Chapter 181 …

They were screwed.

Was there any phrase that described this situation better than that?

It was an absolute mess.

They had clearly blocked every possible variable before proceeding, so how could something this ridiculous happen?

The guy who was supposed to be in the royal castle clearing Luriel’s quest—why on earth was he here?

No, before that… the party limit was already full, so how did he even enter inside the barrier? And what does he think he is, some kind of hero?

There were many questions, but the most absurd part was that he had fallen from the sky.

It wasn’t even a proper hero landing—he had just appeared like that.

And of all times, it had to be right now, the moment they had been grinding their teeth preparing for over six months, the most crucial moment of all.

How could the Master not go crazy over this?

Jerpak felt the same way, but he couldn’t just stand there doing nothing.

“A top executive got taken out. This won’t do.”

If anything, this could be an opportunity.

If he handled this unexpected situation well and overcame it, he could earn the Master’s favor.

It was difficult, but it wasn’t impossible.

Jerpak knew the one and only method to overcome this crisis.

“The mysterious flame that only Ruidra possesses.”

Offer that as a sacrifice and awaken the wraith sleeping inside the monument.

That was their hidden quest—the final step to defeating Ruidra:
Freeing the “Wraith of the Forgotten King.”

Originally, it was supposed to be used as a finishing move in the final phase, but this was no time to be picky.

“For now, we need to keep our headcount as high as possible.”

Three people had already died.

Fortunately, Ruidra’s HP was down to 30%.

They would release the Forgotten King’s Wraith to buy time, then use the increased entry limit to call in reinforcements.

“The problem is Kaiser…”

Ultimately, that guy’s goal was also defeating Ruidra.

If things got desperate, they might even have to temporarily ally with Kaiser.

But Jerpak should have realized something.

Why had the two of them entered Ruidra’s lair through a completely different route?

Because the situation was so urgent, that thought never fully formed in his mind.

Meanwhile, Dohyun was also analyzing the situation.

“Looks like the Hero Guild was already doing the raid. Is it okay for me to interfere? And why did a hidden phase trigger?”

“It says some condition was fulfilled, Master.”

“Hmm… ‘Savior of the Forgotten Wraith.’ That must be the quest they’re doing. If I’d arrived a little later, I might not have cleared my main quest.”

This was the first time something like this had happened during a quest.

He hadn’t expected to get tangled up with other players like this.

Well, the game had one billion players. Overlapping routes weren’t strange.

If anything, it was luck that he’d avoided it until now.

“Still… I guess I should consider myself lucky.”

Meeting them before they killed Ruidra was already fortunate.

If they had killed Ruidra before he obtained the Purifying Ember, he would have been trapped here with no way out.

Of course, the situation wasn’t exactly good even now.

To them, Dohyun was nothing more than an unwanted guest.

Normally that would be troublesome, but this time there was still an opportunity.

Slash!

“AAARGH!”

“Guh!”

Because the sudden hidden phase had also thrown them into danger.

If left alone, they might collapse on their own.

“All I need is the Purifying Ember anyway. If I just let them finish Ruidra while I help a little… maybe we can all walk away peacefully… hmm?”

Ding—

Just as the still-confused Dohyun was observing the situation—

[Eye of Truth has been activated.]

“Suddenly?”

As he looked around through the Eye of Truth, he saw something.

Behind Ruidra, diagonally across the battlefield.

A red glow leaking from beyond a distant wall.

“Could that be…?”

When a person is desperate, the body moves before the mind.

By the time the thought crossed his mind—

he had already used Backstab.

[A mark has been created.]

“Huh? Kaiser—!”

As he closed the distance using Backstab on Ruidra, one of the guild members widened his eyes.

Hope flickered in his gaze.

Was Kaiser coming to help him?

Unfortunately, Dohyun didn’t even look at him.

“Didn’t even register his existence” would be a better description.

“Guh—!”

[Kyaahahahaha!]

The man had been standing there blankly and ended up getting slammed into a wall.

Resentment and betrayal briefly flashed in his flying gaze.

But Dohyun couldn’t help it.

Fwoosh—

A flame even redder than the light revealed by the Eye of Truth filled Dohyun’s vision.

It wasn’t just red—it had a golden brilliance.

The phrase “radiant” naturally came to mind.

Above the brilliant ember floated a message.

[You have found the flame that drives away all evil, ‘Purifying Ember’.]

“Found it!”

After discovering the thing he had wanted so desperately, would some random Hero Guild member matter?

Dohyun was not that saintly.

“Didn’t expect to find it this quickly. Lucky.”

Now all he had to do was grab it and get out.

Ruidra was tempting, but technically the Hero Guild had started the raid first.

If they failed, he could fight later.

Or maybe join them.

Either way, that was for later.

Right now, the priority was securing the Purifying Ember.

Grab.

The moment the excited Dohyun grabbed the torch containing the ember—

“Gasp!?”

“Hm?”

A scream almost like a shriek burst out behind him.

“How—how did you find that!?”

A man stared with his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

Jerpak.

