Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 286: The Narvit Campaign
Not only that, but the players discovered that the King of Winter had already arrived at the Narvit Bastion.
With a single sword strike, he felled an Elite Elf to the ground, his heavy Knight Boots landing on the elf’s chest with a thud.
He drew his long sword, and with a Qi Slash that shot towards the sky, he cleaved off one of the wings of a swooping Chimera. The beast shrieked and plummeted into the Narvit Bastion.
There, it would undoubtedly receive a “warm welcome” from the veteran fortress soldiers.
“Fight to the Death!”
Xi Wei raised his blood-stained long sword high, simultaneously activating his aura skills.
Aura skills like these were not suppressed by the Moonlight Sacred Well, as players’ amplified strength could not suddenly reach Sky Knight level.
Instantly, golden lion-shaped shield carvings appeared on the bodies of all new and veteran players on the Narvit Bastion.
The shields gradually merged into their bodies.
Only a faint golden light remained on their surface, but they felt their bodies fill with strength, and all their comprehensive attributes on their personal panels visibly increased.
Two golden buff icons also appeared below their HP bars.
[Radiant Bastion]: Physical and magic resistance increased by 20%, HP increased by 10%, damage resistance increased by 10% to 50%. The closer to the King of Winter, the stronger the damage resistance effect.
[King of Winter’s Resolve]: Battling the King of Winter fills you with infinite courage; you shall be invincible and unstoppable! Your five basic attributes have increased, and your weapons gain a +5 armor penetration effect.
[Morale Boost]: Damage dealt to enemies increased by 10%. If an enemy is killed nearby, damage continues to increase by 0.1%, up to a maximum of 30%.
In the midst of the stunned Elite Elves, all human soldiers on the Narvit Bastion let out earth-shattering cheers. Their morale surged, and the war intent in their eyes burned with fierce determination.
“Tenrea-yavina!”
[Command – Sacred Shield]
Another soft, sweet female voice rang out. The veteran players near the King of Winter trembled, and then discovered a shield that absorbed 20% of their HP had appeared on their bodies.
“Holy crap! Awesome! King of Winter is awesome, Loli is awesome!”
“I’m going wild!”
The veteran players erupted in excitement. Whatever buffs they had, they no longer hesitated. Wielding their weapons, they ecstatically descended from the city walls.
In the sky, Yan and Supreme Cloth, leading the Venom Dragons, engaged the Chimera and Gryphon Knights.
Below the city walls, Nobody Does Human Things and Leisurely Moment led the veteran players in a counter-offensive against the elves.
Their combat was highly organized, often forming into groups of warrior, mage, and priest. Warriors or Knight players would advance to absorb damage, mages would cast spells from behind, and priests would cast shields and heal. As long as they didn’t encounter overly powerful elves, they were unstoppable.
On the city walls, Novice Players either drew their bows or guided their magic. Many others, under the arrangement of veteran players, diligently transported the wounded and disposed of the corpses.
After a period of development, the veteran players were no longer what they used to be.
They had honed their unique combat skills through various campaigns. Because they could not die, their player teams never suffered casualties, and the unspoken understanding developed between them was never wasted, only becoming more refined.
On the battlefield, cooperation between soldiers was crucial.
A disunited army was mere scattered sand. Although the veteran players were not a single unit, the tacit understanding within their small teams was maximized.
Of course, the most important factors were the players’ fearless spirit and their ability to respawn continuously!
The balance of war began to tip in favor of the Narvit Bastion garrison. The elves were powerless against the torrent of player armies, and their defeat was imminent.
The Storm Elemental Chief had already dispersed.
These elemental creatures became weaker as the battle progressed, gradually consuming their internal elemental energy until they physically died. However, their spiritual will did not vanish.
Ongel stood by the fragments of the Storm Elemental Chief, looking at the players in the battlefield, who were chasing elves in groups of three to five, with a sigh:
“Truly astonishing! I can’t comprehend what kind of army His Majesty, the King of Winter, commands! They are like…”
“Like a bunch of madmen, aren’t they?”
Hofths walked up to Ongel with a smile, carrying the Elven Sword Dancer Grandmaster he had knocked out on his back.
“Why didn’t you kill her?”
Ongel asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Because she has a husband; she’s a married woman, you understand?” Hofths shrugged.
“Otherwise, I would have killed her immediately. But now, it’s different. I’ve developed a strong interest in her~”
Ongel: “…”
…
A corner of the battlefield.
Alence led a group of players in pursuit of an Elven Sword Dancer wearing a mask.
The Elven Sword Dancer was already heavily wounded.
