The players under his command, many of them injured or exhausted, didn’t hesitate. They trusted Verment’s judgment, and the idea of retreat seemed like the only sane option. Together, they began to fall back, carefully avoiding the monster's attacks as they moved toward the safety of the city walls.

  As they retreated, Verment glanced over his shoulder at the chaos still unfolding behind them. The other guilds and players were still fighting, but the monster’s health bar hadn’t budged. He believed it was only a matter of time before they, too, would realize that continuing this fight would only end in disaster.

  "Let them figure it out on their own, I guss…" Verment thought grimly as he led his allies away from the battlefield.

  And with that decisive command, Verment and his group became the first to retreat after engaging the monster for a grueling stretch. Bypassing the surrounding players was the first obstacle that came to mind, but it was not that hard as they decided to spread to each of their own so that they could get out of the place as quickly as they could.

  Baaammm

  Occasionally, there would be some fire attacks that came toward them, giving them even more of a hard time to back away from the battlefield. Especially when their backs were facing the monster, making them unable to see the projectiles more clearly than before.

  Still, finally they were able to get out of the danger zone relatively safely. Exhausted and battered, they moved quickly, but as they pulled back, a quite peculiar realization dawned on them: no one else was retreating. That might be the reason why they were able to leave the battlefield quite easily.

  The other guilds and players were still locked in combat each with their own intentions. Even though it was clear that the monster’s health wasn’t going down, they pressed on, seemingly unwilling to flee.

  "Are we seriously the only ones leaving?" Goover muttered as he looked over at the battlefield. His voice was tinged with slight disbelief. Despite their exhaustion, the sight of thousands of players continuing to throw themselves at the beast seemed surreal.

  Verment gritted his teeth, his instincts telling him they had made the right decision. "Let them stay," he said, his tone calm but firm. "They’re risking everything seemingly for nothing right now. We’ve seen what that thing can do. If they want to stay and lose their gear, levels, and lives, that’s on them."

  A few of their group members exchanged uneasy glances. It was an odd feeling, being the only group retreating when the battle was still raging behind them. Part of them felt like they were abandoning the fight, but they couldn’t deny the sense of relief that came with stepping away from the danger.

  "Do you think we’re making the right call?" Goover asked, his voice unsure.

  Verment didn’t hesitate. "Absolutely," he said. "Look at the monster's health—it's not even moving. There’s something we’re missing here. This isn’t a normal fight. We’ll regroup, analyze the situation, and figure out how to actually face it. Charging in like this without a plan is just suicide."

  As Verment and his group finally reached a safe distance, they watched the chaotic battle from afar, the sounds of spells, swords, and desperate shouts still echoing in the air. The other guilds fought on, unaware—or unwilling to accept—that they were fighting a losing battle.

  For now, Verment and his allies were the only ones to retreat, and whether that would be seen as cowardice or wisdom didn’t matter to him. What mattered was that they had survived, not losing the progress that was not easy to achieve.

  Goover, leaning heavily on his staff, glanced back at the distant battlefield, the roar of the ongoing battle still echoing in the distance. His eyes narrowed as he observed the frenzied mass of players still charging at the monster, desperate to make some kind of impact despite the odds.

  "I guess they’re still resisting because Starday and his guild, Bright Resonance, are spearheading this battle," Goover muttered, his voice low but tinged with a mix of awe and curiousity. "As long as they’re on the frontlines, it gives the other players a sense of security."

  Verment, standing beside him, followed Goover's gaze. Starday, along with his Bright Resonance guild, was still commanding the battlefield, leading the charge with powerful momentum. His presence, his reputation, and the strength of his guild gave the other players hope—perhaps too much hope, it seemed.

  "They think because Starday’s still fighting, they have a chance," Goover continued. "But that’s not how this works. The monster’s health isn’t even dropping. It’s like they’re all caught in some kind of spell—believing that if they just push hard enough, it’ll fall. But how can we lay our strategy on such baseless gamble? Not like this."

  Verment crossed his arms, his expression was hard to decipher. "Starday’s strong, no doubt, and Bright Resonance is one of the top guilds. But strength and strategy are two different things. If they don’t figure out what’s wrong soon, they’ll go down just like the rest. And then what happens to that sense of security?"

  Goover nodded, his eyes flickering with concern. "When Starday falls, if it comes to that... they’ll panic. And by then, it’ll be too late to retreat."

  They both stood in silence for a moment, watching the futile battle from afar. Verment knew full well how easily the tide could turn—and not in the players' favor.

  "For now," Verment said quietly, "we've made the right choice. Let’s regroup with the others, figure out what we’re missing. We can’t rely on someone else to save the day."

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Goover gave a weary nod, the distant cries of battle a sobering reminder of the cost of false hope. "Yeah," he muttered. "Let’s make sure when we go back, we don’t make the same mistake."

  “Wow, you guys are smart.”

  Just when they were discussing with their own, suddenly a voice came out from behind them, creeping them out of their wits because of the sudden and unexpected voice that seemingly came out of nowhere.

  "!!!"

  The sudden voice from behind startled Verment, Goover, and their teammates, sending a shiver down their spines. They spun around, weapons instinctively at the ready, only to be met with a figure cloaked in dark looking armor robes, leaning casually against a boulder. His face was mostly obscured by a hood, but a playful smile played across his lips. His eyes gleamed with interest, as though he had been observing them for some time.

  "Who the—" Verment began, but stopped short when Goover nudged him, pointing discreetly at the man to keep calm and get a hold of himself.

