Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Near the city walls of Rhode City, players were pushing siege towers forward, fearless. These siege towers were prepared by Grey Fortress, not only sturdy but also reinforced with the mages’ solidification spells. To prevent destruction by magic cannons, they were only brought out from their backpacks when they reached the city walls.
In front of the players was a large group of Earl’s captured troops, already broken by the Rhode City guards on the city wall. They were in disarray, stumbling towards the players, covered in blood and grime, their faces filled with unconcealable fear and panic. Just half a month ago, they were farmers tilling the fields, now they were cannon fodder for the siege, thrown into a meat grinder of a battlefield. Their blood-red eyes were filled with despair and numbness, their throats emitting uncontrollable groans of pain. Their blood-soaked armor was tattered and dripping, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind them.
Cries, screams, roars, the thud of corpses falling from the city walls, the clang of weapons – all echoed everywhere. Even the seasoned players were stunned by the tragic scenes before them. The blood splattered into their mouths had a disgusting metallic taste, making them want to vomit.
“Holy crap, ugh… I’d praise this game’s special effects to the roof!”
“Stop praising and keep pushing forward! Dodge the magic cannons, and brothers who resurrect, remember to get a shield from the Priest!”
“Don’t let the soldiers on the city wall rest, we need to buy time for the Lord.”
On the walls of Rhode City, soldiers were laughing as they cut down a player who had just reached the top. This defense battle was surprisingly easy. The initial tens of thousands of militia, though appearing intimidatingly numerous, collapsed at the first engagement. One magic cannon blast killed a large number and caused the surrounding militia to flee in panic. They didn’t seem like soldiers at all, but rather refugees in armor. The strange, naked, gleaming white soldiers were more resilient, always charging the city walls fearlessly. But that was all; they were killed as soon as they arrived.
“Hey! Brothers over there, stop defending and come play with us!” Some of the city guards, feeling smug, glanced at the Archmage flirting with a maid on a high platform, then called out to other soldiers on adjacent walls. Those soldiers had been itching for action for a long time. Seeing how exciting the fighting was on the main wall, they wished they could replace them. Now that the commander was indulging in his pleasures and ignoring the situation, and their companions were enthusiastically inviting them, they exchanged glances. Without hesitation, they abandoned the magic cannons they were operating, grabbed their shields and swords, and rushed to the main wall to join the massacre of players and militia.
Behind Rhode City, in a patch of bushes, Xi Wei, along with Ruo Yi, Loli, and the Hellfire Lord Sark, was quietly observing the movement on the city walls. With Clemon and Bane watching over the players, Xi Wei wasn’t worried. He was calmly waiting for his opportunity. As time passed, it was evident that the soldiers on the city walls were becoming restless. They soon abandoned their magic cannons and left with excited expressions. The players’ “freebies” were starting to work. Xi Wei exchanged a look with Ruo Yi and the others behind him. There were still two magic cannons being guarded by soldiers on the wall, while the other eight had completely ceased operation.
“Sark, you can move now.” With Xi Wei’s command, Sark transformed into a meteor and ascended into the sky. Then, trailing a long, greenish-blue tail flame and emitting a sharp roar, he crashed onto the city wall with a “boom.”
“Insects! Crush them!” Even from a distance, Xi Wei could hear the Hellfire Lord’s excited roar. He no longer hesitated, leading Ruo Yi, Loli, and a host of Terrifying Phantom Riders, they charged out of the bushes.
“Enemy attack!” A sharp alarm sounded on the city walls. The soldiers on the nearby walls, after a brief moment of stunned silence, quickly began to retreat. But by the time they returned to the magic cannon control stations, Xi Wei and his group had already reached the base of the city wall.
“A-yoni-silen-as-kilea.” Ruo Yi’s expression was solemn as she chanted in arcane Elvish, pushing her power to the limit, casting her Time Stillness skill at its maximum range. Within a ten-meter radius, time became abnormally slow, and even the magic cannonballs flying at high speed could not advance an inch. Without Ruo Yi’s help, if they relied solely on the slow flight of the Sky Knights to reach the city wall, they would have been shot down like mosquitoes by the devastating magic cannons.
Almost instantly, with Ruo Yi’s assistance, Xi Wei and his group scaled the towering city wall. The duration of the Time Stillness skill ended, and Ruo Yi’s body could no longer bear it, blood trickling from her ears, nose, and mouth. Xi Wei gently held Ruo Yi, dabbing away the blood, but before he could speak, Loli immediately grasped Ruo Yi’s hand, soft fluorescent light emanating from her as she administered the highest level of Healing. Ruo Yi shivered in Xi Wei’s embrace, enduring the tearing pain throughout her body. Her pretty face was pale, but a smile still lingered on her lips as she softly murmured, “Xi Wei, I’m fine… you go ahead and do your work.”
“Don’t talk, just rest well.” Xi Wei gently stroked Ruo Yi’s pretty face, holding her cold, soft hand with a serious expression. He observed Ruo Yi’s condition, seeing her complexion gradually regain color under Loli’s healing and her tightly knit brows relax. Only then did he sternly command, “Everyone, scatter and kill the enemy. Quickly occupy the city wall.” As soon as the words fell, the Terrifying Phantom Riders acknowledged the order and dispersed like ghosts, slaughtering the soldiers on the city wall. Afterward, Xi Wei instructed Sark to stay and protect Ruo Yi and Loli, while he followed the Terrifying Phantom Riders alone towards the main city wall.
A group of soldiers, fleeing in terror under the pursuit of the Terrifying Phantom Riders, could not comprehend these ghost-like heavily armored knights. After all, how could anyone transform into wisps of gray smoke? Even the high and mighty Mages couldn’t perform such feats.
“Your Excellency Ozban, there are enemies!” Finally, a soldier, fleeing in panic, reported to the Archmage Ozban.
“I know there are enemies, the enemies are right in front of us, don’t worry about those杂碎~” Ozban smiled dismissively, continuing to flirt with the disheveled maid in his arms. The defending soldiers were on the verge of tears, kneeling on the ground and exclaiming, “No! Your Excellency Ozban, the enemies are on the other walls! Our other walls are about to fall! The enemies are very powerful, we cannot fight them; we can only be slaughtered!”
