NOVEL NEXT Chapter 191: The Comeback
Chegyaeyi and John continued to watch as the Orcs and other monsters attacked the shadow creatures and enemy players invading their base. Their expressions were a mixture of shock and confusion, as they struggled to process exactly what they were witnessing right now.
"W-why the hell are monsters helping us...?" John muttered in disbelief with widened eyes.
"I-I don't know..." Chegyaeyi stuttered. "And I also don't know whether we should see this as a good thing for us or not, since we have no clue regarding why the monsters were suddenly here. Much less aiding us, for that matter."
It was a rather strange sight to behold. Moments before, they were slowly losing the fight as their members were getting nearly wiped out by their enemies. Then, all of a sudden, a horde of monsters not only appeared out of nowhere but were also aiding them against the enemy players. Just how was this happening?
"I can't believe it..." a new voice said from behind them.
When Chegyaeyi and John turned around to see who it was, they were greeted with a familiar face.
"O-oh, it's you, Astrid," The lizardfolk said with a sigh, relieved that it wasn't an enemy that somehow snuck up behind them.
Walking toward the pair was none other than the dark elf companion of Hazel Thatcher, Astrid. If Chegyaeyi remembered correctly, she should've been inside the building to try and keep one of the dark elf prisoners from being rescued. However, when the lizardfolk warrior gazed down, she soon realized what had happened.
"It looks like you managed to capture another dark elf."
Lying next to Astrid were two dark elves, both tied and bound. One of them was Olga, while the other was a new dark elf neither Chegyaeyi nor John had seen before. However, they could guess that the new one was one of the dark elves who was trying to rescue Olga in the middle of all of this chaos.
Thankfully, it seemed that Astrid was able to take care of the situation without much trouble. This was a relief since neither Chegyaeyi nor John would be able to aid her with everything that was happening.
"Looks like Hazel pulled off something absurd once again," Astrid groaned, staring at the army of monsters currently defending them against the enemy players.
Hearing this, Chegyaeyi and John looked at Astrid in surprise.
"You're saying Hazel was the one who sent these monsters to aid us?" John questioned, pointing at the horde of monsters.
Astrid nodded. "She said through our chat room that she sent some cavalry our way to help deal with the base siege. She didn't tell me what that cavalry was and simply told me to check it out for myself. And after seeing this, I can't help but feel impressed by how quickly she did this."
That was when the pair realized where these monsters came from. They were the creatures that were near the border of the Valiant Guild's territory and were causing minor problems by attacking their members. But how did Hazel manage to get them to help in this attack? What did she offer them that they would not only listen to her request but willingly follow it with such vigor?
Despite having been around Hazel Thatcher for a while and seeing her in action, Chegyaeyi and John soon realized that there was clearly more to this player than meets the eye. Much more than either of them could even fathom.
"Have you guys found the mage summoned these...shadow creatures?" Astrid asked, glaring at the shadow monsters as they charged toward the base relentlessly.
Chegyaeyi shook her head. "Sadly, no. We don't have a chance to because how many are swarming us right now? If we can at least identify him, then we can do something about it."
"I have an idea as to who it is," Astrid suddenly declared, causing Chegyaeyi and John to turn and face her with curious gazes.
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"You do?" John asked.
The dark elf hunter nodded. "I believe that the mage behind this is another dark elf who betrayed me. His name is Frode. And according to what Dagny said," She gestured to the unconscious crusader dark elf. "Frode possesses the dark mage class."
At the mention of the class, Chegyaeyi's expression darkened. "A dark mage, huh?"
Astrid noticed her expression, looking a bit concerned. "Have you encountered one before?"
"I have," She nodded grimly. "Back in my Tutorial Dungeon. Dark mages are very dangerous and treacherous players due to their affinity with dark arts and dark magic. Unlike other magic types like Fire or water, dark magic is rather versatile, which makes it very difficult to deal with."
"Did the dark mage that you encountered also summon shadow creatures like these?" John asked.
