Chapter 128: A Taste of Payback

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Sora vanished from his allies' side, reappearing at a point equidistant from the enemy squads. Focusing his [Mental Power], he cast out a mental wave, locking onto every member of the nine opposing teams. Then, with a clenched fist full of [Earth Element], he punched the ground.

'Let’s see how they handle this,' he thought, watching as the impact spread like a shockwave across the battlefield.

The ground rippled outward, sending a circular wave of earth hurtling toward each team. The force tore through the field at lightning speed, obliterating the arena in its path. Only two teams remained untouched—one human team and a group of Dark Elves. 'The Dark Elves have the weakest team here... let’s see if the humans can secure a few points on their own,' he thought, indifferent as he watched the devastation unfold.

As the massive wave of earth energy surged across the battlefield, most of the opposing squads were frozen in shock from the mental attack. A few players however only stayed still for a split second before waking up from their daze.

The fastest to react were players from the Spirit Race. They braced themselves, frantically casting barriers, summoning mental shields, and pooling their combined defenses in a desperate attempt to halt the incoming disaster. They felt the wave covered with mental energy, and knew they wouldn't be able to phase through it.

A few other players who had used buffs on their mental defense, or had sufficient mental defense were able to prepare themselves for the impact, after being distracted for a brief moment.

An Eagle-Type Beastman warrior roared, slamming his fists into the ground to create a wall of wind, while a few Demon Race players conjured a dark dome to protect themselves, their face twisted with concentration.

Elemental Golems did not seem affected to a great extent by the mental attack, but they stared in fright at the incoming [Earth Element] attack.

‘Strange,’ Sora thought, watching them from a distance. ‘They resisted the mental attack, yet they freeze at the sight of my elemental attack.’

Ignoring them, he watched as Werewolves, Dwarf and Orc players failed to react fast enough, and were sweeped of the arena, without resistance. The Elemental Golems, Demons, Beastmen and Spirits quickly followed, leaving only two squads behind.

Just as the wave reached the last two teams, it came to an abrupt stop, mere inches from their feet. The Dark Elves stood frozen, eyes wide with shock, as if doubting their own senses. The human team exchanged bewildered glances, slowly realizing they'd been deliberately spared.

One of the Chinese players finally released a shaky sigh of relief, his shoulders still trembling. “Did… did he leave us alive on purpose?”

Liang, the group’s leader and the fastest to snap out of the daze, nodded. “That guy. He was with the Blood Witch from the Korean Region during the 8th trial. I always assumed she was the one keeping her team safe. Guess it’s not that simple.”

Another teammate shook his head, awestruck. “What kind of monster is he…"

Liang cut him off, his voice sharp. “Focus. We’re still in the trial, and he probably left us and the Dark Elves for a reason—so we can earn points. Let’s make it count.”

Back at the edge of the battlefield, Sora reappeared beside his allies, glancing around as the notifications poured in, marking his successful eliminations.

[You have eliminated a Player: +5 points]
[You have eliminated a Player: +5 points]
[You have eliminated a Player: +5 points]
…

[Total Points Earned: 175]

He observed his teammates’ stunned expressions and offered a small smile. It had been a while since he had last interacted with people, and the admiration in their eyes caught him off guard.

Emily’s eyes were wide, “Did… did you just wipe out seven teams in one move?” she asked, blinking in disbelief.

Salim, equally surprised, added, “That combo was incredible. How did you do it ? Teach me, please!”

Kara was aware of the infinite potential of her friend, and was happy he had managed to push his Mental Power beyond the norm as well. She ignored the commotion, not really surprised at the turn of events, and read the notifications in front of her.

[Ally Ralph Eden eliminated a Player: +1 point]
[Ally Ralph Eden eliminated a Player: +1 point]
[Ally Ralph Eden eliminated a Player: +1 point]
…

[Total Points Earned: 35]

The stream of notifications continued, marking every point she had secured.

Emily glanced over, analyzing the situation. “Leaving those two teams intact was a smart move… gives the humans a fighting chance for points," she noted, a grin appearing on her lips as she looked toward Morgan. "Where’s our savior who said he would carry us?”

Morgan raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his face. “Guess I’m just here for moral support now,” he replied smoothly, not taking her teasing seriously. “I'm impressed Ralph, you're really something."

Emily laughed, nodding in agreement. “Alright, maybe you’re not so bad. Team’s surprisingly good on this floor.”

However, Morgan's next words almost made her fall on her butt, "Would you consider joining my guild ? We have enough resources to push you to the top very quickly. Our guild is called [GODS], and we only recruit the best prospects in the world. For your information, not everyone on this floor qualifies for a spot in [GODS].”

