Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
**Chapter 155: Expedition**
Today was a special day for Leisurely Moment, as it marked the departure of the Winter City army.
As dawn broke, he had already returned from Granny Wang’s breakfast stall downstairs, a bun in his mouth and soy milk in hand, back to his room.
Although the game pod provided nutrient solution on a timer, the emptiness in his stomach couldn’t be satisfied, and prolonged fasting was detrimental to his health.
In fact, he hadn’t had a proper meal in many days.
But today, he planned to have a good meal, as he might not have another chance to log off and eat for a long time to come.
While eating breakfast, Leisurely Moment began browsing the game forums for Cain Continent.
Players were now divided into two factions.
Players like him, drafted under the Lord of Eagle Territory, were collectively known as rebels or traitors.
The former players from Dawn Town were called the regular army or the crusaders.
This was because Leisurely Moment and others were working under the Lord of Eagle Territory, an antagonist. Although they hadn’t clashed with the mainstream players of Dawn Town yet, it was only a matter of time.
However, the players assigned to the Lord of Eagle Territory preferred to call themselves “European Emperors,” while the other group of players was ironically called “African Chieftains.”
The battle between the two player factions on the forum had been ongoing for four or five days. Although the “African Chieftain” players were numerous, they lacked substance and were generally on the losing side.
Just like the post Leisurely Moment was currently browsing:
**[Everyone from Winter City is a weakling, argue if you disagree]**
This was a typical bait thread. The OP tagged a large group of players from the Winter City faction in the first reply and confidently posted their opening salvo:
**[OP]** We in Dawn Town have already entered the mount era and are all armored. Are you in Winter City still walking on your own two feet? Running around naked? @Yan @Tiao Li @Under the Ashes @Chifuyu Kanade…
**[Yan]** LOL, you grandpa. Let me show you grandpa’s equipment (screenshot), let me show you grandpa’s…呸, the Lord of Eagle Territory’s griffins! (screenshot)!
**[Tiao Li]** A few rainbow horses and you think you’re so great? Ever seen glowing equipment? Today, I’ll let you broaden your horizons and see who’s the real weakling. (screenshot) (screenshot)
**[A Plan for Contingencies]** Brother, leaving mounts and equipment aside, do you “walk” with your hands or your tongue?
**[OP]** What’s the use of adding glowing effects to equipment? Can it withstand an axe from our Orc profession? It’s all flash and no substance.
Seeing this, Leisurely Moment began to pity the OP of the bait thread.
As expected, below this comment, there were dense layers of players associated with Winter City showing off their professions and skills. All five professions were displayed in various ways, blinding the OP. Even more impressive were the comments from the “finishing blows” at the bottom:
**[Give Me a Knife]** If I recall correctly, your Orc profession isn’t even implemented yet, and… Our Winter City now has about twenty thousand troops. What do you have in Dawn Town…
**[Shen Zhizhou]** We have cement, what do you have? We have beautiful demi-human ladies, who can heal and spit bubbles, and someone who can turn stone into gold. What do you have?
…
The OP of the bait thread never spoke again.
However, Leisurely Moment noticed that the OP had posted another long thread on a forum that was criticizing the officials.
The post was over five thousand characters long, its content summarizing to a rant against the game designers and game balance.
A large group of players followed suit, joining in the criticism.
The main reason was the vast disparity between Dawn Town and Winter City.
It felt like comparing someone living in a remote mountain village to someone living in a luxurious metropolis.
Leisurely Moment watched with great interest, when two news items with pictures suddenly popped up in the lower-left corner of the computer screen.
**[Cult Organization Discovered in West City! The public is warned to be vigilant!]**
**[A certain game player suddenly claimed to be able to cast fireball spells, now receiving treatment in a mental hospital with his family.]**
…
“The news nowadays is getting more and more ridiculous…”
Leisurely Moment chuckled and shook his head.
He was used to it. These news items were basically just for show. If you actually clicked on them, you’d find nothing but nonsense.
The cult organization would eventually turn out to be a marketing group, and the person claiming to cast fireballs was probably just a chuunibyou with dreams.
However, he had to admit, the symbol of this cult organization, the monster with a human-like octopus head, was quite well-made…
Seeing that the time was about right, Leisurely Moment finished his breakfast and lay back down in the game pod. A familiar prompt sound echoed in his ears.
**[Welcome back, Leisurely Moment]**
The system’s prompt sound used to be distorted and noisy, but it seemed to have been fixed recently, returning to a sweet maiden’s voice.
**[Cain Continent game launching. Wishing you a pleasant game experience.]**
The familiar sensation of dizziness and weightlessness washed over him. His vision went from black to bright, as if crossing realms. Although he had repeated it many times, Leisurely Moment still felt a peculiar sensation.
