RECORD had brought humans means to gain inhuman strength. But what it didn't bring with it was common sense, not at least directly.
One could easily prove this using an example of thieves and terrorists teleporting into banks and other places of any importance, just after the first Night. But New Dreamers were always mortally vulnerable to bullets and other weapons. This strategy worked in a few places, but humans weren't a dumb race. By the time these groups of morons gained strength to resist the weapons, scientists had already developed weapons based on the Mana-cores. The Dreamers with such abilities had played a major part in that.
Another example that wasn't this simple but equally crucial included the Party and its members. Among the first Dreamers, some loners had refused to join a Party. It took little brain cells to know, after seeing their end, that within the Random-Dungeon one should never go alone. People hadn't realized, other than a select few like Edmund, that there must be a reason that the System had recommended forming a Party.
The question of common sense was simple. What would happen if the mandatory Quest of the lone Dreamer would clash with that of the Party?
One could rack their brains for hours and still not come up with an answer. But how could a question of common sense have a complex answer?
*
BANG!!!
Sonu watched, with an anchor of terror weighing down his heart, the earth getting blasted apart in front of the enormous doors. A rotten head rose from underground, but a body did not follow it. A hand had held the head up and a monster in black armor walked out. The Dullahan approaching them stopped and turned around to look at its brethren. As their eyes met, the two blatant demonic laughs resonated with each other.
BOOM!!!
But an even more loud booming sound brought this sickening laugh to an end. Sonu watched in astonishment as Aldrich vanished right in front of his eyes, leaving behind cracks in the floor. He was astounded enough to even ask how fast Aldrich was. In the next moment, he saw Aldrich appearing in front of the newly arrived Elite with a glossy dagger in his hand. Sonu didn't doubt for a second that if this creature still had its head attached to its body, then it would have been removed by now.
But one second turned to two, and then to three, four, and five. Yet neither the Dagger landed anywhere on the Crawler's nor the attacked Dullahan seemed to move. Sonu's face crumpled as he realized that both Aldrich and Dullahan were standing there stupefied. No change in posture, no clue of any movement, and no sign of living. It was like both were not living but a well-crafted living statue.
It didn't take long for Sonu and the rest to realize that something had turned Aldrich's plan into an utter fiasco.
The only thing they could be 'thankful' for was that the second Elite didn't seem to move, either.
"Everyone spread out. No matter what, don't let yourself go in the reach of that Bone-whip," Sonu said, eyeing the remaining Elite.
"Tactical Field. CASTLING."
An illusory chessboard covered the entire ground under the Party members and the armored Crawler. And a transparent layer of Mana, like leather armor, had enveloped them. The buff effect got even more amplified by Seong's Class. Tomiko and Tun Bo Ag made a run towards the Crawler's flanks, trying to make a pincer attack.
The monster shook the whip and sent it flying towards Tun Bo Ag. But before it could hit him, a purple shield materialized in front of the champion. The same layer had also covered the shield like that of the Dreamers. A thump came from the heavy contact and the whip bounced back from the shield. Taking the advantage of the Crawler's recovery, Tomiko swung her Naginata diagonally upwards.
TINKK!!!
Sonu heard the harsh sound of metal colliding with metal and saw the impact had raised the Crawler up in the air. The irony of the situation was that demonic armor was still scratchless. Tun Bo Ag didn't want the monster to come down at all and with all his strength, he jumped up directly towards it.
Changing his posture mid-air, he barraged the Crawler's belly with heavy kicks and took it even higher. Just as he was about to fall, he saw two shields, one above the creature and the other under himself. A ferocious light shined out of his eyes. And using the shields, he came to the back of the Crawler. Sonu only saw an illusion of a drizzle as Tun Bo Ag pummeled the monster back into the ground.
BATTLE RUSH POUNDING
BOOM!!!
A cloud of dust enveloped the small depression where the Crawler had fallen. Before they could even see its current appearance, Sonu heard the laugh he resented so much. He saw the Dullahan stand up, cracking his shoulders, and on its face, there was a smile reeking of pleasure. Sonu saw as it let out a foul breath from its mouth. The stench was so unbearable that he felt nauseated, even when he was the farthest one.
"Tomiko, Tun, group up," Sonu shouted out, seeing the time limit of the buff was over.
The two melee fighters made a beeline towards Sonu and Seong. But just as they were about to reach them, something fell from the top between Sonu and Tun Bo Ag. The repulsive smell rushed into their nostrils, shocking them enough to not even move. The monster let go of the head, which kept hovering at its position, and the bone whip curled itself around the Naginata's blade.
