"Dark Gold Rose!" The cat from the King's Clan saw hope, its eyes lighting up.
Xu Xiaoyou nodded slightly. A large group of people surged out from behind her. These members of the Light-Chaser Garden had been whipped into a frenzy by the girl's pre-battle speech, and in the blink of an eye, they cleared out all the surrounding monsters.
"Anya, isn't the other side resolved yet?"
At the same time, atop the wall, a silver-haired girl's figure darted backward. A lance lay horizontal before her, its tip clashing with a double-edged spear. Sharp winds divided around them, cutting a few stray hairs from Angelina's head.
"You make it sound so easy. This monster is acting like it's been provoked; it's suddenly gone berserk. Hey, you guys be careful!"
Angelina was knocked back, flying through the air with a roar. Her long lance spun around her, and her steps rotated in sync.
The girl's lance tapped the ground, sweeping out a semi-circle that slaughtered the lunging monsters. Her eyes remained fixed forward; even though she had wounded the Kingdom Watcher in the previous clash, the enemy's hatred was not focused on her at all.
Belisa let out a furious roar, piercing the chest of a King's Clan member. Her right hand shot out, instantly seizing another's throat. She squeezed until blood-red veins surfaced in the youth's eyes before slamming him into the ground.
Yan Ze stepped forward rapidly, leaping into the air. The long falchion on his tail delivered three consecutive slashes, while the twin blades in his hands formed a cross. This was a completely new style he had developed based on the sword techniques of the Easterners—the Three-Flow Rotation Cut!
He pushed his muscles to the absolute limit, abandoning all defense for pure offense. Every strike built momentum for the next. The three blades slashed in turn; at first, the trajectory of the blades clashing with the double-edged spear was visible, but they soon accelerated until they became a blur of afterimages, like an engine running at full throttle.
An ordinary person couldn't even see the movements of their exchange. The speed was so great that the air whistled like a flute, and any fallen hairs were sliced into a thousand even segments.
Black markings now crawled across Yan Ze's skin, and black flames ignited in his pupils. Every inch of his muscle tightened, reflecting the luster of steel. This was the effect of Dark Glory being pushed to its peak.
Earthquake Stomp, Cracking Ground, Ground-Shattering Slash, No Taboos, Dismantle, and Reckless Butcher—he integrated all these skills into his Three-Flow Rotation Cut. They flowed together as naturally as water; before one skill was even finished, his movements were already preparing for the next.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The ring of clashing weapons was constant. The two combatants' offensives merged and then separated in a brief burst of impacts, yet their weapons swung out again instantly, each trying to stifle the other's hidden edge first.
With an offensive like a torrential storm, he actually managed to suppress the frenzied Belisa single-handedly. This was the strongest berserker from the third-ranked guild, and this was his performance even while suppressed to grade 3.
However, even the best plans have a flaw. Belisa, pressed to the edge of the city wall, suddenly struck back. She allowed Yan Ze's weapons to bite into her armor and sink into her chest, then she clamped down like a python onto its prey. Even through the mask, one could sense the female general's demonic, cruel grin.
Yan Ze froze, trying to pull his blades free. The female general seized the opportunity, slamming her helmeted forehead hard against the bridge of his nose. Then, bracing against his body, she began a wild sprint, charging straight toward the wall!
The wind howled. A hundred meters were crossed in an instant. Watching the wall draw closer, Yan Ze felt a surge of dread. Even if this strike didn't turn him into a paste on the spot, it would be enough to easily shatter every bone in his body.
Suddenly, Angelina charged out from the side. Her speed was so great she actually caught up to the sprinting Belisa, her silver lightning leaving jagged trails of electricity in the air.
Angelina gave up on intercepting with her spear. Instead, she raised her leg and delivered a kick like a cannonball into Belisa's abdomen, blasting the other's body into the masonry.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wall after wall collapsed as the two were blasted deep into the bastion's interior.
Hit by this sudden blow, Belisa's head rang. Before she could react, Angelina's hand was already gripping her helmet. With a wild, arrogant laugh, the girl hoisted the female general—who was several times her size—and slammed her into the ground!
Being made so pathetic by such a small creature clearly enraged the general. She let out a roar, struggling to climb up.
Angelina looked down from above, her boot stomping onto the general's head. Time after time, she forced the rising head back deep into the ground.
After reaching grade 4, Angelina had become increasingly proficient with this body in Oasis. Combined with the fact that her body in reality was healing, a surplus of psychic power nourished her form. It was impossible for her to be as pathetic as she was before.