It was as if his soul, for that brief moment, had entered the world of Cain Continent, into the body of his game character.
Outside the window, the morning light was faint, the rising sun shining through the window.
But Leisurely Moment also saw the lingering crescent moon, hanging in the hazy sky alongside the morning sun, like a pearl-colored scythe.
A cool morning breeze flowed through the window, and the vast morning clouds were like a waterfall. The flag of the Lord of Eagle Territory fluttered in the wind over the city walls.
Leisurely Moment put on his +6 Gleaming Armor, slung his long sword over his back, and opened the door.
What greeted him were soldiers in full armor and excited players coming and going.
The entire Winter City had transformed into a fully activated machine.
The army was assembling outside Winter City.
…
Xi Wei had arrived early at the city gate and stood ready.
Ruo Yi and Loli stood quietly behind him.
Clemon, leading a warhorse, followed behind with Bane and Sark, two paces back.
Sark extinguished the flames on his body, dragging a huge bowl made of Elemental Obsidian, used for heat insulation. Inside it peeked Xing Hai, revealing only her eyes as she secretly peered out.
Today was the day of the expedition.
Xi Wei wore Dragon Crystal Armor, a long sword on his back, and a cold and solemn helmet. The crimson cloak behind him billowed in the morning wind, like rolling blood.
And before Xi Wei, over ten thousand carefully selected young and strong militiamen from the Eagle Territory had assembled.
They were mostly city guards from the eight towns.
A small portion were skilled hunters from the mountains.
The furthest among them had traveled for six or seven days from Sunset City, enduring hardships on their journey, led by knights.
This was all voluntary.
They were willing to fight and bleed for their benevolent and great lord.
It was worth noting that there were also over a hundred strong demi-humans among these militiamen.
After a period of interaction, these demi-humans gradually understood the lord’s kind intentions and had acquired their own land in Winter City.
Their lives had become increasingly better, and their guilt towards the lord had long since transformed into fervent admiration and worship.
Xi Wei had not treated them unfairly.
Since the establishment of city guards in the eight major towns, these militiamen and demi-humans had received military training and proper standard armor and weapons.
As for where the money for these provisions came from?
This had to be credited to the strenuous propaganda by merchants like Victor. Perfume had become a bestseller in the nearby territories and even in the Grand Duchy of Medon.
Now, Xi Wei received a substantial monthly income, enough to support the army he currently had under his command.
He was unlike other nobles.
He had no extravagant entertainment. At most, he would engage in some intimate activities with Ruo Yi and Loli.
His daily expenses for food and clothing were also very ordinary. Basically, all his expenses were invested in the development of the territory and the enhancement of the army’s strength.
Now was the time to bring them to the battlefield to test their combat effectiveness.
The suspended city gates crashed down, and five thousand crusaders marched out of Winter City in neat formation.
They took their positions on the far right of the militia formation. Their marching stopped abruptly, and behind them followed two thousand sharpshooters, and one thousand priests.
Players and Minotaur Warriors followed closely on the far left of the militia formation.
However, compared to the orderly militia and system soldiers, the players’ formation was much more relaxed, most of them appearing lazy and undisciplined.
The Minotaur Warriors, following the players’ example, also appeared somewhat disreputable.
But Xi Wei did not mind. This was the players’ style. Forcing military discipline upon them would likely have the opposite effect.
The sound of galloping horses echoed.
Finally, ten heavily armored knights, hidden within cloaks, emerged from the city gates.
The heavy hooves striking the ground were like heavy hammers striking the hearts of the surrounding soldiers and players.
The oppressive aura emanating from these knights was too intense. Their horses were much taller and sturdier than ordinary horses, let alone when clad in pitch-black heavy armor.
Whenever players and soldiers looked at these heavily armored knights, they felt a strange shiver, a sense of dread that made their hair stand on end, as if they were not knights, but grim reapers encased in armor.
The ten heavily armored knights arrived before Xi Wei, motionless, like statues. Xi Wei could only faintly see the soul flames burning beneath their faceplates.
This was all of Xi Wei’s current forces, now assembled.
Xi Wei mounted his Dragon Blood warhorse. Loli, with Ruo Yi’s help, mounted another Dragon Blood warhorse together.
Xi Wei looked down at his army, which emanated a silent yet murderous aura, and pursed his lips.
There were no unnecessary words, no need for lengthy pre-battle speeches.
Because the eyes of everyone were burning with fervent battle flames.
Xi Wei drew the greatsword from his back, raised it high towards the sky, its broad blade seemingly slicing through a ray of dawn.
“Expedition!”
A powerful shout, like a thunderclap, rent the heavens.
The entire Winter City echoed with the lord’s roar, and it resonated on the walls of Winter City, reaching the eyes of the townsfolk who had come out to see them off, their eyes misty with tears.
