ตอน 34: Killing Spree (1)
Point out any errors I made in the chapters, as I'm very lazy and sometimes can't be bothered to reread them. Also give your opinions on something I should change or add.
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The Silverleaf Forest, also called the Silver Forest by players, was a place filled with monsters ranging from Level 18 to Level 25. It was a rich land.
As to why it was called "rich," it was because the monsters here were a great source for high-quality leather. These leathers were important materials used in the production of bags and leather armor. Moreover, the monsters here also dropped high-quality meat.
Most importantly, however, there were a total of fourteen Field Bosses present in this Silverleaf Forest. Field Bosses were one of the main sources of income for Guilds. Also, unlike Team Dungeons, which would reset only once every three days, Field Bosses respawned daily. The improvement these Field Bosses could bring to a Guild's equipment was quite significant.
It was also the reason why Fire Dance had led Zero Wing's core team here to kill Field Bosses in the previous timeline, and she led them here this time again for the ambush for old times sake.
Now, however, the Silverleaf Forest swarmed with members of Dark Star. These players were grouped into smaller teams of a dozen or so players and larger teams with as many as a hundred or so players. Meanwhile, each and every one of these players was currently out searching for members of Zero Wing.
"Master Tyrant, we need to speed up our operations. If we wait until Gentle Snow's people arrive, it will be difficult if we wish to wipe out Zero Wing's main force," South Wolf said as he looked at Lone Tyrant.
"For her to actually willingly send out reinforcements, it seems that woman really does have a deep relationship with Zero Wing." Lone Tyrant was slightly surprised. His lips then curled into a sneer as he said, "Even so, she is too late. We've already searched through the majority of this Silverleaf Forest. We've also tightly blockaded the three exits for this place. In addition, we've also placed a Guild War Order to seal off the entire Silverleaf Forest, so the bastards won't be able to simply return to the city using a Return Scroll. It won't be long before we will find them and get rid of them.
"However, even if they did use a Return Scroll and returned to the city, their Red Names would get them killed by the guards the moment they arrived. They would also get locked up and lose their freedom for a long period of time. Such a penalty would be much worse than simply getting killed by us."
South Wolf nodded in agreement.
In order to deal with Zero Wing's main force this time, Dark Star had spared no effort, sending out all the elite members it had. Even Underworld had sent a team of Underworld Guards into the fray. There were over 10,000 players participating in the hunt this time around, and of those, 6,000 were used to hinder Zero Wing's reinforcements.
With its current power, Zero Wing definitely could not contend against these 6,000 players.
However, South Wolf himself could not help but admit that Zero Wing indeed possessed some real ability.
Even when they were ambushed, they had still reacted in an extremely calm manner. They had immediately launched a counterattack and bravely fought back. Moreover, many within their ranks possessed incredible techniques.
This time, Dark Star had lost over two thousand members, but didn't manage to kill any of Zero Wing's powerful core members, only killing a few hundred of the other less skilled ones.
South Wolf found this result simply unbelievable.
The reason being, of the two thousand-plus members that died, over 600 were elite members of Dark Star. Their fighting techniques could definitely be considered first-rate. The most unbelievable part was that even many members of the Underworld Guards had been killed by Zero Wing.
However, that was it. So what if Zero Wing was top-notch when it came to Dungeon raiding? In a field battle, numbers triumphed over everything else.
This was an unchangeable fact for all games.
"It's a pity that we didn't manage to locate Black Flame or Ye Feng. If we could deal with them as well, we can thoroughly remove Zero Wing's name from White River City. We'll see if they dare act presumptuously in front of Young Master Feng again." South Wolf's hatred of Ye Feng had never dissipated in the slightest, and he had always intended to fulfill the words he had spoken before. However, now that they were about to get rid of Zero Wing's main force, the anger in his heart had lessened slightly.
"Relax, those two will soon be finished as well. In White River City, nobody can protect them. Even the elites led by Gentle Snow won't be able to do so," Lone Tyrant said proudly.
"How so?" asked South Wolf, somewhat surprised.
"If Zero Wing can make allies, why can't Dark Star do so as well?" Lone Tyrant softly chuckled.
"Allies?" This was the first time South Wolf was hearing about this.
"Of course you wouldn't know about this matter; this is a heavily guarded secret of Dark Star. I made this alliance precisely to forestall Gentle Snow's intervention, and also to prevent them from joining together with Zero Wing to deal with us," Lone Tyrant said pridefully, as if he had full control over everything. "If Gentle Snow wishes to bring reinforcements over, she'll have to first see if she can arrive at the Silverleaf Forest's entrance.
"Regarding the matter of exterminating Zero Wing, this time, you can rest assured. You just need to remind Vice-Leader Feng of the agreement we made."
"Guild Leader Tyrant can rest assured on this matter. As long as you complete the task this time, we will definitely deliver the 100 million Credits and weekly funding of 150 Gold that we promised." South Wolf laughed.
"Fine, as long as you guys don't forget your promise." Lone Tyrant nodded in satisfaction. In truth, he did not place much importance on Zero Wing. When Feng Xuanyang had asked him to deal with Black Flame and Zero Wing, Lone Tyrant had simply agreed, not giving the request much thought. After all, Lone Tyrant had never acknowledged Zero Wing as Dark Star's opponent. His true enemy was only one person—Gentle Snow.
However, the capital injection offered by Feng Xuanyang this time around was quite attractive, so Lone Tyrant naturally yielded to his request.
With this capital injection, he would be able to contend against Gentle Snow for White River City on an equal footing. As an added bonus, he could also gain plenty of good equipment from Zero Wing.
"Guild Leader, we've found them," an Assassin suddenly said in the team chat.
"Good, we'll head over there immediately." Lone Tyrant softly chuckled. He then gave a command through the Guild channel, saying, "Everyone, hurry over to that location! We musn't let them escape this time! The precious equipment on their bodies are waving their hands at us!"
Immediately, all the members of Dark Star that had come to the Silverleaf Forest cheered loudly.
They had long since been drooling over Zero Wing's precious equipment. What Secret-Silver Equipment? Many members of Zero Wing's main force possessed Fine-Gold Equipment, and some even Dark-Gold Equipment!
---
Meanwhile, at one of the dense thickets of the Silverleaf Forest, a figure suddenly appeared. The figure stumbled as if it was drunk and hunched over like it was about to throw up, but didn't, and straightened itself a moment later before scanning the surroundings to see if there was anyone around that it needed to silence about the embarrassing scene just now.
"I'm fine." Feng reassured himself as he took in deep breaths and stabilized his nauseas self.
After arriving at the Stream Fort from White River City and using Space Movement to get to the Silverleaf Forest, Feng realized that he had made the grave mistake of forgetting that he was still under the Overdose effect.
Meanwhile, the nausea that he had managed to previously suppress came back many times stronger after stepping through the spatial crack and moving through that unstable space to come out near the entrance of the Silverleaf Forest.
In order to prevent himself from throwing up, Feng even had to lie down for a while and pull himself back together. After recovering, Feng no longer dared to use Space Movement in his current state and instead opted to use the Space Helmet's Spatial Shift which instantly moves him to his desired location instead of opening a spatial crack for him to go through in order to sneak into the Silverleaf Forest.
Although Spatial Shift stirred him up as well due to him suddenly changing places, it was nowhere near as bad as Space Movement, and he managed to quickly recover.
Just as Feng was about to contact Fire, a call came from Gentle Snow.
"We got ambushed by 500 or so elite players, so it may be a little later before we can reach the Silverleaf Forest," Gentle Snow apologized.
"Ambushed? Was it Dark Star" Feng simply asked in order to get the conversation going.
"We weren't ambushed by players from Dark Star." Gentle Snow shook her head.
