with blue skin, had heavy chains shackled to its arms and legs.

[KWAAAAAH!]

The boss regeneration in the underground prison begins from 1 o’clock.

All bosses along the clockwise path needed to be dealt with, and then we had to run to the center.

If the bosses were handled quickly, we needed to rush before the boss at 12 o’clock was taken down.

“Tanks, grab the aggro, and dealers, deal your damage!”

I didn’t need to tank.

Since I had to observe the situation from behind, I stepped back and left everything to my guild members.

After all, the loot rights were to be held by the user with the highest authority in the guild.

“About 20 mages, follow me. Yes, starting from there to there.”

The mages, receiving my instructions, quickly formed a group.

I began to keep a lookout with them.

The most vulnerable state in the Underground Maze was the moment we engaged the boss in a raid.

If we were ambushed then, it would be quite troublesome.

But I was the only one who knew that the boss would regenerate at 1 o’clock.

By having the guild members ready beforehand, no matter how quickly another guild rushed in, we wouldn’t lose the loot rights.

The boss’s health was rapidly decreasing.

When the boss’s health fell to 20%, a new boss regenerated at the 2 o’clock position.

The position of each boss was displayed in real-time on the map, alongside their health.

The members running toward the 1 o’clock position would have urgently turned toward the 2 o’clock direction.

“Don’t let the loot-hunters charge in. Take down every user you see around.”

I drew my sword and said to the mages.

A few users were starting to gather, wary of us, trying to peek at what we were doing.

They were either aiming for the finishing blow or just coming to watch.

But we couldn’t distinguish between them. We needed to take out everyone we could see.

Grasping my holy sword bathed in sunlight, I glared menacingly at the users, and they began to slowly back off.

Of course, those who didn’t retreat received stabbing from my sword.

How long had passed? Suddenly, information about dropped items appeared before me.

[Guild Funds Gold Pouch x3]

[Hellfire Horse Summoning Scroll x1]

[Underground Maze Necklace]

The drop items right from the start were amazing.

The Underground Maze Necklace was PVP-specific access gear with great stats for player combat.

But what caught my attention was the Hellfire Horse Summoning Scroll.

Deron did have a riding system. But until now, the only mounts available had been the common brown ponies found in the Capital City or tiny donkeys at best.

Even their speeds weren’t that fast.

Plus, real horseback riding skills were also required, so not many users actually rode around.

Given the different world, it seemed hard to fetch a good price.

The health of the boss that had regenerated at 2 o’clock began to drop.

I thought from now on we could run in to claim the last hit or utilize aggro resets to take it for ourselves, but I had no desire to do that.

I hastily sent messages to the alliance guild leaders.

“Yeo – [It seems bosses are regenerating clockwise from 1 o’clock. We’re heading to 3 o’clock.]”

Those with a quick wit would have caught on by now.

Time was money. We had to act quickly.

“We’re heading to 3 o’clock!”

I began to race with my guild members.

It was the first day of a new content release. Regardless if they were herbivores or carnivores, every guild was tangled up and floundering.

I cleaved my way through the hindrances ahead of me, rushing forward.

It was to make use of the Highlander skill’s winning streak effect.

Some users were getting angry, asking why I was killing them right before they died.

But I didn’t respond. After all, this was the nature of the place. It was their choice to step into the PVP zone.

After dying a few more times, they wouldn’t show their faces here again without feeling anger.

I didn’t expect them to understand, so I wouldn’t bother trying to understand them either.

Arguing with those kinds of people would only be tiring.

The moment we arrived at the 3 o’clock position, a massive number of users had already gathered.

It wasn’t just from one guild. Here were users from various guilds standing by, cautiously observing each other.

Should I kill them? I should. If I were to think of our guild’s benefit, that would be the right decision.

As I briefly pondered, a mass from another guild followed closely behind.

They flinched upon discovering us but didn’t back off.

[Ramyu Thunder]

I had gathered information on several guilds and had obtained info on the [Ramyu Thunder] guild too.

Those guys were a so-called “gallery guild” formed by users of the Deron Online gallery.

While there were several gallery guilds existed, those fellows had formed the largest force out of all.

I signaled to my guild members to remain ready and slung my holy sword over my shoulder.

I already knew how I was recognized in the gallery.

It was a kind of showmanship.

“Are you taking the 3 o’clock?”

I asked the guy standing at the front, and he opened his mouth to respond.

“Yes, are you from the gallery, no, Yeo?”

I cast a casual glance over the Ramyu Thunder guild members.

Most of them appeared to be a bunch of macho wannabes, and I had no clue what they were capable of.

