“Champion!”


    Thalia’s worry-filled voice called out for me as I put an arrow through the Elder Lizard, acquiring Crest of Embers buff for the next 5 minutes.


    “I have seen it, Thalia.”


    I answered with a calm voice despite it being the worst possible scenario. The fact that notification said “stolen” and not slain implied that our team did most of the work which meant that both Artemeni and Blanche were probably drained fighting against the Gopchump Mother and now had the face of whoever stole the kill.


    “Thalia, use buffs that would increase our movement speed. G?kb?rü, rush to their side. We have to be as quick as possible.”


    Considering we were at the bottom side of the map while they were on the top, we had to run a long distance to reach them. Fuck. I underestimated the intelligence of the enemy champions. I should have…


    I shook my head. It was useless to think that now.


    Thalia, her face pale but determined, drew on her mana. A soft, radiant glow enveloped the two of us, and the air around them seemed to ripple with the effects of her spell.


    “Steps of Rabbit!” she chanted, her voice steady despite the urgency. A surge of mana surrounded our bodies, instantly lightening our steps and amplifying their movement speed. G?kb?rü shot ahead like a streak of white lightning, his snow-colored fur shimmering under the mana-infused light. His natural agility and enhanced movement speed made him a blur in the dense jungle.


    “They are still fine. We would have gotten a notification otherwise.”


    I said out loud though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince Thalia or myself. The terrain passed in a blur—dense jungle, rocky paths, and glowing mana pools that shimmered with faint bioluminescence. The sound of battle grew faintly louder with each step. Thalia’s breathing grew labored, but she pushed through, her legs keeping pace with his unrelenting strides. We were close to the mid-lane.


    “Champion?”


    Aurora came to our side as soon as she saw us.


    “G?kb?rü just passed through here. I have seen the notifications. What is happening?”


    G?kb?rü''s presence ahead reassured me, but every second counted.


    “G?kb?rü is on his way to Artemeni and Blanche. Someone stole the Gopchump Mother kill,” I said, my tone clipped and direct. “We’re likely dealing with enemies waiting to ambush them while they’re drained.”


    Aurora’s expression shifted, her brown eyes narrowing with determination.


    “Shit. The enemy mage is missing too. I think she will be trying to cut them off!”


    Without hesitation, she joined our pace, her elegant strides carrying her with uncanny grace.


    “Let’s see how they like being 5 manned. We are moving. Thalia’s buffs were holding strong, the Steps of Rabbit still enhancing our movement, but I could feel the clock ticking against us. The jungle seemed endless, the terrain more like a gauntlet than a path. Every obstacle—twisting roots, uneven ground, shimmering mana pools—felt like a challenge mocking our urgency. I cursed under my breath.


    “Champion, be carefu-“


    Before Aurora’s sentence could finish erupted under my feet.


    (Your Support’s shield absorbs some damage.)


    The explosion caught me mid-stride, flinging dirt and shards of stone into the air as the jungle floor erupted beneath me. The concussive force sent me stumbling, but a shimmering barrier of golden light wrapped around me just in time—Thalia''s shield.


    “Magic landmines.”


    Aurora’s hand lit up with a blue light. As she waved her hand in the air, several spots on the ground started to light up as well. I took a deep breath, calming myself. Shit. I should have felt them with my Enhanced Perception but since I was in such a hurry I couldn’t.


    Damn it. That could have turned really bad.


    “Enemy mage must have left them to slow us down.”


    Aurora’s glowing hand traced the outlines of the lit-up traps before us, marking them for safer passage.


    “We can’t afford to slow down too much,” Aurora said, her voice steady but edged with frustration. “Artemeni and Blanche don’t have the resources left to hold out for long.”


    G?kb?rü’s distant howl broke through the jungle cacophony, sharp and urgent. He’d reached the fight. My stomach tightened as I fought the instinct to push recklessly forward. No. We had to be smart. If the enemy mage had laid traps, others could be nearby, waiting to spring an ambush.


