Chapter 1060: Action



Shi Feng's expression darkened upon hearing Aqua Rose's report.

"The Guild Transfer Scrolls can't be used?" Shi Feng pondered the situation. "Could they have used a sealing magic array?"

The various large Guilds had commonly used sealing magic arrays to raid towns and cities in the past.

However, such magic arrays were extremely rare. Generally, players only had a chance of coming across one in Level 60 and above secret locations. With the Guilds current strength, it was impossible to obtain one.

"Guild Leader, should I lead some experts to take charge of the situation? Afterward, you can lead the Guild's army to support us. I believe that, with Stone Forest Town's defensive advantage, we should be able to hold out until the army arrives!" Aqua Rose suggested.

Blackwater and Pantheon had acted too quickly. Although they had begun to prepare, they had never expected Blackwater to pull such a card.

Without the advantage of the Guild Transfer Scrolls, it would take a considerable amount of time for Zero Wing to reach Stone Forest Town. By the time the army arrived, the siege would be underway. However, there were very few Zero Wing upper echelons in Stone Forest Town right now. Without anyone taking charge of such a large-scale Guild war, the town could easily fall.

Hence, they quickly needed to dispatch experts capable of leading the defense.

"Alright. Lead the members who have Mounts and start on the town's fortifications. However, be careful of ambushes from Blackwater. Since they have gone to the trouble of sealing the entire map, they definitely have plans to prevent anyone from reaching the town," Shi Feng said, nodding.

Currently, Mounts were still far from being common in God's Domain. Even in Super Guilds, only very few experts had obtained a Mount.

Aqua Rose's group only needed to break through Blackwater's defensive line, and they could reach Stone Forest Town without trouble. Players without Mounts had no hope of catching up to them at all.

Moreover, due to a fortuitous encounter, Aqua Rose had obtained and completed a quest that had awarded her with a Secret-Silver ranked Flame Horse. With the speed of a Secret-Silver Mount, even Super Guilds' players with Mounts would not catch up to her. After all, Secret-Silver Mounts were very rare.

After Shi Feng finished assigning Aqua Rose's tasks, he entered the Candlelight Trading Firm's Basic Meditation Room and activated God's Blessing. Using the materials that Melancholic Smile had prepared for him, he began to produce one magic array scroll after another.

Even if Blackwater's army traveled towards Stone Forest Town from the nearest teleportation point, they would have to run for over ten hours. Moreover, after such a long run, they would have to rest before joining the battle. Otherwise, ordering an army that had nearly exhausted its Stamina to raid a town would be the epitome of foolishness.

Meanwhile, if Shi Feng hurried towards Stone Forest Town, he could arrive far more quickly.

The sealing magic array created Mana fluctuations in the affected area and prevented Teleportation Magic Arrays from functioning properly. However, Shi Feng had the Seven Luminaries Ring. Space Movement was different from teleportation. Even if there were Mana fluctuations in an area, the Skill would not be affected. Hence, he could simply teleport to the nearest town and continue towards Stone Forest Town. In terms of speed, even someone riding a Dark-Gold Mount would be no match for him.

He now had over ten hours to prepare for war.

Right now, his priority was to make as many magic array scrolls as he could. Everything else was secondary. As for organizing an army to reinforce Stone Forest Town, he had no intentions of doing so.

If it came down to a direct confrontation, even if Zero Wing were ten times stronger, it would be no match for Blackwater as the latter controlled those one-horned humanoid monsters. Sending players against those monsters was the equivalent of sending them to their graves. Furthermore, how could Zero Wing outmatch Pantheon's expert count?

Zero Wing's only hope relied on magic array scrolls and the town's defenses.

…

Shortly after Blackwater sealed off the map surrounding the Stoneclaw Mountains, many players noticed the scent of gunpowder in the air.

As Blackwater and Heaven's Burial's elite armies began pouring into the town nearest to Stone Forest Town, the various large Guilds around Star-moon Kingdom realized that Blackwater intended to steal Stone Forest Town.

Meanwhile, a commotion shook Star-Moon Kingdom's official forums.

"What? They're starting to fight already?"

"I wonder who will win this war?"

"Do you even need to ask? It will definitely be Blackwater. Didn't you see how many players the Guild has gathered? Moreover, I heard that even Pantheon is getting involved."

"How could Stone Forest Town be that easy to raid? Don't forget that Zero Wing has stationed many NPC guards in Stone Forest Town. In addition, the town has the normal guards that belong to the Guild's members as well as the Defensive Turrets. Even if Blackwater has the advantage in numbers, it will still be very difficult to capture Stone Forest Town. Moreover, Zero Wing has the home-ground advantage. Even after its members die, they can resurrect in the town. Blackwater's members, however, will have to travel for over ten hours to return to the battlefield."

"You're right!"

…

For a time, Star-Moon Kingdom's forms were cluttered with conversations about the Guild war. Many players had even eagerly rushed towards Stone Forest Town after receiving news, wishing to witness this war with their own eyes.

In reality, it wasn't just players who were eager to watch this war. Every Guild in Star-Moon Kingdom paid close attention to Stone Forest Town as well.

After all, this could be considered Star-Moon Kingdom's first siege war. This war's outcome was significantly important.

If Zero Wing failed to defend Stone Forest Town, after losing this goldmine of a town, the Guild would most likely be reduced to a second-rate Guild. Blackwater might gradually devour the Guild until the name "Zero Wing" no longer existed in Star-Moon Kingdom. On the other hand, if Zero Wing repelled Blackwater's assault, after this war, Zero Wing's influence in Star-Moon Kingdom would reach unprecedented levels. Within a short time, Zero Wing's strength would undoubtedly climb by leaps and bounds.

Many players in Star-Moon Kingdom had felt that the Blackwater Guild, which had the support of the Blackwater Corporation, had massive potential and thought that it was guaranteed to become Star-Moon Kingdom's ruler. Hence, many players and companies paid close attention to this war. If Zero Wing came out victorious, it would be impossible for Blackwater to organize further effective assaults in a short time. For a long time to come, Zero Wing would remain as Star-Moon Kingdom's ruler.