Emily's eyes flashed with anger as she confronted Morgan. “What the hell?” she snapped. “Are you trying to start a guild war? Poaching players in front of a vice guildmaster? Not happening. I get that you guys are top-tier, but show some respect. ”

Morgan chuckled, completely unfazed by Emily’s indignation. With a confident grin, he leaned in and shrugged. "Alright, Emily, fair enough. I have heard of the Blood Witch's temperament, so I'm not surprised."

He paused before adding "I have another suggestion; why don’t you and Kara, join as well? I know he doesn't specialize in combat, but Kim Dong's ability is incredible as well, so you can convince him to join with you. We would be happy to have people with your talents join our ranks."

Emily raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kara, who looked mildly amused. Salim, however, snorted, shaking his head before saying "I'm not interested in joining any guild. You guys already have almost a third of the top 500 players. Why obsess over recruiting more and more talents ?"

"He's right" Emily added, her tone calmer than before yet challenging. "Thank you for your offer, but I'm not interested. Knowing Kim, he'll say the same thing.”

Morgan didn’t back down. “Give it some thought, Emily. You know how strong our guild is—and frankly, you’d all be a good fit. Why settle for a small guild when you could take part of the highest level activities?”

Emily rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “Thanks, but I’m fine where I am. And I like the team I’ve got.” Turning to Sora and Kara, she said "Before deciding anything, please come talk to me. There are things we need to discuss."

Morgan laughed, giving them each a casual nod, not offended by their refusal. “Alright, I get it. No hard feelings—just know the offer stands.”

The group watched as the remaining players converged in the center of the arena, fighting to secure as many points as possible. They knew who the winner would be, and they weren’t about to let the opportunity to earn a few points slip by.

Watching as the fight was about to end, Sora asked his teammates "Who wants the remaining points?"

Everyone understood his words, as he was referring to gifting them the points from eliminating the remaining 2 chinese players.

“It’s your call, Ralph. With the power you’ve shown, you could easily boost any of us to the top. I’d be fine if you fed all the points to your girlfriend. I’m set with what I’ve got.” Morgan’s voice was calm, surprising everyone as he declined the chance for extra points.

“Kara isn’t my girlfriend…” Sora muttered, clearly irked by Morgan’s assumption.

Morgan smirked. “Didn’t say any names...”

Kara, turning a shade darker, cut in with a sigh, “Please, everyone, just shut up. Let’s not make this awkward.”

Emily seized the moment to defuse the tension. “Kara, just grab the extra 10 points. We can't spend the whole trial chatting anyway.”

With a nod, Kara stepped forward, ready to finish the task and wrap up the trial.

As she appeared in front of Liang, and another player, Kara was surprised to see them frozen in place, with a thin layer of ice covering their bodies. Without hesitation, she summoned her sword energy and swiftly sliced through both figures.

Reading the notifications that appeared, Sora was satisfied with the results of the first battle.

[Ally Kara Spirine eliminated a Player: +1 point]
[Ally Kara Spirine eliminated a Player: +1 point]
[Your team ranked first: +15 Points]

[Total Points Earned: 192]
[Current Ranking : 1/250]

Feeling his body dissolve, Sora saw his surroundings change as the waiting room appeared once more. It seemed that no other battle had ended, and they had to wait for other opponents to appear before starting the second round.

Looking over at Emily, Sora created a private chat with her and Kara.

[Ralph Eden: Do you have a few minutes? I would like to discuss something.]

Emily was surprised, and answered .

[Emily Frekk: Sure, we’re just waiting around anyway.]

[Ralph Eden: Can I ask about how things went with Rachel earlier?]

Emily’s expression soured slightly as she recalled the conversation, her face showing a hint of frustration.

[Emily Frekk: She mentioned getting a “proposal she couldn’t refuse.” She plans on leaving the guild after this event. The ungrateful wench. If it weren’t for Kim, she’d never have advanced this fast.]

Sora paused, taking in her reaction before replying thoughtfully.

[Ralph Eden: So, what’s your plan? How are you going to handle it?]

Emily exhaled sharply, her frustration clear in her response.

[Emily Frekk: What am I supposed to do? I can’t exactly force her to stay. Technically, she’s done nothing wrong. But all the resources we poured into her? That’s a pure loss.]

Kara, who had been following the exchange, chimed in quietly.

[Kara Spirine: Maybe it’s better to let her go if she isn’t loyal. Holding onto her would only lead to more issues later.]

[Emily Frekk: You’re right. It’s just... frustrating.]

Sora, pleased with how the conversation was going, carefully chose his next words.

[Ralph Eden: Want me to give her a little lesson if we run into her?]

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