25: The Empress

A terrifying crimson monster erupted forth, tearing through everything indiscriminately. 

"What on earth is that skill? The range is insane…"

The players standing too close to Usher were caught in the attack, and Orson wasn't about to show them any mercy. The surrounding crowd got hit as collateral damage, instantly knocked out.

"Boss!" Skyslasher's face went pale as he rushed to shield Usher, hoping to absorb some of the damage. But Orson's eyes turned cold. "Might as well all die together. Keep it nice and neat."

Under Orson's control, the flaming serpent raged through the crowd, engulfing everything within a 20-meter radius. No one could escape its path.

"Is this area damage for real? How is it this strong?" 

-780!

Over a dozen damage numbers from [Serpent's Touch] flashed above the players' heads, dropping their HP by half in an instant. But the worst was yet to come. The fiery serpent's burn effect triggered his [Blazing Burn] talent, applying continuous, brutal damage.

-1530!

Skyslasher and Ivy disintegrated in flashes of white light as they were killed outright. Usher, though, with his formidable presence, stood his ground amid the flames, unfazed by the danger. His health held up due to the Heroic armor set, but even that wasn't enough to hold him up for long.

"So, is this what you wanted?" Usher's voice was cold.

-1530!

…

The burn damage kept ticking, and even with his gear, Usher's health was rapidly dropping to zero. Orson's name had turned a deep crimson, the universal mark of a killer.

"You can interpret it that way. So let's end this, here and now." Orson's expression was steely and resolute. The self-proclaimed king standing before him had no idea that, in three years, an invasion of nightmarish monsters—and the Dragon's Kiss Guild traitors alongside them—would bring untold catastrophe to the realm.

"I accept your challenge, Orson." Usher's gaze narrowed, steeling himself just as the flames enveloped him.

"What… Usher just got taken down? Just like that? What kind of insane damage are we dealing with here? Is he using one of those legendary Soul Seals?" 

"A red name! I can't believe he dared to go full PvP in the city like this. Isn't he worried about losing his gear?"

As players scattered to avoid getting caught up, whispers began spreading through the crowd. 

In the early stages, this level of firepower was impossible without rare and powerful items—either some Legendary gear or a high-grade Soul Seal, the kind only true elites would possess.

Endless Abyss: "If it's a Soul Seal, it wouldn't drop on death. But this guy made a killing from selling that Bone Crusher set…"

EmberKnight: "True. As loathsome as Dragon's Kiss Guild is, red-named players need to pay the price."

The eighth-ranked player, EmberKnight, stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Orson. "What are we waiting for? I'm dying to see what this guy—some so-called champion—has got."

"Yeah, let's take him down! Red names deserve to die!" 

"Right! Who does he think he is, killing people in the city?"

With EmberKnight rallying support, ten or so players joined in, closing in on Orson, eager to capitalize on his red name. 

"Anyone helping Dragon's Kiss Guild, I'll kill as well," Orson replied coolly, with a smirk that made it clear he was dead serious. They might talk about justice, but all they really wanted was to score loot from his red name.

EmberKnight sneered. "He can't be all that if we force him into close combat. Let's see him squirm!"

At his signal, the players closed in, aiming to trap Orson in melee range—the one weakness of most mages. Orson, however, simply grinned. They didn't understand the sheer might of his Ninefold Sun Shield. If it could withstand direct hits from the Dark Elf Queen, they didn't stand a chance.

As he raised his staff to summon his shield, Orson suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He turned quickly, only to freeze in shock.

"Gotcha! Backstab incoming!"

A dark-clad rogue phased in and out of the shadows, appearing right behind him with a wicked smile. It was none other than Madman, an old friend from his previous life. The idiot was actually gunning for him. Orson hadn't seen this coming at all.

Caught off guard, Orson hesitated just long enough for Madman's swift, lethal strike to slip through his half-formed shield.

The rogue's knife arced straight for Orson's heart in a blow that would've killed him instantly—if not for a sudden flash of silver.

A tall, striking female knight appeared between them, her movements swift as lightning. "Unstoppable—Shield Wall!" she called.

With a resounding crash, the knight's shield struck the ground, the impact rippling outward and sending the players around Orson staggering back. It was a forced knockback effect combined with stun.

"Hold up, Sadist," Madman whined, stunned. "This is at least worth thousands in gold. Trying to take it all for yourself?"

"You talk too much, Madman." Her words were as cold as her gaze.

"Focus fire on him!" she ordered, and three archers let loose, making quick work of Madman before he knew what hit him.

"Karma—poetic justice, at last!" Orson burst out laughing. To see the notorious Madman—the second-best rogue after Blank—finally get what was coming to him was priceless.

The Empress gave Orson an odd look, surprised to see him laughing after almost dying. Stepping forward with her shield raised, she faced down the crowd. "You want this red name? You'll have to go through me first. Who's first?"

A priest among the players spoke up, "Empress, are you even aware of what you're doing? That guy just killed Usher! Do you want Moonlight Guild wiped out too?"

"Dragon's Kiss Guild can kill at will, but they're terrified of being killed themselves?" she replied disdainfully, casting a glance at Dragon's Kiss Guild's deputy, Prince.

"With the Empress protecting him, who'd dare mess with the biggest tank here? She's got nearly 5000 HP!"

Orson raised an eyebrow. This was a fortress of a knight. Her HP was practically double that of any other tank, and he could tell she was outfitted with at least three pieces of Heroic-grade gear. With a shield in hand and her tanking skills, even if dozens of elites charged her, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Prince: "Just wait until the guild war, and we'll turn Moonlight Guild into a pincushion!"

The Empress remained unmoved, about to order her team to charge when Orson stepped in first, unleashing a volley of fireballs that sent Prince flying backward.

Engulfed in flames, Prince frantically healed himself, casting everything he had—single heals, group heals, healing aura…

+360!

+420!

-1600!

Gulping down mana potions, Prince threw five or six skills at himself, yet his health continued to plummet.

"This fire damage… it's totally insane!"

Three seconds later, still in disbelief, Prince went up in flames, leaving behind only a charred corpse.

"This mage class is busted, no way! That damage output doesn't add up," a member of Moonlight Guild gasped.

The Empress, unfazed, looked at Orson and asked coolly, "That's the power of a God-tier Soul Seal, isn't it?"

Orson didn't answer her directly. Smiling, he met her gaze and got straight to the point: "Alright, you helped me out. Now tell me, what's in it for you?"