Peroroncino Was Still Holding On

Nishikienrai had shed his usual nonchalance. He drew two God-tier daggers from the small of his back: [Amaterasu] and [Tsukuyomi].

The two daggers were not only incredibly sharp; they also had special effects that could inflict all sorts of negative statuses on enemies.

The moment he gripped the weapons, he seemed to become a cold-blooded assassin, his entire body radiating a sharp, unmistakable menace.

Sensing the ominous aura emanating from Nishikienrai, the minotaur player couldn't help but grow wary.

Nishikienrai walked toward him step by step, his figure slowly fading as he blended into the surroundings.

The minotaur player looked all around, trying to find the opponent lurking in the shadows.

But in Nishikienrai's eyes, the minotaur player's vigilance was futile. Without special items or a high-level scout class, he had no way to detect Nishikienrai's approach.

Like a ghost, Nishikienrai silently drew near the minotaur player.

Suddenly, one of the daggers in his hand pierced the minotaur player's waist. It wasn't merely physical damage; it was holy damage as well, and it also triggered [Amaterasu]'s bleeding effect.

Driven by anger, the minotaur player turned to attack Nishikienrai. But just as he raised his hand, Nishikienrai vanished from sight once more. He roared furiously.

"Come out and fight me if you've got the guts, you coward!"

His voice echoed across the empty battlefield, but no one answered.

Just then, another wound appeared on his right shoulder. Nishikienrai stood on his shoulder, pulled out his dagger, and vanished into thin air again.

The minotaur player looked all around, trying to find the opponent lurking in the shadows, but his gaze never caught sight of Nishikienrai.

It seemed like an unfair fight, but Nishikienrai had the battle firmly under his control with his wit and skill.

He was like a cat stalking its prey, toying with it until it could no longer fight back, then delivering the fatal blow.

As more and more negative statuses piled up on the minotaur player, his movements grew increasingly sluggish.

Nishikienrai knew it was time to end the fight.

When Nishikienrai appeared in the minotaur player's sight once more, the latter could no longer withstand the powerful opponent's attacks.

Nishikienrai slid his dagger back into its sheath and instead drew a massive greatsword from the long case on his back: the God-tier weapon [Susanoo].

The blade was almost as long as Nishikienrai was tall, yet he wielded it with ease.

Nishikienrai bent forward slightly and charged at the minotaur player at incredible speed, ready to deliver the killing blow.

Just as he was about to reach the minotaur player, Nishikienrai swung his greatsword with all his might. A fierce blade of energy tore through the air, streaking straight toward the minotaur player's vitals.

The minotaur player reacted quickly, but the various negative effects weighing on him had greatly diminished his strength and reflexes. He couldn't possibly block the blow.

With a wet thud, the blade of energy pierced the minotaur player's body, cleaving him in two.

Nishikienrai breathed lightly, put away his greatsword, and looked at the minotaur player lying on the ground. A trace of indifference flashed in his eyes.

Nishikienrai clapped, teasingly remarking,

"Impressive. His armor was legendary-grade, and you still took him down so quickly."

"It was nothing. As long as my attack is high enough, everything looks like paper to me."

"All right, let's collect the drops first. A-Ken and the others should be here soon."

With that, Nishikienrai bent down and put the minotaur player's armor in his inventory. Genjiro also dispersed and headed toward the fallen player.

Before long, Bukubukuchagama and the others arrived near the fortress after receiving the signal. Seeing the bodies strewn all over the area, they couldn't help but click their tongues. They hadn't expected Nishikienrai and Genjiro to be so capable; they had completely underestimated the pair.

"You're late. We've already looted all the good stuff from these guys."

Nishikienrai looked at Bukubukuchagama and the others with a hint of smugness. Bukubukuchagama smiled as she walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"You two are amazing. We never expected you to take these guys out so quickly."

"Haha, it was nothing. We're just good at this kind of fight."

Nishikienrai smiled modestly, but his eyes revealed his confidence.

"All right, now that everyone's here, let's keep moving."

Genjiro cut their conversation short, urging them to get moving. Peroroncino's marker would disappear in two hours, and they had to finish what they came to do before the main force of Storm Horn returned.

Everyone nodded. Beyond the fortress, the road led straight to Storm Horn's stronghold. Genjiro and Nishikienrai continued scouting ahead. All the others, including Momonga, saw along the way were dead monsters in the snow, proof of just how efficient the two were.

A short while later, the group watched the guild's stronghold from a concealed spot in the snowy wasteland. Bukubukuchagama took out the map Mu Fengyu had given them.

It showed the approximate distribution of the people inside the stronghold, along with routes to the various rooms. He pointed to one location and said,

"This should be where the guild weapon is stored. The [Seed] Yu left inside will help conceal us. Once the guild weapon is destroyed, the guild will automatically disband."

"Then Touch Me-san will lead a team to destroy the weapon, while everyone else heads to the warehouses and other rooms to seize resources. Remember, take as much as you can."

"There's no way to know how long Storm Horn's main force will take to return once we attack, so we need to strike fast."

After hearing Bukubukuchagama's plan, everyone nodded in agreement. Touch Me was already rubbing his hands together, eager to get started.

"Then let's begin. Let's show them the agony of being trampled by calamity!"

Ulbert announced the start of the operation in his usual over-the-top fashion. Everyone drew their weapons and cautiously approached the guild stronghold.

With the help of Mu Fengyu's [Seed], their figures gradually blurred in the falling snow, as if they were blending into the snowy wasteland.

The members of Storm Horn inside the stronghold noticed nothing amiss outside and continued busily at their posts. Little did they know that a devastating disaster was about to descend upon them.

In a dense forest, a group of treants wandered about. A bird-headed player was hiding in a nearby tree, leaning against the trunk as he kept taking various potions.

It was clearly Peroroncino, who had temporarily escaped his pursuers. He had staggered out of the chaos and danger of Niflheim and made his way to a high-level monster zone in Alfheim. Only then had he dared to stop and recover his health.

A devastating beam of light in the distance interrupted him. Someone had cast Super-Tier Magic.