The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

Suddenly, Kanel stared blankly at Akata. His eyes flickered momentarily.

“This boy looked a bit like Rudel just now. And he’s… colder and more ruthless than Rudel.”

It must be the difference between Rudel’s “lower-level killing intent” and Akata’s “mid-level killing intent.”

It was clear what type of player Akata was becoming as he engaged in the game of his own will.

“We’ve returned to the starting point.”

“Yes, let’s continue the search.”

There was no need to be discouraged; they just had to continue their mission. As they started to move, Akata’s leg suddenly gave out.

Unahar and Kanel turned around in surprise. They noticed that Akata’s neck was drenched in sweat, and his breathing was labored.

This was a bad sign.

Not even half the time for the zombie battle had passed, but Akata had exhausted most of his energy during the recent standoff.

“Even though you didn’t kill Runehan, you could have just stalled for time. You wasted your strength unnecessarily.”

Unlike the frustrated Unahar, Kanel showed no change in expression. He asked casually.

“Shall I carry you?”

Akata shook his head.

“No, I’ll go as I am for now.”

The two slowed their pace to match Akata’s steps. Kanel even carried both of Akata’s Stones of Aspiration without asking for permission.

Even as Kanel casually took the stones from behind Akata’s neck, Akata followed without flinching.

Although Akata briefly delayed their progress, the mood soon lightened.

This was thanks to a call from the guild leader to Kanel.

[“I found the button. Come to our location.”]

Rudel’s confident voice, in just a few words, brightened the facial expressions of the three men.

* * *

The place where we secured the new subordinates group summon button, an unclaimed item, was on the opposite side of the forest where we were earlier.

A barren terrain made up of rocky mountains, reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in reality.

Uuuuu-!

As soon as we secured the button, the number of approaching zombies was no joke. The growling sounds from numerous zombies scratching their throats burst out.

Boom!

Fortunately, Gio would move the ground every time, crushing the zombies and saving Lilith.

My fire also played a part, but it didn’t lead to significant results.

To kill a zombie with one shot, the output of the unique ability must be A+ or higher. If it’s lower, there’s no choice but to be gradually pushed back.

So, not only Gio but also Akata must join in to find some leeway in this urgent situation…

Zombies were clinging below, piling up toward us standing on a large rock.

Lilith, holding the subordinates group summon button, was trembling with tension as she tried not to lower the output of the warmth buff.

“…Come this way!”

Soon, Kanel and the others joined us. As Akata’s phoenix flew into the zombies, the momentum completely shifted in our favor.

“We found the button, but should we press it right away and bring the subordinates? Shouldn’t we be cautious? The subordinates will be summoned holding the Stones of Aspiration, so they might get hunted down early by other characters.”

“Kanel, you’re right. So let’s summon them based on the situation. The summon time for the subordinates group was until 3 PM, right? Then let’s secure the button and focus on defending it so other guilds can’t take it.”

But the concern about the Stones of Aspiration being taken was largely overblown. Almost all the other players around here had disappeared.

That’s because this is a zombie hotspot. No one in their right mind would stay in the middle of the zombies for long like we do.

“Who is that madman?”

I looked up and my gaze stopped at one point.

Someone was standing on the highest cliff of the rocky island, grabbing zombies with each arm and throwing them down below.

But his skin was gray, and his veins were bulging. Crucially, his eyes were a dull, lifeless gray.

[Unique Ability] Human Bomb

A zombie with a unique ability…?

I realized immediately. That is a mutated zombie created from an infected player.

“What kind of zombie is that! Zombies are supposed to be monsters that just groan and chew on human flesh!”

Are game characters supposed to be beautiful even as zombies? And why do they inherit their unique abilities?

Moreover, it looked even more adept at using its unique ability than the original character!

Then the white of the character’s bloodshot eyes clearly spotted us, the six of us, standing here.

“…!”

With instantaneous insight, I shouted 0.5 seconds faster than the loud noise from the ground we stood on.