How did Kaiser know about that?

The mystical flame hidden in a specific spot within Ruidra’s lair.

The sacrifice required to awaken the Forgotten King’s Wraith.

He found it instantly?

It had taken them an entire week just to locate it.

No… actually, this is good.

Since the ember had been found quickly, all they had to do was sacrifice it at the monument.

Jerpak was just about to shout at him to do exactly that—

“Wait—why are you putting it in your inventory?!”

Kaiser had already shoved the ember into his inventory before anyone could stop him.

Jerpak froze in confusion.

Then the system messages rang out.

[The Apostle of Prophecy has obtained the ‘Purifying Ember’.]

[The Purifying Ember disappears from Ruidra’s lair.]

[The ember’s energy that had been seeping into the monument vanishes.]

[The ‘Wraith of the Forgotten King’ sleeping inside the monument cries out in protest.]

RUMBLE—

The monument shook violently.

As the massive stone trembled, the ground shook like an earthquake.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Huh?”

Even Ruidra stopped fighting and turned to look.

And what they saw—

was a single man.

Kaiser, frozen in the exact pose of having just stored the torch in his inventory behind the shaking monument.

But there was someone staring at him even more intensely.

Ruidra.

Her eyes burned black.

The guild members she had been fighting no longer existed in her vision.

Only one person remained.

Kaiser.

The one who took the Purifying Ember.

She raised her twin sickles.

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Ruidra, Ruler of Nightmares’ has selected a target.]

[Trait ‘Master of Nightmares’ has been activated.]

[The chosen target is forcibly dragged into an inescapable swamp of nightmares.]

[Current target: Player ‘Kaiser’.]

Originally, it was a pattern that interfered with a target’s mind, forcing them into nightmares and marking them.

A kind of target-restricted invincibility mechanic, where those marked couldn’t deal lethal damage.

But now, the strengthened trait swallowed Kaiser whole.

BOOOOM!

As the ominous darkness engulfed Kaiser, Jerpak clenched his fist.

Ironically—

this was good news.

Now Kaiser would never be able to kill Ruidra.

Everything had fallen apart, but at least they could still claim the achievement.

“There are lots of viewers. If we just spin the story that we beat Kaiser…”

The broadcast could still succeed.

If they salvaged their image, there was still hope.

He could still face Verje.

Just as that thin thread of hope appeared—

[Ruidra’s unique space has been created by the effect of ‘Master of Nightmares’.]

[No one except Ruidra and her designated target may enter.]

[The nightmare swamp will only be released when one of the two dies.]

“…?”

A message that made no sense appeared.

Moments later, the black energy faded.

And in that place—

there was no one.

Not the raid boss Ruidra.

Not Kaiser.

Not even his guardians.

Only the empty, dreamlike scenery remained in Ruidra’s lair.

And the exhausted guild members staring blankly.

Chat exploded.

—Wait… what did I just see?

—Did they just lose the boss?

—LMAO this is insane

—I’ve seen boss steals but boss kidnapping is new

—Isn’t it the boss that kidnapped Kaiser?

—Ruidra: You’re the one getting abducted.

—Best stream ever lol. Was this a comedy show?

Faced with the first boss kidnapping incident in the history of God of the World Season.

Jerpak, standing there stunned, couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“…What the hell. Give me my boss back.”

* * *

[Welcome to Ruidra’s unique space.]

[You have entered the special field: Swamp of Nightmares.]

[The swamp will only disappear when one of the two dies.]

[A mark is engraved upon entering the swamp. Those marked cannot deal lethal damage to Ruidra due to mental interference.]

[The effect is nullified by the trait ‘Hero’.]

“Ugh… what is this, Master?”

“…Hmm. A rather unpleasant place.”

“Liza… Lizaliza.”

Ignoring the voices of his companions, Dohyun checked the messages and looked around.

Charlie was right.

It was an unsettling place.

If the outside world was filled with color—

this place was completely monochrome.

Not just the scenery.

Even living beings.

“AH! What is this?! Why is everyone’s skin like that?! Eek! I turned black too!”

“…Weren’t you already black? If anything, you look a bit brighter.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Lizaliza.”

“Wow, Eliza looks cool with the color change. Even more intimidating.”

Charlie and Jihad also appeared in black and white.

Everything did.

[Movement scrolls cannot be used in this special field.]

What kind of nonsense is this…

Just in case, Dohyun tried using the other scroll he had received from Gilverun.

A City Return Scroll.

But of course, it didn’t work.

He had planned to follow Gilverun’s advice—grab the Purifying Ember and run.

But things had taken an unexpected turn.

“I wasn’t told about an ability like this.”

If Gilverun had known, he would have mentioned it.

It was probably because the hidden phase changed the boss’s traits.

What kind of quest had those guys even been doing to cause such a tangled mess?

But soon Dohyun just shrugged.

“Well… that’s not really the important thing right now.”

Outside, Jerpak.

Watching the broadcast, Verje.

If they heard what he said next, their blood pressure would skyrocket.

And yet Dohyun spoke calmly.