"Sure. Just make sure you pay us handsomely after we finish wrapping up here." One of the players next to Vault said as they stepped forward.
He had long gray hair with black edges that traveled down his back and wore a black mask that concealed his facial features. He wore dark leather clothing with torn-off sleeves, and at his side was a chain with a bizarre shaped sickle attached to its end.
This player was 11th of the Twelve Banes, The Wounded, Fractured Anatomy.
"Shall we go have ourselves a little fun?" Joker chuckled.
Joker's body started to quiver as his figure turned into a wavy distortion before he disappeared from view!
Woosh!
At the same time, Fractured Anatomy jumped forward and reached for the weapon at his side. He grabbed hold of the chain and began to spin the sickle in circles rapidly without slowing his movements.
"Hmph, it is a waste of my ability to combat some oversized mutt. Nevertheless, since I have agreed to confer you the privilege of my services, I shall uphold my end of the agreement." The player by the name of King Crown spoke in an unhurried manner.
King Crown donned gold and blue light armor with a luxurious blue mantle with white fur attached to its shoulder area. He possessed artic blue eyes with short blonde hair neatly parted to the side.
On his back was an exquisite longsword encompassed in a faint white aura, which he gripped the handle of using both hands before brandishing the longsword.
King Crown locked his gaze onto Acogu'An, who was still wreaking havoc among the players from the Headhunter Syndicate and leisurely walked in its direction.
Vault clenched his fists tightly as the three players left his side. There was a look of irritation on his face as he clicked his tongue.
"These guys… They listen to my commands, but they are still too unruly. I'll have to come up with a way to make them thoroughly submit to me. If not, hmph, just wait until I claim the spot as the number one guild in RML! When that time comes, every last one of them will be begging to serve under me!" Vault internalized.
…
Several minutes passed as the battle raged on; however, it felt like an eternity for the members of Sacred Beasts.
When the three members of the Twelve Banes made their move, the tides of battle quickly shifted in the Headhunter Syndicate's favor.
King Crown managed to limit Acogu'An's range of destruction to a specific area of the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Joker and Fractured Anatomy were able to disable the Twin Barriers that protected the players from Sacred Beasts using a unique combination of their class skills and items.
Nonetheless, Meng Jiang and Sacred Beasts maintained a solid formation as they fought through the seemingly neverending wave of players.
Meng Jiang alone kept Joker, and Fractured Anatomy occupied. Though since Acogu'An was her companion, in reality, she was single-handedly suppressing all three of the Twelve Banes!
As she did so, the other members of her guild focused on creating a gap in the enemy's encirclement to break through and fight on more favorable terms.
As the battle unfolded, Vault turned to Doctor Dark, who was chanting unfamiliar words under his breath.
"How long until your curses take effect?" Vault questioned.
"Heh, the weaker ones have already taken effect. As for the stronger ones—it depends. But, what I can say is that the more they struggle and fight back, the quicker the curses will spread throughout their bodies. Once the curses take full effect, the only ending for them is death." Doctor Dark replied confidently.
Vault nodded as he grinned and said, "Good! I knew it was not a mistake to take you under my wing. Remember, as long as you serve me well; I will not mistreat you."
Doctor Dark's curse skills made him ideal for PVP, but more importantly, he was one of the few Twelve Banes that swore absolute loyalty to Vault.
Knowing that he had at least one person loyal to him by his side lifted Vault's mood.
Vault then shifted his attention to Menerva, who remained silent the whole time with a distant gaze.
"She's been even more useful than I ever envisioned. No matter what, I cannot allow her to escape my grasp." Vault thought to himself.
He smirked as he approached Menerva and said, "Did you really think I was going to let you walk away after the first event ended? It looks like buying that rundown place wasn't a complete waste, after all. As long as it's in my hands, you will continue to be my obedient dog until the day you die."
Menerva did not respond and stayed indifferent. She did not even spare a single glance or word to Vault as the fighting on the battlefield intensified.
"This filthy dog…! Am I not even worthy of entering her sights when I speak?!" Vault internalized.
He could tolerate some disrespect from the other Twelve Banes given their usefulness; however, when he thought back to how Meng Jiang openly embarrassed him in front of his subordinates, Vault's anger resurfaced.
Without warning, Vault grabbed Menerva by the lower part of her face. He needed someone to vent his anger on, and it just so happened that he had the perfect person right next to him!
"Who do you think you are, huh? When I speak to you, you look at me and respond! If I want you to bark like a dog, you ask loud! Just because you've been a bit useful, don't forget your place! You're just another piece of property! You belong to me!" Vault scowled as he forced Menerva to look him in the eyes.
He then continued, "Say it. Say, 'I'm your property. Thank you for not abandoning this filthy dog of yours, owner!'."
Menerva kept a neutral expression and did not open her mouth to speak.
Seeing this upset Vault even more as he tightened his grip.
"Fine, you can stay quiet. Perhaps I'll pay a visit to that place and see if the others are more… Cooperative." Vault stated as his eyes turned cold.
When those words left his mouth, Menerva's body shook slightly.
A few moments later, her lips parted as she finally spoke in a low voice, "…I'm your p-"
"Oh? Your personality is more twisted than I gave you credit for." A voice abruptly sounded from right behind Vault.
"Who-?!" Vault's heart dropped. How did someone manage to sneak up this close to him with the safety measures he had in place?!
Vault quickly released his grip on Menerva. He tried to reach for the weapon at his side and turn to face his assailant; however, before he could fully turn his head, Vault felt an overwhelming force press down on him.
"…Eh?" Vault's mind went temporarily blank as he attempted to process what had just transpired.
Right now, Vault's forehead was buried into the ground at Menerva's feet. If one viewed it from an outside perspective, it looked as if Vault was kowtowing to Menerva!
"Boss!" Doctor Dark exclaimed as he got ready to rush forward to assist Vault.
However, the instant Doctor Dark saw the assailant; his face turned pale.
"It's you!" Doctor Dark grit his teeth out of hatred but did not dare charge onward.
This person was the same one who killed him back in the Towering Oak Forest while he was in the middle of a huge score! But what baffled him the most was that this individual was supposed to be dead!
"You bastard…! Do you know how I am?! I'm-!" Vault furiously shouted as he tried to lift his head.
Bang!
Vault's head was driven deeper into the earth before he could finish his sentence.
"I'll kill you…! I swear I'll kill you!!!!"
Bang!
Menerva's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the person who appeared in front of her with their hand pinning Vault's face to the earth. Even she seemed taken aback by their presence here.
After a few extra head slams, Vault finally fell silent. This humiliation—whoever was responsible, he would make them wish they were dead by the time he got finished with them!
"You sure gave me quite a bit of trouble." A carefree voice sounded as the person who arrived before Menerva stood straight with his foot firmly planted on Vault's head to keep it buried into the earth.
This person was none other than Izroth!
