The Epic-grade boss fell, and the North American players who had been congratulating themselves on their team's efficient advance a moment ago froze where they stood.
"Am I seeing this right?" a Paladin stammered, still holding up the cross he had just used to cast Healing Spell.
"He killed an Epic-grade boss in one hit?"
The cheerful mood in the team vanished in an instant.
The smug smile had yet to leave Kevin's face when it stiffened there.
He had just been calculating his team's glorious record: advancing fifty meters and clearing two hundred monsters every minute.
And now the other side had killed the final boss outright.
How were they supposed to compete with that?
"It's those Demigod Artifacts," Kevin said with difficulty, his voice hoarse. "Every one of them grants massive stats and carries a Divine Might effect. His strength, speed, and attack power have gone completely beyond what a player should have!"
"He's a walking natural disaster!"
Kevin's words did nothing to reassure them. They only made the sting of defeat worse.
They were still working hard to fight as a team, while the other side was decked out in divine gear and mowing monsters down.
"Damn it!" Scott slammed his fist into the wall beside him with a dull thud. "That's not fair!"
"He shows up in a full set of divine gear to make a bet with us? That's just picking on honest people!"
Doubt and anger spread through the team.
But Roderick ignored the commotion behind him.
His gaze passed over his team and through the ruins still billowing black smoke, locking onto the crimson blur racing forward on the western side.
Every time that blur paused, another area had been cleared of monsters.
Roderick opened his points panel.
``` [War Ladder Leaderboard]
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