Meanwhile, inside the second-floor VIP room of a high-class bar in Saimu Town, the town closest to Stone Forest Town…

"Pantheon has lost its mind! It would've been fine if it had just dispatched its core legions to deal with Zero Wing, yet it dispatched one of its four trump card legions, the Red Jade Legion, as well! It seems that Zero Wing has seriously offended Pantheon this time!" Yuan Tiexin lightly clicked his tongue as he looked out the window at the 1,000-man legion marching through the street.

Every member of this 1,000-man legion was Level 40 or above. Moreover, they all wore exquisite, white robes with an embroidered, blood-red eagle. This blood-red eagle was none other than the Red Jade Legion's symbol.

These players unified clothing, in addition to their levels, frightened the onlooking independent players.

Pantheon had many core legions, but the most famous were the four trump card legions.

Most of the experts in these legions were experts Pantheon had nurtured internally. Outsiders who wished to join these legions had to pass multiple tests. These trump card legions generally dealt with Super Guilds or super-first-rate Guilds. Until now, Pantheon had never once used these legions to deal with smaller Guilds.

Chapter 1061: Divine Hand



"Hm? Why is he here?!"

Yuan Tiexin's expression froze when his eyes fell upon a middle-aged man standing with the Red Jade Legion. The middle-aged man's appearance depicted strength, and he carried a bow of bones across his back.

Noticing Yuan Tiexin's suddenly stern expression, Purple Jade, immediately followed his gaze from her seat beside him. However, she did not discover anything unusual. Yuan Tiexin didn't seem to be looking at anyone noteworthy.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, Purple Jade asked, "Uncle Yuan, could there be someone from the Dark Blade among those people…?"

Even a Super Guild like Pantheon had its secrets. Hence, the Guild had established a secret department called the Dark Blade. The Dark Blade specialized in tasks that others who walked in the light didn't want such as assassinations and banditry. This department's members would also assassinate other Guilds' upper echelons, disguising the deed as another Guild's work and causing strife between other Guilds for their profit.

However, these tasks were secondary.

The Dark Blade's true purpose was to assassinate enemy commanders during Guild wars.

To achieve this, when Pantheon nurtured these players, the selection of Skills, weapons, equipment, tools, and Attribute allocation were specially catered towards killing individual players. Although this was an extreme method of combat, it was suitable to deal with players who sought balance. In a one-on-one battle where both sides had equal combat standards and similar quality of weapons and equipment, the Dark Blade's members could trample such players.

Of course, with such an extreme combat method, the members of the Dark Blade fared poorly against monsters in the field or a Dungeon. This, in turn, greatly impacted their leveling speed. Hence, they needed other players to power-level them.

"That's right. I'm familiar with the man wielding the massive bone bow. He is the vice commander of Dark Blade, Divine Hand Nine Kills!" Yuan Tiexin said, rage filling his gaze as he watched the distant, bow-carrying player.

The bow-carrying man's name was Nine Kills, while Divine Hand was a title he had been given by others in the industry.

In a past large-scale virtual reality game, due to Nine Kills successfully assassinating the Secret Pavilion's third Vice Guild Leader at the time, the Pavilion had lost a major war against Pantheon. Yuan Tiexin had been one of the guards protecting the third Vice Guild Leader. In the end, however, Nine Kills had pulled off the assassination attempt.

Due to that loss, the Secret Pavilion had been forced to withdraw from that virtual reality game.

That incident had become one of Yuan Tiexin's lifelong embarrassments, and he had hungered for revenge. However, the trail of Pantheon's Dark Blade members was too difficult to track.

Yuan Tiexin had not expected to encounter the man here.

Although Nine Kills had modified his appearance somewhat, Yuan Tiexin recognized him.

"So, he is the rumored Divine Hand," Purple Jade carefully observed Nine Kills as well.

However, no matter how much she watched Nine Kills, she could not sense anything special from the man. He looked like any other expert in the Red Jade Legion.

"Since Nine Kills is making a move, the other members of the Dark Blade should be hidden among the legion as well. Zero Wing has no chance of victory," Yuan Tiexin said, sighing.

Setting aside the army of high-intelligence monsters, just the presence of Dark Blade could ruin Stone Forest Town.

If the town didn't have any commanders, it would be a piece of cake for Blackwater to raid the town.

Although he believed that Shi Feng was quite strong, the Dark Blade's members, who had undergone special training to kill other players, were no trifling opponents. The Secret Pavilion's Vice Guild Leaders were not just figureheads. Without sufficient strength and talent, it was impossible to achieve this position, not to mention becoming the third Vice Guild Leader.

Yet, even with three guards by his side, the third Vice Guild Leader had been killed. Although the three guards had eventually killed the Dark Blade member, their victory had held no meaning.

…

Outside of Saimu Town's entrance, a large number of elite members belonging to both Blackwater and Heaven's Burial waited for their orders. These players were all Level 37 or above. The independent players watching from afar were shocked by this scene.

"There should be at least 100,000 players, right?"

"A hundred thousand? Aren't you underestimating Blackwater and Heaven's Burial too much? Both Guild recruited that alone during their last two recruitment campaigns. Not to mention, Blackwater annexed Ouroboros."

"Eh? Many of the experts I know are now wearing Blackwater's emblem. What's going on?"

"The Blackwater Corporation is supporting Blackwater. The Guild isn't hurting for money at all. Moreover, the Blackwater Corporation is prepared to invest into God's Domain fully. If one joins the Guild and obtains a good position, their future could be limitless. The income of the Guild's core members already rivals the Blackwater Dojo's newly-hired instructors. Do you know how many people are vying to become an instructor in the Blackwater Dojo each year? It's a pity that only a handful of people get chosen."

"I guess you're right. It's a pity that I'm not strong enough right now. Otherwise, I would try to join Blackwater."

