Chapter 851: A Shift In Rankings, Regrouping

Izroth knew that the hidden effect of an SSS-ranked skill had to be strong; however, for it to be a wide range AOE effect that was practically an instant kill was beyond his original expectations.

Not only that, but it could erase the existence of non-players from RML!

Though the most shocking thing was not the virtually instant kill effect or its massive range. Instead, it was its ability to permanently reduce a player's level by one.

While one level may not sound like a lot, for top players or those at level 49 or higher, it would be a dreadful experience. After all, players spent days of in-game time leveling up even once.

But, it did not stop there. If it was just that much, it could still be considered somewhat salvageable. However, the effect also restricted a player from logging in for 72 hours following their elimination!

Although it was only one day in real-world time, 72 hours was long enough to completely shift one's placement among the top-ranked players! This was even more so considering the war currently going on in the Mortal Realm.

'That reminds me...'

Izroth opened his system interface as a transport scoreboard appeared in front of him.

'Oh? It's changed again. It seems when I get back to the Mortal Realm, I won't be able to slack off.'

『Top 100 Event Leaderboard:

1st: ??? - 5,002.02 contribution points

2nd: Izroth - 4,992.04 contribution points

3rd: Ewan - 2,958.99 contribution points

4th: Dragon - 2,894.12 contribution points

5th: Morrighan 2,882.10 contribution points

6th: Reaper - 2,655.33 contribution points

7th: Igazanali - 2,627.68 contribution points

8th: Azalea Wraith - 2,458.65 contribution points

9th: Mariposa - 2,219.04 contribution points

10th: Valkyria - 2,115.13 contribution points

...』

It had not been long since Izroth left the Mortal Realm; however, everyone was making fast progress in increasing their positions.

More surprisingly, there was actually someone who managed to overtake his position and bump him down to the second-place spot!

Even Morrighan, who fell out of the top ten due to leaving her original post in order to be in the crusade, had regained a solid position within the top ten.

Though Izroth was not too surprised. Ever since the last major contributions he made near the Unsanctioned Zone and Demilitarization Belt, he had simply been too busy to freely accumulate contribution points. Even after he returned to the Mortal Realm, there was still a lot left to do.

Regardless, Izroth did not plan on sitting back and remaining idle.

'The attack on the Night Lord's Crypt is coming up soon. There should be some opportunities to claim many contribution points by participating. Not to mention, I still have a few things up my sleeves. Still, to think there is someone else who can achieve that amount of contribution points in such a short time. I'll have someone look into it when I return to the Mortal Realm. After all, with that many contribution points, even if they've hidden their name, it will be difficult to completely cover their tracks.'

Izroth understood how challenging it was to accumulate a large number of contribution points.

He destroyed an entire city, aided in taking down one of the Antumbra Night Lords of the Skounae race, helped discover a high-ranking traitor in the Demilitarization Belt, and much more. Therefore, he knew that someone who gathered a similar amount of contribution points must have done things that were equivalent to his feats. Or, at the very least, incredibly close.

As for that person's identity, Izroth had someone in mind. However, since there was no proof at the moment, in the end, it was merely speculation.

A few moments later, Izroth closed out the system interface as he averted his gaze to the ground before him where Ourami stood not long ago.

There was not a single trace left of the pillar after undergoing the effects of the Origin of Obliteration.

'It is not a skill I can use carelessly.'

Not to mention the long 28-day cooldown placed upon his Third Baneful Sword: Annihilation, the Origin of Obliteration had its greatest drawback. In the end, it still affected everyone in its range—allies included. Therefore, if Izroth used it too carelessly, his own allies may end up paying the price and suffering under the effects of the Origin of Obliteration.

In addition, relying too heavily on a single effect to overcome stronger opponents was something Izroth knew was not a long-term solution. In fact, despite the seemingly inescapable nature of the effect, it did not mean there existed no means under the firmament to counter it.

Needless to say, Izroth was still more than happy to have one more trump card at his disposal.

Izroth averted his gaze towards the distance. There was a reason he had not left after taking care of Ourami.

'They should be arriving soon.'

Not long after he defeated Ourami, with his heightened sense of perception from the effects of Siren's Song, Izroth noticed two familiar auras headed his way.

At the moment, Izroth's state was not good. His essence was so low that he could undergo Soul Weakness at any second if he pushed it even one step further. Also, most of his powerful skills were on cooldown.

In addition, even with all of his anti-fatigue passives, Izroth felt unbearably exhausted. If it were any other player, they would have already collapsed from being fatigued!

'Time Dilation—it's a skill capable of changing the flow of a battle, but... Even at just 90%, it consumes too much fatigue within a short amount of time. Of course, raising my skill level will help, but getting it to 100% will not happen overnight. For the time being, I have to find other ways to quickly recover my fatigue or increase my stamina. Otherwise, using it efficiently for more than a few seconds every battle will prove rather problematic.'

Not long after this thought crossed Izroth's mind, the two familiar auras he detected came into view in the distance. These two individuals were moving at great speeds towards Izroth and soon reached his location.

"Huh? Where did that bastard run off to?" Hakros frowned as he scratched the back of his head and carefully examined the surroundings.

The first to arrive was Hakros, who Izroth sent off in search of Sychia. As for the person who accompanied him, naturally, it was the Thousand Blossom Maiden herself.

"I sensed it as well. But, his aura just vanished. It would appear that we rushed over for nothing." Sychia said as she released a faint sigh.

After seeing that there was no danger present, Sychia turned her attention to Izroth and politely greeted him.

"It's good to see you are safe," Sychia commented with a light smile.

Sychia had been roaming the battlefield eliminating the remnants of Ourami's forces. However, when that rain of black flames appeared, everything immediately turned to chaos as those touched by the sinister flames perished.

Fortunately, she was close to another group of celestials. One in particular called Diparxi used his ability to transport all those nearby to safety, Sychia included. However, it was a close call. If she had not used the last few life-saving artifacts on her to survive the initial pour of the black flames, it would have been a dangerous situation.

"I could say the same about you," Izroth replied with a carefree smile.

Izroth was relieved to see that even though Sychia had a few minor wounds, she was relatively unharmed.

He knew that the Thousand Blossom Maiden was more than capable of taking care of herself; however, that was only under normal circumstances. And, at the moment, the circumstances were far from normal.

Izroth never anticipated someone more powerful than Ourami showing up on the battlefield and throwing everything into chaos. It was no wonder this quest was SSS-ranked.

Earlier, even with the addition of another pillar and Ourami's army, Izroth did not feel as if Astratis and the other celestials would lose. That's because although he hid it well, Izroth could tell that Astratis was holding back his true strength.

'I suppose without this kind of anomaly, it would not be an SSS-ranked quest. In my current state, it will be difficult to directly interfere; however, I cannot remain idle.'

"Hey, where did that Heaven's Strength bastard go?" Hakros inquired.

"He no longer exists," Izroth responded calmly.

"Hah? You don't mean-"

"That's right."

"Ah! This stone-faced guy—he went and took all the fun for himself! I knew it! Next time, we're swapping roles!"

"Oh? Next time? Does this mean you plan on owing me again in the future?"

"Heh, no way. You'll be the one in debt to me next time around!" Hakros stated proudly.

"Yes, of course," Izroth replied nonchalantly in a half-hearted manner.

"Oh, don't forget about our promise earlier! If that person can't fight at least ten rounds with me, you'll have to take their place."

"Sure. But, I won't lose." Izroth stated with a carefree smile.

"This guy... Well, it's not like I plan on losing, either." Hakros said with a playful grin.