Chapter 28: Sniping the Boss III

Chapter 28: Sniping the Boss III Crack. Crack. More fractures spiderwebbed across the air. All over the battlefield, mages stopped cold. At the center of it all, the woman in the Holy Knight gear raised one hand high—palm open, a silent command to stop. Instantly, everything stilled. Sparks from half-cast spells hung frozen in the air. Arrows hovered mid-release as archers held their breath. Thousands of players—an entire army—stood still as statues, every gaze locked forward. At the edge of the clearing, beyond the smoldering remains of the last fallen Dire Wolves, the dark barrier had shattered. It no longer held form—just drifting motes of black light fading into the wind. And within those broken remains... he stood. The Dire Werewolf Alpha. His last howl still echoed faintly through the forest, a haunting sound like a war drum that refused to fade. "Now it’s just us," the woman said, casting her eyes across the field. There were thirteen of us left—thirteen powerful players. Whales, all of them. Players with legendary gear, backing, or skill. And now? Now we were all after the same prize. "Let’s see who lands the kill," she said, her voice calm, confident. The second her words ended—we all moved. I surged forward with the rest of them. A Light Spear formed in my hand as I began chanting. At the same time, I activated Power-Up, a skill that amplified my next attack by 1% every second held—up to a max of 30 seconds. A full half-minute for a 30% bonus, stacked on top of a fully chanted spell. Perfect. I held it just long enough. And when the chant finished—I hurled the spear with all the built-up strength, aiming straight for the Dire Werewolf Alpha. Of course, I wasn’t the only one preparing an ultimate. The other whales—especially the Holy Knight—had already darted toward the boss. They were faster, closer. But they weren’t the only ones playing smart. I had timed mine just right. Right as the Dire Alpha raised his head for another howl— My spear struck. It hit clean through the skull. A pause. Then—BOOM! The Light Spear exploded, a brilliant blast of radiant energy erupting from inside his head. The Alpha staggered, snarling in pain, legs buckling beneath him. The holy shockwave scorched through the nearby wolves, knocking several of them back and burning others on contact. It wasn’t just my strike that finished him. Everyone had done damage. The others had worn him down. I had simply delivered the final blow. But that was all that mattered. [You have slain: Dire Werewolf Alpha] [Player: Blade has cleared Emergency Quest] "...Oops," I muttered, blinking as the message floated before my eyes. I hadn’t expected to get the last hit so cleanly. I should’ve run the second I saw the notification. And now? Twelve furious whales were turning to face me. They had all come here for one thing. The Hidden Class. And I had it now. They charged without hesitation. Once allies—now enemies—the twelve elite players came at me like a storm. Their faces twisted with rage the moment my name shone gold in the global kill feed. I didn’t waste a second. I spun and bolted, sprinting across the scorched battlefield. But before I could get far, she appeared in front of me—flashing into view with a burst of holy light. The Holy Knight. Her silver blade gleamed. She held it steady, blocking my path. Her face was cold. "Hey," I said, raising one hand calmly. "I didn’t steal anything. Why are you trying to kill me?" "You know why!" someone shouted from behind her. "We were the ones dealing all the damage! That class was supposed to go to one of us!" "You just stole it at the last second!" another accused, practically shaking with fury. "Give it up willingly, and we’ll let you walk away," the Holy Knight said coolly. "Just hand it over—the Hidden Class Token." I laughed, the absurdity of it all bubbling up. "Let me guess... you think I don’t deserve it? Because I’m not from one of your big fancy guilds?" Their silence answered for them. I took a single step back, smiling under my mask. "Well, hate to break it to you... but I don’t even want it." They froze. "What?" the woman narrowed her eyes. "I said, I don’t need it," I repeated. "That class—Harbinger of Shade—it’s an Epic-tier Hidden Class. Impressive, sure. But it’s not the one I’m after." "You’re bluffing!" she snapped. I tilted my head. "Am I? I’ve killed three Tribe Lords. Cleared three Field Bosses. Lived through a poison swamp, monster mobs, and a full-on beast tide. You think I came all this way just for an Epic class?" Before anyone could respond, the system chimed again: [Player: Blade has acquired the Hidden Class Token: Harbinger of Shade] [Do you wish to activate this Hidden Class?] [Yes / No] I didn’t hesitate. [Declined] Gasps broke out. Shock and disbelief rippled across the group. "You... declined a Hidden Class?!" one player shouted, his voice shaking. "I’ve got my eyes on something better," I said simply. "This? Just a checkpoint." While I spoke, my fingers were already moving across my system interface. Typing a hidden sequence. One that 99% of players didn’t even know existed this early in the game. And then— Light shimmered around me. Faint at first, then blinding. From the shadows behind me, a figure emerged—tall and cloaked in deep violet robes. His face was hidden behind a flawless mask of silver and gold. An aura pulsed from him so thick, so commanding, that the charging whales slowed—then stopped. A System Knight. [A System Knight has arrived to oversee the fair transfer of the Hidden Class Token.] "Any attempt to attack the token holder after class rejection," the Knight intoned, voice booming like thunder through the trees, "will be marked as a Player Kill Offense." The very air went cold. Even the earth seemed to tighten. "Do not interfere," he said. Then, with slow, terrifying grace, the Knight raised his blade high—then slammed it into the ground. A wave of silver light burst outward. Glowing runes spread across the forest floor like a radiant web. A shimmering dome of light blinked into existence—a grand pavilion of circuits and floating panels. An Auction Pavilion had appeared. A place where power could be transferred... but only under watchful eyes.