"No? Is it Underworld, then?"
"No. They're elites from World Dominators. My guess is that Dark Star has already joined hands with World Dominators." Gentle Snow then suggested, "It won't be possible for my side to break through any time soon. If your reinforcements really can't break through, you all should just give up. If we wait until World Dominators' troops head over there and carry out a pincer attack against you, then Zero Wing will truly be finished."
"I know." Feng responded
Dark Star wasn't planning on just giving a huge blow to Zero Wing this time. Instead, they intended to wipe out Zero Wing, removing it as a threat completely.
The reinforcements form Ouroboros definitely won't make it now.
Zero Wing's forces had also been blocked at the outer perimeter of the Silverleaf Forest.
According to Feng's understanding, Dark Star currently had over 3,000 members searching inside the Silverleaf Forest, including practically all of Dark Star's elites. The 6,000 or so players blockading the outer perimeter were merely cannon fodder.
If this stalemate continued, World Dominators might succeed in carrying out a pincer attack with Dark Star. Not that it would matter, though, as they'd all simply be wiped out by Fire and the others.
"Aqua, would it be possible to break through on your side?" Feng contacted Aqua Rose and asked.
"With the current numbers we have at hand, definitely not. However, I've already mentioned this matter in the Guild channel and have sent for more members to hurry over. We should be able to gather another 3,000 members in half an hour. The level and quality of equipment of our Guild members are much higher than Dark Star's, so as long as we can join with these 3,000 members, we can break through their blockade," Aqua Rose said confidently. She had faith in their Guild's combat prowess.
Although Zero Wing had far fewer members than Dark Star, with Dark Star having well over 30,000 members, there wasn't much of a difference in the number of elite players each Guild possessed.
Of Dark Star's 30,000 members, more than 10,000 were newbies around Level 10. Meanwhile, the elites that managed to reach Level 16 only numbered around 6,000. On the other hand, despite recruiting only a small amount of players, their member count only hovering slightly above 5,000, there were actually over 4,000 elites in Zero Wing who were over Level 16.
If other Guilds discovered this fact, they would be shocked. This was also why Aqua Rose had maintained an optimistic view of Zero Wing's future.
As long as Zero Wing could assemble these remaining 3,000 members, they could easily deal with Dark Star's 6,000 extras.
However, it would be impossible for them to engage in an all-out war against Dark Star. After all, there was still a big gap in the total number of elites each Guild possessed. On top of that, Dark Star still had over 10,000 extras. Even if their combat prowess was weak, they could still overwhelm and kill Zero Wing's elites using the advantage of numbers.
"I understand. World Dominators is currently hindering Gentle Snow's group. You should stop trying to break through into the Silverleaf Forest from your side. Instead, turn around and begin a pincer attack on World Dominators. Let's take this chance to kick them out of White River City," Feng issued his commands without a second thought.
However, Feng's words had shocked Aqua Rose into a daze.
"Guild Leader, we're here to save people. Wouldn't it be a bad idea to start a war with World Dominators right now?" Aqua Rose asked worriedly.
World Dominators was a first-rate Guild. Although the main force of World Dominators was not based in White River City, they still should not be taken lightly. Just like Ouroboros, even though their main force was based outside of White River City, they were still the top Guild in White River City. Moreover, wasn't World Dominators similarly one of the top six Guilds in White River City?
If Zero Wing headed over and attacked the members of World Dominators right now, it would be a declaration of war.
Dealing with Dark Star was already a huge headache. If they had to face another one of the top six Guilds in White River City, how could Zero Wing continue mingling in White River City?
"It'll be alright; just go. Remember, the moment you arrive, immediately use a Guild War Order to seal the location. Don't allow anyone from World Dominators to use a Return Scroll to leave that area and make sure you kill every single one of those bastards. Teach them that there is a price to pay if they wish to take advantage of Zero Wing," Feng casually commanded.
Although Feng advocated a low-profile and secretive development, that did not mean that he would receive enemies with a smile, even when said enemy banged on their front door.
Whether it was Dark Star or World Dominators, if they really thought Zero Wing was a sickly animal that they could easily bully, they should get ready to pay a heavy price.
"But what do we do about Fire Dance and the others? There are still more than a dozen players with them, and they are all the cream of the crop of our Guild. Now that they are all Red Names, if they die, our Guild will suffer tremendous losses." Although Aqua Rose could discern Feng's killing intent from the tone of his voice, she still tried to dissuade him.
"I'll save Fire and the others." Feng answered with absolute confidence.
Aqua Rose sighed at Feng's answer. However, she no longer chose to pursue the matter, and instead, she said, "Fine, but as the Guild Leader of Zero Wing, don't you think you should say a few words to your fellow Guild members as well? You haven't expressed your intentions since Dark Star declared war against us. Although nobody in the Guild has said anything about it, considering the weight of this incident and the declaration of war against World Dominators, how can you stay silent?"
After the war with Dark Star began, both murderous intentions and excitement swept through everyone in Zero Wing. Many in the Guild had expressed their eagerness for vengeance, speaking in the Guild channel about how they were going to teach the bastards from Dark Star a lesson and show Dark Star know how amazing Zero Wing was.
However, as the intensity of the battle between both Guilds grew, and the number of deaths increased, the atmosphere in Zero Wing became heavy. Even though they had fought for so long, they still hadn't managed to break past Dark Star's blockade around the Silverleaf Forest. The number of dead Zero Wing elites inside the Silverleaf Forest also grew as time passed. Hence, it was inevitable that Zero Wing's momentum would falter.
At this point, most of the Zero Wing members had already lost their motivation to continue fighting, not to mention carrying out a pincer attack on World Dominators.
Feng, of course, was aware of Aqua Rose's concerns. However, compared to just speaking through the Guild channel, Feng had taken more decisive action and directly uploaded a post to the official forums.
Dark Star, today you've dared to send tens of thousands of players to hunt the hundreds of players of Zero Wing. My Zero Wing Guild will return this slight one hundredfold! Even if we're down to our very last breath, we will massacre your 30,000 members as payback!
The name of Black Flame, the Chief Forger of Star-Moon Kingdom, had long since spread throughout the Star-Moon Kingdom. Moreover, Zero Wing was also the first Guild to own a Guild Residence.
The moment this post uploaded, it immediately garnered the attention of the residents of Star-Moon Kingdom.
"Crap! Are they starting an all-out war?"
"I show my support for Zero Wing! Zero Wing is as amazing as expected! Even though there are only several hundred, Dark Star actually had to send tens of thousands of players to hunt them!"
"Does anybody know the final result?"
"I heard that Zero Wing had lost a few hundred members to Dark Star already, and there are still a few dozen being hunted down. On the other hand, Dark Star has already lost over two thousand members. Right now, every player in White River City is discussing this matter."
"Amazing! With just several hundred players on their side, even when faced with more than ten thousand players, they can still kill over two thousand players! Dozens are still alive, too! I also want to join Zero Wing and become an expert!"
"I despise Dark Star! If they can, they should duel Zero Wing fairly! What's so great about using numbers to bully someone?"
"I am one of the members of Zero Wing that had been surrounded and killed.
You guys should have seen how amazing our Guild's Sister Fire and Brother Black fought! Sister Fire weaved across thousands of players, killing over four hundred Dark Star members in a row! Brother Black's spells instantly vaporized hundreds of Dark Star members the moment it landed! I have a video recording of the battle, so come to Zero Wing's forum section if you want to have a look at it!"
After Feng uploaded his post, the entire forum exploded in a storm of comments. The players that had only recently started playing God's Domain also started paying attention to Zero Wing as a result of this commotion, especially after seeing the battlefield containing thousands of players.
