Chapter 463
Human trafficking. A sad reality that's existed in every country, in every era of human history.
In FBO, even though they were careful about such sensitive topics, they still tackled it head-on.
Players couldn't directly participate, but it came up quite often in NPC storylines.
We'd caught up to the trafficking operation. Just as we were about to move in, another group joined them.
"So that's the main force."
The group we'd been tracking had no real fighters.
It seemed light for a supply run—the Church doesn't have manpower to spare. Then the real combat team showed up, carrying loot, their gear a cut above the rest. Not surprised. Expected it, really.
"They were clearing the path."
"Yeah. Leave the kids to the grunts. The strong ones handle the route. Makes sense."
We move fast. We can ignore monsters. Not with kids. Slow. Weak.
Monsters hunt. A group of weak humans moving through their territory is easy prey.
They'll pick off the stragglers first.
Normal people stick to the main roads. Away from monster territory. Safer. Weaker monsters.
That's why it's safer.
But it's also watched.
To avoid eyes, you go through the woods. The mountains. Places nobody goes.
Then you have monsters to deal with.
Clear them out. Thin the herd. Buys you time.
Like Nell said. Someone was clearing the road ahead.
"Three tanks. One archer, scout type. One dagger. Two mages. Three swords. Two healers."
Two full parties' worth of combat power. Plus five more hauling loot.
Monster parts are valuable. Income.
Unlike the beaten-down porters, the main force was in high spirits, still riding the adrenaline.
The guards who'd been bullying the kids went quiet the moment they showed up.
Clear who's in charge.
More enemies isn't the problem.
"Ugh. There's always one."
Tanks, mages, archer, dagger, healers. All manageable.
But one of them is trouble.
Pink hair. Trouble in FBO. Always.
She was fiddling with something.
"Strong?"
"In a fight? No. The problem is her style. And..."
A Church Named character. Twin-tails. Pink. Languid expression. Goth-lite fashion.
"...her personality."
"Personality?"
Her name: Heliel.
One of the top three yandere characters in FBO. Contender for the top spot.
What makes her dangerous? Beat her, and she becomes a stalker.
Love is blind, they say. She's past blind. She's hallucinating.
"She's a debuffer. Poisons. Neurotoxin. Hemorrhagic. Stealth skills. Good at hiding. If you lose her, watch your back. Throwing knives too. Black. Night. Watch for them."
"Like you? No sound?"
"She won't scout. But she's good at getting behind you."
She meets someone stronger. Or just a guy she likes. She decides it's fate. Obsesses.
Loves you. Then she has to control everything. Her way. Her ideal.
"So we take her out first."
"...No. We capture her."
"Your face says 'I really don't want to.'"
"Because I really don't."
"So don't."
"She knows where the main Church is."
Every player who's dealt with her knows the drill.
Looks like a cute girl. Talk to her, and the mine blows.
First time, you die from poison. Or she decides you're her type and stalks you. Kills you in your sleep. Heliel's game overs are all different.
No matter how you treat her, she forces her ideal on you. Meet Heliel, and it's a love-hate death spiral.
So FBO players have a rule: see Heliel, kill Heliel. No exceptions.
Except one.
She knows where the main Church is. Worth the headache. Barely.
We needed that information.
I pulled on a mask. Nell did the same. I looked up. Found Amina in the dark.
No way their scouts could see her. She was too high. Class 8 vision, sharp as an eagle's. They'd think she was a bird. A weird one, maybe.
She was watching us.
I gave the signal.
"Hey."
Silent. Fast.
"Anyone else out there?"
"Just monsters. No people."
Her eyes were good. No other Church in the area.
That made Heliel even more valuable.
'Ready.'
It started raining.
Light at first. Then harder.
The camp scrambled.
Rain in the mountains is bad. For the kids especially. Hungry. Tired. Now wet.
They tried to move. The ground turned to mud.
The guards had the same problem.
The big guy in Heliel's party gave the order. Set up camp. Get out of the rain.
The kids couldn't help. Too slow. They'd just get in the way. They herded them together. A few guards to watch. The rest set up tents.
Kids in one place. That's what we needed.
A big tree. Wide branches. Some cover. The kids huddled under it. Guards in the rain.
The combat team watched the perimeter. Everyone else set up camp.
The sudden storm threw them off.
For a hardcore FBO player like me, that's a fatal mistake.
"I'll take the combat team. Nell, Second Sister, hit the guards watching the kids. Amina, golems for defense. OK?"
"Got it."
'On it.'
"Okay!"
We nodded.
Shadow Cloak. Silent Walk. I vanished.
"Pull that rope tighter!"
"Damn rain!"
"Get firewood!"
I slipped past them. The combat team was resting under a tree, trying to stay dry.
Not exactly friendly. Two scouts on watch. Two tanks, silent.
The leader had his arm around a mage. Handsy.
Chimera tattoos on their faces.
Bend Faction. All of them. That's why they could push the others around. Do what they want.
I wanted to sigh. Didn't.
"Kah!"
I took the leader first. Neck. Then the mage. She didn't even have time to look surprised.
They died before they hit the ground.
Silent. I moved.
The healers. Two of them. Behind them.
Aerial Step. Blind spot. Easy.
Magic Edge. Neck. Second healer. Neck.
I moved again. They were still watching the perimeter. Still thinking about pleasure, not battle. Still didn't know.
The tanks were yawning. They didn't notice.
Throat. Heart.
Half of them were dead. They still didn't know.
"Wha—!?"
Thunder. Lightning lit up the forest.
Their attention snapped to the light.
I took the mage. Neck.
Then the archer. Still looking at the lightning.
The dagger went next. Surprised.
One by one.
"Uh... Heliel-chan? Something's wrong."
One of the swordsmen was bothering Heliel. Clingy. Scared.
I circled behind him.
"Lightning? No, that's—"
I took his neck. Quiet. Class 8 stats help. Less resistance than cutting tofu. His head spun in the air.
"Eh?"
She finally saw me.
Took her long enough.
"...Who are you?"
Bend Faction would be ashamed. Took her this long to notice the enemy.
"Too slow."
Knee. Crushed it. With the spear butt.
"Ow! What the hell!?"
She tried to counter. I wasn't there.
"What is wrong with you!? You think you can do this to me!?"
Other knee.
"It hurts! Why!? What did I do!?"
She wasn't shouting anymore. Whining.
"..."
"Answer me! Please!"
I crushed her shoulder. Took her other shoulder.
Silenced her with a cloth. So she couldn't bite her tongue.
"Mmph!"
The thunder kept rolling.