For a few seds only the brutal banging sounds could be heard within the nightclub’s deceptively pink room. Until the door opened and another burly maered.

  He sed the room, displeasure apparent on his face, his rough voice his colleges:

  “Ok you two. Stop here. We o evacuate.”

  “Already? How did they find us so fast?”

  “It seems someone pulled a few strings to speed up the process. Whatever, our job is done here!”

  “Alright.”

  The two gahrew a st g their targets before following the other outside.

  Liam’s bodyguard slowly straightened his body, looking around the room. When he was sure that everyone had left, he let out a deep breath and fell unscious.

  For a few seds everything was silent before low crag sounds could be heard. The ice cage trembled once before bursting apart into millions of pieces.

  The fine ice illuminated by the pink light in the room looked quite beautiful, but Liam didn’t have the mind to care right now. He sed the situation. Reassured that it was safe, he quickly approached his bodyguard, cheg the man’s health.

  He seems to be fine as far as I tell. Apparently, he is doing quite well in aboul. Was this Seal of Ice just now?

  Seeing no harsh wounds on the man’s body, Liam’s thoughts wandered. He couldn’t tell with certainty which skill the man just used as there existed minor differences between the game and real life.

  From his estimation multiple skills came into sideration. But what the bodyguard used earlier was most likely [Seal of Ice].

  If that’s true, I have to inform Cye so she poach you.

  Liam chuckled to himself as a wave of dizziness washed over him. The day’s happening didn’t pass without a trace. Liam was quite exhausted. Furthermore, a nagging feeling of insecurity remained behind after going through a kidnapping.

  Something this exg never happened in my old life.

  Even Liam didn’t find his small joke funny. He sat down, leaning his back against the wall and closing his eyes.

  After an unknown amount of time a noise woke Liam up. However, judging from the barely ged room only a few minutes could have passed as the room’s door was suddenly bashed open.

  Soldiers in heavy armor and drawn ons barged in. Liam finally felt relieved as he saw them.

  From then ohing happened quickly. The three victims were taken care of by doctors and their testimony was taken by the army. This time it was a different member of the Iigation Unit, probably of higher rank.

  Several men of the security pany hired by Silva came as well. After the army was dohey took Liam back to their headquarters, him to enter aboul in peace.

  ***

  Liam’s friends looked at the pce where he just disappeared with chaotic emotions.

  “Nothing must happen to him…”

  “I hope he’s ok…”

  The few whispers were drowned out when aed ghostly wail echoed in the hall. The ghost servant’s body solidified slightly.

  Silver Bde sighed looking at it, knowing that the boss was back to full HP. She balled her hands, fag the party members:

  “Guys. Let’s not get carried away by ive emotions! We will kill this boss now! For Mirage!”

  “Right! For Mirage!”

  “Let’s show everyohat those dirty tricks don’t work!”

  Fortuhe flig emotions in her chest. She was determio capture this moment and put it all in a video. Everyone would be able to see the dirty methods others used against them.

  Suddenly a sensation traveled through her body. She realized that her are bolts were ready. Grittieeth she stared at the tall ghost servant, eager to bst it into pieces.

  Bolts of densed magic shot through the air, smming into the boss’s armor.

  [-169!]x7

  Everyone including the boss froze for a moment seeing the huge k of HP taken away. It was as if this was the signal for the battle to tinue.

  The ghost servant roared angrily. Fmes engulfed its four cws as it made a step towards Fortune.

  “Stay here!”, shouted Silver Bde andingly as she employed her [Luring Barrier].

  The ghost serva a strange sensation and involuntarily turowards the tank. Its fming cws crashed into the bright barrier.

  Almost ohousand points of damage were borne by the shield. Large cracks spread on its surface as the skill barely held on, trembling unstably.

  When the ghost servant wao follow up with atack, a bright light shone on its body. Bloody Edge revealed himself from stealth, using his ultimate to melt the boss’s armor.

  The thief’s daggers fshed like lightning, stabbing deep into the ghost servant’s body.

  [-324!]

  [-162!]

