Reincarnated in the game world ~ A gamer's beginning to [Dungeon job hunting recommendation]

Vol. 11 - Chapter 543 - Collapse of Class-24. The Steep Sacrifice!

December website update

—The main force of Class-15 and Class-58 had been annihilated.

The audience was incredibly fired up, a wave of high praise for Class-1's defense unit dominating the area.

Just as the Class-1 had finished rounding up the intruders, similarly, the battle on the south of the arena reached its conclusion.

"H-how, you're shitting with me?! It can't be happening!! There's no way it can be true! That's a bad joke, bad joke, bad joke, bad jokeeeee!!"

Starkeus, the leader of Class-24, hollered as he edged toward insanity. 

His shriek, however, met with no response and just melted in the air. The earlier poise had vanished from his expression, now replaced by a grieving expression for the current predicament.

Then again, the shock was just that tremendous.

Maybe anyone else would have the same reaction in his shoes. After all, the elite unit of Class-24, comprising their 15 members, selected to crush Class-2 had been nearly wiped out, leaving only their leader Starkeus, and Gou. 

The one who did this was right in front of him—Brave, his comrades and… some mobs accompanying him.

"Fufu, you really are puny beings."

A mob muttered something.

"Tsk, I heard you had fallen from grace, <Best of the Best, the Great Star>, but to expect you're even rotten. And the gall you have to stay in Class-1!"

"Who're you calling rotten, huuh!"

The axe-wielding mob shouted back at Gou's taunting remark.

<Best of the Best, the Great Star>. The guild had recently started to get ahead of themselves after being counted among the three titan guilds of first year. 

But Starkeus always believed they're mere ants he could squash anytime. 

Yet, what a turnaround it was. The same ants had trivialised them like mere toys. 

The memory revolved in front of Starkeus's eyes as he trailed the event that led him to his current state.

?????

It all began with the conceited raid led by Class-2. 

Starkeus believed an impregnable defense was the key to triumph over others. Being touted as the brightest mind in his class, Starkeus entrapped the Class-2 and showed them they were mere nothing against them.

Along with the help of Class-45, they eliminated as many as 14 members of Class-2. 

Facing the result, Starkeus found the conviction that he had been moving into the right direction... but that's where his calculation began to fall out. Class-45 chased after the remnants of Class-2, attempting to take down their base. 

The whooping 300 points would fall into the lap of Class-45 should they succeed in their attempt. 

What the hell are these dimwits trying to pull? The thought crossed in Starkeus's mind. 

The only reason they had managed to rout Class-2 was attributed to his flawless plan. Then why were they trying to snatch the fruit of his labour, when they had merely played a tiny part in his grand scheme?

Only the two classes could move on from the block, and in this case, they were Class-24 and Class-45. 

The thrill to outrun what should have been everyone's favourite and strongest Class-1, and Class-2, would surely be a one-of-a-kind experience once they won. Starkeus believed so, and had already thought—while he didn't word it out—Class-24 should be the first ranker.

The instance  Class-45 raked in that 300 points from the downfall of Class-2, they would acquire the throne of No.1. 

But Starkeus would never allow it. After all, his was relevant for his schemes.

His tactic revolved around chipping the enemy's strength when they came to raid their bases. This was one way to pave a path when they moved to swoop down other classes' bases. At present, the match was still lively with many enemies, so it would be too early to leave their base otherwise. First, he would plan out a flawless defense pattern.

On the other hand, Class-45 were neither his subordinate, nor under his command. They were mere allies with benefit. It would be mere wishful thinking to ask Class-45 to throw the pie that had fallen on their lap. They’d already left for Class-2’s base if anything, turning a deaf ear to his commands.

Starkeus lost his temper at the blatant disobedience.

Gou knew it was akin to stepping on a cat's tail, and shook his head in dismay as he felt an incoming headache and turned to offer some suggestion, trying to pacify him but, to no avail. 

Ultimately, Class-24 also decided to march toward Class-2's base. 

He displayed his ample prowess as future 'adviser,' and succeeded in bringing down Class-2's base before Class-45. Apparently, there was another class in confrontation with Class-2’s members on the northern defense line. It indirectly helped them. 

Anyway, with lack of manpower on the base, they managed to bring down the fan favourite Class-2 at the cost of negligible sacrifice. And as the first class in their block to achieve it, Class-24, and by extension Starkeus, were bound to become stars of everyone's eye. 

Starkeus burst into laughter as his imagination ran wild. 

