Chapter 9 : Proceed with Our Next Plan Now?

  The chaotic situation around Daystar had thinned the ranks dramatically, leaving only a few desperate survivors still clinging to life. Starday’s expression betrayed none of the frustration or panic that the others might have expected though. Instead, he seemed almost pleased.

  "Keep up the pressure," Starday commanded coolly, watching as his guildmates moved with tactical movement. His eyes flicked briefly over the players still falling in droves.

  Starday’s plan had always been calculated from the start. The real strategy behind leading Bright Resonance into the battle wasn’t purely to fight the monster.

  It was to use the monster to wipe out as many players… as possible!

  Fewer players meant fewer competitors. Fewer competitors meant more power for Bright Resonance.

  The opportunity for that had come as the monster appeared with its mysterious and deadly aura. Its sheer strength and unpredictability had made it the perfect tool. Rather than rush in recklessly like everyone else, Starday had neatly kept his guild in check, letting the others serve as cannon fodder.

  After all, he knew that death in this game came with penalties, players who were killed would lose experience, drop levels, or even their valuable equipment. Their progress would be set back, and for some, it could mean weeks of grinding to recover what they had lost.

  And that was exactly what Starday wanted.

  By letting the monster decimate the battlefield, he ensured that many of the rival guilds, party based players, or even solo players would be crippled for the foreseeable future. With their progress halted, fewer players would be able to challenge Bright Resonance for dominance in future raids, events, or contests for rare loot.

  It is an initiation to secure a long-term advantage. By the time the remaining players realized they had walked into a trap, it would be too late. Starday and his guild would claim the spoils while everyone else was too busy recovering from their setbacks.

  And so it had unfolded perfectly. Most of the players who had fought bravely—or foolishly—against the monster were now dead, their drops strewn across the battlefield. The few survivors were barely hanging on, their numbers too small and their strength too depleted to make a difference. Starday’s plan had worked.

  Now, with most of the threats eliminated, Bright Resonance could swoop in, claim the spoils, and solidify their position as the more dominant guild. Starday's eyes glinted with satisfaction as he watched the battlefield, knowing that the monster had done exactly what he needed.

  Thankfully, or perhaps not for the other parties and such, the players didn’t have enough time to stop and think. Fueled by adrenaline and the desire to bring down the monster, they blindly followed Starday and the rest of Bright Resonance into the fray. None of them realized that they were walking straight into a carefully laid trap.

  The other guilds hardly stood a chance. They hadn’t realized they were part of Starday's scheme even up to this point. By the time they realized what had been happening, it would have been too late already. And by the time they had, it was already over.

  Starday had anticipated this. He knew the other players would rally behind a strong guild like Bright Resonance without question, especially in a chaotic battle where everyone was scrambling for survival, and glory. By leading the charge, Starday had subtly manipulated them into believing that they had a chance when in reality, they were being herded toward their own downfall.

  With every swing of their weapons, the players focused on the monster, unaware of the real threat lurking behind the battle: Starday’s plan to get them killed, penalized, and set back. As the monster’s attacks intensified, and more players fell, their fates were basically sealed.

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  Though the question was, how could Starday and Bright Resonance survive the onslaught of the beast?

  On the surface, his guild, Bright Resonance, still stood strong amidst the carnage, their well maintained coordination keeping them from falling like the others. While most players had been in disarray because of the monster’s attacks, Starday had kept his core group steady, letting the weaker or less organized ones rush to their deaths.

  Even though Starday and Bright Resonance spearheaded the battle against the monster, they were able to retain most of their players. Unlike the chaotic masses of independent players and other guilds, Bright Resonance was like an arrogant general ordering the infantries to their deaths without much care.

  Their members seemingly moved with accordance, executing carefully coordinated advancement, and always staying just out of reach of the monster’s deadliest blows.

  Starday's plan was not about manipulating others into recklessness as it was also about ensuring his own guild to remain alive. While the others fell victim to the monster’s brutal assaults, Bright Resonance was able to held their ground, sustaining minimal losses. Starday had also proved on the surface that his team was well-prepared with defensive spells, healing support, and strategic positioning, everything one needed to keep their key members alive.

  From the outside, it looked as if Bright Resonance were simply more skilled and organized.

  But the truth was deeper than that.

  While their coordination was very impressive, the biggest reason Starday was able to keep himself and his guild safe amid the chaos was because of a secret item he had obtained from the City Lord.

  This item, which was related to the monster they were fighting, gave him a significant advantage, allowing Bright Resonance to maneuver around the creature's deadliest attacks and maintain their offense on the battlefield.

  The item was a pouch looking thing, attached to the hilt of his sword as it swayed in the air.

  This hidden trump card was the reason Starday’s guild seemed untouchable, even as the rest of the players fell to the monster's onslaught. It allowed them to navigate the battle impeccably, avoiding the missteps that led other players to their doom.

  While the other guilds and players thought they were all fighting on equal ground, the reality was that Starday had stacked the deck in his favor from the very beginning. And with each passing minute, it became more apparent from outside that Bright Resonance was more skillful in this endeavor, while the rest could just pay the price by blaming it on being unlucky.

  “It worked better than expected,” he muttered, his gaze jubilant as he watched another group of stragglers get incinerated by the monster’s fiery breath.

  After all, it was an opportunity to eliminate rivals, reduce the number of threats in the game, and ensure Bright Resonance dominance. It would be a lie if he was not a little bit excited about it.

  “Soon, it'll just be us,” Starday thought, his mind racing with the possibilities. With fewer players in the field, the situation would become easier to control. And if the monster wiped out the remaining stragglers, so much the better.

  "Commander, most of the players here are dead already. Should we proceed with our next plan now?" one of the players coming up from the Bright Resonance’s formation asked, his voice low and eager as he downed a mana supplement potion. His voice was tense but excited, eyes reflecting the havoc around them.

  Starday glanced at the man briefly and focused back, his ferocious gaze softening into focused one. He had been waiting for this moment, the thinning of the herd. Now, with most of the players either dead or retreating tho far too late, Bright Resonance had the perfect opportunity to execute the next phase of their plan.

  "Yes," Starday finally responded, his voice cold and deliberate. "It’s time."

  He took in the battlefield with a quick sweep of his eyes, assessing the few remaining groups of players still trying to survive. They were of no concern anymore. The monster had done most of the work for them, eliminating their competition, just as Starday had hoped.

  "Gather everyone," Starday ordered, his voice sharp. "We’ll move into position and finish this."

  The guild member nodded, turning to relay the message to the rest of Bright Resonance. Starday’s guildmates began to move according to the orders, their movements coordinated and in line. Unlike the scattered remnants of the other players, Bright Resonance was still a standing cohesive force, grouped and prepared.

  As Starday watched his team assemble, he nodded his head with satisfaction. He could see that basically there were only one or two members that got killed in this raid. Compared to the other parties, it was like a drop in the bucket.

  Starday raised his weapon high, a sword clean without any attachment whatsoever, signaling the beginning of the next phase. "Move out!" he commanded, his voice carrying across the battlefield.