In comparison, the battle scenes they usually saw in movies were boring. The scene where countless stars crashed onto the battlefield, destroying the land and instantly turning hundreds of players into ash, especially stunned them. They couldn't help their boiling blood after watching this scene.
After watching this video, many players started considering joining Zero Wing.
Feng had used the name of Black Flame when he uploaded his post. Hence, just a few minutes after the post when live, it had already received a massive amount of visitors. The number of replies easily passed ten thousand. Shortly after, the post had been automatically pinned at the top of the forums by the game officials, and there was also an additional bright red "War" tag on the post.
This single word was eye-catching.
Meanwhile, due to Feng's post, the originally crestfallen Guild members' fighting spirits immediately reignited, and they hungered for Dark Star's death.
Moreover, the video of Dark Star's ambush of Zero Wing had also shocked its viewers. The video allowed everyone to understand that even players could become so powerful. When the Stars of Light descended, the scene seemed as if the world was coming to an end, and within an instant, hundreds of players had been vaporized. Even players outside of the spell's damage range were not spared as the wind generated by the spell's impact sent them flying.
Seeing the power of this skill, everyone finally understood why Blackie had such a high Level.
While everyone else struggled to kill a single monster, Blackie could simply lure several hundred monsters and kill all of them with a single move. How could anybody hope to compare to such a leveling speed?
After watching this video, countless players started dreaming of the day that they, too, could possess such power.
Such a skill was far more useful than any piece of quality equipment.
"Dark Star, just you wait! I will kill everyone who tries to block our way!"
"That's right! Brother Black and Sister Fire are waiting for us right now! How can we be so shameful? Aren't they just 6,000 monkeys? Even if I have to die ten times over, I will extinguish Dark Star!"
The members of Zero Wing all released spirited battle-cries as they glared at the members of Dark Star blocking their path.
As long as Aqua Rose gave the command, they would charge and take action.
However, just as they turned their gazes to Aqua Rose, Zero Wing's Vice-Leader, Feng's voice suddenly dominated the Guild channel.
"I'm sure everyone is clear about what has happened today. Dark Star has declared all-out war against us, and they wish to wipe our names from White River City. Although we, Zero Wing, have just started our journey and the member count of our Guild cannot compare to the other Guilds in White River City, Dark Star has actually started a war with us, thinking that we are easy to bully. What do you all think we should do about this?"
"Kill them all!"
...
"That's right! Why should we fear fighting back?! Now, let's show those bastards that, if they wish to swallow us whole, they should prepare to lose a few teeth!
"Since everyone is going to try their best, as the Guild Leader, I cannot be stingy. Before the battle, I sent for someone to retrieve some battle tools stored inside the Guild Warehouse. Everyone should now look for Vice-Leader Aqua Rose for your share. Also, for those who participate in today's battle, you will gain 10 Guild Points for each enemy you kill. Those who manage to accumulate 10 kills will be rewarded one piece of Secret-Silver Equipment; while those who kill 50 will get a piece of Fine-Gold Equipment! If you manage to kill 100, you will even receive a Private Room in the Guild Residence! Even if you die in battle, you will still receive 10 Guild Points as compensation!"
The moment Feng finished his monolog, everyone's hearts beat fervently, and their eyes glowed with excitement.
Zero Wing's administration was very thorough, and one could only use Guild Points to exchange for items from the Guild Warehouse. However, it was extremely difficult for members to earn Guild Points. If converted to Coins, each Guild Point was worth around 30 Copper. Meanwhile, trading them for a Level 10 Bronze Equipment required 30 Guild Points, which would be 9 Silver Coins. Currently, Level 10 Bronze Equipment only sold for around 7 to 8 Silver Coins on the market. To put it simply, it was not a worthwhile exchange. It was also for this reason that another batch of players had withdrawn from the Guild.
In fact, this was something Feng and Aqua had already taken into consideration. If the Guild sold equipment cheaper than market price, then many members would try to take advantage of this fact to trade for Guild equipment to resell elsewhere. They could then use the money to buy Guild Points again. Hence, the high prices were set to prevent an outflow of Guild equipment and items.
However, after the emergence of the Guild Residence and the additional benefit of renting Private Rooms, everyone in the Guild no longer had a disfavorable opinion of the Guild's administration. On the contrary, they all felt that the administration was extremely fair.
Private Rooms were something ordinary players dared not even dream of obtaining in other Guilds. After all, the land in White River City and each Guild Residence could only contain a limited number of Private Rooms. Meanwhile, the higher-ups of the Guild would surely occupy these rooms. Ordinary members would never be able to enjoy this benefit. Yet, Zero Wing had defied all expectations and actually opened up a few Private Rooms for ordinary members.
Ordinary members of Zero Wing could actually rent these Private Rooms for a low cost of only two Guild Points per day.
Although the price was slightly higher than staying a night at a Hotel, unlike Hotels, one could accumulate Double EXP buffs from Private Rooms. With this feature, it was definitely worth spending a few extra Copper Coins.
The members present in this battle also heard of the benefits provided by other Guilds. Although other Guilds also provided rewards and compensation to its members for killing and dying in battle, the amount offered was far worse than Feng's.
Ten Guild Points equalled to 3 Silver Coins...
There were 3,000 members participating in this battle. If each one of them managed to kill one enemy, the total Guild Points awarded would be the equivalent of 9,000 Silver Coins or 90 Gold. This was a massive sum of money. Moreover, Feng also promised to compensate for each Guild member's death. At the very least, he would have to spend over 100 Gold.
If converted to Credits, 100 Gold would be worth over one million.
This situation reaffirmed everyone's confidence in Zero Wing's financial resources and background. With such great benefits, powerful financial resources, and most importantly, such an amazing Guild Leader, was it possible for such a Guild not to grow powerful?
"Even if I have to die, I'll still drag at least ten guys with me!"
"Humph! Don't you have any ambition? Didn't you hear the Guild Leader say that he would reward those who manage to get 100 kills with their own Private Room?"
"You have to be capable of actually doing that first!"
"Have you not seen how easily Brother Black and Sister Fire managed it?"
"..."
The momentum pushing the Guild members to kill their enemies was stronger than ever now. Although the Guild would only rent out not sell, any of the Private Rooms, one could imagine how much a Private Room would cost. It was definitely not something worth a measly 1,000 Guild Points.
Although their chances of actually killing 100 people were slim, there was still a small possibility. Naturally, they would fight for that glimmer of hope.
"Everyone, come to me to receive the Frost Grenades. Each person will only get two. Party leaders will get three Frost Grenades and one Tier 0 Attack or Defense Magic Scroll. Team leaders and vice team leaders will receive five Frost Grenades and one Tier 1 Magic Scroll." After Feng finished his speech, Aqua Rose started distributing the supportive tools to every Guild member.
In order to display Zero Wing's might to everyone in Star-Moon Kingdom, Feng retrieved all the supportive tools from inside the Guild Warehouse for this battle. At least, the low level ones.
The moment everyone received the supportive tools, everyone felt even more certain of their victory over Dark Star. Just by arming all of them with a single Frost Grenade, they could easily force Dark Star's 6,000 members to eat a huge loss. Adding in the control effect of the Frost Grenades, their chances of defeating these 6,000 players increased by at least 30%.
"Vice-Leader Aqua, how should we fight? We'll all listen to your commands!"
"That's right! With these tools of war, I can easily kill over ten people and earn a ton!"
"One hundred people, here I come! Let's hope that those bastards don't run away!"
Everyone started joking around as they felt confident in defeating Dark Star now.
"Since everyone is ready, follow me." Aqua Rose nodded. The next moment, however, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction of the Silverleaf Forest.
Deep inside the Silverleaf Forest...
