The Achievement Junkie

The regent was forced to use his shield to block. However, Argyle's free hand gripped the side of the shield, keeping a window of opportunity for his attack.

Stabbing his blade into the regent's chest, Argyle twisted it for added pain and damage.

Though Argyle landed a crucial blow, it left an opening for the regent to also slash into's Argyle's shoulder.

They stepped away with blood across their torsos. Neither was backing down from the fight.

Argyle smiled and stretched his wounded shoulder as if to say that he felt fine despite all the damage he took. His bravado continued as Argyle rushed the regent anew, again using his Displacement Boots to the fullest.

The regent scoffed as his blade suddenly became coated in dark energy.

They clashed again, this time with the regent selecting the true Argyle and parrying the attack. But, due to the shield, the regent failed to land a scathing blow.

With a new slash torn through his clothes, Argyle squinted.

Glancing away briefly, Argyle spotted Tralon recaptured within Thyron's Lightning Cage and lying bloodied amidst boulders and rubble.

'Jack,' Argyle telepathically asked, 'Can I bring out Dradich?'

'Hmm… If he stays near the evacuated buildings and doesn't harm the main building, that's fine.'

'Thanks!'

Jack's and Argyle's conversation was short and succinct but it offered Argyle another trick up his sleeve.

As the regent finally rushed Argyle, trying to regain his earlier momentum, he lunged forward to reevaluate Argyle's defensive capabilities.

However, his sword never managed to reach his foe.

Instead, a gigantic beast appeared by Argyle's side and suddenly barreled into the unsuspecting regent.

Slammed into one of the smaller empty buildings near the guild's entrance, that regent coughed blood over and over. And just as the beast backed off, Argyle rushed in with his sword.

The regent could only moan as his heart was run through and the equipment in his battered hands fell to the ground. His moan died out, fading away along with his life.

Argyle smiled and hastily looted his fallen foe. "Thanks, Dradich. You're a huge help."

"Thanks for filling me in before releasing me," replied Dradich. "I'm glad to be out and able to defend during such an occasion."

It was then that Dradich caught glimpse of the towering centipede far-off. The Glacier Wyrm was speechless, hoping that wasn't their foe. "Argyle… that centipede, is it--"

"No, that's Jack's companion. He's defending against an entire army. We need to hurry and finish here to help them out." Argyle stated, taking that moment to breathe and regather his thoughts on the situations around him.

Tralon had just teleported away after Kims arrived to confront Thyron. Hurmot was holding his own but his disadvantage was getting worse by the minute. Kaldor, on the other hand, had managed to gain momentum and would soon overwhelm his foe.

"Kims!" Argyle shouted, "Do you want any help?"

"This is my fight, so leave him to me," Kims coldly stated, not looking away from Thyron for a second.

"Very well! Don't take too long!"

Keeping their true aim in mind, Argyle patted Dradich again. "Can you tunnel through the earth? The main battle is in the southwest field and I'm sure Dragov, that centipede could use your help."

"Consider it done!"

The Glacier Wyrm hurled himself into the ground, easily penetrating the earth and burrowing away at top speed.

Argyle didn't say anything else. He rushed toward Hurmot's battle, certain that hurmot didn't care about whether he had help or not, unlike Kaldor.

"No fair!" The sorceress shouted as she hurled a mixture of boulders and shards of ice at the incoming swordsman.

Throwing a five-attack combo of long-range sword attacks, Argyle forced his way through the barrage of spells. It was a bit easier than his previous fight thanks to the sorceress's divided attention.

With his opponent lessening her pressure, Hurmot was relieved and shouted, "Thank you, Argyle! Now, to finish her!"

Holy energy gathered around Hurmot's staff. Then, it formed half a dozen swords.

Hurmot waved his arm, launching the six radiating swords of light at the sorceress. Without being burdened to defend, the aging man could unleash his attack spells without worry.

The sorceress managed to defend against a few holy swords but she couldn't defend against them all while trying to force the aggressive Argyle back. And once she was hit, they didn't let up on her at all. There was no way those two veteran fighters would allow their opponent a moment to consume a potion of any kind.

She managed to hold on for a few more moments, but the combination of Argyle's long-range sword attacks and the dancing holy swords was too much for her.

The sorceress's defeat was also a great distraction for Kaldor's opponent. It was very unsettling for that regent to watch the other two get overpowered and it altered his mindset from battle-mode to escape-mode.

However, his hesitation already marked his demise.

The spiked steel knuckles that Kaldor wielded pierced through the regent's helmet, throwing the regent crashing into the ground. Kaldor didn't let up at all, following that attack with a diving heel kick into the regent's neck.

With a crack, the regent's life was claimed while the sorceress was slain by the final barrage of holy swords.

Both Kaldor and Hurmot claimed the rewards of their battle before looking to the other fights taking place around them. Argyle had already slain two syndicate chiefs and was rushing to the next one facing Vixus.

That chain reaction was unstoppable. With the auction house owners joining the cranes and beholders, they steamrolled the remaining forces of the syndicate at the guild's entrance.

But just when they were feeling proud of their accomplishment, a wild flash of purple energy erupted from the east. It wasn't within the city and lasted for only a moment, but the sheer amount of spatial energy would've been enough to nearly cover the Leisure Guild property.

The ground shook, rocking the city gently as the purple energy faded from the eastern sky.

The cranes, beholders, Kaldor, Hurmot, and Vixus were entranced by that phenomenon. They had no way of determining what that was or what sort of threat had created such a thing.

Argyle stood with his eyes fixed on the now clear eastern sky. His mouth was wide open as the tremors ceased. The sight he had just witnessed was eerily familiar to him but wasn't comparable to what he remembered.

Kims's and Thyron's battle had just gotten underway. The swordsman tested his steel against the sorcerer's Lightning Cage, finding it terribly difficult to maneuver inside. He escaped with the bloodline skill, increasing his mobility and adding wind to his already incredible speed.

That's when that earth-shaking flash of purple light filled the entire eastern horizon.

While Kims was too concerned about the battle he had been imagining since he was a child, Thyron's wavering confidence hit an all-time low. The seriousness in his eyes started to leak out desperation after witnessing that purple energy.

"How… How?!"

But before Thyron could scream and complain any more, Kims had thrown a few long-range sword attacks to deter the upset sorcerer.

Thyron didn't care about the battle anymore, nor about the invasion. All he wanted to do was run away. His chances for victory were at a jarring zero percent now that the regents had fallen thanks to the sudden appearance of a Glacier Wyrm.

The Lightning Cage disappeared as Thyron evaded Kims's attacks. The sorcerer now gathered lightning around his entire body, intent on fleeing as quickly as possible.

However, just as Thyron turned to leave, a nimble crane intercepted him.

"Cerdot! He's my opponent alone!" Kims shouted, against any form of assistance.

Cerdot nodded, staying put in front of Thyron. "I understand that, but we're only here to keep him from escaping. We'll only attack should your life be threatened."

"Thank you."

It was during their conversation that Thyron realized what was going on. Three cranes had formed a perimeter around Kims and Thyron. Or in other words, there was no hope of escape…