"I know, right? I have heard that, since Blackwater established its Guild, several thousand of Star-Moon Kingdom's independent players have joined. However, they only received the treatment of elite members. It is extremely difficult to become a core member. This war is a good opportunity for them to display their skills. If they perform well, they might even be promoted to a core member. At that time, they could afford to live without worrying about basic necessities. I have also heard that the team leaders and vice team leaders among Blackwater's core members received incomes that rival the Blackwater Dojo's basic and intermediate instructors. If one manages to reach those positions, they wouldn't have to worry about money for the rest of their lives."

…

Just as the players in Saimu Town discussed the current atmosphere, a row of players atop high-ranking Mounts began to lead the elite army towards Stone Forest Town.

Even the most inferior among these Mounts was Bronze rank, while the two people in the lead rode Mysterious-Iron Mounts.

"Miss Muyun, I have truly underestimated your Blackwater Guild. I had never thought that you would dispatch so many elite members. I believe that even Zero Wing will be surprised," Singular Burial, who rode a black cheetah, commented, laughing.

Previously, Singular Burial had thought that Blackwater could dispatch at most 100,000 elite members. After all, the Guild still faced many management issues after annexing Ouroboros. The Guild still needed some elite members to maintain order in the towns and cities it ruled over. However, contrary to expectations, Blackwater had dispatched 200,000 elite members…

It was very hard to imagine that Blackwater already possessed such strength, despite establishing only a short time ago.

In terms of the number of elite members, even the Star Alliance was no match for Blackwater. Blackwater also had plenty of experts. If the Guild were already this strong after recently joining God's Domain, it was hard to imagine how powerful it would become in the future.

"Whether Zero Wing is shocked or not is no concern to Blackwater. In any case, ours won't be the main force raiding the town. We are simply here to pick up the pieces," Qin Muyun said indifferently. "If Zero Wing uses everything it has against us, excellent. As for hindering Zero Wing's reinforcements, I'll leave that to Guild Leader Burial."

"Please, rest assured. Heaven's Burial will prevent Zero Wing's army from setting foot in Stone Forest Town," Heaven's Burial confidently declared.

Although Blackwater had dispatched an army of elite members, Heaven's Burial had dispatched quite a few of its own.

With a total of 120,000 elite members in addition to their terrain advantage, the town would have new owners before Zero Wing's army reached it. After that, Heaven's Burial simply needed to work with Blackwater to encircle and annihilate Zero Wing's army.

"Guild Leader, a report just came in. Several cloaked players riding Mounts have been sighted leaving Saimu Town. By the looks of it, they seem to be heading towards Stone Forest Town!" Daybreak Fog, who stood to a side, suddenly announced. "They should be Zero Wing's upper echelons. Should we dispatch some of our experts to get rid of them?"

Chapter 1062: Forceful Break Through



Hearing Daybreak Fog's deduction, Singular Burial fell into deep thought.

"Have Ghost Shadow's group stop them. Remember, don't let a single player escape!" Singular Burial said strictly.

"We're sending Ghost Shadow's group?" Daybreak Fog was momentarily stunned. "Aren't we making a big fuss over something so small?"

Ghost Shadow was Heaven's Burial's number one expert. He was already considered a top-tier expert in previous virtual reality games. Now, during his time in God's Domain, he had come across a fortuitous encounter which allowed his techniques and strength to undergo a qualitative change. Only, Ghost Shadow had been improving himself away from the public eye all this time, so not many people knew about his current strength. They had originally planned to use him to surprise Zero Wing's army.

Yet, Singular Burial intended to expose Ghost Shadow's strength to hunt down a few players.

"I don't think so. Even now, Zero Wing has yet to arrange an army to head over to Stone Forest Town. Instead, they are sending a few experts with Mounts over first. The only reason they would do so is most likely because there are no good commanders in Stone Forest Town right now. Among the Zero Wing members heading towards Stone Forest Town, a commander is likely among them. I believe that Ghost Shadow will be very interested in them. He might even come across Zero Wing's number one Assassin, Fire Dance," Singular Burial explained.

Of course, this was only a guess.

However, to make their raid on Stone Forest Town easier, he would rather mistakenly kill a thousand players than let one escape.

"I'll head over as well, then." Daybreak Fog could not help her growing interest.

It was a popular belief that Star-Moon Kingdom's strongest female experts were in Zero Wing. Meanwhile, Aqua Rose was the most famous female player in Zero Wing. This was because she had once been an Honorary Elder of the first-rate Guild Twilight Echo. Following Aqua Rose was Fire Dance, who had displayed frightening strength in several past battles. However, Daybreak Fog did not agree with this sentiment.

Without having fought each other, how could she know which among them was the strongest?

If she came across either one of these women, she would initiate a proper fight.

…

"They dare to rush at us with so few people. They aren't taking Heaven's Burial seriously!" a strong, muscular Level 40 Assassin wearing a black mask gowled, sneering at the five players rushing towards him from a distance. "Leader, you must leave one for me! I want to show these people that the real experts aren't in Zero Wing. They are in Heaven's Burial's Ghost Shadow Legion!"

Although Heaven's Burial was an upstart Guild, it possessed an extraordinary background. Otherwise, Blackwater would not have bothered to cooperate with the Guild. Meanwhile, in Heaven's Burial, the Ghost Shadow Legion consisted of experts from many well-known Workshops.

Only, this matter was never made public. The Ghost Shadow Legion's members leveled up and trained in secret. The Guild had even invited some of the virtual gaming world's apex experts to spar and train them. In the real world, the legion's members specifically gathered in a training complex, which Heaven's Burial used to nurture its experts. There, members of the legion sparred with other members and underwent all sorts of vigorous training methods each day. It felt like a living hell.

Correspondingly, however, their strength had undergone earth-shattering changes.

As for the experts who had made a name for themselves in Star-Moon Kingdom, they paid no attention to these people whatsoever.

