CHAPTER 27: ANTICIPATION AND PLANS

[Day 23 hours 59 mins to event.]

[World announcement]

[The format of guild events has been determined. There will be two forms of competition. For the first part, guild masters will pick four more members from their guild to form a team. The teams will be transported to a location. Half of the guild and the guild master must survive the brutal assaults of the spawned monsters, which will increase in difficulty as time goes on. Attacks between guilds are not prohibited. Only the last 16 guilds will compete in a duel to determine the strongest guild.]

[The second tournament of the event will be a 1v1 fight among guild masters, with the winners advancing to the next stage of the tournament. The average positions of the guilds in the two tournaments will determine the final guild standings. Guild masters, prepare before the game begins.]

All guild masters were shocked after hearing the event format—except for Nemesis, who already believed he had won. It wasn't arrogance but confidence in his own skills.

Cain, leading his undead monsters and players to grind and add more creatures to his ranks, paused after hearing the announcement. "Oh, this will be interesting. I guess I'll be having fun. Hopefully, I'll be allowed to add the players I kill into my undead legion. Who knows, Nemesis might just become mine through this guild event," Cain said to a captured player.

"Please, I beg you! Don't turn me into one of those monsters like you did to my friends! I'll do anything—anything! Please, I don't want to quit this game!" the player pleaded, terrified beyond measure. He had watched his friends and teammates get killed by this sadistic-looking psychopath. Worse, they had risen immediately as undead, doing the bidding of their killer.

He had heard about the number one player to never cross paths with—Abyss. All those slain by him were resurrected as undead. The worst part? You lose all control of your character and can only watch as your body moves according to his will. Either you continue logging in, forever trapped as an undead under Abyss's command, or you quit the game permanently.

"Alright, you've lived long enough. End him," Cain commanded. An undead swiftly carried out the order.

"Wake up from your slumber," Cain muttered. The player resurrected immediately, though the person behind the character had already logged out, deciding never to play the game again.

"Hmm, four players... I guess I'll choose four undead players I registered in my guild. Tsk, lame system. I can't utilize undead players as undead in events because of the method I used to create my guild? How annoying. But it doesn't matter—I'll still be number one," Cain muttered to himself.

"Don't worry, Maria. If what Nemesis said is true, then there must be a way to bring you back. I don't mind 'educating' that Nemesis until he spills the answer," Cain whispered, his face now clouded with pain and heartache.

"So? How's the preparation for the event going? We can't afford to lose and let first place slip from my hands, risking my father's wrath," Kyle said, his face darkening with resolve.

"My lord, our four best members will join you in the competition. They all have B-rank talents. It seems we can't add any more members to the guild until the event ends, preventing the use of mercenaries," Joe, Kyle's right-hand man, reported. He possessed the B-rank talent Barbarian, which boosted his abilities significantly for a limited time before putting him in a weakened state. It was a talent Joe had polished to perfection—something expected of one of Kyle's men.

"Hmm, very good. Ensure there are no mishaps, and make sure the players level up as much as possible before the event begins," Kyle commanded.

"Yes, sir. I'll see to it," Joe replied before walking away to carry out the order.

"Nemesis... it's time to see what you're made of. After all, you've been hiding like a rat all this time," Kyle muttered, a sinister look in his eyes.

---

"Achoo! Some weirdos might be calling my name, thinking they have a chance against me, I believe," Nemesis said, his eyes showing a lack of interest. "Little matter. I will crush them all and put them in their place," he added, his confidence as high as ever.

Red Witch—Jessica—listened to Nemesis' words and couldn't help but feel discomfort. 'He sure brags a lot. I hope he amounts to much because most people who brag end up being weaklings,' she thought to herself. 'Besides, I've never seen him grind or try to increase his level, and he barely logs into the game. I really hope I wasn't foolish in choosing the wrong partner to destroy Kyle,' she thought once more.

