"Do you want to follow my strategy now, Princess?"

Erica's eyes flung wide open, and she didn't have to strain her pupils to look at her left. Through her peripheral vision, she could see Ren, whose focus never left the Thunder King.

Seeing him unaffected by the Thunder King's Stun, Erica wanted to ask how he was able to do that, but her thoughts were interrupted when another bolt from above came crashing down at their location, decreasing her HP even further. Another [Stun] notification flashed on her screen.

If this kept up, there would be no end to this Stun. Not even the one-minute duration of the status effect was over, another thunder would hit them before they could even move.

This was why she found it peculiar that Ren, who didn't even bother evading, wasn't paralyzed. At times, his HP would have a dent, but after she blinked, it would be back to full.

It was like it recovered on its own without him taking a potion or casting heal upon himself. He even had the arrogance to return her gaze, cocking his head to the side as if the severity of the situation didn't affect him.

"You better decide now, or you'll get wiped out," he said, and then he huffed a laugh. "Oh. Right. You can't move nor speak under the Thunder King's Stun. Let me help you with that."

A soft light enveloped Erica, and she could feel her limbs moving again. But before she could open her mouth, another bolt of lightning was headed their way.

Ren was quick enough to carry Erica in his arms, princess style, and evaded the incoming bolts of electricity. As for the Princess, she was shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Normally, she would've been flustered from being carried like this since not even her twin had done it to her before, but with their current situation, she didn't have the luxury of time to even care about it.

"Quick! Help me heal the others!" Erica said to Ren.

"Not a good idea, Princess. The thunder wouldn't cease from above as long as the Thunder King is alive. They'll just be stunned again. We can't heal them continuously. I wager that you will be stunned again the moment I let you go."

Erica wanted to correct Ren about calling her a princess. She was no longer a royal since they had already abolished that kind of system long ago. However, what came out of her mouth was an entirely different thing.

"How come you're immune?" Erica had the right priorities.

Ren didn't even spare her a glance. His focus was on the field and the incoming bolts that rained from above.

"Let's just say . . . I have a special item with me . . . ," replied Ren. He couldn't say that it was the [Monarch Sovereignty] that was keeping him immune. After all, he stole it from them.

"Anyway, I didn't cure you because I wanted to chat with you. I healed you because I need your answer."

At the angle she was in, Erica could clearly see the sharp line of Ren's jaw, the height of his nose, as well as the thickness of his lashes. He looked so serious and incredibly . . . alluring right now, especially the sexy contour of his thin downcast lips.

And there was something about his cold and indifferent attitude that attracted her.

Erica shook her head and asked, "What answer?"

Ren briefly gave her a look, embarrassing Erica all of a sudden.

"I need your approval to use my strategy against the boss and end it once and for all. Of course, in the end, if we get that book, you'll pay me."

". . . Did you plan all of this?" It was hard for Erica to wrap her head around the turn of events, and the most suspicious of all was that only Ren could move among them. She had a reason to suspect him.

"I didn't. How can I? I was just following your orders since the very beginning."

"You could have known about the Thunder King's Berserk Mode. That's why you're prepared for it. In short, you withheld information to your advantage."

Ren wanted to roll his eyes. "No one knows what an unbeaten boss' Berserk and Last Stance Mode are. You should know that since you're a leader of a guild."

Of course, Ren was lying. He knew what the Thunder King was going to do once it entered Berserk Mode, but it was through reincarnation, so it was an exception.

Erica was stumped because she knew that it was true. But still . . . all thoughts disappeared from Erica's mind upon hearing Ren's next words.

"I don't have all day, Princess. My STR only has a single digit, and you're very heavy. Before I drop you, I need your answer."

"W-what–!" It was the first time that Erica heard from a guy that she was heavy, and this weighed in her mind more than the battle itself.

"What did you say? I'm not heavy!" she growled. She was on a strict diet and exercise regimen to maintain her weight and figure!

"And besides, I know that you're still going to help us even if I don't agree with your strategy."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"It's because if we're wiped out, then you'll suffer an EXP penalty as well."

". . ."

Erica smiled in triumph when Ren fell silent.

But her smile quickly dropped from her face when Ren returned her smile, one that sent her fine hairs standing on end.

"You don't know my ATP, Princess. I'm sure I could recover quickly . . . you and your brother, however . . ."

". . ."

"You don't want to start all over again, do you? Not when the guild war is just right around the corner."

". . ." Erica gritted her teeth and glared at Ren. "You're infuriating."

"I get that a lot. Now choose before your whole team gets annihilated."

". . ." Erica clenched her teeth so tight that sweat broke out from her face and back.

In the end, she sighed and finally conceded.

"Fine."

The moment she said those words, without another second, Ren dropped her to the ground.

( . . . continuation on NOTES)