After all, even the best among those experts was only strong enough to reach the sixth floor of the Divine Colosseum's Trial Tower. On the other hand, even the weakest members of the Ghost Shadow Legion were sixth-floor experts, with many of them having reached the seventh floor. As for the legion's commander, Ghost Shadow, he had reached the late stage of the eighth floor. He had long since surpassed the record Zero Wing's members had set. Only, he had kept his record hidden all this time.

"Sure. You'll deal with the magical classes. However, if there is a female Assassin among them, leave her to me!" Ghost Shadow laughed.

In reality, he didn't care about the several Zero Wing members heading towards him. If not for Daybreak Fog stating that Fire Dance might be among these players, he would not have bothered coming.

During the rank competition between Guilds in the Trial Tower, Fire Dance had humiliated him. He had been a top-tier expert in the virtual gaming world for many years, yet this little girl had defeated him. After that incident, he had vowed that he would, sooner or later, pay back the humiliation he had suffered.

After a fortuitous encounter, not only had his combat standards improved greatly, but he also no wielded Epic ranked weapons. This was why he was so confident of defeating Fire Dance. He had walked the line between life and death to complete that quest. He had even sacrificed the lives of thousands of the Guild's elite members.

In his current state, he would even dare to challenge Zero Wing's Guild Leader, Black Flame.

…

"Big Sis Aqua, I used Eagle Eyes and discovered a team of 100 players hiding along the sides of the forest path ahead. Should we circle around them?" Minor Wind asked.

Heaven's Burial's army was positioned all over the place. The Guild had sealed off practically all of the official paths leading from Saimu Town to Stone Forest Town. However, as the map was quite massive, it was impossible for Heaven's Burial's elite army to be everywhere. As long as they moved through the forest, their party could avoid detection. The only problem was that they could attract monsters' attention. If that happened, they would have to waste a lot of time. However, fighting Heaven's Burial's members would similarly put them in a bind.

"We don't have that much time. Moreover, they don't have a large group. We'll force our way through!" Aqua Rose decided.

"Oh yeah! I was waiting for you to say that!" Minor Wind said, grinning.

Minor Wind rendered the other three party members speechless. It was obvious that Minor Wind had purposefully asked that question. The Ranger clearly wanted to test out the Advanced Mana Armor Kits he had recently equipped.

Three Advanced Mana Armor Kits provided an increase of roughly 10% to one's Basic Attributes. To players with excellent equipment like themselves, that was the equivalent of an additional piece of Level 40 Dark-Gold Equipment.

…

"Ready the magic array!" Ghost Shadow commanded upon seeing Aqua Rose's party of five approach. "Once they are within 50 yards, activate it! Don't let even any of them get away!"

"Leader, rest assured; the magic array has an effective radius of 100 yards. As long as we activate it in time, they'll have no hope of escape," a Level 40 Elementalist said confidently.

When Aqua Rose's group was within 50 yards of Ghost Shadow's team, the latter activated their magic array.

Suddenly, a red magic barrier that was 30 yards tall and covered a radius of 100 yards appeared in the forest.

When active, the Six-star Crimson Array would lock an area within a barrier. It was a Basic Magic Array meant for ambushing enemies. The only way to break free was to attack the barrier and deplete the casters' Mana.

"Charge!" Ghost Shadow shouted in the team chat. Following which, he activated his Stealth Skill and made his way to his targets.

Immediately, the Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights hidden on either side of the small road took the lead and charged at the enemy's Mounts, hoping to knock Aqua Rose and her teammates down.

Meanwhile, the ranged classes hidden a distance away began to launch one attack after another.

Chapter 1063: The Power of Five



The Rangers, Elementalists, Cursemancers, and Summoners hiding in the forest numbered several dozens.

The Spells and arrows they shot out formed a wall that drove towards Aqua Rose's party, leaving the five with no space to dodge at all.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

As a series of explosions rang out, dust and dirt went flying into the air. Everyone from the Ghost Shadow Legion felt a strong gust of wind blowing in their faces.

It's over? Daybreak Fog quietly looked at the dust cloud before her in doubt. Did I guess wrong, and these people aren't Zero Wing's upper echelon at all?

Although their frontal attack had been overwhelming, expert players could simply avoid them altogether rather than receive the attacks directly. After all, ranged attacks were not instantaneous. There was a small time lag between the launching and landing of the Spell. Moreover, there was also the system-provided ballistic prediction lines.

"So they're just a bunch of trash! It seems Zero Wing's experts only amount to that much after all!"

When the Ghost Shadow Legion members saw the rising dust cloud, smug smiles appeared on their faces.

However, as the dust cloud dissipated, the faces of those who were still feeling proud of themselves immediately darkened.

After the dust settled, what appeared was a large crater in the ground. However, this crater was actually in the shape of a semicircle. At the flat end of this semicircle, as if an invisible wall stood before Aqua Rose's party, no damage had reached Aqua Rose and the others at all.

They actually blocked all those attacks? Daybreak Fog's eyes turned serious as she took in this unbelievable sight.

With a closer look, she could faintly make out a translucent barrier erected before Aqua Rose's party. A moment later, this barrier shattered like glass, its fragments scattering to the ground before vanishing out of existence.

"Violet, this Absolute Barrier of yours really is strong! It actually managed to block off all those attacks. With this, we'll have to rely on you to block the ultimate moves of Bosses in the future," Minor Wind said, chuckling.

"My Absolute Barrier is only a Tier 1 Skill. It can block Tier 2 Skills at most. Right now, it is only useful in fights against other players," Violet Cloud said, shaking her head.

Although Violet Cloud had said so, this feat had still dealt an enormous blow to the Ghost Shadow Legion's mental state.

They had considered the possibility that Aqua Rose's party would directly dodge their attacks. However, they never imagined that the latter would actually be able to receive their attacks straight on.

At this moment, Daybreak Fog noticed that the Elementalist standing behind Aqua Rose was in the midst of chanting an incantation. Hurriedly, she shouted, "Not good! Everyone, scatter!"

As an Elementalist herself, Daybreak Fog had a deep understanding of the class.