"Boss, I don't know what's going on with Zero Wing, but they've retreated from Silverleaf Forest's entrance," an Assassin who used Stealth to stalk Zero Wing's troops reported in the team chat. "It seems that they're giving up on trying to get in."
"Hahaha! That Black Flame made such a bold statement, yet, now, he's fleeing with his tail between his legs? If we upload this news to the forums, he will definitely become a laughing stock!" South Wolf laughed loudly when he received this report.
Lone Tyrant's lips curled into a sneer as well, saying contemptuously, "Zero Wing is just a gathering of nobodies. Since the very beginning, they have never stood a chance at victory. They should consider themselves lucky. If they waited until we finished wiping out Zero Wing's core team, we would have turned around and begun a pincer attack on them with World Dominators. At that time, even their remaining three to four thousand members would have no hope, and Zero Wing would utterly disappear from White River City."
"Guild Leader Tyrant is as amazing as expected. It turns out that you had such a plan readied as well; no wonder you are an expert capable of competing with Gentle Snow over White River City. Not only do you possess extraordinary strength, but your intellect is also at the top of White River City!" South Wolf flattered as he came to a realization. "As long as you can remove Zero Wing's name from White River City, the only obstacle in your way will be Ouroboros. However, with Dark Star and World Dominators working together, even the team led by Gentle Snow would no longer pose a threat. At that time, Guild Leader Tyrant would become the true overlord of White River City."
"It's still too early to make such claims." Lone Tyrant chuckled as pleasure filled his heart. He then continued, saying, "Ultimately, Gentle Snow is a well-known expert and leader in the virtual gaming world. I'm afraid that I'll need more strength before I can chase her out of White River City. When the time comes, it will also depend on whether or not Underworld plays its part."
"Hahaha! Guild Leader Tyrant can rest assured! As long as Dark Star possesses a high chance of becoming the overlord of White River City, Underworld will invest greatly in it. When the time comes, Underworld will send even more experts to help Dark Star solidify its position as overlord."
South Wolf laughed, answering with certainty.
"With your word, South Wolf, I can rest assured." Lone Tyrant laughed with South Wolf.
Currently, confidence regarding Dark Star's future filled Lone Tyrant.
"Now that Zero Wing has given up on saving Fire Dance and the core members, although I pity them slightly, we should still quickly end their lives." When South Wolf thought of Fire Dance's sexy body, a lecherous smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
---
Elsewhere, Fire Dance and her group were currently in a very precarious situation. Players from Dark Star had them surrounded, and although they had constantly carved out a path of bodies, they could not use Return Scrolls to escape. Dark Star had the Silverleaf Forest under siege, and all exits were blocked. If this situation continued, they would, sooner or later, lose their lives.
However, they could not afford to die. At this moment, there were only around 50 players remaining in their team, and they were all Red Names, with some of their names almost being completely black. As for Fire, Blackie and Cola, their names had already turned completely black now. If they died, losing three or four levels would only be a small matter. The most crucial point was that they could not afford the loss of their equipment.
Though, that's only what it looked like on the outside. In reality, Fire and the others were far from trapped, and they were only putting on a show to lure Dark Star further until they received Feng's orders.
Currently, the members of Zero Wing's core team were relaxing and chatting away casually among the trees, as if they weren't in the middle of a battle field and being hunted down. Even the members like Lonely Snow who haven't had their memories restored were completely relaxed after the situation had been explained to them, as they knew there was no risk of them dying and that they were currently only acting as bait.
The chatter came to a sudden end after Feng contacted Fire and suddenly joined the team.
"The Guild Leader is here."
"Thank god, we can finally finish this and leave this place. I was starting to get bored out my mind."
Everyone's bored and casual attitudes instantly disappeared when Feng joined the team, replaced with ones of excitement and relief. Most of the people here were the ones who had their memories returned, so they naturally treated this situation as nothing and have been incredibly bored.
In fact, all of them were more or less proud experts, so all this running around from these weaklings and pretending to be weak didn't exactly sit right with them. But as it is Feng's order, they could only suck it up and deal with it. Now that Feng is here and this fiasco would soon come to an end, they were all naturally glad.
Some of them, though, didn't show much of an reaction and they simply remained indifferent while waiting for Feng to speak. This was especially so for the pink haired girl who sat separated from everyone else with her eyes still closed and a cold expression on her face, simply awaiting orders.
"Seems like everyone is in a good mood." Feng responded to the team's enthusiasm, "Alright, it's about time to prepare a closing for this little show. Head to these coordinates." Feng finished as he sent a location in the team chat, planning for his guild members to act out one final scene, before he ended this ridiculous little squabble.
Following which, Feng disconnected his call with Fire and headed to the meeting location that he gave Fire's group.
---
On the gravel road leading to the Silverleaf Forest, the players from World Dominators had already started battling the players from Ouroboros.
Throughout their battle, both sides had constantly sent for more reinforcements, involving more and more players in the fray.
Both sides were first-rate Guilds with extraordinary backgrounds. To hinder Gentle Snow's advance, World Dominators had sent over 10,000 players to this fight. Meanwhile, Gentle Snow had even more players on her side. Currently, her army had increased to over 14,000 players. The intensity of the battle between these two Guilds far outstripped the battle between Dark Star and Zero Wing.
This massive encounter had shocked many players in White River City.
Just what was happening in White River City?
Why were four of the top six Guilds in White River City battling it out against each other? Moreover, it wasn't just a minor skirmish between Guilds. These four Guilds had actually started a full-fledged war against each other, where only one side would rest when the other was obliterated.
Such a situation was simply unimaginable in other cities. Players were still in the initial stages of God's Domain, and currently, every Guild in God's Domain fully occupied themselves with raiding Dungeons and development. Yet, these four Guilds in White River City actually dared to start a full-fledged war. Regardless of which side won or lost, they would all be losers in God's Domain.
"Snow, this war is getting out of hand. Both sides have already incurred over a thousand fatalities. If this situation continues, Emperor's Light and the Assassin's Alliance might be tempted to take advantage of the situation. I think we should retreat for now. After fighting for so long, we have fulfilled our duty to Zero Wing," Zhao Yueru urged as she looked at Gentle Snow who currently issued commands.
In reply to Zhao Yueru's suggestion, Gentle Snow merely shook her head and revealed a smile, not bothering to give any additional explanations.
"Are we just going to continue fighting like this?
"Although we have the advantage right now, if we wish to repel World Dominators, our losses will be immense. We might very well ruin the great advantage we have in White River City. Snow, you should know that the people of Star-Moon City have long since had an opinion of you. If we lose the advantage we have in White River City, they will take advantage of the situation and cause you trouble."
Zhao Yueru could not make sense of Gentle Snow's thoughts.
Although they were good friends with Black Flame, it wasn't enough of a reason to destroy the influence they had obtained through painstaking efforts.
The fight between their two Guilds was no longer a simple skirmish, but a war that involved over ten thousand people.
Without sufficient benefits, one should never start a war.
War was not a child's game. Not only were they required to give out rewards and compensation to the participants, but they also needed to pay for many other expenditures. To put it plainly, war was just a way for players to waste money. Though, it would not have mattered as much if they could pay these expenses using Credits. After all, their families in the real world were both wealthy and influential; they could easily ignore such insignificant expenses. However, what they were not spending Credits, but Coins, a commodity that could not be easily obtained.
If they continued fighting this war, the advantage they previously held over the other Guilds in White River City would fall behind significantly.
Zhao Yueru knew that Gentle Snow was a person who spoke of righteousness and possessed high morals. If it were for a personal matter, she would never allow her companions to fight in such a desperate war. It was also the reason many experts willingly followed and respected her.