Chegyaeyi shook her head. "No, which is why this class is rather versatile with spells from this magic category. Instead of summoning monsters, the dark mage I fought was able to hypnotize both players and monsters, making them bend to his will. He was a rather troublesome foe because of how many underlings he possessed."
One of the biggest advantages that a mage possessed was their ability to either summon or tame multiple creatures at once. Because a mage prioritized only their mana, it can be very easy to summon creatures to do their bidding. This was why dealing with mages that specialized in this category was so bothersome to other players. With enough mana and such, mages could command a small army to do their bidding.
"If the one commanding those shadow monsters is Frode, then can you find him?" John questioned while firing his gun at an incoming shadow enemy charging at them.
"I can. I know how that bastard thinks, just like everyone else who betrayed me. Aside from, you know..."
Neither Chegyaeyi nor John said a word regarding what she meant. But they did know what she was trying to say, but remained respectful and maintained their silence.
Just before Astrid could head out and find the dark mage, one of the Orcs suddenly appeared before them. They were alerted by his presence and brandished their weapons out of pure instinct.
"I was told by our new chief that I should be looking for people called Astrid Skogr, Chegyaeyi, and John. Are you three them?"
The Orc firmly stood before the trio, staring them down with an intense gaze. Instead of feeling intimidated, the three players collected themselves before one of them replied.
"Yes, that's us," Astrid said. "I'm assuming you were sent here by Hazel?"
The Orc nodded with a grunt. "That is correct. Allow me to introduce myself." He then pounded his fist against his chest. "I am Grag'bog, former chief of my tribe. Under the orders of our new chief, Hazel Thatcher, we are to assist you three against the opposing forces invading your base. Since I do not know much about the situation, I will leave the orders to one of you."
Making his declaration, Grag'bog stood there and waited as he stated. This allowed the trio to process his words for a moment, letting the situation dawn on them.
"Wait, you said that Hazel was your new chief?"
Grag'bog nodded. "Indeed. She earned the title after winning the Oath Challenge against me."
Astrid and Chegyaeyi's eyes widened in response.
"An Oath Challenge...?!" Astrid muttered in surprise. "But why would she...?"
"As much as I would like to explain our circumstances," Grag'bog interrupted. "I believe we have more pressing matters at the moment, don't you agree?"
He shifted his body to face the persistent swarm of enemy players and shadow creatures attacking them. Staring at the scene, Astrid witnessed as Grag'bog's people slowly took down several of the shadow monsters with ease and pushed the rest of the enemy players back.
Noticing their current predicament, the trio changed gears and focused back on the fight.
"You're right," Astrid said calmly. "There's a dark mage that's summoning those shadow creatures. He's a dark elf who used to be my ally. Once I find him and take him down, a good portion of this army will be destroyed."
"Allowing our people to deal with the rest of the invaders, yes?" Grag'bog said with a smile.
"That's right."
"Alright, then! Lead the way, dark elf!" Grag'bog declared. "Guide my people to battle and win!"
Astrid responded to the orc's declaration and stepped forward. However, just as she stood beside the former Orc chief, they were suddenly affected by an overwhelming pressure. Their body tensed, preventing them from moving a single inch. And it wasn't just them but everyone else, including the enemy players.
The dark elf strained her head up to witness everyone suddenly stopping in their tracks as if they were frozen in time. But, in reality, they were simply under the same effects as them.
Astrid recognized this pressure. The last time she felt it...was back in the Tutorial Dungeon. And it came from only one person she knew.
The dark elf forced her head to look even higher until she finally managed to gaze up at the night sky. That was when she saw several figures flying above them and immediately recognized one of them. After all, there was only one player she knew who wore an elegant purple and black dress with a veil over her head.
It was her partner, Hazel, and it seemed like she had just arrived in time. While looking up at the sky, the dark elf watched as multiple purple spears and orbs suddenly materialized around her partner. Then, with a single motion of her arm, Hazel hurled her spells at the enemies.