Even without the Spell's magic array taking form, she could tell what kind of Spell it was just through the amount of Mana the incantation was gathering. Even if it was a Spell she was not familiar with, she could still judge the power of the Spell.

Meanwhile, Daybreak Fog's senses were currently telling her that the Elementalist standing behind Aqua Rose was casting a large-scale destruction Spell, and that it was already too late for them to interrupt the Spell.

Hearing Daybreak Fog's reminder, everyone in the Ghost Shadow Legion immediately broke into a sprint. At this time, the alarm bells in their minds were also going off, warning them that they would die if they did not flee.

"Don't you think it's a little too late to run now?" the Elementalist behind Aqua Rose giggled softly before pointing a finger to the sky.

A blue streak of lightning promptly shot towards the clouds. Following which, a gigantic twofold magic array appeared in the sky, covering a 100-yard diameter.

In the next moment, the blue magic array shot out a blue pillar of light that directly bombarded the rear line of the Ghost Shadow Legion. Then, the light pillar began expanding in size and devouring the escaping players one after another.

Damn it! It's too fast!

Although Daybreak Fog had used Blink to get away, she still could not escape the expanding light pillar. In the end, she had no choice but to use Ice Barrier, becoming immune to all damage. However, her body also couldn't move as a result.

As the light pillar faded, it left a plot of scorched earth in its wake. Black smoke wafted up from the blackened ground.

This scene stupefied the Ghost Shadow Legion members standing at the frontlines.

This scorched landscape was simply too terrifying. If not for them charging ahead, they would have already turned into ash and dust by now.

"Isn't this a little too strong?!" Minor Wind fell breathless despite himself. "Big Sis Aqua, just what kind of person is your friend?"

This was his first time seeing a large-scale destruction Spell that could expand to cover such a large area so quickly.

Just this single attack had annihilated over half of the 100-man team before them.

"Her?" Aqua Rose looked over her shoulder to give Alluring Summer a glance. Chuckling, she said, "She's just a battle maniac!"

Upon hearing this, Alluring Summer could not help but stretch out her hand and pinch Aqua Rose's waist. Not only had her friend forcefully dragged her all the way out here, but she also actually called her a battle maniac.

"Alright, enough. We don't have much time to waste here. Let's hurry up and move!" Aqua Rose said hurriedly as she tugged on her Mount's reins.

At this moment, the members of the Ghost Shadow Legion were already frightened stiff by Alluring Summer's attack. Although they had seen videos showing large-scale destruction Spells in use, experiencing one in person was something else altogether.

When they felt the might of the large-scale destruction Spell, a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed their bodies.

"Everyone, get a grip! Large-scale destruction Spells are extremely rare! They can't possibly have another one! Even if they do, as long as we close in on them, they won't be able to use it!" Daybreak Fog shouted as soon as her Ice Barrier ended.

Although Aqua Rose's party had caught them off guard, their advantage remained unchanged.

Moreover, now, she was even more certain that someone of Zero Wing's upper echelon was definitely among the party of five. Otherwise, it would simply have been impossible for them to use a large-scale destruction Spell. As long as they managed to hold back these five players, they would have a much easier time conquering Stone Forest Town later on.

At Daybreak Fog's words, everyone from the Ghost Shadow Legion immediately snapped out of their daze. The melee players standing at the forefront started moving once more.

Charge!

Previously, it was a wall of Spells and arrows that had assaulted Aqua Rose's party. Now, it was a wall of players.

With shields defending them from attacks and the healers in the rear line providing them with heals and protection buffs, even Minor Wind's arrows could do little against them.

At this time, Shadow Sword, who was in front of Aqua Rose, took the initiative, saying, "Let me!"

Shadow Sword unslung the blood-red greatsword hanging on his back. This greatsword was the new weapon Shadow Sword had obtained after saving up Guild Contribution Points every way he could. He had even traded in his previous weapon for this greatsword. Meanwhile, this greatsword was none other than the Holy Weapon Shi Feng had obtained from killing the Demonic Ape King—Crimson Moon.

Currently, Shadow Sword had already upgraded Crimson Moon to Fine-Gold rank. As a result, his level had dropped to just barely over Level 40. If he were to upgrade the weapon to Dark-Gold rank, his level would fall below Level 35.

"He dares to come at us all by himself? Let's surround him and beat him to death!"

Seeing Shadow Sword charging towards them, the melee players of the Ghost Shadow Legion immediately sprang into action. As for the Bronze warhorse Shadow Sword was riding, they paid no attention to it whatsoever.

Individually, their power might not be a match for the Bronze warhorse. However, they could easily hold it back if several of them worked together. It would be just like fighting against a Boss monster.

Thud!

Along with the sound of an impact, three MTs blocked the warhorse Shadow Sword rode.

Just as the other melee players were approaching Shadow Sword from both sides…

"I was waiting for this!" Shadow Sword grinned as he tightened his grip on Crimson Moon. He then abruptly swung it.

Whirlwind Slash!

Immediately, a crimson storm sent the eight melee players approaching him flying. Even the three MTs blocking the warhorse had to retreat three steps, damage of over -2,000 points appearing above their heads.

Such powerful Strength! Daybreak Fog was stunned.

The members of the Ghost Shadow Legion were not your ordinary expert. Whether it was in terms of combat standards or weapons and equipment, they were top-notch. Yet, now, Shadow Sword actually beat these powerful experts and sent them flying by as if they were Common monsters.

However, the Ghost Shadow Legion members were all experts. After their first assault got repelled, they coordinated their movements even more closely with each other for their second assault. Moreover, with Shadow Sword's Whirlwind Slash on Cooldown, how was the Berserker going to defend against an attack coming from all sides?

"Scram!" Seeing his enemies crowding around him once more, Shadow Sword brandished Crimson Moon again.

Unlike the previous attack, Crimson Moon radiated a faint red glow this time, having successfully triggered the Blood Boiling effect. At Fine-Gold rank, the Blood Boiling effect increased Shadow Sword's Strength by an additional 1,000 points for 12 seconds.