Even if it were for personal reasons, Gentle Snow absolutely would not drag in the entirety of Ouroboros in White River City.
"Is Zero Wing truly worth the effort to attempt to win this battle and protect them?" Zhao Yueru asked in confusion.
"Yes. I believe my own foresight." Gentle Snow's crystal clear eyes glowed with firm confidence. In truth, Gentle Snow wanted to say that she believed in Black Flame and Ye Feng's potential.
In addition, there was also a great power hidden behind Black Flame. Even to this moment, Gentle Snow had yet to glean any important information about Black Flame.
Not only could he form a connection with the Starstreak Trading Firm, but he was also allowed to sell his products there. This was definitely not a feat that any ordinary power could help achieve. At the very least, to this day, Gentle Snow had yet to find any other Guild successfully forming a relationship with the NPCs of a trading firm. Moreover, the experts in Zero Wing had practically appeared from thin air. If one claimed that no power supported Zero Wing from behind, then how was it even possible for a recently established Guild like Zero Wing to draw in so many experts?
Hence, Gentle Snow felt confident that she had made the right decision.
However, if Gentle Snow discovered that Feng had simply recruited people in Jin Hai City who had been experts in the past, just what would her expression be? Well, that and the fact that they had memories of another life where they fought for over a decade.
---
As the desperate battle between Ouroboros and World Dominators continued, the Vice-Leader of World Dominators, Blood Halberd, experienced a slight headache.
"Has that Gentle Snow gone insane? Isn't she just helping out some foreign Guild? Is there a need to try so desperately?" Blood Halberd appeared disappointed and confused as he looked at the casualty report he had received. As of this moment, they had lost over 1,500 players. Just the compensation they had to pay out had already reached astronomical amounts. The more Blood Halberd read the death toll written in the report, the darker his expression became.
No matter how he considered things, World Dominators would undertake a huge loss this time.
"Guild Leader Tyrant, World Dominators has incurred an immense loss due to your great plan. If you don't compensate us appropriately, don't blame me if the relationship between our Guilds turns sour." Blood Halberd was furious now. He felt that Lone Tyrant had used him as cannon fodder.
"Vice-Leader Blood, please calm your anger. This entire incident was purely an accident. I did not expect Gentle Snow to be a madman. Rest assured, I will definitely compensate you for your losses." Lone Tyrant agreed to Blood Halberd's demands without hesitation. Or to put it in another way, he did not dare hesitate.
Although Dark Star was powerful in White River City, it was still weaker than Ouroboros.
If a misunderstanding occurred with World Dominators, it would be a disaster if they joined hands with Ouroboros to deal with Dark Star. Hence, Lone Tyrant had no choice but to compensate them. After all, he was the one who had requested World Dominators to hinder Ouroboros. However, Lone Tyrant's heart ached when he thought about how he needed to compensate for over 1,500 deaths.
"Fine. Since Guild Leader Tyrant has made such a promise, I won't say anything more."
---
While Blood Halberd and Lone Tyrant conversed, Aqua Rose and the members of Zero Wing finally arrived at the battlefield between Ouroboros and World Dominators.
"It's up to all of you now," Feng spoke in the Guild channel.
"Guild Leader, leave it to us! At worst, we will just have to die once. No matter what, we are going to teach World Dominators that, if they wish to join hands with Dark Star to face us, they better not think of leaving unscathed!"
"Right! Since they wish to start a war, we will show them that anybody who dares provoke Zero Wing will suffer the consequences!"
Energy filled the 3,000-plus members of Zero Wing that had hurried to the battlefield. The moment Feng gave the order, they would instantly transform into ferocious beasts and tear apart their enemies.
"Good, listen to my command. Assassins, your job is to use Stealth and sneak over to World Dominators' healers. Shield Warriors, Guardian Knights, Berserkers, and Swordsmen, all of you are to charge into the heart of World Dominators and break their formation. Healers, follow the group closely and keep everyone in the unit alive. As for ranged attackers, block their path of retreat. We will not let a single one of them leave here alive. Aqua Rose will be in charge of commanding the ranged classes."
Under Feng's commands, everyone from Zero Wing took organized action. Very quickly, more than 300 Assassins snuck to World Dominators' rear lines. Meanwhile, as all of the players from World Dominators were occupied with their battle against Ouroboros, none of them managed to discover the forces of Zero Wing arriving behind them, let alone the Assassins sneaking up on them.
"Assassins, confirm your targets. Have two people deal with each target and kill the healers with certainty. Do not give World Dominators a chance to react," Feng said in the Guild channel.
"Guild Leader, we're in position," the Assassin party leader reported.
"Good. On the count to five, take action together. After the Assassins make their move, Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights, remember to activate your lifesaving skills immediately as you start your charge. You all are to become a wall for everyone else and block off every bit of damage sent at you. As you move closer to World Dominators, everyone is to attack using the Frost Grenades that you received to break their first line of defense. Afterward, shatter their formation. Does everyone understand?" Feng said.
Following which, as Feng started his countdown, everyone began to grow nervous. It was especially true for the Assassins tasked with launching the first attacks.
Meanwhile, the healers of World Dominators stood comfortably in their positions as they carried out their duties. None of them had any sense of danger instilled in them at all.
However, they could not be blamed for this.
After all, they had an army of over ten thousand strong between the perceived enemy and themselves. No enemy should be able to touch them unless they broke through the defensive lines. Also, even if one or two players managed to sneak past the front lines, what could they possibly do to several hundred healers? The moment they revealed themselves, they would die instantly.
"Good! On my command!
"Five... Four... Three... Two... One.
"Kill! Let not a single one of them go!"
After Feng's command, all 300-plus Assassins took action simultaneously, with every two Assassins launching attacks on a single healer.
When ambushed by an Assassin, any ordinary healer would lose more than half of their HP, let alone an ambush by two elite Assassins.
Momentarily, many of World Dominators' healers felt a sting at the back of their heads. After they were forced into a Fainted state, two piercing cold daggers slashed across their necks, followed by two frightening damages appearing above their heads. In the next moment, their bodies were no longer under their control.
In the blink of an eye, World Dominators lost close to 200 healers. Immediately, Zero Wing's melee players began their charge.
A moment later, Aqua Rose used a Guild War Order to lock down the entire region, preventing any from using a Return Scroll to leave the battlefield.
The sudden loss of almost 200 healers stunned everyone from World Dominators.
"It's an ambush! Run!"
Faced with several hundred Assassins so close without any protectors by their side, the only way the healers of World Dominators could escape death was to run towards the main army of World Dominators.
However, healers were inherently slow. The Assassins from Zero Wing quickly caught up to them.
Originally, if these healers had worked together to retaliate against the Assassins from Zero Wing, they could have at least offered some semblance of resistance. It would not have been so easy to kill them.
However, their decision to run immediately created chaos, and those who could have originally survived died as well.
Without any healing or resistance, these healers were lambs to the slaughter. Zero Wing's Assassins killed them arbitrarily. By the time the rear guards of World Dominators came to the rescue, a majority of their healers were already dead.
Just as the surviving healers thought they were safe, they quickly discovered several thousand players charging in their direction. Every one of these players was like a ferocious tiger as they crashed into their enemy's ranks, and the several hundred players who served as World Dominators' rear guards were instantly dispersed. This situation allowed the Assassins to continue their slaughter of the healers.
"Guild Leader, not good! Our rear line has been ambushed, and we've lost over half of our healers already. These newcomers are fierce, and the rear line needs help to hold them off," one of the team leaders defending against Zero Wing's ambush hurriedly reported.
