At the same time that Zhong Yan began exploring the Outer Ring—
On the other side, at the Gobi Desert.
The five members of the Sons of Calydon were speeding across the plains on their motorcycles.
Only this time, they had become the ones being hunted.
Those criminals from New Eridu, backed by the Exaltists, had set their sights on them.
"Lucy, how much longer do we have to keep running? These guys stick to us like glue, we can't shake them off!" Caesar, at the rear of the team, complained while glancing at the thick smoke rolling in from behind, clearly frustrated.
The Sons of Calydon had ambitions of becoming the overlords of the Outer Ring, yet here they were, being chased by a bunch of small-time thugs—it was nothing short of humiliating.
But there was no helping it. These newcomers didn't play by the rules and didn't take them seriously at all. With the big boss backing them, their actions were utterly reckless, showing no regard for consequences.
"Running is our only option! There are too many of them, and their weapons are weird as hell. Have you ever seen humans using Ether Crystals as weapons?!" Lucy, riding at the front, shouted back loudly when she heard Caesar's voice from behind.
Their situation was dire. Somehow, those criminals had gotten their hands on weapons capable of utilizing both Ether Crystals and the Ether contained within them.
Normally, without special protective measures, Ether Crystals couldn't even be taken out of the Hollows. How those people managed to get their hands on such weapons was a mystery.
All in all, they had no chance of winning right now. The only thing they could do was run farther away.
These rule-breaking newcomers would inevitably clash with the established Outer Ring powers, especially the current overlords, [Vanquishers]. There was no way the Vanquishers would allow these strangers to run wild on their turf.
However, until then, as the primary targets of these newcomers, the Sons of Calydon had no ability to fight back. Escape was their only choice for now.
"Dammit, dammit! These outsiders are seriously out of line. And what about the New Eridu officials—can't they come and do something about this?" Lucy cursed as she maneuvered her speeding bike.
At that moment, on a nearby hill, Zhong Yan, who had been exploring the area, happened to witness the scene.
"That's... the Sons of Calydon?" Recognizing the group being pursued, Zhong Yan quickly identified Lucy and her companions.
As a faction that had once received a dedicated PV during the game's launch, he had some impression of the Sons of Calydon—though only enough to recognize their existence, since there wasn't much known information to dig deeper.
But one thing was certain: they weren't bad people. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been highlighted during the game's promotion.
"Those guys... they're kind of strange."
After observing the Sons of Calydon, Zhong Yan shifted his gaze toward the biker gang chasing after them.
Those criminals wore crazed expressions, as if they were under some kind of influence.
More importantly, they wielded weapons crafted from Ether Crystals—something highly unusual.
The first thing Zhong Yan thought of was the Exaltists. Only they possessed the ability to manufacture Ether Crystals outside the Hollows, and these weapons were very likely supplied by them.
"Talk about stumbling into a goldmine..." Zhong Yan muttered to himself. His growing suspicion toward the Exaltists gave him the perfect reason to step in and save the Sons of Calydon.
It was also a rare chance to see how these characters, who never met him in-game, would behave in real life.
...
"You little chicks from the Sons of Calydon! Give up already! The big boss wants you alive, so stop this useless resistance!"
One of the bikers chasing them shouted arrogantly.
His voice reached Lucy and the others up ahead. Hearing this, Lighter couldn't help but retort, "Hey! What little chick? I'm a guy, you idiots. Maybe figure out who you're attacking before you run your mouths!"
Lighter's snark left the bikers momentarily stunned, but then loud, raucous laughter erupted: "Then we'll just kill you first! Once you're dead, only the chicks will be left! Boys, you know the drill—kill the guys, capture the girls!"
At his command, the bikers became visibly excited, emitting shrill cries and whoops.
The disgusting noise made Lucy's mood plummet. As a young lady from a prestigious family, she had never suffered such humiliation.
However, before she could explode, Caesar, bringing up the rear, lost her patience first: "Lucy, stop running! Let's fight them to the death! We, the Sons of Calydon, are no cowards!"
Caesar's furious tone finally pushed Lucy to her breaking point. The five of them, without needing to say a word, slammed on their brakes in perfect unison. Lucy even took a few steps forward, baseball bat in hand, declaring, "These damn bastards—we're settling this today!"
Following her lead, Caesar and the others immediately grabbed their weapons and readied for battle.
Yet they all knew deep down—just the five of them alone stood no real chance against the swarm of bikers.
"Looks like today's the final chapter for me..." Lighter adjusted his sunglasses. Despite his grim words, he remained as nonchalant as ever.
Had their enemies been unarmed, there would have been no contest; the Sons of Calydon would have wiped the floor with them. But now... they could only face their fate head-on.
Meanwhile, seeing the group finally halt, the bikers also slowed their motorcycles and began to circle around them like wolves closing in on prey.
"Didn't expect you to actually stop running. Makes our job easier... Looks like after today, the name 'Sons of Calydon' will be wiped from the Outer Ring."
The leader's voice oozed arrogance, completely dismissing the Sons of Calydon as a threat.
"Cut the crap. If you're gonna fight, come at us already! We're not afraid!"
Caesar, holding a short sword and shield, stood firm. As the powerhouse of the Sons of Calydon, she normally provided immense reassurance to the group.
Only... in this situation, that reassurance seemed utterly useless.