If Yan Ze's combat style as a berserker was as precise as a surgical machine, Angelina's style abandoned all technique. She traded injury for injury and life for life, using pure strength to suppress her opponent, forcing them to match her power!
Just like now, double-edged spear clashed with lance as Belisa roared, pus seeping from the gaps in her armor. Angelina was blasted into a corner, only to face her again with a wild laugh. A fierce battle intent burned in her eyes; every cell in her body throbbed with a thirst for blood.
Angelina didn't dodge. Her fists slammed violently against the spear's head. With every strike, she drove the weapons embedded in the female general's armor even deeper. Even as the double-edged spear drew perilously close to her neck and her fists were corroded by pus, exposing white bone, she did not stop.
Such a suicidal combat style left the members of the King's Clan watching in terror.
They wanted to step forward to support her, but the two figures locked in combat were like primitive beasts. In their killing frenzy, they ignored friend and foe alike. Before the onlookers could even get close, invisible sharp edges sliced the skin of their shoulders, causing blood to spray.
"Stay back. You'll die," Angelina said flatly, casting a glance at the cats.
Belisa separated from her. This human-shaped beast began to size up her opponent, and Angelina did the same.
The two first walked slowly, then quickened their pace, and finally began a full-speed charge toward each other. Their double-edged spear and lance dragged along the ground, trailing sparks the entire way.
Until a certain moment, they both stopped. Their weapons, which had been accumulating power, collided. A terrifying force erupted, and the resulting shockwave tore up the bricks and stones of the ground, sweeping through the surroundings like a hurricane!
Seeing that Angelina hadn't responded further, Xu Xiaoyou knew she was currently locked in a struggle with the Kingdom Watcher.
Looking back at the battlefield, slaughter was happening everywhere. Metal clashed against jade, blood sprayed, and war cries echoed between heaven and earth while the souls of the dead wailed in sorrow.
At that moment, several black figures landed in front of her. It was the members of the Heifeng squad.
"What's the situation inside?"
Shadow Weaver Poem bowed her head in greeting. "Guild leader, the people from the Silent Sequence just shattered the offset field of the Incurable Crown. They are already engaging that monster head-on."
"Keep clearing the surrounding monsters and wait for my next instruction."
"Understood."
Xu Xiaoyou tapped her finger lightly on her shoulder, her eyes reflecting the Silent Sequence's banner on the ground.
In another part of the battlefield, Golen, the leader of Steel Will, pulled his greatblade from the chest of a Decapitator. Looking back at the corpses of his members covering the ground, he let out an unwilling roar.
The monsters around them were endless, still surging forward like a tide. A hint of despair entered the man's eyes.
He didn't understand why so many elite monsters were rushing in from all directions at the same time, dragging them into such a bitter struggle.
They had successfully dealt with those elite monsters, but it had cost them their entire force.
Just as he was about to be swallowed by this foul tide, several players clad in gray clothing stepped in just in time. They coordinated perfectly, their movements swift and clean, clearing the surrounding monsters in a short while.
Golen's eyes lit up.
These players were from the Silent Sequence. Fantastic. Steel Will was one of the first guilds to respond to the Silent Sequence's call; they were supposed to be solid allies.
As long as the entire guild wasn't eliminated from the dungeon, the outposts they had captured previously would still be theirs, and they could still claim rewards from the points leaderboard.
"Hey friend, are you okay?" a member of the Silent Sequence walked up to him.
"I'm fine, but my brothers are all..." Golen grit his teeth, turning his head away with a face full of resentment.
He didn't know that upon hearing these words, the several members of the Silent Sequence exchanged looks, and the way they looked at him changed.
"Quickly, send me back. Send me back to the out—"
Before Golen could finish, his body shuddered. His pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpricks. He looked down in disbelief at the weapon piercing his chest, then looked up at the Silent Sequence members beside him.
"You guys..."
"You damn..."
The sweet, metallic taste welling up in his throat prevented him from making another sound. He fell to his knees.
"You were the one who asked us to send you back," one of them shrugged with a look of utter indifference. "You can't blame us."
Another leaned in close to his ear.
"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you, Guild Leader Golen. We were the ones who lured those elite monsters here."
"Even in death, I won't let you off..."
After saying this, the man fell to the ground with his eyes still open, breathless.
"Those people over there are from the Capybara Guild. Should we clear them out as well?" someone asked.
"No rush. Their guild members aren't all dead yet. If we let the news of us attacking them spread, it'll be quite troublesome."