    “Thalia, save what mana you can. Just keep your shield ready,” I commanded. “Aurora, take point. I’ll cover the rear.”


    Aurora’s lips curled into a determined smirk, and with a flick of her wrist, her mana surged outward in a pulse of blue light. The traps ahead erupted in bursts of mana, setting off a chain reaction that lit up the jungle like a series of fireworks. The explosions reverberated through the trees, shaking the ground beneath us.


    From the chaos, a silhouette emerged—a figure cloaked in crimson robes, their staff glowing with sinister energy. The enemy mage. Its face was obscured by a giant hat. I wondered if the faces of all enemy champions being obscured meant anything.


    It saw three of us and started to run.


    “Hell no. You are not getting away.”


    I drew my bowstring back, manifesting an arrow, mid-drew. I released the arrow, mana surging through my fingers and into the projectile. The arrow shimmered with stellar energy, its trail streaking through the dense jungle like a comet aimed straight at the fleeing mage. The mage turned, their staff swirling with dark energy, and manifested three scarlet crystals. One blocked my arrow before breaking while the other two orbited the mage.


    “Aurora, restrain!”


    I barked as I took a deep breath and melted into shadows. My mana and skill levels were enough to close the gap between us with Shadow Walk.


    Aurora didn''t hesitate. Her hand shot forward, a swirl of blue mana coalescing into chains that glowed like forged steel. With a flick of her wrist, the ethereal chains surged toward the mage, seeking to bind them in place. The mage responded with a deft motion of their staff, the two remaining crimson crystals orbiting their form like ravenous predators. One crystal shattered on impact with the chains, releasing a burst of energy that severed the bindings before they could fully form.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.The enemy mage spun on their heel, their dark energy swirling into a dense, ominous barrier. Their intention was clear—they were stalling, buying time for reinforcements or escape. But I wasn''t going to let that happen. Not now.


    The world around me faded into darkness as I melded with the shadows. My form became intangible, my steps silent as I surged forward, closing the distance between us in seconds. The enemy mage didn’t notice my approach until it was too late. Emerging from the shadows, I swung my bow in a wide arc, reinforced with mana to land a concussive strike. The impact shattered the barrier in a brilliant cascade of energy.


    The mage stumbled, and their staff raised defensively. I manifested another arrow, its stellar energy thrumming with lethal intent.


    “Perish.”


    (You defeated Level 2 Mage. Level 3 Mage will spawn in 1 minute and 15 seconds.)


    I sighed, the amount of mana I used for the stunt was significant.


    “Let’s go. We are close to the top lane.”


    Aurora and Thalia quickly caught up, their expressions a mix of relief and determination. Thalia''s glow began to dim, her Steps of Rabbit spell nearing its expiration. Aurora glanced at me, noting the tension in my frame as I tried to recover from the mana expenditure.


    “You overexerted,” Aurora remarked with a serious expression. “We still haven’t gained all of our stats back.”


    I didn’t answer her, instead turning my gaze toward the treeline ahead. G?kb?rü’s earlier howl still echoed in my ears—a reminder that the real fight was just ahead. The three of us broke through the last of the jungle, the path opening into the chaotic expanse of the top lane. The sight was worse than I had imagined. Artemeni was on her knees, her massive shield knocked to the side and her spear was nowhere to be seen. Blood poured from her body but it was hard to see her wounds due to mud covering her. Blanche, her form lit by flickering flames, was visibly drained and wore the same expression she had after she used her lightning mode.


    Before them stood two enemy champions—a heavily armored knight wielding a wickedly spiked mace and a lithe spear-wielding guy. I guessed they were the enemy Tank and Ganker respectively.


    “We’re here now!” I bellowed, not bothering to hide the fury in my voice. G?kb?rü was already there, weaving between the enemies with his natural agility, snapping at their legs and keeping them from fully overwhelming Artemeni and Blanche. His icy breath had slowed the knight’s movements, but it was clear he couldn’t hold them off alone for much longer.


