What, the Home Is Gone?

Outside the Storm Horn stronghold, several Minotaur players fled desperately, glancing back every so often as if pursued by some monstrous flood.

"Can you reach the guild leader and the others from here? If we can't get through, the guild is truly finished."

"Still nothing. I don't know what kind of item they used, but it seems like the signal for the entire snowfield has been blocked."

"Stop whining and just find a safe place to contact the guild leader. That ninja-class guy is way too terrifying."

"He appeared without a sound and killed us instantly. We didn't even have a chance to run."

They crossed stretches of frozen earth covered in wind and snow, fleeing far away from the stronghold. The cold wind was biting, but they dared not stop for even a second.

What they didn't realize was that the path ahead had long been filled with invisible threads, waiting for them to walk into this lethal trap.

As they ran, they felt their speed slowing down, yet their status bars showed no negative debuffs.

Just as they realized they might have been caught in a trap, their bodies suddenly went out of control. They felt bound by something and could not move an inch.

Suddenly, they seemed to notice something and looked up, only to see the ninja who had been hunting them standing in mid-air.

One hand was behind his back, while the other gestured in front of him. Refracted by the light, they finally saw them: thin, transparent threads descending from the sky, wrapped tightly around their entire bodies.

"What... what the hell is this!?"

One of the Minotaur players shouted in terror, his body bound tight by the threads, unable to move.

The other Minotaur players struggled fiercely, but the more they fought, the tighter the bindings felt.

Nishikienrai clenched his hand, and deep, slicing wounds appeared on the bodies of the men below, though this level of damage was not enough to finish them off.

With a flash, four identical clones appeared beside Nishikienrai. He drew his weapon, his body gradually turning translucent.

A spinning shuriken appeared above the heads of the players who had just broken free, and the five Nishikienrais attacked from different directions.

Just as they tried to counterattack, their vision was gradually replaced by red. Until all they could see were crimson blood-shadows, the five Nishikienrais pierced straight through their bodies.

He flicked the blood off his weapon as the Minotaur players collapsed to the ground one by one. [Ninjutsu: Shadow Kill Array].

He silently picked up the items dropped by the players and turned back toward the Storm Horn stronghold, reporting his mission as he went.

"Momonga, Bukubukuchagama, most of the people who escaped have been dealt with. There's only one I couldn't find; he probably has an item that hides his presence."

"It doesn't matter. One person escaping isn't a big problem. Even if he doesn't get out, the people outside should have realized by now that something happened to their guild."

"Hurry back and collect other useful items. We're almost at the location where the guild weapon is stored."

On another part of the snowfield, a Minotaur player watched his friends disconnect one by one, which meant he was the only one left alive in the entire guild.

He gripped a gray crystal tightly in his hand. It was a special item that allowed for temporary invisibility, and it was the only reason he had managed to escape.

His current goal was to flee this blocked area as quickly as possible and find a place where he could contact the outside world, so the guild elites could return to defend their home.

In Alfheim, the peaceful and beautiful land of the elves, a fierce battle was underway.

The once lush forests and plains were now replaced by a scene of devastation.

A group of creatures of various shapes and sizes, wielding weapons or casting magic, were frantically surrounding a large golden bird in the sky.

This was Peroroncino, who had been marked for a hunt. He dodged nimbly in the air, skillfully avoiding one lethal magical attack after another, all while remaining vigilant against sudden strikes from those around him.

However, no matter how superb his skills were, it was difficult to withstand a hunt that had lasted for over an hour.

During this time, his nerves had been in a state of high tension, and he dared not relax for a moment.

Just as the battle reached a fever pitch, a white Minotaur player pushed to the front. He snorted coldly, looking at his companions with disdain.

"You're all so useless that you can't even catch one person. Move aside and let me handle it."

He shouted to those around him, then leaped into the air with his giant axe, swinging it down toward the besieged Peroroncino.

Peroroncino had just dodged a lethal magic attack when he saw the giant axe coming straight for him.

He had nowhere left to hide and could only brace himself, meeting the blow with his bow. The collision between the bow and the axe produced a deafening sound. Although Peroroncino barely blocked the strike, the immense force sent him flying into the distance.

"Cough, cough, cough. When I get back, I'm definitely going to teach that bastard Mu Fengyu a lesson."

After landing, Peroroncino watched his HP drop rapidly, but he had no time to rest as the people around him were closing in.

He scrambled up from the ground and used every ounce of his strength to flee into the depths of the forest.

The white Minotaur player sneered and followed him at a leisurely pace. This hunt had lasted too long; he could not let his prey escape again.

He brandished his giant axe, closing in on Peroroncino step by step.

Peroroncino wove through the forest, trying to use the trees and terrain to evade his pursuers.

But the white Minotaur player's speed and strength far exceeded his own, and the distance between them quickly closed.

Just as he was about to be caught, his eyes suddenly lit up. The cooldown for [Blessing of Aeolus] had finished. He felt a surge of joy, pulled his longbow to its full draw, and fired it into the air.

With a whoosh, a dazzling white light blinded most of the players nearby. Peroroncino used [Blessing of Aeolus] to enter a state of invisibility, intending to escape before the pursuers could react.

The white Minotaur player was dazzled by the sudden flash of white light. When he opened his eyes again, Peroroncino had vanished without a trace.

He swung his giant axe in a rage, looking around, trying to find his elusive prey.

But no matter how he searched, he could not find a trace of Peroroncino.

Before long, a companion beside him looked at an eyeball in his hand and said to him:

"Guild leader, that kid has already left this area."

"Hmph, again. Every time we're about to catch him, he manages to get away. Just how many items does he have?"

Just as he was about to continue the pursuit, someone ran up from behind and shouted:

"Guild leader, hurry back! Our stronghold has been attacked. Except for one who escaped, everyone else is dead."