"True."
"A bunch of idiots. They actually thought Guild Leader Smiling Jazz would be willing to share a piece of the pie with them."
"I'm already starting to look forward to it. When the Incurable Crown's health hits rock bottom and we clear them all out, what kind of expressions will those fools have on their faces?"
"Don't say that. Aren't they thinking the same thing? We're just preparing for a rainy day."
"Exactly. And that Dark Gold Rose."
"The boss said to focus on killing her people at the end to make sure they are all sent out of the game."
"Trying to share the cake with our Silent Sequence? The Sovereign Key of the Omniscient belongs only to us!"
Just then, the neigh of a warhorse rang out. A lasso appeared from nowhere, snapping tightly around the neck of one of the members. Before the other two companions could react, the man was yanked onto his back and dragged away, vanishing from sight.
"Third Denominator!" his companion's eyes nearly split from rage.
In the chaos, another lasso flew out, accurately looping around the neck of the Silent Sequence member on the left. In the blink of an eye, the man was sent flying backward amidst the sound of galloping hooves, the gap he left behind instantly filled by surging monsters.
The silhouette of the rider gradually faded into the distance. Eerie winds blew frequently, and dust that had risen at some unknown point blocked their vision. Visibility was extremely low; they could only faintly glimpse trails of electricity dancing in the air.
It was an enemy attack!
The remaining few quickly reacted, forming a circle back-to-back. Their eyes scanned every part of the battlefield, terrified that the next rope would be the one to take them.
"Who is it? Who dares to attack us? Don't you know we're from the Silent Sequence?" one shouted, but he was snatched away before he could even finish his sentence.
The world seemed to suddenly go quiet. The slaughter of the battlefield receded, leaving only their heavy, labored breathing.
The unknown was the greatest fear. The eerie scene caused them to completely lose their footing. A magic-class player fired off a barrage into the dust, only to find when the figure fell that it was just a rat-man.
Intense tension pressed on their nerves. Their companions were snatched away one by one. Before long, only the last man remained.
"Enough with the tricks! Come out! Do you dare to face me head-on?" Finally, the last man lost his composure and shouted at the top of his lungs.
As if in response, a fist the size of a sandbag whistled through the air, striking him squarely on the bridge of his nose and sending him flying.
"I've been wanting to punch these guys for a long time. That felt great!" Golden Beetle clenched his fists together, his voice bright.
"You guys are..." The man on the ground widened his eyes, his voice trembling as he looked at the group of people emerging from the dust.
"Light-Chaser Garden!"
Indeed, standing before him were the members of the Light-Chaser Garden, armed to the teeth.
The figures riding warhorses stepped forward slowly. It was Chunqing Xiaojiu, Gaoshou Xiaobei, Xixi, and the others, dragging the man's companions behind them like dead dogs.
"Congratulations, you got it right. As a reward, you'll get to see our guild leader with your own eyes." Golden Beetle smiled fiercely, grabbed the man's hair, and dragged him all the way to the golden-haired girl.
Xu Xiaoyou sat high atop her horse, looking down at the man from her elevated position.
"This is impossible. How could you dare?" The man's teeth chattered as he looked at how everyone around them treated the golden-haired girl as their leader.
In their intel, it was emphasized that Dark Gold Rose lacked leadership ability and struggled to command respect. But looking at her now, did she seem even slightly inadequate for the task?
She looked like an arrogant wolf king; with just a single command, these restless wolves beneath her would willingly give their lives for her.
"Lady Dark Gold Rose..." the man said, lowering his head.
"Oh, you remember to call me 'Lady' now?" Xu Xiaoyou raised an eyebrow.
Noticing the three individuals in the crowd who looked completely unconcerned—Crayon Shin-chan, Qiao Qiao, and Afanmu—the man pointed at them and cursed.
"You bastards, you traitors! When has the Jazz ever mistreated you?"
"What did this woman promise you? Why did you betray us!"
The three turned their heads away without a word, but then, thinking better of it, they met the man's gaze without fear.
They admitted that the golden-haired girl possessed a pervasive charm that had firmly captured their hearts.
They couldn't go back.
"Betrayal?" Xu Xiaoyou smiled. "It's only betrayal when my own people leave me."
"When others choose me, that is called 'a fine bird chooses a tree to perch in'."
She lowered her head to meet the man's gaze, her brilliant amber eyes leaving him dazed.
"Go and tell Smiling Jazz right now. Before this dungeon ends, I will have his life."
Rate on N.U.