  “Quick, attack as long as my ultimate holds!”

  Bloody Edge reminded his friends, who reacted swiftly. Silent Acacia instantly used his ultimate [Mark of Death] boosting everyone’s damage even more while sending out two arrows with [Flurry].

  [-495!]

  [-990!!!]

  “Awesome, guys!”, cheered Cye loudly. She was already casting her spell, while her [Bindings of Lightning] tinued damaging the boss.

  [-483!]

  The ghost servant lost a lot of HP in quick succession. It’s three pairs of eyes began to turn red. It swung its four cws at Silver Bde with the ferocity of an eiger.

  “Oh no!”

  Radiant Shield shouted anxiously realizing that this would be a physical attack. But the two tanks were too far apart to ge positions. After a split sed of dey, he used his skill [A Padin’s Challenge].

  Smming his hammer against his shield, a wave of holy light spread, dealing damage, and drawing aggro.

  However, it was already too te as the boss’s attack went through, heavily striking Silver Bde.

  [-904!]

  The female tank’s barrier exploded uhe cws. Silver Bde ushed back staring wearily at the ghost servant. But the boss reacted to Radiant Shield’s skill, turning towards the other tank.

  Before it could move, a staff smmed into the boss’s waist. Sihe effect of Bloody Edge’s ultimate had already subsided, Watchful Eye didn’t deal that much damage.

  But it was obviously enough to thhly ehe ghost servant. All its eyes abruptly turned a terrifying deep red. Magiced chaotically along its body, switg between seven different types.

  It led out a roar, all its eyes fog on Radiant Shield. The ta drawn to something, captivated by the ghostly gaze.

  Suddenly he was startled. His view ged and he looked down on the fight from above. He watched as his body took a step without his and.

  It took Radiant Shield a sed to realize what happened. He had lost trol of his body.

  The tank urgently tried to inform his friends, but the game blocked his unication, f him to watch helplessly.

  On the ground Watchful Eye frowned notig subtle strange movements from Radiant Shield.

  “Shield? Are you alright?”

  Hearing Watchful Eye’s questioning tone, everyone looked at Radiant Shield, perceiving a certain unfamiliarity.

  The ghost servant however didn’t care for the party’s as. With Radiant Shield turned into an ally the boss dropped the aggro and was free to move. Its eyes swept over the room, stopping on Cye.

  A momehe young woman found herself in the air o the illusionary figure of Radiant Shield.

  “What… what is going on? Hey! C, is this a bug?”

  “Cye, calm down.”

  “Ah! Radiant Shield, you’re a ghost! Did you die?!”

  Radiant Shield looked bnkly at the panig mage. It took some patieo expin to Cye what happened.

  “So were spectators now? Feels like watg one of Fortune’s videos…”

  At this moment the lightning eg Cye and the boss suddenly vanished as the skill couldn’t be used on allies.

  Silver Bde’s eyes opened wide as uanding dawned on her:

  “Careful guys, Radiant Shield and ust have been trolled by the boss!”

  “Damn, what should we do?”, asked Quickstep with furrowed brows.

  Experiences from past games ran through the female warrior’s mind. There were multiple possibilities. Damaging, killing or knog their friends unscious? Killing the boss? Activating something in the room?

  The others were caught in a simir dilemma.

  “Someone o make a decision!”, warned Quickstep with a look at Silver Bde. But her voice was almost drowned out by the crag of lightning as a cage appeared around Silver Bde.

  Even Silver Bde’s ability to endure pressure had its limits. Caught in the cage jured by Cye, she was somewhat flustered, urging her friends:

  “Try to kill the ghost servant! It doesn’t have much HP left!”

  The others plied immediately. Bloody Edge was close to the boss, attag first. His basic skills slowly came off cooldown, allowing him to bolster his attack with holy damage.

  However, the expected se of a rge amount of damage falling on the ghost servant didn’t appear. A strange magic cushioned Bloody Edge’s daggers, f a ball of red-colored magic.

  When Bloody Edge retrieved his ons, the magic moved and shot into Cye’s chest.

  [-638!]

  [-358!]