"What? Who are these people?" Blood Halberd had been busy issuing commands from the frontlines all this time. The moment he received the report, he immediately turned to look. He discovered that there were actually several thousand players charging and killing into their ranks, and anyone from World Dominators who tried to block their charge instantly died. These newcomers were like a sharp blade, instantly splitting World Dominators' forces in half with their precision charge.
World Dominators currently fought a desperate battle against Ouroboros, and the damage they received from such an ambush was self-evident.
Without the healers' support, the Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights who stood on the frontlines rapidly fell, one after another. The frontline was also continuously forced into a retreat, and within moments, over a hundred players from World Dominators had died.
"Damn! Just who are they? To actually dare start a war against World Dominators, do they not want to live anymore?" Blood Halberd's eyes had already become blood-red from anger. He wished he could immediately chop their ambushers into a million pieces.
"Guild Leader, they're wearing a six-winged emblem on their chests. They should be players from Zero Wing," a Ranger reported.
"Zero Wing? Weren't they fighting Dark Star? Why have they suddenly appeared here?" Questions filled Blood Halberd's mind. However, he halted his thoughts as he spoke through the Guild's war channel, "These losers have actually dared ambush us; they're simply overestimating themselves! Everyone, turn around and focus all your attacks on Zero Wing! Wipe these fools from Zero Wing out first!"
Blood Halberd was one of the upper echelons of World Dominators, and he had experienced many battles that involved tens of thousands of players in the past. Thus, he was very clear on what actions he needed to take right now.
World Dominators was no longer a match for Ouroboros in this battle. Now that Zero Wing had ambushed them from behind, launching a pincer attack with Ouroboros, World Dominators was in a fatal situation. If they continued this battle, they would suffer total annihilation. The only options they had was to either break through from one side, or defend their positions and wait for help.
Since the second option was clearly not viable, the only option they had left was to break through and escape this battlefield. However, it was clearly impossible for them to break through from Ouroboros' side. That left them with annihilating Zero Wing. Regarding numbers and total combat power, World Dominators was above Zero Wing by leaps and bounds.
Meanwhile, on Ouroboros's side, Gentle Snow very quickly noticed that someone had ambushed World Dominators. Moreover, the ambush came from directly behind World Dominators. Although Gentle Snow did not know who launched the attack, this was a great chance that she could not miss. They might even be able to give World Dominators a huge blow in this situation.
"Everyone, charge forward! Don't let World Dominators reorganize their formation!" Gentle Snow commanded her forces, wearing a faint smile on her face.
To readjust their formation, World Dominators turned around to attack Zero Wing. Unfortunately, that decision came at a high price. Unwittingly, World Dominators lost thousands of their members.
Blood Halberd's heart bled at this sight.
Although they had fought Ouroboros for a long time, they had only lost around 1,000 or so players. Now, in just a few short minutes, they lost several times that amount....
"Kill! Annihilate Zero Wing!" Blood Halberd bellowed through the Guild channel as he pointed his sword at Zero Wing's 3,000 members.
Currently, World Dominators still had close to 10,000 players alive. It would be an easy task for them to deal with just 3,000 players.
Both sides immediately entered a desperate struggle, flames and arrows filling the skies. A few independent players that stood a distance away were thoroughly shocked when they witnessed this scene. This battle was far more realistic and shocking than any movie they had watched before.
Sounds of smashing and swords clashing filled the surroundings. There was also the constant stream of spells bombarding the land, sending debris and dust flying into the air.
This was truly a bloody battlefield.
In this battlefield, personal strength was insignificant. When struck by hundreds of Fireballs and Frost Arrows, even the most powerful MTs would die instantly.
"Very good. It should be about time to use them now." Feng closely observed the battle through the live stream from Aqua Rose. After watching both sides clash for some time and seeing how closely packed the players on the enemy's side were, Feng commanded in the Guild channel, "Use all your Frost Grenades and Magic Scrolls now! Hold nothing back and use all of them at once!"
The members of Zero Wing who had long since hungered for this moment immediately tossed the Frost Grenades in their hands.
This time around, the members of Zero Wing only used Basic Frost Grenades. Moreover, Frost Grenades were only half as effective when used against players, so each Basic Frost Grenade only dealt 100 damage to players. However, with several thousand players using them simultaneously, the accumulated damage could easily exceed 10,000 points. Currently, a majority of the players in God's Domain were around Level 15, and even top-tier experts would be Level 20 at best.
Meanwhile, a Level 20 Shield Warrior or Guardian Knight would only have around 3,000 HP. In the face of so many Basic Frost Grenades, these players were cannon fodder; they could die at any given moment.
Shortly after the Basic Frost Grenades were thrown, a large swath of players from World Dominators died. As for those lucky enough to survive, they transformed into pure-white ice sculptures.
Immediately, the reinforcements from World Dominators who were just about to charge over were stunned stiff on the spot, intense fear permeating their hearts.
As for Gentle Snow who stood at a far distance, she had only noticed the center of the battlefield suddenly transforming into a snowy field.
In this lush, green land surrounded by blistering hot temperatures, this white contrast made for relatively beautiful scenery.
However, Blood Halberd was not in the mood to appreciate this pleasing sight. Zero Wing's combined Frost Grenade attack had instantly killed over 1,000 players. Adding in the follow-up control effect of the Frost Grenades and Ouroboros' continuous assault from behind, the death toll in this brief moment was at least 3,000.
Moreover, even without this wave of Frost Grenades, Blood Halberd had discovered something very important.
Although Zero Wing only had around 3,000 members, a large majority of them were elite players. Not only did they possess high Levels, but their equipment was also of good quality. With these two advantages, these players could easily take on two to three average players.
If the 10,000 or so players of World Dominators faced off against 3,000 average players, it would not take them very long to annihilate the latter and break out of this pincer attack. However, it was a completely different story if they faced 3,000 elite players. There was absolutely no way to break through this hurdle in a short time. Not to mention, they also had to pay a huge price to do so.
It was the same situation when World Dominators had initially hindered Ouroboros's advance towards the Silverleaf Forest. At that time, they had only used several hundred elite players to block Ouroboros's army of 2,000 players.
Now that World Dominators faced 3,000 elite players, in addition to the previous Frost Grenade attack, Blood Halberd began to consider suicide. If he had known about this earlier, he would have chosen to break through the pincer attack through Ouroboros's side. It would have been much easier that way.
How did Zero Wing come into possession so many elite players?
Blood Halberd could neither understand why nor did he try to understand it, as there was only one thing he could do right now.
"Everyone, listen to my command! All of you use Return Scrolls and leave this place immediately!" Blood Halberd shouted reluctantly in the Guild channel.
This could not be helped. If they received several more waves of Frost Grenade attacks from Zero Wing, in addition to Ouroboros' assault, World Dominators would be annihilated. There was only one thing they could do now.
Escape!
Although it would be both costly and time-consuming to use Return Scrolls, and even more people would die, it was a much better alternative than suffering total annihilation.
"Guild Leader, this is not good! This area has been sealed! We can't use Return Scrolls!"
His subordinate's report stunned Blood Halberd.
"Do they really intend to fight to the bitter end?!" Blood Halberd's eyes turned crimson, his current mood similar to an imminent volcanic eruption.
With the entire area sealed off, preventing the use of Return Scrolls, World Dominators had no way to escape.
The steep slopes on both sides of this area left only one line of movement available. One could only advance forward or retreat backward; there was no third option available. Right now, however, Ouroboros blocked the road back to the city, while Zero Wing blocked the road to the Silverleaf Forest.
Originally, Blood Halberd felt only contempt for Zero Wing's attempt to launch a pincer attack on World Dominators. Now that he had personally witnessed Zero Wing's strength, however, Blood Halberd no longer dared underestimate Zero Wing.
Whether it was Ouroboros or Zero Wing, neither of them was easy to deal with.