Instead of yelling to duck from the explosion, I called out a name loudly.

“Gio-!!”

A deafening explosion pierced my eardrums. Even after the blast had passed, a numb shock lingered in my ears for a while.

Lying flat on the ground, my vision was completely black. I slowly lifted my head, and dust from the collapsed rocks poured down my back.

“Akata, are you okay?”

I approached the red-haired boy within my sight and helped him up. The others were nowhere to be seen.

“Yes.”

Akata stood up quickly, trying to act nonchalant, although his upper body swayed as if his head was still spinning.

It seemed that the crazy character zombie had demolished the entire rocky mountain. The ground was much lower than it had been just a few minutes ago, as if we had been sucked into a sinkhole.

A huge precipice surrounded us, making the sky look very narrow. Seawater was pouring in like a waterfall.

In an instant, cold water pooled at our feet. Akata shivered.

[Emotional State] Palpitations

I checked Akata’s emotional state to see if he was okay, but it was more distressing than helpful.

“His heart is racing because he’s scared, right? Yeah, that must be it…”

I nodded slightly and pulled Akata into a light hug to help him maintain his body temperature.

Ignoring Akata’s shy reaction, I immediately opened the communication.

“Kanel, this is Rudel and Akata. How are you over there? Is everyone together?”

Surely no one died in the explosion, right? I trust you, Gio.

The response came quickly. It seemed they were about to contact us as well.

[“The four of us are together. No injuries. We’ll come to you soon.”]

“Good. Do you know where we are?”

[“Not really. The explosion’s range was too large. It’s like the entire island collapsed. Plus, Gio’s earth ability seems to have moved us far away.”]

“We’re in a deep pit. It’s too deep for us to climb out on our own. I’ll send Akata’s phoenix into the sky to signal our location. Come quickly.”

I didn’t mention that we might drown if they were late. They’d come as fast as they could anyway.

At least the other four were together. Gio must have protected Lilith well. I sighed in relief.

“Why did Gio miss us? Was it a mistake?”

Akata seemed puzzled as to why we were the only ones left behind.

“No, it wasn’t a mistake. It was a lack of ability. The response was a bit delayed because it happened so quickly.”

Akata’s expression showed even more confusion at the mention of a lack of ability.

Indeed, “lack of ability” is not a word that fits Gio.

Before explaining, I pointed to one side.

Swaaa-!

Where I pointed, the weakened ground had sunk further, causing seawater from the coast to rush in violently.

The water quickly rose to our knees.

“Because the seawater is blocking it, Gio couldn’t move the earth as skillfully as usual.”

“Is it because the seawater is heavy?”

“That’s not it. Gio is stronger than the seawater. Rather, in the game, as long as there are players with water abilities, the water in the field has the power to interfere with ‘other unique abilities.’ Do you understand?”

It’s a rather complex concept, but my analysis of the game leads me to this conclusion.

Pure Nature unique abilities are heavily influenced by the terrain of the field. Natural elements in the field tend to accept abilities similar to themselves and resist others.

In other words, the seawater disrupts Gio’s control.

Anyway, Akata, who accepted my explanation, created a phoenix and sent it high into the sky as instructed.

“…!”

The moment the phoenix flew from his outstretched hand, he bent over, exhaling rough breaths from his lungs.

I quickly supported Akata, who almost collapsed into the knee-deep water.

“What’s wrong? …You’re out of energy, aren’t you? From fighting Runehan, right?”

Akata didn’t say a word, but I understood the context.

Thanks to that, he could only nod once apologetically instead of speaking with difficulty.

I looked up at the creature Akata had created with his flames.

The phoenix was noticeably smaller than before. Parts of it were disappearing, evaporating from the edges.

“It’s okay. That’s enough for now. Once we reunite with the others, you should rest a bit. Would you prefer to be carried by Kanel or Gio?”

I asked brightly, letting Akata choose his mode of transportation. Akata stretched his tired mouth into a small smile.