Chapter 60: Hunted No More
Flynn was practically glowing with satisfaction after dropping Whitestone twice in a row. The thrill of turning the tables still lingered in his chest, sharp and addictive.
’You want to gang up on me? Fine. Then I’ll make sure you’re the only one I hunt. Let’s see how long you can stand it.’
Not long after the first kill, he had already received a message relayed through Let-There-Be-Light. Aether-Reach wanted to contact him. Flynn had paused for only a moment before giving his answer, to tell them his comm-link was off, that he could not be reached. A flimsy excuse, but enough. Then he simply waited, patient and still, until Whitestone resurrected. The moment he did, Flynn struck again and killed him a second time without hesitation.
Two rapid deaths were enough to push Whitestone to the brink. Rage boiled over, clouding whatever composure he had left. His first instinct was to gather everyone and scour the mines, to drag Flynn out no matter where he hid. But the tunnels stretched endlessly, twisting and branching like a labyrinth. If Flynn chose not to reveal himself, there was no hope of finding him.
This time, Whitestone released his spirit immediately after dying, but instead of reviving, he lingered in ghost form. He barked orders at the two nearby guards, telling them to stay put and watch over his corpse, just in case.
Flynn, however, had no intention of lingering. After the second kill, he was already gone.
Aether-Reach had dozens of players scattered throughout the mining area, but the size of the tunnels meant they were spread thin, usually in pairs consisting of one melee and one ranged fighter. Flynn had already tested them during earlier encounters. Their coordination was average at best, their reactions sluggish.
Against ordinary players they might hold their own, but against someone who knew what he was doing, they fell apart quickly. Taking on two of them was hardly a challenge. Even three would not have been out of the question.
Ten minutes later, Whitestone was on the verge of losing his mind.
In that short span, three separate groups had been wiped out. Flynn’s method was brutally efficient. He would strike from the shadows, target the weaker player first, and drop them instantly with a bomb before the other could even react. After that, it became a simple matter of dismantling the survivor piece by piece.
"What the hell is he doing? Hasn’t anyone reached him yet?" Whitestone roared as he resurrected again, his voice cracking with fury. He shouted into the team channel, "Everyone regroup. Four per squad. Stay together, stay sharp, and for the love of—"
He never finished.
A sudden burst of fire consumed him, and his health vanished before he could even turn. He collapsed once more.
"Kill him! Just kill him!" Whitestone’s anger had turned raw and desperate. Three deaths had already carved a noticeable chunk out of his experience bar. One more and he would drop a level. Orders from above no longer mattered. Flynn had crossed a line, and he had to die.
The two players stationed near Whitestone reacted instantly when he fell. They charged Flynn without hesitation, trying to pin him down, while shouting into the channel, "Get over here now! He just killed Boss Whitestone again!"
"Again? How many times is that now?"
"Three!"
"You’re joking..."
Whitestone, though unable to speak in ghost form, could hear everything. The chatter echoed in his ears like mockery. Did they really need to announce that?
Flynn took a couple of hits but did not stay to fight. He flashed the two players a grin, spun on his heel, and sprinted away. "Bad luck," he called over his shoulder. "I was just passing through and you chose that moment to resurrect."
Whitestone’s frustration deepened into something darker. ’So he circled back just to kill me again?’
Grinding his teeth, he typed furiously into the channel. "Everyone chase him. Whoever kills him gets ten gold from me personally."
Ten gold was no small reward. For most players, it was a significant sum. For Whitestone, it was a painful offer, which only proved how serious he was. Flynn’s relentless attacks had ignited something uncontrollable.
Flynn did not slow down. After leaving the mines, he headed straight toward the neighboring territory controlled by Night-Song. Fireballs streaked toward him from behind, but the casters had to stop to channel each spell, and that brief pause widened the gap. He took two hits but kept running, slipping out of their range. The pursuing Knight lagged far behind, completely unable to match a Rogue’s speed.
Soon, Flynn crossed into Night-Song’s territory.
A few players immediately noticed the red name above his head and stepped forward, blocking his path. "Stop right there. This is Night-Song territory. Don’t come any closer."
"Hey, do me a favor," Flynn said lightly, not even slowing. "Aether-Reach is chasing me."
