Chapter 117: A Debt to Settle As the last of the Invisible Stalkers crumbled into nothingness, the chamber descended into a heavy, almost reverent silence.
Xin and his companions stood amidst the remnants of their invisible foes, their composure unbroken, their breaths measured and steady. Their faces betrayed no sign of exertion, no telltale sweat to hint at the intense battle that had just unfolded.
At that moment, Xin was glad that Victor and the others were by his side. Alone, he harbored doubts about whether he could have faced this invisible menace, let alone emerge victorious.
Yuzuro was still clutching her staff tightly as she broke the silence with a question that hung in the air, her eyes darting about the room. "Is it over?"
Rever returned to his human-like form from his fearsome lycanthrope state, and glanced around cautiously. "I believe so . . . for now."
Victor swung his swords in the air but didn’t sheath them. He offered a warning, his eyes keen and alert. "Don’t let your guard down. These creatures are known to strike when least expected."
Yuzuro’s gaze remained worried as she probed further. "Are such creatures a common occurrence in this place?"
Victor nodded. "At times, yes. They serve as the guardians of this fortress, appearing at random to test the mettle of those who dare to intrude."
Rever chimed in with a hint of dark humor. "It seems these stalkers have done our work for us, thinning the ranks of players who entered this chamber."
The group surveyed the room, and their fellow players were significantly reduced in number by the surprise attack.
Their numbers now halved.
Xin began to understand that with allies like Victor, Midnight Duchess, and Rever, he stood not only a better chance of overcoming these dungeons but also learning the intricacies of this perilous world.
The sharable EXP Xin received from the encounter was minuscule enough to even add a bar to his level. Maybe because there were five of them, and they had two players with them who had levels in the one-hundred.
The Invisible Stalker was also low leveled . . . kind of.
"Let’s proceed to the next area and retrieve the key," Victor stated. "The sooner we find it, the sooner we can complete this stage and advance to the next map."
Rever quickly agreed with a nod.
They were ready to move forward when an unexpected interruption arose from behind them.
"Midnight Duchess!"
Xin and the others turned to find themselves confronted by two groups of players, their faces twisted with animosity, their eyes locked onto Midnight Duchess like she was prey about to be devoured.
The accusations were unleashed like a verbal onslaught from these players mouth.
"The audacity to show your face here after what you’ve done!"
"We know it was you! You stole that kettle, just like you’ve stolen from us before!"
"It’s clear as day. You’re the culprit!"
"We’re here for vengeance and to claim the hefty bounty on your head!"
"You owe us a debt that you must repay!"
Amid this torrent of threats and accusations, Midnight Duchess remained an unshakable pillar of composure. She tilted her head to the side, her expression enigmatic and unperturbed.
Victor, however, sighed audibly, his irritation thinly veiled. "I know that you’re more trouble than you’re worth."
Rever intervened, attempting to reason with the irate groups. "We might not know what she did to you, but we’re currently in the midst of a quest."
Their protests fell on deaf ears as one of the accusers fervently declared, "We don’t care! Hand her over to us if you don’t want to be caught in the crossfire!"
Another chimed in, "That’s right! Our quarrel is solely with her. If you don’t want to be dragged into this, step aside!"
Xin couldn’t help but sense the seething anger radiating from the players confronting Midnight Duchess, even from several meters away.
He found himself contemplating what she could have done to incite such intense hostility. Their heated accusations about stolen rare items and mentions of a bounty on her head only deepened the intrigue.
However, Midnight Duchess appeared utterly unfazed by the brewing confrontation. Her calm demeanor puzzled Xin. "You guys go ahead," she stated coolly, her eyes never wavering from her accusers. "I’ll handle this swiftly."
Rever blinked in disbelief, needing a second to process her words. "You’re going to face them alone?"
Yuzuro, despite her apprehension, spoke up in concern. "Are you sure about this? We may not know each other, but we’re all players here."
