Almost every monster Rue faced has a reason behind their movement. The first time a monster bizarrely did a stupid move was Joya, who was confidently trying to find an audience in front of so many. Even the Doctor fought carefully until strong opponents surrounded him. Now, for the second time, he watched an irregularity.

  Instead of backing into the long hallway behind him, Bondred charged. He tried to finish Rafael, who was down, and focused all his attention on healing. Rafael’s earlier attempt has cost him dearly, with blood splatter on the floor. And now it's clear, by the man's frustrated expression, that he cannot afford to switch to attack.

  “Go!” Romero screamed. He and three warriors charged down. He had switched his sword-shield into the saber mode.

  One warrior reached Bondred first before the monster was able to reach Rafael. He slammed his circular shield on the Head Chef. In turn, Bondred jumped up, flicking his leg against the top of the shield.

  “Watch out!” Rafael grunted. But too late. The knife flashed, and a gaping hole was punched through the warrior's neck.

  Bondred pushed off the shield, straight to another warrior. He slid down, and again his knife went straight for the throat at incredible speed and position. Arrow and spell whistle through, trying to catch the monster. But Bondred's attack reached his mark first, even decapitating the warrior somehow. He retreated, dodging a couple of arrows and fireballs. Then subtly and carefully, he edged his back to the wall.

  Rue fired his fireball, only to be easily dodged. Bondred sliced through an earth chunk—causing dust to kick up in the hallway. With extra cover, the monster bounded ahead, whipping his leg against a warrior and stabbing down into the man's neck in a reverse grip, killing him instantly.

  Romero unleashed that red wave of energy of his with a howl. And Bondred jumped back, skidding over the floor. Five knives flew straight at the head Chef. With blinding speed, he parried all five. After five clicks of steel, all knives fell.

  “This is ridiculous, you’re very lucky earlier Plague Mask,” Seila commented beside him.

  With the huge block of ice on his shoulder, Rue had hoped the warrior would be able to pin Bondred down. That is why he hangs back, trying to cast Fireball and Frost Shrapnel. But, it's wishful thinking.

  “Go to the backline, Seila. We will need your knives.” Rue descended the stairs with Akansa’s Sword in both hands.

  “Hmm, I think he will only come after us if you die first.” Seila put his finger on her chin, then she licked it, and Rue noticed her tongue was similar to a snake's. Thin and small. His body was chilled, so her appearance did change because of her classes.

  “Well, I’m counting on you.” He stepped down from the last stair, into the hallway, and stood beside Romero and the last warrior. The old one that was with Romero earlier. The young man's head is separated, still rolling on the red carpet.

  “Sir, your name?” Romero asked. “I prefer if we knew each other's names.” The knight beside him huffed, his voice muffled through his head armor, yet Rue could sense his intense focus and anger. Romero had been fighting with the warrior, and now they had been killed so easily.

  “Ukai,” The old man gritted. He clenched hard on his axe and his shield. Eyes still zeroed in on the head of the young man. “And his is Alexander”

  “For Alexander, then,” Romero said.

  Bondred stood still, his executive chef attire splattered with red.

  “What is he waiting for?” Romero asked slowly.

  Rue clicked his tongue. From here, the mages and archers on the stairs do not have sight of Bondred. Should they push up and get them behind? That's probably wise, even if they have to sacrifice the stair advantage.

  “I will command the mages and archers,” Rafael said behind them. The man was drawing a red vial. “Buy me time, and I will join you soon. G—Wait!” He commanded suddenly.

  Rue and the warrior, along with Romero, stop their step. His eyes focused, behind Bondred was a group of chefs and servers wearing those ridiculous hats. He had been waiting for his army…

  Bondred picked a knife from the chef, and his eye zoomed in on Rue.

  “To the stairs! We hold the stair!” Rafael screamed.

  In a snap of an invisible string. All four of them moved. Rafael climbed the stairs and shouted commands to the archer and mages, rearranging their line.

  Bondred surged in, Rue and Romero already in position by the stair base. But Ukai was slow.

  Rue reached out, trying to pull the old man. But Bondred was there first. Two knives move in tandem—two quick stabs plunged into the old man's neck. Then the Head chef grinned at Rue, hunger behind those eyes. One of Rue’s hands was on Ukai’s hand, which means he cannot wield his Golden Longbone well. And that throat hunting knife… That is probably a skill.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The knives left Ukai’s throat and jabbed across at Rue. His hand clenched with a heavy surge of power. He hefted his sword up, blocking one knife, but nothing much he can do for the other—except he knew that Bondred would go for this thorath. So he ducked, and the monster knife collided against his Plague Mask. It resounded off in mettalic groan, the knife he had use is a normal one he had gotten from the chef.

  “Using my brother's mask like that! You—”

  Ukai tackled Bondred down, and the old man howled. He lifted his sword with both hands, and jabbed it down—but Bondred struck the old man on the head with his left hook—blowing Ukai's head back, and his head snapped, killing him instantly.

  Romero was there, breaking his formation and following through Ukai's attempt. Red death energy gathered in his saber. And he rendered down his sword. Bondred was able to lurch, rolling sideways. But the moment the head chef stood. His left arm fell. And blood burst apart.