Sonu only heard a hoarse voice as Dullahan put its palms on his and Tun's chest.
"Banish."
SWISHHH!!!
The two Dreamers were sent flying in the opposite direction and slammed into the dome's wall. Sonu coughed out a mouthful of blood and his ribs seemed to be broken. He looked towards Tun, who seemed to fare a little better than him given his high Stamina. Sonu gulped down his last Health and Stamina Potion and saw as the monster approached the kneeled Seong while Tomiko vainly tried to free her Naginata out of the whip's grip.
An ominous feeling took root in his heart and he ran towards them, trying to reach the boundary of his Skill's AOE. But neither he nor Tun could have made it in time. Sonu looked desperately at Tomiko, who had given up on snatching back her blade. Her hairs fluttered with starry light and a blinding light shined out from the blade.
Naginatajutsu 1st Kata - STARS SCALING THE HEAVEN
KIRRRR!!!
With a grinding noise, Tomiko sent the Bone-whip flying above and with a quick jump tried to slash at the monster's back. Seong had already overlayed his shields for the upcoming attacks. But both Seong and Tomiko seemed to have missed something, which Sonu could see. The reason he had desperately looked at Tomiko wasn't that he was concerned for Seong, but because he had guessed Tomiko's actions.
"No… " Sonu hopelessly attempted to stop her. But she was already over the monster's back with her Naginata raised high.
But unfortunately, she couldn't slash it on the monster's bared back. As the headless body turned around and caught hold of Tomiko's throat, she looked up and saw it. The forgotten head with its mocking smile was biting on the butt of the Bone-whip and had used it to stop the Item on its trajectory. Sonu frantically ran towards them but his Skill's cooldown was still not over. He saw that the monster tried to bash Tomiko on the shield, but at the last moment, Seong had canceled them. The monster slammed Tomiko along with Seong on the wall behind them. But before they could even fall down, it put both its palms on Tomiko's chest. And with an eerie laugh, the hovering head mouthed.
"Banish."
BOOOM!!!
Both Tomiko and Seong had gone so deep into the wall that Sonu couldn't even see them anymore. He couldn't help but slow down. His vision blurred as he turned around to see Aldrich, still maintaining his attacking posture. He wetted his dry throat and realized that even if Aldrich hadn't come with them; it was nigh impossible to clear their single quest. He closed his eyes and visions of the past flashed in dark like an old reel.
It was 'him' holding a chessboard and surrounded by many adults. 'Him' being pampered by his mother with an adorable smile. 'Him' cursing after losing an online match with someone named 'Snowman'. And him shying away as a beautiful girl proposed to him. And a small but content smile found its way to his face.
When Sonu opened his eyes and looked at Tun Bo Ag, he found him smiling too. Instead of a champion, Sonu saw a fighter looking at the Dome's round ceiling. Both looked at each other and let out a dry laugh.
"Hahaha… "
Sonu felt that all, even Aldrich, had come here with a purpose in their mind. Everyone with their own goals. But seeing the heinous Crawler coming towards him, now holding a Naginata, Sonu could only remember a sentence said by the 'Snowman'.
'You have played for your teacher, for your mother, and your country. Have you ever played for yourself?'
"Tactical Field."
ZOOM!!!
Sonu and Tun Bo Ag dashed towards the Crawler, and one could see a blue King's chess piece on Sonu's forehead. And a red-colored King's chess piece could be seen on the monster's head too. Both Sonu and the Crawler burst out with strength and the monster seemed to relish in the Buff applied by the foolish Dreamer. The armored Dullahan thrust the blade, and the head whipped from above to cut off its prey from jumping. But Sonu had no such thoughts.
BULCHH!!!
The blade annihilated Sonu's right lung and came out of his back. From the start till the point of getting impaled by his comrade's weapon, the little smile hadn't left Sonu's side.
ROYAL SACRIFICE-ESSENCE OF THE TWO KINGS
"… Fuck You!"
The engraving of both King's pieces crumbled. A visible river of Mana came out of Sonu's and the Crawler's head and entered Tun Bo Ag's body. And a blue flame of pure strength had covered the crazed Burmese champion, who let out a beastly roar.
"AAAHHHH!!!"
Sonu saw a brilliant scene of hundreds of fiery fists and kicks raining down on the Crawler just before the darkness conquered his eyes.
And if he could see behind his back, he would have seen a transparent black Veil fluttering between Aldrich and the other Dullahan.