Midnight Duchess maintained her unwavering gaze on the group of assailants. "Don’t concern yourselves. As I’ve said, I won’t drag you into my troubles."
Without hesitation, Victor made up his mind and turned away. "Let’s get going, guys."
Rever and Yuzuro were taken aback. "Wait, are we seriously leaving her here?"
Victor waved off their concerns dismissively. "She’ll be fine. She’s a top-tier pro player who’s been playing solo since the game’s inception. She’s made plenty of enemies, probably half the player base in Eternia, yet she’s managed to avoid them without any issues."
As the group debated their course of action, Xin silently observed Midnight Duchess behind her mask, intrigued by the mystery that shrouded her and the calm confidence she exuded even in the face of adversity.
Despite her seemingly ice-cold and indifferent expression, a thin sheen of sweat had gathered on the edge of Midnight Duchess’s brow, an incongruous sight in the frigid room.
It was an understandable reaction; her adversaries’ levels hovered around the ninety mark, and even with her impressive level of 114, confronting ten players at once was a formidable challenge.
As Xin pondered her actions, he couldn’t help but wonder how she had managed to thrive in the game under such circumstances.
Carefree he bet. Just like when he first saw her roaming around the forest near Ironpeak.
"Lord Schrodinger, let’s go," Victor urged when Xin didn’t initially respond.
But what Xin uttered next sent a shockwave through the group, stunning both Victor and Midnight Duchess.
"I’m going to help her."
Victor’s jaw hung slightly ajar, and Midnight Duchess’s normally composed demeanor faltered for a brief moment, though her icy facade quickly returned.
"I don’t particularly care about what she did," Xin continued, his voice carrying a seriousness that contrasted with his typically stoic expression. "But right now, she belongs in our group."
Rever clenched his fists and flashed a wide grin. "Now we’re talking."
Yuzuro beamed with approval. "I knew you wouldn’t just stand there and do nothing."
However, Victor wasted no time in expressing his concern as he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Xi–Lord Schrodinger, all of you . . . I don’t think you understand the implications of what you’re saying here."
"Hoi! We don’t have much time here! Hand her over if you don’t want a massacre!"
Xin knew that the only reason why they remained there, still not initiating an attack was because of them. They also didn’t want to incur any losses. But with them out of the way, their chances of victory against Midnight Duchess increased.
Rever’s irritation flared, and he extended his middle finger toward them. "Shut up! Can’t you see we’re still talking here!"
"W-what?!"
Rever then turned to Victor, his expression shifting from anger to pleading. "Come on, man, she’s a woman, and no matter how you look at it, having ten players gang up on a single woman is undeniably unfair. Where’s your heart?"
"Victor is right," Midnight Duchess interjected unexpectedly, causing shock to ripple through the group, including Xin and Victor, who were taken aback by her statement.
But any warmth that may have lingered in her eyes earlier had dissipated entirely. Midnight Duchess explained in her typically icy tone, "They are players who belong in a guild who rank among the top one hundred. If you engage in combat with me now, your guild will be implicated, and those individuals will assuredly hound you whenever they find you."
". . ."
". . ."
A heavy silence hung over the group, the words spoken by Midnight Duchess echoing in their minds. They found themselves in a precarious situation, torn between extending a hand of help and the grim reality that doing so could drag them into a dangerous web of enemies.
Rever and Yuzuro, once eager to assist, now hesitated, their expressions reflecting the weight of the decision they faced.
Xin, however, was a quick thinker, his mind calculating the most prudent course of action to navigate this problem that would assure the least casualties.
He couldn’t deny that the implications of helping Midnight Duchess were dire. Dealing with one vengeful guild was one thing, but facing the combined wrath of three, two of which ranked among the top one hundred, was a daunting prospect for someone of his current level.
But Xin wasn’t heartless, and he couldn’t simply leave a fellow player, especially a woman, alone and surrounded by ten assailants thirsting for her head.
His mind raced through various options, each fraught with its own set of risks and consequences.