    The Tank and Ganker turned their attention to us at my shout, their postures shifting as they calculated their next moves. The knight raised his spiked mace, its head gleaming ominously, while the Ganker crouched low, his spear spinning in a deceptively lazy manner that belied his intent.


    “Poyraz!” Blanche’s voice was strained but filled with relief.


    Artemeni’s head lifted slightly, her bloodied face set in a grimace. Even on the verge of collapse, her defiance was palpable. "I am sorry, Champion.”


    “Hold on. We’ll handle this,” I said, my voice steady despite the bad match-up. A mage and a ranger against a tank and a ganker were something I would like to avoid. Everyone with a shred of game knowledge knew that.


    But we were not in a game.


    “Thalia, heal them. Aurora hold the tank with G?kb?rü. I take the ganker.”


    Thalia nodded, her hands already glowing with a soothing golden light as she rushed to Artemeni and Blanche. I turned my attention to ganker. His movements were quick and precise, the kind that made you think twice about rushing in recklessly. But hesitation wasn’t an option. The Ganker’s eyes gleamed with predatory intent as he lunged toward me, his spear blurring in a deadly arc. I sidestepped, manifesting a stellar arrow mid-draw and firing it point-blank. The projectile streaked toward him, but the Ganker twisted his spear, deflecting it with a flick of his wrist. The force of the deflection sent a ripple of energy crackling through the air.


    “Fast.”


    I growled. His spear darted like a viper, each thrust aimed to exploit any opening. I focused on reading his movements to dodge and get some distance between us but he was too pushy to let me breathe. I activated the Ferocity of the Wolf King to keep up. Seeing me move faster, his spear erupted in flames.


    “What a pain in the ass.”


    If it wasn’t for class restrictions, I could have killed him in a blink. And with flames on his spear, I couldn’t use Shadow Melt to dodge. Sigh. If only I could get one hit of the Crest of Embers buff I had would slow him down while burning him.


    I sighed once again, channeling my mana using Mana Erupt. You keep dodging my arrows? Fine. Let’s see if you can slap away an artillery strike, dumbass.


    I manifested two daggers in the air, using my knee to launch them while blocking his spear. The ganker pivoted to the left to dodge them but they were simply distractions. I released my arrow which was reinforced by massive amounts of mana, blowing a hole through his torso.


    (You defeated Level 2 Ganker. Level 3 Ganker will spawn in 1 minute and 15 seconds.)


    I exhaled heavily, turning to assess the battlefield. Aurora and G?kb?rü were holding their ground against the knight, but it was clear that his endurance wasn’t easily overcome. The massive spiked mace swung in deliberate arcs, each strike powerful enough to shatter the earth beneath their feet. He kept charging through Aurora’s spells.


    “Aurora, switch to support. G?kb?rü and I will handle him.”


    Aurora nodded, stepping back to focus on weakening the knight. Her hands glowed with blue energy, and spectral chains coiled around the knight’s legs, slowing his movements further. I pulled my bowstring back and shot, aiming for the weakest parts of his armor. His armor absorbed the first few shots, but the sheer heat left scorch marks, and his movements grew more sluggish with each strike. Good. Getting Crest of Embers was worth it. G?kb?rü leaped onto the knight’s back, his fangs sinking into the gaps in the armor. The knight roared, shaking violently to dislodge the wolf, but G?kb?rü held firm, his icy breath frosting over the joints of the knight’s armor.


    “Now!” I called out, nocking another arrow infused with the last of my mana reserves. The arrow shimmered with a combination of stellar energy and the burning remnants of the Crest of Embers.


    The knight raised his mace, preparing for a desperate counterattack. But before he could bring it down, my arrow found its mark, piercing the chink in his armor at the neck. The blast of energy that followed engulfed him, sending shards of molten metal scattering across the battlefield.


    (You defeated Level 2 Tank. Level 3 Tank will spawn in 1 minute and 15 seconds.)


    But we couldn’t even celebrate our win as more notifications appeared on our vision.


    (The first top tower is destroyed. Your minions strengtens.)


    (First middle tower is destroyed. Your minions strengtens.)