  “Glutton…” Bondred heaved, his eyes widening in horror at his separated arm. “You want to take my arm?! What a Glutton!” He screamed.

  Romero roared in response. Anger drove the knight. He was about to charge, but Rue stopped him. Pulling him back and almost falling in doing so.

  “What!” He hissed.

  A second pass, and a dozen chefs and servants spring across the gap that separates them from Bondred.

  “Back!” Rue screamed.

  A myriad of spells launched at Rafael's command. They crashed in an eruption of magic at the chef and server. Rue and Romero manage to back away, gaining their position. He was not sure if he could hold back this many by himself…

  Dust kicked up, and a sea of bodies lay beyond them.

  “Not over yet!” Rafael screamed.

  Five Chef burst through. Rue parried three knives, and Romero took the attack full on, swiping his saber, killing two at once. The arrow landed on a chef above him. And a thunderbolt zapped one chef to death.

  As the dust settled, more chefs and servers charged. Rue and Romero step back up—letting high ground advantage do its job. Rue cleaved through a chef and pommel strike a server down. The mages and archers did their job. Especially Seila and her knives. At most, only five of them passed, and Rue and Romero quickly worked on them. The question is, where is Bondred?

  His question was answered. Bondered burst through the railing, running up. He was about to pass Rue.

  And terror gripped Rue’s body, if he decided to pass by him and went for the backline…

  “I killed your brother!” Rue screamed. But Bondred ignored him; he ran up.

  Rue broke his position in haste; his body moved in desperation. He swung his sword sideways, but the creature merely jumped over. And rushed up.

  When he was about to give chase to Bondred. A voice stopped him.

  “Don’t break formation! You with the mask!” Rafael ordered. He was about to protest, and Bondred was about to jab down on Seila of all people. But, then, a double-edged glaive with electricity scythe through the air, forcing Bondred to parry the heavy strike. Lighting coarsened and scored a deep gash across the monster's stomach.

  Rafael whirled around, with a lightning-enhanced body, and he slammed his feet into the monster. Sending Bondred flying through, crashing against the stone wall below.

  “Archer! Focus fire on him!” Rafael shouted.

  An arrow flew. Bondred ducked, and he parried another arrow. Treating it like a mere pebble.

  Five knives zip straight at the creature, ignoring the chef and server, who are currently being massacred by a myriad of spells. Rue had to shield himself with his sword to avoid the leftover attack that would bounce off him. He still had to take care of two chefs who managed to break through. He side-stepped and swung his sword into a chef's neck, killing him, and then pivoted to stab through a server's throat. Kill notification and level up appeared, but Rue brushed them off. And prepared for another three charging at him and Romero.

  More and more chefs and servers charge, and they keep appearing. Rue bought Mana Potions. Five of them. He handed the vial to Jessica, who was running around handing them over to any mages that requested them. Rafael is someone who clearly has many points too. The man kept buying more and more vials.

  Right now, their biggest worry is Bondred, if they do not push, then surely the creature will heal in some way. Especially when he has such an army.

  Rafael seemed to think along the lines. “We pushed!” The man descended, standing beside Romero, who was positioned at the center between Rafael and Rue. “We charge in and kill the chef! Don’t let him heal,” He spoke the last part softly.

  “I might have a plan for these minions. I think… I can get rid of them in one go. For a while at least,” Rue said to Rafael.

  “Oh? Explain” He ordered. And Rue did. He reminded him of what happened in the fighting arena, how briefly anyone encapsulated with his sword. And the toll it took him. “I was too far to see how it exactly works… I see, so that's what happened. Good, let's do it.”

  “I will narrowly avoid Mind Down, so please make it count.”

  Rafael turned and addressed the mages and archers. “We will stop all the Chef and Server movement, don’t ask how for now! The moment they did, kill them! So drink the potion to the fullest. Move Jessica! Give everyone at least one!”

  Jessica struggled to reply, but Rue briefly heard a ‘roger’. Rafael continues to buy Mana Potion, handing them to the nearest mages. Romero and Rue kept warding off the Chef and Servers. This takes a bit too long for his taste. They cannot even spot Bondred.

  “We’re ready. Now, hold your spell! And shield your eyes!” Rafael commanded.

  And at once. The dance of magic stopped. For once, the surrounding air is not filled with random, but with air that anticipates what will come.

  Chef and Server charge at Rue. A mere doll designed to look like a human.

  He raised his Golden Sword high up. The sword that once belonged to the greedy Kobold, a creature that tried to become something it could never hope for.

  It's no guarantee this will work on the Chef and Servers. But one of the servers was able to converse with Junior earlier. And he had genuine pride in the food it served, most of all… It was intelligent enough to try to run once it served. So they have a mind.

  Pulse of emotion bubbling inside of Rue, one he touched.

  Greed.

  It flowed into a shimmer of Mana that boils inside his cold body. Rue breathed out cold vapor, and he pushed his mana to Akansa’s Sword. Gold glimmered bright, and metal thudded against the carpet. Server and Chef looked up with gaping mouths. They each slowly step toward the sword.

  “Now!’ Rue screamed. And a cacophony of massacre began.