With Shadow Sword's current Strength, even a High Lord of the same level would be no match for him.

This time, although Shadow Sword could not attack using Whirlwind Slash, he could use the Active Skill that came with the Tier 1 Set Equipment for Berserkers, Bladestorm.

In the next moment, a red storm raged. All players within a 15-yard radius got blown into the air, invisible wind blades cutting their bodies time after time. In the end, these players transformed into streaks of white light and disappeared one after another. Then, weapons and equipment rained down on the ground.

Chapter 1064: The Few Cannot Fight the Many



"Just who are they?"

Daybreak Fog's eyes stayed glued on the five cloaked figures. She couldn't guess the identities of Aqua Rose's party of five at all.

Among the information she collected, there were no records of such a powerful Elementalist or Berserker in Zero Wing.

Particularly, the Berserker's Strength was truly incredible!

With just a single attack, he had directly killed over a dozen nearby melee players—including several MTs with over 20,000 HP. The destructive force of the Bladestorm he used could practically rival the large-scale destruction Spell used by the Elementalist before.

With such Strength, how were other players supposed to contend with him?

Faring worse than Daybreak Fog, the members of the Ghost Shadow Legion were stunned speechless.

Just a meager party of five had killed over half of their Ghost Shadow Legion in mere moments. Moreover, this party of five remained completely unharmed.

If they recounted this situation in Heaven's Burial, nobody would believe them.

"Leave that Berserker to me! All melee players, prioritize killing the four in the rear!" Daybreak Fog commanded.

Shadow Sword was too powerful. It would be suicidal to have their melee players go up against him. Only a ranged player like herself could possibly pin him down.

Obeying Daybreak Fog's words, everyone promptly avoided Shadow Sword. He was only a Berserker. Even if he wanted to hold them back, he could detain only one or two people at most. The remaining dozen or so players could easily steer clear of him and charge at Aqua Rose and the others.

"Get them!" The dozen or so melee players that managed to get past Shadow Sword's blockade immediately charged at Aqua Rose and the others.

When only ten yards separated Aqua Rose's group and the melee players, over a dozen arrows shot towards the Berserker leading the charge. All the Berserker saw were several streaks of light coming at him. Knowing that he could no longer dodge or block the oncoming attacks, he instinctively raised his battle axe and executed Whirlwind Slash.

However, when the Berserker's battle axe came into contact with the first arrow, the powerful impact forced him to take a step back, causing his body to stiffen momentarily.

Following which, the remaining dozen or so arrows struck the Berserker one after another. Every time an arrow hit, the Berserker had to take another step back, his HP decreasing by over 4,000. He even received over -8,000 damage. The healers standing at the rear failed to keep up with the damage. After the fifth arrow struck the Berserker, his body fell powerless to the ground. As for the remaining arrows, the remaining melee players of the Ghost Shadow Legion barely managed to block them.

"They're just arrows, so why do they contain that much power?" At this moment, the legion members eyed the distant Minor Wind in fear. They no longer dared to charge forward recklessly. If they received a concentrated volley of arrows like the Berserker had just now, they would undoubtedly lose their lives.

They were no ordinary players. They were experts of Heaven's Burial.

From defending against Minor Wind's attacks, they fully realized just how frightening the Ranger was.

Although it seemed as if Minor Wind had shot these dozen or so arrows very casually, in reality, every one of these arrows was accurately aimed at their blind spots—which made defending against the attacks extraordinarily uncomfortable. Moreover, their reactions towards such attacks would be slower and delayed compared to defending against other attacks.

If they had to go up against five of such blind-spot attacks simultaneously, with their standards, they could defend against three or four of them at most; the remainder would strike home. Of course, if they had to receive only one or two attacks, they would not mind at all. After all, they had healers who could quickly patch up the damage they received. However, the power contained within Minor Wind's arrows was extraordinary. As melee players, after they defended against one arrow, they would no longer have any power to spare to block the remaining attacks.

With such a powerful Ranger backing up Aqua Rose's party, quickly approaching the party was simply impossible.

Just as Minor Wind was suppressing the melee members of the Ghost Shadow Legion, four figures suddenly appeared behind Aqua Rose's group of four.

"Die!"

With Ghost Shadow in the lead, four Assassins stabbed their daggers at Aqua Rose's group of four practically simultaneously.

Ambush!

Anyone struck by this Skill would be placed in a Fainted state for two seconds. To expert Assassins like them, two seconds were more than enough for them to kill an MT of the same level, not to mention non-plate armor classes.

Seeing this scene, Daybreak Fog smiled.

While she acknowledged that Aqua Rose and the others were indeed very powerful, the Ghost Shadow Legion members were no weaklings, either.

The commands she had shouted were simply a feint. Her motive for doing so was to divert the attention of Aqua Rose's group of four to allow Ghost Shadow's Assassin group to display its fullest effect.

As long as the four ranged players died, dealing with Shadow Sword would be a simple matter.

At this time, Aqua Rose shouted, "Thorn Bind!"

Thorn Bind was a Tier 1 Curse. When activated, it would immediately restrain all enemies within a 20-yard radius with thorny vines for four seconds. Moreover, these thorns would connect with the HP of the bound target. If the target tried to forcefully break free of their bindings, they would receive a corresponding backlash.

Green vines swiftly emerged from the ground one after another with Aqua Rose as the center. In the blink of an eye, the vines bound all four Assassins.

"Not good! Everyone, avoid them!" At this moment, Ghost Shadow also realized that they had fallen for a trick. He activated Vanish right away and disappeared from everyone's eyes.

The other three Assassins also activated their Vanish Skill without hesitation, rendering the bindings of the vines ineffective.

After Ghost Shadow's group disappeared, Violet Cloud used Soul Cloud[1], promptly sending attacks flying in all directions.

Dang… Dang… Dang…

Along with a series of clashing sounds, Ghost Shadow's group of four appeared once more.

"Soul Cloud! So you're Violet Cloud!" After Ghost Shadow defended against all the attacks, he glared at the cloaked Violet Cloud, intense fighting spirit blazing in his eyes.