An arrow had pierced his ankle, and a large gash had been opened in his abdomen by a player’s Flame Burst.
The air was filled with the smell of blood and scorched meat.
“Surrender, elf!”
“Lay down your weapons. His Majesty, the King of Winter, has promised not to kill prisoners!”
Cornered, the Elven Sword Dancer turned, his complex gaze falling on Alence.
Then, he drew the two Moonblades at his waist. However, these Moonblades were already nicked and covered in blood, indicating how many human lives they had devoured on the battlefield.
However, this was likely wishful thinking on the Elven Sword Dancer’s part, as he did not know that most of the humans he had killed could revive.
“Elves never yield.”
“Especially to you humans.”
The Elven Sword Dancer sneered and, despite his injuries, assumed an offensive stance.
“Cowardly humans, do you not dare to engage me even when I am heavily wounded?”
Faced with the Elven Sword Dancer’s provocation, Alence stepped forward, long sword in hand. His gaze met the eyes behind the Sword Dancer’s mask.
For some reason, they felt strangely familiar.
“Um, Alence…”
The players tried to dissuade him.
After all, Alence was only a Great Knight.
Although he was about to be promoted to Great Knight, he was clearly no match for a Sword Dancer.
“No need…” Alence shook his head.
He had his own thoughts.
This fearless Elven Sword Dancer deserved a dignified death, not to be cut down by him and a group of foreign beings.
Besides, the elf was at the end of his rope.
“Come on, as a human, I accept your challenge. I am only a Great Knight, and you are heavily wounded, so we are somewhat evenly matched.”
The Elven Sword Dancer remained silent, as if accepting. He gave Alence a deep look, and relying on only one leg, he whirled his two Moonblades into a cyclone and lunged at Alence.
However, perhaps due to his injuries, his speed and power had greatly diminished, to the point where Alence, a Great Knight, could barely parry.
“Clang, clang, clang—”
After several exchanges between the man and the elf, the Elven Sword Dancer’s body suddenly twisted into a strange arc, and his Moonblades slashed at Alence from a tricky angle.
At this moment, dodging was no longer possible. Alence gritted his teeth, his mind made up, and drove his long sword straight for the Elven Sword Dancer’s heart.
He bet he wouldn’t die.
After all, there was a Priest nearby.
He also bet that the elf would dodge.
“Ssss—”
The long sword pierced the Elven Sword Dancer’s heart, but the elf’s Moonblades shifted direction the moment they touched Alence, only grazing him lightly.
“Clang—”
The Moonblades dropped powerlessly to the ground.
The Elven Sword Dancer knelt before Alence.
The long sword passed through his body, and blood gradually spread across the ground.
“You… why…”
Alence stared blankly at the kneeling Elven Sword Dancer.
He could have exchanged his life for the elf’s, but the Sword Dancer had not done so.
“Alen…”
The Elven Sword Dancer coughed up some blood, raised his head, and smiled faintly.
“An elf’s… Moonblade never leaves his side. It couldn’t be hanging on a trellis…”
Alence’s pupils contracted, his voice trembling slightly:
“You… you are Rossi?”
“I knew long ago you weren’t an elf…”
Rossi shook his head. He tilted his head slightly, gazing up at the starry night sky where the sunset had faded. In the sky, dotted with stars, he seemed to see his mother, father, and sister smiling at him.
He had had countless opportunities to kill Alence, but he hadn’t.
Why?
At the moment of his passing, Rossi asked himself.
Perhaps because Alence was his only neighbor in over a hundred years.
Perhaps because of the gentle and loving gaze in Alence’s eyes when he looked at the little elves.
Or perhaps because when he took out his sister’s hairpin, Alence’s eyes held a fleeting, deeply hidden apology.
“Vikanier…”
[Elvish: Peace]
The Elven Sword Dancer Rossi, gazing blankly at the night sky, knelt on the ground and gradually fell silent.
…
Elven Year, 952.
The Elven Legendary Mage, Grand Elder Leskali, did not receive reinforcements from the Elven Empress Alice. The plan to attack Narvit Bastion was shattered by the King of Winter.
Furthermore, on the way back to the Emerald Forest with his remaining forces, they were ambushed by the Elven army led by Elven Empress Alice.
At his wit’s end, Leskali tore open a teleportation scroll and, along with his surviving elves, teleported away, their whereabouts unknown.
In the same year, in the Gloomy region, an elven faction that worshipped the Spider Queen was suddenly established. They called themselves the Drow Elves, also known as Dark Elves.
Leskali became the first Empress of the Drow Elves and announced the first racial decree of her reign: perpetual war with all Treants.
