Chapter 379 - War Preparations
This was the first time players from the Satreen Empire had stepped foot in the Viridian Empire. Their strange appearances immediately attracted many curious gazes.
The player standing at the front of the group was the tallest among them. He had a sturdy stature, dark green skin, and was fully clad in plate armour. He held a heavy shield in one hand and a large sword in the other. A metal helmet covered most of his head, only showing his face which appeared extremely fierce.
He was an Orc Warrior!
Orcs with their innate strength were the race most suited for the Warrior class.
The orcs had given birth to many outstanding Warriors throughout history.
Standing beside the Orc Warrior was a slim player with pointy ears. He wielded two daggers and wore leather armour, signifying he was an Elven Thief. The innate cloaking ability of elves made them extremely suited for stealth.
There were three more players. One of them looked somewhat portly. He wore ash-gray robes covered in ancient charms. He was a Shaman Doctor, a frightening class that could cast healing magic and wield the power of nature. His friendly and approachable appearance made it easy for a person to lower their guard. But the sharp killing intent radiating from his eyes suggested this was only a facade.
As for the other two players, one was an Elven Mage and the other an Elven Druid.
It would be strange if this group didn’t attract the attention of everyone around them. The lowest level among them was Level 51 while the highest was the Elven Mage at Level 55.
“So this is Calore, eh? It’s a lot less lively compared to our Orc King City,” the Orc Warrior remarked with a hint of disdain.
The portly Shaman Doctor gazed at the players walking up and down the street. “Don’t be so quick to judge. The map layout here is different from the Satreen Empire. Orc King City is surrounded by many Level 30–60 maps. It’s not strange the city is at the height of activity right now. All of Calore’s players are spread out over several hundred surrounding towns and villages. Even though at a glance Calore seems quiet and empty compared to Orc King City, their population is at least two times larger than ours.”
The Orc Warrior lightly grunted while the others nodded in acknowledgement. Although they each had their pride, they showed respect to the Shaman Doctor. It appeared this portly player was the de facto leader of the group.
“Flying Cat, I heard you have a classmate in Victorious Return. Why don’t you call them over to show us around? I have no problem compensating them for their time,” the Shaman Doctor said. They were travellers in an unfamiliar city. It would be best if they found a guide.
Flying Cat, who was the Elven Thief, thought for a moment before nodding in understanding. “Alright, I’ll get in touch with him.”
“Love Guru, do you know when the Elite Knight Corps are recruiting again?” the Orc Warrior casually asked as he looked around at the sights.
The Elite Knight Corps was the strongest group of Warriors in Angel Corps. They currently comprised 50 members.
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Angel after we return,” the Shaman Doctor replied indifferently as he looked around at the nearby shops. Their mission for coming to Calore was to gather intel on one of their potential rivals, Asskickers United. It would be great if he could bring back some useful information.
“How could I ask the guild leader?” The Orc Warrior gave a bitter smile.
“You’re a veteran member of Angel Corps. How can we help you if you’re failing to meet the mark? If you really want to join the Elite Knight Corps that badly, figure out a way to enter the top 50 first,” Love Guru said. He was a high-ranking member who held significant sway in Angel Corps.
The Orc Warrior was the weakest in the group. The rest of them all ranked within the top 100 of Angel Corps. Love Guru was ranked 7th, but his influence was only second to Soaring Angel. His connections were deep. Angel Corps wouldn’t be what it was today without him.
“Give me a break! All those players in the top 50 are a bunch of freaks! It would be easier to scale Mt. Everest!” the Orc Warrior exclaimed dejectedly. Back when Angel Corps was running around in other virtual reality games, he had always been in the top 50. But things changed after entering Conviction. Angel Corps had gotten ahead of the competition and secured a lion’s share of the real-estate market in Orc King City. They received the support of two giant companies and later on the favour of the Century Financial Group. Their popularity soared overnight, with a large number of new recruits joining every day. After crushing all the other guilds in Orc King City beneath their feet, they stood at the top unrivalled. The Orc Warrior gave it his all, competing with the galaxy of talent in the guild, but gradually lost his top 50 ranking. Due to him being a long-standing member, he could still run dungeons with Love Guru and the other veteran members frequently. But his ranking in Angel Corps had already dropped down to the top 700.