It was better to yield here than to clash.

There was no need to dirty my hands.

These guys would take the flak for me.

Our guild still needed to manage its image.

At least until we smashed the Ssing Ssing guild.

“No, we’re going somewhere else.”

“Oh…”

The guy at the front nodded in admiration.

He immediately signaled to his guild members behind him and charged at the users waiting at the 3 o’clock boss regeneration point, ready to pounce.

As I watched the skill effects being hurled in every direction, many low-tier guild users began to get swept away.

Time had progressed significantly, and bosses had reappeared up to 6 o’clock.

Yeo – [Do you need help anywhere?]

There was no response from the alliance side. It seemed everyone was preoccupied raiding bosses.

I turned my body and started sprinting with my guild members.

If I had bought an ordinary pony, we could have caught four more bosses… at this speed, even with great effort, three would likely be the limit.

While I ran diligently, I was able to spot Ssing Ssing guild members.

They were hunting around the 8 o’clock area.

About 200 members were present, but they were preoccupied with the boss.

I kept my guild members in the alley corner and observed the situation.

“Ranged players and thieves, take out the healer line first. Don’t go too deep; focus solely on the healer line. If they can’t heal, the tanks will drop to the boss, and the frontline will crumble. That’s when we’ll strike.”

I exchanged looks with my guild members.

These were the users I had personally recruited. There was no shortage.

The later arrivals might not be as reliable, but I wouldn’t be let down by my initial recruits.

“When entering the boss room, lay down mines in the passage. We need to block any who might resurrect and join in.”

I continued to watch the situation. If the Ssing Ssing crew brought the boss’s health below 50%, I’d consider making a move.

Just then, the moment had come.

“We’re going in. No shouting, just move quickly.”

I made no effort to hide our footsteps. Everyone moved fast, laying down mines in the passage.

Despite their long cooldown, with almost 100 members, we could perfectly block off the narrow path.

“Attack.”

The moment my order was given, a barrage of flashy magic rained down on the healer line of the Ssing Ssing guild facing the massive Cyclops.

Giant fireballs fell while a blizzard swept over.

The gathered healer line was wiped out in the blink of an eye.

The Ssing Ssing guild, initially focused on the boss, finally seemed to notice our presence and began to scream and shout.

“Soft & Chewy Cow!”

“Those crazy bastards are here!”

“That’s the female mage!”

Weapons were drawn as they prepared for a standoff. We were close to 200 in number. The moment we entered, we would be shredded apart.

But their healer line was gone.

With no healer to withstand the boss’s attacks, their tank line began to fall.

“Surround them so they can’t escape. As long as we buy time, we’ll win.”

In front was the Soft & Chewy Cow, and behind was the giant boss, the Cyclops.

Ssing Ssing couldn’t move at all, and they started to melt away.

The moment all members had been dealt with, the Cyclops set its crimson gaze on us.

The boss still had 30% health remaining.

“Let’s proceed as before. Mages, about 20 of you, come with me.”

The tanks in the guild began to draw aggro as the boss raid proceeded.

I guarded the passage leading into the boss room along with the mages.

We had taken off significant health already. It would be a shame to give up now.

As I had anticipated, Ssing Ssing began regrouping and racing back to us.

Seeing the Ssing Ssing guild mark from afar, I couldn’t help but smirk.

At that moment, item drop information flashed before my eyes.

[Guild Funds Gold Pouch x3]

[Underground Maze Necklace]

“Everyone, use your Return Stones.”

“Huh?”

“Wait, suddenly a return?”

“I mean, use your Return Stones and re-enter quickly. That’ll be faster.”

As I explained to the bewildered Hwarang and guild members, I drew my sword.

Helena approached me and asked.

“Aren’t we going, Yeo?”

“I’m going to lure them.”

Ssing Ssing was surely furious with me.

If I stood here alone, wouldn’t they come rushing in even without a boss?

Understanding my plan, the guild members nodded and began to use their Return Stones.

The moment everyone had completed their exit, I openly activated my Return Stone right in front of the path where the Ssing Ssing guild could see me.

“Get that bastard!”

A man whose face turned bright red rushed towards me, drawing his sword.

Seeing his incredible speed, it looked like he used the Charge skill.

But the man, along with his following users, was swept away by the colossal explosion.

They stepped right onto the path littered with over a hundred mines.

As the explosion effects faded, around 30 people who had rushed out ahead turned into corpses rolling on the ground.

Before the Return Stone activated, the last thing I saw was the face of a priest hesitating in place.

For some reason, I found that face familiar—it belonged to the user who had robbed me of all my gear last time.