  "You were watching us?" Verment asked, still guarded, his eyes narrowing at the mysterious player.

  And this supposedly mysterious player himself was actually Aron himself, Morality Mortalized.

  Aron chuckled softly, his posture relaxed. "Watching everyone, really. It’s not that I’m specifically watching you, I’m here first before you guys come here. But honestly? You’ve got the right idea, pulling back when everyone else is running headfirst into oblivion. Smart move."

  Goover's suspicion deepened. "And why are you watching instead of fighting?"

  Morality shrugged, a casual helpless smile tugging at his lips. "I guess being safe is better than to be sorry. But you…" He gestured to the battlefield with a point of his thumb. "Why are you asking that to me when you do exactly the same as me? You realized it wasn’t worth it. Tho that kind of awareness is rare, I guess."

  Verment kept his hand on his sword hilt, unsure of what to make of this player. "So, you’ve been observing the battle from the start? Why approach us now?"

  Morality just shook his head with a wry smile, "Bruh, chill. It’s not that I’m approaching you guys. I’m just thinking out loud, and you guys hear it. And it is more appropriate to say that you, were the one who approached me, right?”

  Verment could not refute what the man was saying, after all it did seem like this man was the first to be here. Goover eyed him skeptically as he whispered to Verment, “What to do now? I feel some bad vibes coming out from him…”

  Verment and Goover exchanged glances, their eyes lingering on the lone man for a second. Despite the confidence and casual air the player projected, neither of them could place him within the ranks of well-known players or guilds.

  "Hmmm…" Goover scrutinized under his breath, his brow furrowed. "I feel like I should know this guy, but… nothing’s coming to mind."

  Verment nodded his head, a look of skepticism settling on his face. "Same here. Doesn’t seem like anyone I’ve seen in the big leagues. Maybe he’s just a newer player trying to sound important."

  They both considered the possibility that Morality Mortalized had recently joined the game, quietly making his way through the ranks without drawing much attention. After all, the game had its share of newcomers who rapidly rose to prominence, and not everyone’s reputation spread instantly.

  "He could be one of those players who keeps a low profile," One of their teammates mused, "or maybe he’s just someone who knows how to stay under the radar until now."

  Aron had an intrigued smile as he looked at Verment, Goover, and their teammates as if he didn't expect that there would be people that retreated from the monster attack this quick.

  "Anyway," Aron began, his voice smooth and somehow sounding slightly helpless, "Did I say that I didn’t think I’d see anyone smart enough to pull back from that mess this early? As most players get caught up in the heat of battle, which makes sense in the first place. But you kinda surprised me."

  Verment’s eyes narrowed slightly, still not fully trusting the puzzling player. "We realized something was wrong, and throwing ourselves at the monster wasn’t getting us anywhere."

  "Staying there would’ve been suicide." Goover, still catching his breath, added. At this point, it would be weird if he wasn’t on the same page with Verment, so he just wholeheartedly supported the idea.

  Aron nodded, his expression never losing that intrigued, almost playful edge. "Exactly. That’s what caught my attention. As you all can see there, most players think the solution is brute force, but you actually stopped to think. That’s rare."

  He paused, surveying the group again, almost as if he was studying them. "You’re quick to adapt, and I like that."

  Verment frowned his brows. "Cut the flattery. What’s your meaning?"

  Aron shrugged casually. "No nothing. I’m just genuinely curious. And that’s why I’m interested in what you’ll do next. You pulled out of the battle, and now you’re thinking of your next move, while everyone else is still banging their heads against the same wall. So, what’s your plan?"

  Verment exchanged a brief look with Goover before turning back to Aron. "We’re figuring that out. The monster’s not reacting to damage like it should, which means there’s more going on here. We’re not about to walk back in without a strategy."

  "I see. Interesting, I guess.” Aron answered with a somewhat half hearted sounding tone, which somehow triggered Goover in annoyment.

  "Then why aren't you joining the fray?" Goover asked, as he studied Morality. "Fighting the monster like the rest of them, instead of lurking back here?"

  "Don't you see? I'm alone here, if I go there, wouldn't it be more dangerous for me to go there as I don't have allies and whatnot?" Aron answered with a sigh as he shook his head, seemingly in pity. Though a slight grin appeared unnoticed by the people.

  His tone sounded genuine, almost regretful.

  Goover raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. "You’re alone? No guild? No party?"

  Aron shrugged nonchalantly. "Not everyone needs a guild, you know. Some players prefer to keep things simple. Besides," he added with a sly smile, "I’ve survived just fine on my own for quite some time. Just pick battles wisely, I guess."

  Verment narrowed his eyes but didn’t push further. Despite Aron’s somewhat mysterious attitude, he wasn’t wrong. Charging in without allies or a plan was reckless, and the others would eventually figure that out the hard way.

  "So," Goover interjected, "what are you waiting for? A better chance, or are you hoping someone else figures out the monster’s weakness first?"

  Morality’s grin returned, more noticeable this time. "Let’s just say I’m keeping my options open. If someone else figures it out, it would be interesting. If not, I’ve got my own ideas."

  They couldn’t understand what the lone man was talking, not minding too much of what kind of nonsense he even was talking about.

  “Hmmm… I guess it’s the time.” Aron muttered under his breath lowly. Verment couldn’t hear properly what Mortality just said so he wanted to ask what was that, but as he opened his mouth, suddenly there was a commotion that made them turn their heads into the direction of the noise, which was coincidentally in the direction of the beast itself.