She had similarly defeated him previously at the Trial Tower. This time, he would not allow a repeat.

However, immediately after Violet Cloud's attack, Alluring Summer used Flame Barrage and attacked the four Assassins from their blind spots.

As if the three women were of one mind, their coordination was seamless.

Ghost Shadow managed to use his daggers to block the oncoming fireballs, but the other three Assassins failed to do so, opening a gap in their defense. Seizing this opportunity, Violet Cloud immediately controlled her Soul Cloud to bombard the three Assassins with black balls of Mana.

If they were simply dealing with normal magical attacks, these expert Assassins could still defend against quite a few, even though their stance was not ideal. However, Violet Cloud's Soul Cloud was extremely lively and flexible. Her attacks always managed to change directions abruptly at crucial moments. In the end, the three Assassins could only block a small portion of the oncoming attacks and promptly lost their lives to the barrage.

Only Ghost Shadow, with his nimble footwork and accurate judgment, was able to defend against the black Mana balls. However, the more he fought, the more shocked he grew.

"How can this Spell be so powerful?!"

The power of the Soul Cloud Violet Cloud controlled was simply overwhelming. In terms of Strength, the Spell was practically equal to him.

Meanwhile, he was wielding Epic Weapons.

What was even more shocking was Violet Cloud's ability to control the Spell.

Her level of control had clearly already entered the Refinement Realm!

This discovery astounded Ghost Shadow. Previously, when he had encountered Violet Cloud, he could tell that she was still far from reaching the Refinement Realm. Yet, just after a short time, not only had she entered the Refinement Realm, but her understanding of the realm had even achieved a considerable standard. She could not only control such a large number of attacks but also manipulate them with ease.

As Ghost Shadow was dealing with Violet Cloud's attacks, Aqua Rose and the others were assisting the girl from the sides as well. This support applied considerable pressure on Ghost Shadow. If he went one-on-one against Violet Cloud, he was still confident of defeating the girl. However, Violet Cloud had three experts with extremely high Basic Attributes surrounding her. Continuing to fight would only be a waste of energy.

Right now, he needed to get away from this place first before launching another assault.

Following which, Ghost Shadow activated Wind Steps and began retreating.

"Don't even think about getting away so easily!" Violet Cloud smiled faintly. She then used Star's Guidance on the retreating Assassin.

Immediately, Ghost Shadow felt a powerful force pulling him towards Violet Cloud.

Reacting quickly, he used a Control Removal Skill.

However, during Ghost Shadow's momentary pause, a white arc of lightning pierced through his chest. Following which, Aqua Rose, Minor Wind, and Violet Cloud's attacks bombarded the Assassin one after another.

The four people killed Ghost Shadow instantly.

TL Notes:

[1] Soul Cloud: In Chapter 785, Soul Cloud was first used by Aqua Rose (Cursemancer). In future chapters, Soul Cloud will be seen used by both Aqua Rose and Violet Cloud, so I assume that it is a Tier 1 Skill common to all magical classes, only, the form they take differs depending on the class. In Aqua Rose’s case, Soul Cloud takes the form of shadow blades. In Violet Cloud’s case, it takes the form of black Mana balls.

Chapter 1065: War Erupts



Ghost Shadow's death was like the straw that broke the camel's back.

The moment he died, the other members of the Ghost Shadow Legion immediately fell into a panic, the momentum they had from before vanishing completely.

The dozen or so melee players that originally were still rushing forward stopped cold, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Aqua Rose's group of four.

The reason why their legion was named the Ghost Shadow Legion was all because of Ghost Shadow's existence.

If even someone as strong as Ghost Shadow got killed, what could they possibly do now?

Looking at the current situation, Daybreak Fog gnashed her teeth as she reluctantly commanded, "Retreat!"

Although she was unwilling to acknowledge their defeat, if this fight continued, it would only end with their total annihilation. Rather than gift their enemies with more equipment, they would be better off withdrawing.

"Big Sis Aqua, they're running away. Should we give chase?" Shadow Sword asked eagerly. He still had not had his fill of fighting.

The battle this time was truly exhilarating.

Or to put it in another way, he never had so much fun before. He felt as if he were in a dream right now.

None of the Ghost Shadow Legion members were weaklings. Through his battle with these people, he could tell that they possessed bountiful combat experience and extremely high combat standards. Unfortunately for them, his combat experience still surpassed theirs.

In the Secret Pavilion's simulation training system, he had fought against all kinds of experts. Although the Refinement Realm experts there bullied him to no end, these fights allowed him to develop a penetrating insight. As a result, he could easily see through the weaknesses of attacks on the level of the Ghost Shadow Legion members. With that insight added to his huge advantage in Basic Attributes, killing the experts of Heaven's Burial was as easy as chopping up vegetables.

Previously, he had been wondering whether or not he had improved at all. After all, no matter how many battles he fought in the simulation training system, they always ended with his defeat. Now, however, after tangling with these expert players, he finally realized just how much he had improved.

"No need. Heaven's Burial's members are everywhere. If we let them surround us, we'll have to waste even more time. Our priority right now is to reach Stone Forest Town," Aqua Rose said, shaking her head as she watched Daybreak Fog's group remove the magic barrier and escape into the forest.

Following which, Shadow Sword and the others swiftly collected their loot before getting back on their Mounts and hurrying towards Stone Forest Town.

Shortly after Aqua Rose left, several Assassins appeared from the forest. These Assassins did not bear any Guild Emblems on their persons. They were all independent players who were planning on sneaking to Stone Forest Town to observe the upcoming war.

The first siege war in Star-Moon Kingdom—one which pitted Blackwater and Heaven's Burial's joint army of 300,000 elite players against Star-Moon Kingdom's number one Guild, Zero Wing—was a major event. If they did not personally witness this war, they would surely regret it for the rest of their lives.

Only, due to them coming across Aqua Rose's party on their way to Stone Forest Town, they decided to follow after the party and take a look at what the party was up to.