Blood Halberd's current situation could be perfectly described as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. However, inaction would similarly result in World Dominators' complete annihilation.
Originally, World Dominators had come to this place simply to aid Dark Star in delaying Ouroboros's advance. Now, however, they had become the center of the war.
"Everyone, defensive formation!" Blood Halberd commanded after a bit of thought, not daring to delay any longer.
The members of World Dominators immediately formed a circle to repel attacks from both sides and reduce their losses. Meanwhile, Blood Halberd sent out a communication request to Lone Tyrant.
Originally, Lone Tyrant was still joyous over locating Fire Dance's group. However, he suddenly received an urgent call from Blood Halberd.
"Vice-Leader Blood, I will definitely send over the compensation after this entire matter is dealt with. Please stop rushing me," Lone Tyrant said, slightly annoyed.
"Compensation?" Blood Halberd's anger boiled over when he heard this word. Originally, Dark Star was the one responsible for dealing with Zero Wing. However, World Dominators now had to handle both Zero Wing and Ouroboros, placing Blood Halberd's Guild in such a dangerous situation. Was this something mere compensation could make up for?
"Guild Leader Tyrant, I promised to help you delay Ouroboros, not to start an all-out war with them! Now, not only have you let Zero Wing's forces run away, you're even making World Dominators face two Guilds at once! Meanwhile, you, Guild Leader Tyrant, only know how to utter the word 'compensation'?! Guild Leader Tyrant, you're good! You're very good!" The more Blood Halberd spoke, the angrier he got. He felt that Lone Tyrant had plotted against World Dominators all this time.
First, Lone Tyrant had let them fight it out with Ouroboros. Then, he had allowed Zero Wing's forces to escape. In order to escape, Zero Wing could only pass through the area where World Dominators and Ouroboros were fighting. In the end, Zero Wing had no choice but to start a fight with World Dominators.
With this plan, Lone Tyrant could kill three birds with one stone. Success meant that three of the top six Guilds in White River City would receive a huge blow, with Dark Star the only beneficiary of this chaos.
Lone Tyrant was certain that there was a misunderstanding the moment he heard Blood Halberd's words. After all, he had not intentionally allowed Zero Wing to escape. Instead, the players from Zero Wing had left on their own, and they just happened to encounter World Dominators on their way back, which resulted in World Dominators suffering a pincer attack.
Everything was simply a coincidence.
As for Zero Wing's decision to directly oppose World Dominators, any normal person would not do that.
Currently, Dark Star was in an all-out war with Zero Wing, a war that would end only when one side was completely annihilated. Just before, Black Flame had even publicly declared that he would make Dark Star pay the price of 30,000 people. So, why would they suddenly go and provoke a first-rate Guild like World Dominators?
Only a person who wished to die a quicker death or a person with brain damage would declare war simultaneously on two of the top six Guilds in White River City.
However, no matter what Lone Tyrant said now, Blood Halberd definitely would not believe him.
Hence, Lone Tyrant hurriedly said, "Vice-Leader Blood, I truly know nothing about this matter. I'll send my army over there right away. If we execute a pincer attack, I'm sure we can wipe out Zero Wing."
"Well, come quickly, then!" Blood Halberd shouted in rage. The more he listened to Lone Tyrant speak, the more disgusted he was with this person. Lone Tyrant had actually used World Dominators as bait! However, the priority right now was for the Guild to escape this predicament; everything else was secondary.
"Okay, I'll have them head over immediately." Lone Tyrant ended the call and promptly contacted his troops stationed outside the Silverleaf Forest. Of the 6,000 players there, Lone Tyrant sent 5,000 over to deal with Zero Wing, while the remaining 1,000 stayed behind to continue blocking the exits of the Silverleaf Forest.
However, as time slowly passed, World Dominators' situation turned grimmer and grimmer.
Zero Wing's 3,000 elites were incredibly zealous. After several consecutive charges, although Zero Wing lost several hundred of their members, World Dominators lost at least three to four times that number. Not to mention, Ouroboros was also madly assaulting them on the other side.
After gathering up his courage, one of the team leaders of the elite teams, Lonely, walked up to Blood Halberd and asked in a soft tone, "Guild Leader! If this situation continues, we'll definitely be finished! Are the reinforcements from Dark Star not here yet?"
If the elite members of World Dominators were to lose two or three Levels—in addition to most of the weapons and equipment on their bodies—World Dominators would definitely not be able to compete for White River City any longer.
"I know that! But they still need around 10 minutes before they can arrive!" At this moment, Blood Halberd's heart was bleeding in pain. However, he was helpless in this situation—unless of course Zero Wing or Ouroboros showed mercy and let them go.
Blood Halberd's eyes shone when this thought occurred to him. He was not out of options yet. World Dominators and Ouroboros were bitter enemies, so it was obviously impossible to ask Ouroboros to show mercy. However, there was a slight possibility of success with Zero Wing. After all, World Dominators had never come into direct conflict with Zero Wing before. Also, Zero Wing's main enemy was Dark Star, while World Dominators was simply a "passerby" in this matter.
Hence, Blood Halberd immediately tried to contact Feng.
"Vice-Leader Halberd, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Feng asked, a warm smile on his face. When he received Blood Halberd's call, he had chosen to accept it right away.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, the war between our Guilds is just a misunderstanding. World Dominators has a feud only with Ouroboros. We came here simply to fight Ouroboros, and we truly never intended to fight your Guild. In regard to the losses and inconvenience caused to your Guild, I can compensate you on behalf of World Dominators. As long as Zero Wing stops attacking us right now, I will immediately have our Guild's finance department send over one million Credits to serve as compensation.
"What do you think, Guild Leader Black Flame?"
Although Blood Halberd had tried to speak casually, he could not completely hide the panic in his tone. After all, at least one elite member of World Dominators was dying with each passing second.
One million Credits.
In past virtual reality games, even well-known Gaming Workshops needed a month's time to earn such a sum. Hence, Blood Halberd's offer of one million clearly showed his sincerity.
"So it was all a misunderstanding!" Feng acted as if he had come to a sudden realization, letting Blood Halberd feel a hint of hope. However, before Blood Halberd could even feel joy, Feng's tone changed abruptly as he said, "I am moved by Vice-Leader Halberd's generosity. Sadly, one of my shortcomings as a person is that I am extremely headstrong. Since it is a misunderstanding, let us just continue this misunderstanding, then."
"You're making an enemy out of World Dominators! Aren't you afraid of our retaliation?!" Blood Halberd screamed in anger.
"Vice-Leader Halberd, what's there to get angry about? The moment we started playing this game, we were bound to meet with some trouble. If you aren't even prepared to suffer such a small setback, I think it is better for you to retire sooner rather than later. Although World Dominators is only playing the role of a passerby in Dark Star's plan this time, by provoking Zero Wing, you also have to pay a terrible price." Feng chuckled. "However, don't you worry. Dark Star will soon be joining you all."
After Feng disconnected the call, he then contacted Aqua Rose, saying, "No need to be polite. Leave none of them alive. Show everyone the consequences for those who dare to be a 'passerby' and have thoughts about Zero Wing!"
"Damn! This Black Flame is practically a mad dog that bites anyone it sees!" Blood Halberd cursed. "I'll definitely remember this matter! If there is a chance in the future, I'll definitely not let him off!"
"Vice-Leader, we've lost too many healers. This long battle is also taking a heavy toll on the remaining healers' mana. They can't leave their combat status to use the Magic Spring, so they can only rely on Mana Recovery Potions to replenish their mana. However, most of them have already consumed all the potions they have. If the reinforcements from Dark Star still don't arrive, we will definitely be finished," Lonely reported hurriedly.
