NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100: Shadows at the Summoning Circle
As the first rogue in Reaper's Call, third in rank among the Undead faction, and seventh in the Dark Horde to achieve the title of Corporal, Epitaph had every reason to be confident in his own abilities.
Even so, the name Featherlight carried enough weight to make him cautious. Rather than rushing in, he handpicked four seasoned rogues—partners he'd worked with many times in eliminating high-value targets—and sent them to shadow Featherlight's movements. Meanwhile, he dug into every combat recording he could find, combing through them for any hint of weakness.
"So few videos…" he muttered after hours of searching. There were barely any recordings at all, and most of the information was already common knowledge.
He switched to the party channel. "Stick close to Featherlight. When the time comes, harass and keep pressure on him."
With that, Epitaph melted into stealth, trailing the Paladin from a careful distance as they left the camp.
By then, Ryan and Moonlight Beauty had gathered enough Corrupted Cores from the Graywolves. They handed them to Commander Vald at Whispering Leaf Camp and received their next assignment.
—
"My heavens," Vald said gravely, "our scouts just discovered that these Graywolves are actually summoned creatures. There may be one or more hidden Summoning Circles nearby, dear Featherlight. I hope you can find them—and destroy them."
Four quests appeared at once:
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[Destroy the Eastern Summoning Circle], [Destroy the Northern Summoning Circle], [Destroy the Southern Summoning Circle], [Destroy the Western Summoning Circle].
—
The rewards were still rare-quality level 20 gear—an easy way for players to adapt to the jump in monster strength. At level 20, even a standard Graywolf could take off a third of Moonlight Beauty's health in one blow, despite her full set of level 16 rare gear.
With their new equipment equipped, Ryan led the team east to destroy the first circle. But they had barely stepped beyond the camp when several shadowy figures slipped after them, keeping their distance.
---
"This isn't easy, Guild Leader," Moonlight Beauty grumbled. "Players these days really don't want to fight. We've provoked two factions already, and not one of them has come after us. They just keep backing off."
She vented her irritation by charging at a freshly spawned Graywolf, stealing the kill from a group of nearby Orc players. Their expressions darkened, but they swallowed their anger and went to hunt other monsters instead.
"Honestly," Nonsense said with a chuckle, "why not just start killing? Wouldn't that be simpler?"
He sighed before Ryan could reply. "But the moment we strike first, we're painted as the villains. Public opinion would turn against us, and other guilds might even band together to freeze us out."
Moonlight Beauty shot him a glare. "You already know that—so why are you talking nonsense?"
She finished off her Graywolf with a vicious slash and stalked away, muttering under her breath.
---
Ryan rubbed the bridge of his nose, mulling over his options. 'Maybe I should leak the anomaly zone and use it as bait to stir up chaos…'
But that was his prime leveling spot. Giving it away for free made his stomach turn. And yet, the unspoken truce between the factions was suffocating him—without conflict, his plans were stuck.
"Forget it," he said at last. "Let's not provoke anyone for now. Some of the Alliance of Light are already giving us odd looks. If something goes wrong, the last thing we need is for them to just stand by and watch us die."
Ryan finally let out a long sigh. The decision was made—he would reveal the location of the anomaly zone. If it could spark a large-scale battle, then the so-called tacit understanding between the factions would vanish like smoke in the wind.
Nearly half an hour later, just as Ryan and his party were making their way east, Epitaph—who had been trailing them from a distance—decided it was time to act.
Up ahead stood the Eastern Summoning Circle for the Graywolves. The area was crawling with players, and any fight here could quickly spiral into chaos. If Epitaph played this right, it might just grant Featherlight the trouble he was looking for.
"Get ready," Epitaph murmured over the party channel. "When I count to three, all five of us strike Featherlight. Whether we kill him or not doesn't matter. After unloading every skill you have, chug a Free Action Potion and sprint. Don't stop until your combat timer runs out—then drop back into stealth."
His tone turned icy. "No one gets greedy for extra damage. Dying here would be pathetic."
"Understood."
"Got it."
"That's the plan."
They moved ahead of Ryan's group, positioning themselves where the trio would have to pass while pulling mobs. And there, they waited in silence.
---
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Moonlight Beauty said suddenly. She froze mid-swing, her longsword resting loosely in her grip as her gaze drifted toward the distance. "Feels like someone's plotting against us."
"You can foresee danger now?" Ryan teased, brushing past her with a smirk. With over three thousand health, he was more than confident in his durability.
"It's just a feeling," she replied with a faint smile. Then she fell into step behind him without pressing the matter.
"Maybe Moonlight's talking about rogues coming for us," Nonsense said. "We've ticked off a lot of people lately. Wouldn't be strange if someone sent a few to ambush us."
"That's unlikely," Moonlight Beauty replied, frowning. "A handful of rogues wouldn't stand a chance. Against us, it'd be suicide."
"Not if they're just here to cause trouble," Ryan countered. "They might not be aiming to kill us—just slow us down. After all, nobody seems eager to start a real war yet."
He tapped his chin in thought. "Let's drink Lesser Cat's Eye Potions and keep activating our Suspicion talent from time to time. Better to spot them before they get too close."
"Good idea," Moonlight Beauty agreed. "If they try anything, it'll probably be when we're busy fighting monsters."
The three downed their potions and moved forward, this time advancing with more caution, no longer charging recklessly ahead.
---
A fresh wave of Graywolves spotted them and charged, howling. Ryan drew their attention easily, locking their aggro, while Moonlight Beauty's sword flashed in steady arcs.
Then she triggered her Suspicion talent.
And there—behind them, faint, almost imperceptible distortions shimmered against the landscape, creeping closer.
"Guild Leader! Rogues—behind you!" she shouted.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He activated Suspicion instantly and darted backward. One glance was all it took to confirm it—the telltale footprints of multiple rogues closing in fast.
—
Author's Note:
We've officially reached 100 chapters! To every reader who has been purchasing chapters and sending Power Stones along the way, thank you so much. Your support is what keeps this story going. If you've been enjoying the journey so far, I'd be grateful if you could leave a review with your thoughts. Here's to the next hundred!