Love Guru laughed and comforted the Orc Warrior. “You’re a veteran member of Fallen Angel. All of us know how many years you’ve toiled for the guild. As long as the guild stands, you will never be mistreated. But you also need to shape up. It would be shameful if we veterans lose to those new recruits. We’re eventually going to control the entire Satreen Empire and even expand into the Viridian Empire. You better be there too! Don’t fall behind.”
“Yes, Love Guru!” The Orc Warrior nodded emotionally.
Love Guru and his group visited the Starry Night Potion Shop, the several auction houses in Calore, and a few NPCs. All the while Love Guru was carrying out his mission as he recorded down any information related to Asskickers United that entered his ears.
...
Cripps Stronghold. Asskickers United’s arrival destroyed the tranquility of this place. There were players on every street, clearing away the Phantom Swordsmen, as they slowly pressed forward.
Nie Yan led a group of 500 players through the main street as he advanced toward the heart of the Cripps Stronghold. Only now did he truly understand the strength of numbers!
All Nie Yan had to do was pass down an order whenever they encountered an elite, and a shower of spells would rain down from the sky, blasting the enemy into smithereens. Although some accidents occurred, such as Phantom Swordsmen managing to reach their backline and slaughtering the Mages, they were quickly dealt with.
Thanks to the large number of Priests with Revive, their losses were greatly reduced. At most players who died would lose a bit of experience.
Nie Yan spotted a giant creature in a plaza up ahead.
Black Mammoth (Lord): Level 50
Health: 230,000/230,000
This Black Mammoth stood over four meters tall. Taking on a level 50 Lord directly was extremely difficult. This was a flat plaza, there were no environmental obstacles to take advantage of. All they could do was allow the Fighters to tank it head on. This Black Mammoth was also guarded by more than 60 Phantom Swordsmen. Before dealing with the Black Mammoth, they would have to clear out the Phantom Swordsmen first.
“Bladelight, Lofty Shadow, Yi Yan, take the right flank. Listen to my command, charge straight for the Black Mammoth. Young Seven, Painted Muslin, Heaven, each of you will be supporting one of them. Don’t let them die!” Nie Yan examined how the Phantom Swordsmen were spread out and immediately passed down his orders.
“Isn’t that too dangerous?” Young Seven asked worriedly. He was the cautious type that preferred to minimize risk. In his mind it was too risky to face the Black Mammoth without first clearing away the Phantom Swordsmen. If Bladelight, Lofty Shadow, and Yi Yan were surrounded, it wouldn’t matter how many Priests there were to heal them.
“It’s fine, I have a plan. Who here can cast Frost Rain?” Nie Yan asked the Elementalists.
“I can,” Lustboy answered. Today was his first time seeing Nie Yan in person. Before this he had only seen him in videos. He couldn’t help but bubble with excitement.
Nie Yan glanced at Lustboy who looked to be around 18 years old. It was amazing such a youth could enter the top ranks of Asskickers United. In the entire guild perhaps only Sun was younger than him.
“I can also cast Frost Rain,” Undying Scoundrel said. Even though Frost Rain dealt pitiful damage, its ability to slow the enemy to a crawl was highly valued by top-ranking players.
Two players with Frost Rain, it was enough.
Seeing Nie Yan asking for players who could cast Frost Rain, Young Seven faintly smiled. He finally understood the plan.
Nie Yan had planned everything out step by step. He stationed the players who could cast area-of-effect spells in suitable vantage points.
After finishing his preparations, Nie Yan turned to Bladelight and the others. “You guys can start now. Be careful. We’ll provide cover fire for you. You must reach the Black Mammoth and secure its aggro at all costs.”
Bladelight chuckled and gave a thumbs up. He was completely confident.
These teammates were all outstanding players. All Nie Yan had to do was explain once and they would immediately understand his thoughts. On top of this, they weren’t afraid to raise their concerns and share their opinions. As for teamwork, they were always running dungeons together, so there was no problem in that respect.
“Alright, let’s begin,” Nie Yan ordered.
Before long, the players all got into position. Bladelight, Lofty Shadow, and Yi Yan drank Invisibility Potions and started heading towards the Black Mammoth.
Seeing them leave, Nie Yan gave his orders. Looking around, all the Mages who could cast area-of-effect magic were in position and had finished their preparations.