Naturally, Blood Halberd was aware of this matter. Before Zero Wing's intervention, World Dominators had been able to split its healers into two teams, with one team healing the players at the front and the other falling back to replenish their mana, and rotate them accordingly.
However, Zero Wing's ambush had taken out over half of World Dominators' healers. If World Dominators were to insist on maintaining the rotation system, its death toll would at least double.
"Damn that Lone Tyrant! If he had not goaded me into hindering Ouroboros, we would not have fallen into this situation!" Blood Halberd also hated Lone Tyrant greatly at this moment, regretting his decision to listen to him.
If he had known that Zero Wing was so powerful, and also how insane Black Flame was, he definitely would have chosen to watch this entire affair play out from a safe distance. In the end, he now suffered from his own decision.
Originally, there had already been a gap between World Dominators and Zero Wing in overall combat power. Now that World Dominators had lost the support of its healers, that gap had widened further.
Following the crippling of World Dominators' healers, its players were like wheat being reaped, their lives effortlessly harvested by the members of Zero Wing.
In contrast, Zero Wing's healers carried out their task with great zeal. The frontline players of Zero Wing found it hard to die even if they wanted to.
Within moments, the mortality ratio of the two Guilds soared to frightening heights.
When Zero Wing initiated their ambush, the mortality ratio had only been 1-to-3, with World Dominators having the higher number of deaths. Now, however, that ratio had risen to 1-to-8 and would soon approach 1-to-9. In other words, for every player Zero Wing lost, World Dominators would lose eight or nine players.
On the other front, the players from Ouroboros were fighting valiantly as well, and they had succeeded in pushing the original mortality ratio of 1-to-1.2 up to the current ratio of 1-to-3.
"No, we can't wait any longer. At this rate, we'll be completely annihilated by the time the reinforcements from Dark Star arrive." Both anger and grief filled Blood Halberd at this moment. World Dominators had started this war with over 10,000 members. Yet, now, only 5,000 or so members remained alive. Immediately, Blood Halberd shouted in the Guild channel, "All of you, charge together with me! We're leaving with as many lives as we can!"
At Blood Halberd's command, everyone from World Dominators commenced a desperate charge while ignoring even the magical bombardments from enemy mages.
Naturally, such an exodus only made it much easier for Zero Wing and Ouroboros to kill them. The price these two Guilds had to pay also lessened greatly. However, with 5,000-plus players desperately trying to escape en masse, it was also impossible for the two Guilds to kill every single one of them.
In the end, less than 500 of the 10,000-plus members World Dominators had started this war with made it out alive; everyone else died.
After suffering such a massive loss, World Dominators no longer had any chance of competing for dominance in White River City.
"Zero Wing really is amazing. Although they only number around 3,000 or so, a large majority of them are actually elite players." After obtaining victory in this battle, Zhao Yueru had a renewed opinion of the Guild called Zero Wing.
With only around 5,000 members in Zero Wing, its total member count was not even comparable to a third-rate Guild's. However, after Zhao Yueru witnessed the combat power its 3,000-plus members displayed in this battle, she no longer found it strange for Zero Wing to be considered one of the top six Guilds in White River City. Zero Wing was indeed worthy of its fame. Second-rate and third-rate Guilds would be no match for Zero Wing at all.
Moreover, the destructive force displayed by the Frost Grenades that Zero Wing had used was simply too shocking.
If not for those tools of mass destruction, this war might still be ongoing right now, while the price Ouroboros had to pay would also be greater.
"Snow, your foresight is as diabolical as always. Zero Wing is indeed not a simple existence," Zhao Yueru giggled. "Although World Dominators managed to escape with a few hundred of its members, its heavy losses this time means it no longer has any chance of fighting over White River City. Without this old nemesis of ours, Ouroboros has a greater chance of becoming the overlord of White River City."
Gentle Snow rolled her eyes at the giggling Zhao Yueru. The girl actually dared describe her in such a way.
However, Zero Wing's performance had truly surpassed her expectations.
Although Zero Wing had a mere 3,000 or so members on their side, in the face of World Dominators' overwhelming numbers, Zero Wing had lost only a paltry 1,000 or so members. This was definitely a brilliant battle record.
If the beginning of this battle had not been so intense, the peak of mortality occurring during this period of time, Zero Wing would have lost at most 500 or 600 members in this entire battle. Meanwhile, World Dominators had lost over 10,000 players. One could just see how powerful Zero Wing was.
After the end of the battle, both sides started distributing the spoils of war.
Even leaving aside the equipment that was originally dropped by both sides, the number of weapons and equipment dropped by the 10,000-plus players from World Dominators remained quite considerable.
Very quickly, Aqua Rose and Gentle Snow agreed to split the loot in a 2-to-8 ratio based on the total value of all the equipment dropped. Zero Wing would receive 20% of the total loot, while Ouroboros would receive 80%. However, Zero Wing would mainly receive equipment of Bronze rank or higher.
Aqua Rose settled for such an unbalanced ratio due to Feng's arrangements. As to why Feng would propose such a division, firstly, it was his form of gratitude for Ouroboros's aid. Secondly, they had no use for that many pieces of equipment.
The reason being, most of the equipment left behind by World Dominators were not even Bronze rank. As for Mysterious-Iron Equipment, there were only a pitiful amount of them dropped in this battle. Arming the Guild's normal members with such poor quality equipment might be fine, but for the elite members, Feng had yet to fall to such a low standard. Hence, he was satisfied as long as he could obtain some Bronze ranked weapons and equipment to arm the newcomers of the Guild.
Meanwhile, after the battle involving tens of thousands of players ended, the independent players who had been observing it uploaded recordings of the entire battle to the forums. The battle instantly became a sensation in White River City.
Nobody could have ever imagined that Zero Wing was actually so fierce. Its battle record was also brilliantly amazing.
However, Zero Wing's decision to fight World Dominators confused many.
Instead of killing the members of Dark Star, they had chosen to annihilate World Dominators, which had played the role of a "passerby." Many people posted about Zero Wing's ruthlessness for such a decision.
In regard to this, Feng did not offer any explanation. Even when Aqua Rose raised this matter to Feng, he only laughed it off without saying anything.
In truth, Feng really did have his own motives for making such a decision.
On one side, there was Dark Star, a Guild supported by a gigantic existence like Underworld. On the other, there was World Dominators, a first-rate Guild with an extraordinary background.
If these two Guilds cooperated to suppress Zero Wing, such an alliance would be detrimental to Zero Wing's development in White River City, even with the help of Ouroboros.
Although World Dominators was a first-rate Guild, their main force was not based in Star-Moon Kingdom. There were countless cities in God's Domain. After World Dominators spread its forces widely, it had only a few experts in each city. The Guild would only make a small investment in a small city like White River City.
However, everything would change if World Dominators truly had a good chance of becoming the overlord of White River City. At such a time, the Guild would definitely increase its investments greatly, and then, World Dominators' power in White River City would grow severalfold, making it even harder to deal with.
Now that World Dominators had decided to oppose Zero Wing, Feng definitely could not allow it to develop in White River City. Otherwise, they would have to face a powerful foe in the future.
This was also the reason why Feng Xuanyang decided to annihilate Zero Wing without hesitation, after Feng rejected Feng Xuanyang's proposal.
Although Feng Xuanyang's decision was due in part to his vicious personality, the more important reason was how very great a potential a Guild that possessed a Guild Residence had. If he did not destroy Zero Wing while the Guild was still in its infancy, he would be raising a tiger to serve as his future enemy.
Meanwhile, World Dominators' starting a fight with Ouroboros at a place with only one escape route was the perfect chance for Feng to do so. Naturally, Feng would not let such a rare chance get away.
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