"You’re Night-Stalker, right?" a female player named Jaya asked, her tone amused.
The situation had already spread among the players nearby. The earlier ambush, the corpse guarding, and then Flynn’s sudden reversal had all turned into entertainment. Word had traveled quickly that Night-Stalker had not only broken free but had started hunting Aether-Reach members in return, even killing Whitestone multiple times.
Jaya had already reached her own conclusion. This was no ordinary player. His dungeon performance alone had been impressive, but his PvP skill was on another level entirely. Watching Aether-Reach stumble like this was far too entertaining to interrupt.
She smiled and gestured for her companions to step aside. "Since it’s the famous Night-Stalker, we would not dare block your way. Go ahead."
The others followed her lead, grinning as they moved aside. "You’re safe here. Aether-Reach won’t cross into our territory."
The boundaries between factions were strictly enforced. Anyone who violated them risked retaliation from all sides.
Moments later, a group of Aether-Reach players arrived at the border, only to see Flynn vanish into the crowd. Their frustration erupted immediately.
"Jaya, how could you let him go?"
"Let who go?" she asked, blinking innocently.
"Don’t play dumb. You know we mean Night-Stalker!"
"Oh, him?" Jaya tilted her head slightly. "He asked nicely, and he is an expert. Showing a little courtesy is only fair, don’t you think?"
"Expert?" one of them snapped. "He just ambushes people!"
A cold voice from within the Night-Song group cut in sharply. "So what do you expect? A Rogue standing still and trading blows with a Warrior? Think before you speak, you idiot."
"What did you say?"
"I said you’re an idiot."
The tension spiked instantly. Weapons shifted, stances tightened, and one of the Warriors stepped forward, ready to charge. "Enough talk, get him. Boss Whitestone!"
Before he could move, Whitestone himself arrived and kicked him hard in the shin. His glare was furious, but controlled. Starting a fight here would only make things worse.
He forced himself to calm down and turned toward Jaya, clasping his hands. "Boss Jaya..."
She waved him off before he could finish. "I’m not the boss. Our leader is the Night King."
Whitestone nodded stiffly. "Then I hope you will allow us to pass. Night-Stalker has provoked Aether-Reach. This is between us."
Jaya glanced toward the direction Flynn had disappeared, her expression drifting for a moment. "Even the way he runs is impressive... ah, but he’s gone now." She looked back at Whitestone with a faint shrug. "He’s a Rogue. He’s already in stealth. What exactly do you plan to chase?"
Whitestone’s expression darkened further. He knew she was right. Chasing now was pointless.
"You’ll regret this," he said coldly. "You don’t understand how serious this is."
Jaya’s smile sharpened. "He killed your people, not ours. From our perspective, helping him is simply good strategy. Even the Night King would agree."
Whitestone held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. "We’ll see."
With a curt gesture, he led his men away. The retreat was far from quiet. Insults flew back and forth, but neither side escalated further. Without actual combat, it was little more than noise.
Eventually, the Aether-Reach players dispersed. Jaya clapped her hands lightly. "Show’s over. Back to work."
She turned to leave, but suddenly felt something brush past her ear, like a warm breath carried on a faint breeze. A voice followed, low and close.
"Thanks. I owe you dinner."
Jaya froze. "Night-Stalker!"
She spun around instantly, reaching out, but there was nothing there. Empty air.
A chill crept down her spine. ’He never left?’
Her gaze drifted toward the direction Aether-Reach had gone. ’He has already killed nearly ten of them... and he still is not done?’
The realization sent another shiver through her. Nearly an hour had passed since the conflict began, yet his patience had not wavered. His precision, his persistence, everything about him felt far beyond ordinary.
"Night-Stalker..." she murmured to herself, trying to place the name. Nothing came to mind. No well-known player, no pro, no legend. Which only made it more unsettling.
Her thoughts were cut short by a fresh eruption of shouting from the distance.
She blinked, then quickly sent someone to check. The report came back soon after, carrying equal parts disbelief and grim humor.
Whitestone had been killed again.
This time, the loss pushed him over the edge. He dropped from level fifteen to fourteen, and because he had been right at the threshold, the penalty reset him all the way to the very start of level fourteen.
Not just a loss, a complete setback.