NABC Chapter 182 Demons (4)
Chapter 182 Demons (4)
"Sorry for taking your place," Gellard said.
"Huh? My place?"
Evan blinked in surprise. He hadn't checked the leaderboard in over a month.
At first, they all kept track of it, but as they fell behind, the players stopped looking.
Arlon had reassured them that the level difference didn't matter as long as they honed their abilities.
But unlike them, not all players had this information. Most still believed that levels were everything.
They also sought out powerful skill books.
And where was the best place to find both rapid leveling and valuable skill books?
The Keldars' side, of course.
The Keldars secretly fed experience points to the players who joined them, offering their own kin as easy prey. This allowed defectors to level up far faster than the average player.
And since the Keldars occupied parts of Trion, they also had access to skill books left behind in the conquered territories.
Evan opened the leaderboard for the first time in ages.
Leaderboard (Level)
1- Arlon (121)
2-June (88)
3- Gellard (87)
4- Evan (84)
5- Carole (80)
6- Maria (80)
7- Zack (78)
8- Lei (77)
9- Pierre (75)
10- Al (72)
***
The first thing he noticed was that their overall ranking wasn't as bad as he'd feared.
During the first week, half of them had already dropped out of the top ten.
But, just as Arlon had said, their training paid off, allowing them to climb back up. The field training this past week had made a significant difference.
Then he noticed something else—he was no longer in third place.
Carmen's eyes widened.
"That's right," Gellard said, taking a step closer, his voice turning softer, almost coaxing. "A world of swords and magic—something every kid on Earth dreamed of at least once. You won't tell me you'd refuse that, will you?"
Carmen hesitated.
The worst part was that what he said made sense.
After all, wasn't that why people played games? To experience the thrill of wielding magic, the exhilaration of combat?
And she had killed plenty of Keldars already. Did that make her any different?
She wasn't one to judge others, not when her hands were just as stained.
For the first time, doubt crept into her heart.
Maria noticed immediately.
"Don't listen to him, Carmen." Her voice was firm, unwavering. "You're not a child. He's just twisting words to make himself feel justified.
But we both know there's a difference between killing a Keldar and killing a Trionian."
Carmen glanced at Maria, conflicted.
"Really?" Gellard laughed. "And what difference is that, exactly? That the Keldars are the 'bad guys' because the Trionians say so?"
"I know what you're trying to do," Maria shot back. "You're making it sound like we're all the same as if there's no right or wrong.
But you know that's not true. The Keldars aren't just fighting a war—they're invading, exterminating, and taking everything that isn't theirs."
Gellard snorted. "Spoken like someone who's never questioned what they've been told. You think the Trionians are so innocent?"
Maria took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"Nobody's innocent in war. But that doesn't mean we should just throw away what's right.
You can try to justify what you're doing all you want, but in the end, you made your choice. Don't try to drag Carmen into it."
Carmen clenched her fists. Maria was right.
She had already chosen her side.
Just because she had blood on her hands didn't mean she had to abandon everything. There was a reason she fought, a reason she trained.
She wasn't going to become someone like Gellard.
"You're wrong," she said at last, her voice steady. "This isn't about picking who to kill—it's about choosing what we're fighting for."
Gellard sighed, shaking his head. "What a waste."
But before he could say anything else, a shadow moved behind him.
Evan had lost his patience.
In a flash, he appeared behind Gellard, his knife gleaming in his hand.
And he swung.