Nemesis noticed her demeanor, easily guessing what she was thinking, but he didn't bother to clarify. He owed her no explanation. Besides, he preferred actions over words. He'd done the same with the other guild masters of the Big Six, and it had worked like a charm. The event was nothing more than a stage for him to showcase his might. Nemesis firmly believed—nay, he didn't believe; he knew.

As for leveling up? Well, unless you had forgotten, he no longer needed to. All he had to do was acquire treasures, which he received regularly from those lovely Primordial Dragons—scratch that—those dangerous Primordial Dragons. They were enough to increase his level significantly, though he deliberately toned it down to avoid leveling up too quickly, forcing the system to increase the game's difficulty. Of course, this had no effect on him, but it certainly impacted the common folk. Not that he cared. It was just his cold, calculated thinking—he didn't want to be the only one strong while surrounded by weak players, which would ultimately force him to take full responsibility for defending against the demons in the future. That was too much work—work he had no interest in, especially after being a workhorse in his previous life.

"Well? Who are the four guild members I should pick?" he asked his ever-capable vice, who had been running the guild smoothly for him. If the task were left solely to him, the guild would likely crash from mismanagement.

"Ugh, I feel like I'm working too much lately," Jessica thought, rolling her eyes. "The most suitable members are you, me, Healer—his leveling speed over the past two months has been exceptional, and his S-rank healing skills will be invaluable in the competition—Artemis, the A-rank archer, and Brawn, the B-rank tank," Jessica reported professionally.

"Hmm, that's alright. Ensure they're prepared, then," Nemesis requested.

"Ugh, more work delegation. I feel like I'm going to die from overexertion dealing with this man. But strangely, I don't feel annoyed about it. I wonder why," she thought while walking out of the guild master's office, a long to-do list already forming in her mind.

"Oh, and Red Witch, I haven't said it before, but thank you for your hard work."

Nemesis' voice was softer than usual.

"There's no need for that, Guild Master," she replied as she walked away.

Of course, she couldn't see his softened expression—his mask made sure of that. But as she locked the door behind her, she felt her heart pounding furiously.

"What's this? My heart is pounding from just a simple appreciation? How low have I fallen?" she thought, utterly disappointed in herself. "Well, it seems I was never deserving of you, Greg," she muttered before walking away to complete her tasks.

---

Elsewhere, the Big Six guild masters—except Scarlett and Nemesis—had gathered, engaging in casual conversation, their bonds deepening with time.

"Well, I guess we all have to fight for third place, then. Assuming—well, not assuming—knowing that the sibling duo will likely take first and second place. Unless, of course, they face off early... Now that's a match I'd pay anything to watch," Odin muttered.

"Hmph," Dual Blade scoffed, unable to hide his irritation at not being considered a contender for the top spot. The thought infuriated him greatly.

"Pipe down, Dual Blade. You know that won't change anything. When dealing with monsters, you have to be honest with yourself," Gold Goblin said lazily.

"Alright, then. We still try our best if we encounter them. Don't give Nemesis a reason to believe we aren't good enough. We all know we've become dependent on him one way or another, and if we're being honest with ourselves... that's not such a bad feeling," Shadow said, idly twirling a dagger between his fingers.

Silence followed. Even the ever-stoic Dual Blade didn't object.

"Well then, it's time to prepare for the great showdown. Honestly, I've never been this excited about an event before," Odin said, rising to his feet. The rest soon followed.

Preparation was essential—not everyone had a dutiful vice guild master who allowed them to be a hands-off leader like some annoying man.

---

[Countdown to Event: 0 Days, 0 Hours, 1 Minute]

[World Announcement]

The event is about to begin. Guild members and guild masters, prepare for a fight for fame and glory in...

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The guild masters and their members stood ready, fully geared up, anticipation thrumming in the air.

As soon as the countdown hit zero, all competing guilds were instantly teleported to the event location—The Whispering Forest of Doom.

For the first time in Apocalypse, an event was being broadcasted live across all media houses—not just by players.

The anticipation had reached its peak.