However, they never imagined that they would actually encounter such an expert battle on their journey.

"Did you guys record everything?"

"Do you take me for a fool? Of course, I've recorded everything! What about your side?"

"Relax, I didn't miss out any of the exciting moments!"

"Our luck is really good! I never thought that we would come across such a fight. Zero Wing's members are too cool! Just five of them managed to go up against a team of 100 experts! I really wonder, just how strong are those five people? If I can become as strong as any one of them, I wouldn't have wasted my time playing God's Domain."

"Alright, enough dreaming. Let's hurry up and post these videos on the forums. This message will definitely shock everyone!"

Following which, these several Assassins posted their recorded videos on Star-Moon Kingdom's official forums. Moreover, they even gave their post a very eye-catching title.

Five Zero Wing experts shockingly massacre Heaven's Burial's 100-man expert team!

Published along with this post were several video clips showing the fight between Zero Wing and the Ghost Shadow Legion from several different angles, the videos thoroughly reproducing the entire battle from before.

As soon as the post was published, it immediately created a commotion in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Nobody would've ever thought that a measly five people would be able to turn the tables on an encirclement of 100 experts. Moreover, they had even done so in such an overwhelming manner. Whether it was the weapons, equipment, Skills, or coordination of these five Zero Wing members, all were aspects that inspired everyone's admiration.

Particularly, Alluring Summer's large-scale destruction Spell made the blood of all the viewers boil with passion.

In addition, there was Shadow Sword with his horrific Strength. The fight was truly an unforgettable one.

"This is simply inhuman! Over half a team of 100 experts were killed just like that! Who in Star-Moon Kingdom could possibly stop Zero Wing now?!"

"Hooray for Zero Wing!"

"It seems Blackwater will have trouble taking down Stone Forest Town this time!"

Due to the appearance of these videos, many players who initially did not have an optimistic view of Zero Wing's prospects were stupefied. Meanwhile, the various large Guilds that were happily and eagerly anticipating Zero Wing's fall could not help but start reevaluating Zero Wing's strength now.

However, the ones most affected by these videos would still have to be Zero Wing's members.

Previously, they all thought that Stone Forest Town was finished. However, after seeing at the performance of Aqua Rose's party of five, they finally understood the views that their Guild Leader, Black Flame, advocated.

Quality was much more important than quantity!

Due to this reason, Zero Wing had always walked the path of the elite.

Zero Wing might not be a match for Blackwater and Heaven's Burial in terms of member count, but in terms of player quality, Zero Wing was definitely superior.

Was it amazing to have a lot of people?

Zero Wing only needed five people to trample over 100 experts!

While everyone was discussing this topic on the forums, Singular Burial had an extraordinarily chilling expression on his face.

"Kill them! I want them all killed! Notify the teams in hiding! Think of a way to stop them! Once their whereabouts are discovered, gather at their location right away!" Singular Burial commanded angrily.

Originally, he had dispatched the Ghost Shadow Legion and Daybreak Fog precisely because he was worried that the regular experts couldn't take down Zero Wing's members. Now, however, Heaven's Burial had become the biggest laughingstock of Star-Moon Kingdom.

Those were 100 experts!

The team even had apex experts such as Daybreak Fog and Ghost Shadow leading it. He found it truly hard to accept that Daybreak Fog and the others would lose so miserably.

However, from the battle video, Singular Burial was able to clearly identify two of the five players. One was naturally Violet Cloud, whom Ghost Shadow had also identified, while the other one was Aqua Rose. If the Cursemancer leading the party wasn't her, then Singular Burial truly could not figure out which Cursemancer in Zero Wing had the qualifications to command Violet Cloud.

As long as they managed to hold back Aqua Rose, not only would they be able to repay the humiliation they suffered, but taking down Stone Forest Town would also be a piece of cake.

Nevertheless, after watching the battle video, Singular Burial felt a deep chill crawling down his spine.

Zero Wing's experts were improving much too quickly.

The rapidity of their improvement was to the point of being staggering.

Only after paying a huge price did Heaven's Burial manage to nurture a batch of experts. However, compared to Zero Wing's experts, those experts Heaven's Burial nurtured were practically garbage!

If so many apex experts had already appeared in the current Zero Wing, if they really gave Zero Wing a little more time, then the consequences would be unimaginable.

Unfortunately for Heaven's Burial, its pursuit and interception mattered very little to Aqua Rose and the others. Their speed when riding Mounts was unmatchable by players running on foot. Moreover, the Mount Aqua Rose rode was a Secret-Silver Mount. In the end, the party of five managed to arrive at Stone Forest Town safely, and they promptly began commanding Zero Wing's members in Stone Forest Town to take the appropriate defensive measures.

As time went by, the atmosphere in Stone Forest Town also grew increasingly more oppressive. The usual liveliness in the streets was no longer present. To avoid getting dragged into the war, many players had chosen to leave Stone Forest Town and observe the battle from a distance. Only some daring players remained in town.

"Big Sis Aqua, the Magic Tower has just sensed a large number of creatures approaching Stone Forest Town! By the looks of it, they should be those monsters!" Violet Cloud reported, her complexion slightly pale.

The map displayed by the Magic Tower showed a swarm of creatures heading towards Stone Forest Town, the exact number incalculable.

"So they've finally arrived."

Aqua Rose, who stood atop the town's defensive walls, turned to look into the distance. She knew plenty regarding this upcoming war. Rather than the player armies of Blackwater and Heaven's Burial, their true enemies were the endless number of monsters.

"Immediately notify the Guild Leader!"

…

Inside the distant White River City's Candlelight Trading Firm, Shi Feng was still desperately making the magic array scrolls for the Double Protection Magic Array and Divine Beast's Descent.

"They've arrived already?"

After receiving the message, Shi Feng had to stop his actions, a slight frown appearing on his face. Blackwater's monster army had arrived much sooner than he expected. He immediately used a Return Scroll to teleport to the city's Teleportation Hall, then took a teleportation array to Saimu Town.