Gou appeared fed-up seeing as how Starkeus looked like a new version of him, his earlier temper nowhere to be seen, but Starkeus failed in noticing it amidst his bright mood. 

But. as it goes, good time doesn't last long—he faced a rather untimely rain on his parade.

—They suddenly found themselves facing Class-1.

It was one heck of a coincidence, though he had been expecting it to some extent. He was just cautious of them. However, they couldn't have met at any bad timing. 

They encounter Class-1 when they're drunk in their victory over Class-2. The obvious step should have been to fall back promptly, and return to base, then intercept Class-1 with their packed defence. 

In fact, the moment Class-45 saw them, they turned on their heel without a heed for anything and sprinted out of the site. They had stumbled on the way, making a fool of themselves, but to Class-45, it mattered nothing in that moment.

They’d retreated for a simple reason; they're frustrated. Their class had sacrificed so much, but the result was nil. They lost too much, but received not even the leftovers. Believing that it would only be a parade of sacrifice by staying on any longer, they scampered away as swiftly as they could.

Meanwhile, relishing in that air of superiority for pulling a fast over Class-2, Class-24 didn't take evacuation measures. Starkeus pondered if they could bring down Class-1 as well.

Cutting to the point, Class-24 had faltered in their escape. While on the other hand, they also had snatched the reward that belonged to Class-1. 

The aftermath was fatal. 

"How, how dirty of yooouuu! «Thunderbolt»! Pay for your sins! —«Lightning Banisher»!"

"Uh-huh, you have not what you shouldn’t have. «Accel Drive»! «Raging Spear War Dance»!"

"What audacity, thieves. Receive your retribution-desu!! —«Dark Art»!"

"Fu-fufufu. You really shouldn't have incurred our wrath. Now we need to come up with some excuse to give it to Z-Zephyr. ...If only you, if only you dastards hadn't butted in! —«Air Splitting Slash»!"

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! Zephyr wouldn't throw us out of his plan at our mess, right?! At Least take down one of them if you don’t want to stay out of the loop from Zephyr’s plan! Hehe, give me your headddd!! —«Furious Axe»!"

"There's also this Venerable—«Sword Aura»!"

The battle—or, the one-sided massacre happened in the span of a mere moment. 

Leader Starkeus showed considerable skill at the beginning, aptly commanding his members, but rarely such effort pays off against forces of greater nature. Immediately, they lost six of their members by the action of Brave and Knight-ish girl. Some were kicked away, some were sent flying, some were launched into air, while some were swalllowed by lightning. 

It was a downhill situation then. 

Class-1 proved they're strong—incredibly strong than the likes of Class-24.

Brave, especially, swept everywhere like a raging storm, unstoppable. The cheers of excitement rose from the audience seat as Class-24 continued to lose their members one by one. 

But unlike them, Class-24 was overtaken by despair. 

Aside from Brave, that Knight-ish girl, too, was clearly two or three cuts above others. 

Starkeus had never seen or heard about those wheeled equipment. She moved like a lightning with zig-zagged movement in the surrounding, making it impossible to target her with long-range attack. Plus, she was overwhelming in melee confrontation, just a swing of her spear would throw her opponent in the air, or blow them away.  A direct stab was bound to cut them a ticket out of the game.

The realisation finally illuminated on Starkeus, that they should evacuate immediately, but his eyes open a bit too late. Dreading Brave's fury afterward, the three of <Best of the Best, the Great Star> showed an exception performance this time, eventually deporting seven of opponent members by chaining their attack in parallel with Brave.

The difference and momentum of Class-1 was just too strong. 

—And that's how, situation returned to the beginning. 

Gou spent much effort in protecting Starkeus up to this point, but now that everyone aside from themselves had been wiped out, even he gave up on it. He understands both of them wouldn't be able to escape together.

"Starkeus, I will hold the line somehow. So, just make a run to the base, no turning back and do it with your full strength!"

"Damn it, Daaaamn iiiiiiit!!"

"Base needs you more than me! Now go! —Haaaaaaa «Ballistic Fist«!!"

"Gouuu! —I will remembeeeeeeeer iiiiiit!!"

Among the last two remaining survivors of Class-24, one turned to challenge Brave, while another turned his back and broke into a frantic rush for the base.

—One minute later. 

Only the members of the Class-1, led by Brave, could be seen in the surroundings.

T/N - Gotta say, in contrast to earlier matches, these are more interesting. Status of Ongoing Challenge (Rating on Novelupdate)Current Rating - 176Milestone - 200ETA - 30TH DEC.Also, here's the poll link for side stories selection.