Chapter 1008: Empty Forward Outpost

Xandria let out a long, weary sigh. Keeping a secret bottled up for this long had been torture for someone like her.

The whole scheme had begun when Ethan ordered Meatball to defect. Meatball had staged a dramatic falling-out with the Renegade Alliance, making sure everyone believed he’d left in anger. After that, he secretly worked with Xandria to capture a fortress in Blackridge.

Only Xandria and Markham had known the truth, and even Victor and Leo had been completely kept in the dark.

Now that Meatball had finally revealed everything, the two of them could only stare at him in stunned disbelief.

“So this whole damn thing…” Victor muttered, “…was the Boss’s plan from the very beginning.”

“Holy shit, Boss! You had us running around like complete idiots!” Leo shouted before whirling toward Meatball. “And you! You rotten bastard! You corpse-camped me last time!”

He snatched up his staff and lunged forward, trying to grab Meatball by the collar, but Meatball slipped aside with a grin.

“You seriously want to duel a Necromantic Mage? Have you lost your mind? If you’re feeling that confident, go fight my minions instead.”

The moment he finished speaking, the three million skeletons behind him began clacking their jaws in eerie unison, crack, crack, crack, and the endless grinding echoed across the battlefield like rusted gears chewing through bone, raising goosebumps on everyone who heard it. Even Ethan couldn’t help feeling a chill run down his spine.

“Alright, enough messing around,” he said with a faint smile. “Let’s keep moving. We’ve probably got tougher fights waiting ahead.”

He was certain this wasn’t the end of it. The three regions had formed an alliance, and together they represented more than ten billion active players. Ethereal’s player base was tied to the populations of each nation, making conflicts on this scale inevitable.

These nine million enemies were only the first wave, but now Ethan no longer stood alone. The entire Northern Frontier Region was behind him.

This battle had firmly established his reputation. Nearly every major player in the North now recognized his strength, and guild leaders who had once watched from the sidelines were practically lining up to work with the Renegade Alliance.

His available forces had expanded almost overnight: well over ten million players, three million skeletons under Meatball’s command, and the Demonic Siege Engine.

Reaching Dragon City had suddenly become far less daunting.

There was also Little Horn, the player Ethan had schemed into switching sides. It was probably time to contact him properly. With Dragon City’s benefits on the table, Ethan doubted many people would refuse.

Then there was OneSwordBreaksArmy, the strongest player in the Western Frontier Region. Ethan couldn’t help wondering whether that humiliating one-shot kill had crushed the man’s spirit or only made him more determined to get revenge. ‘If it was the second… the next army wouldn’t be nine million. It could be ninety million.’

As for the Eastern Frontier Region, he’d heard Feather had finally returned. ‘Where had that guy been hiding all this time?’

The two of them went back a long way, though never as friends.

After all, Ethan had seized Ascension Isle, Feather’s home territory. If their positions had been reversed, Ethan knew he’d never let something like that go.

For a brief moment, he considered logging out and using his enhanced senses to hunt Feather down personally, but the thought passed just as quickly.

He had become powerful enough to do it, but the people following him still had plenty of room to grow. Battles like these were valuable experience, giving them a chance to sharpen themselves against real opponents instead of relying on him to solve everything.

When the Divine Realm invasion finally arrived, every capable fighter would matter.

Now that Meatball had returned, the mood throughout the army had completely changed.

When he’d first left the alliance, almost no one had understood Ethan’s decision. They’d been angry at Meatball for leaving and disappointed that Ethan hadn’t tried to stop him. Even after time had dulled those feelings, they had still missed fighting alongside their old companion.

Now everything finally made sense. It had all been part of Ethan’s plan.

The bitterness disappeared almost instantly, replaced by genuine excitement as everyone surrounded Meatball, laughing, joking, and catching up as though he’d never been gone.

Watching them reunite, Ethan smiled to himself before returning to the top of the siege engine.

The enormous army resumed its march. Meatball’s three million skeletons took the lead. Behind them marched the combined forces of the Renegade Alliance and the Blade Syndicate. Guild armies from across the Northern Frontier Region guarded both flanks. Behind the Demonic Siege Engine came Xandria’s Nocturne Order Alliance, more than three million players strong.

During the short break after the battle, Ethan had already finalized agreements with every guild leader present. Each of their guilds was now officially affiliated with the Renegade Alliance.

On the outer edges, countless independent players formed a massive defensive ring around the main army. They weren’t formally part of the alliance, but that hadn’t stopped them from joining the march. They had been won over by Ethan’s actions. Without anyone giving orders, they willingly positioned themselves around the larger forces, ready to intercept attacks before they could reach the main army.

Ethan had promised them something in return: any player from the Northern Frontier Region who fought in this campaign would be allowed to enter Dragon City, with no restrictions, no special requirements. Everyone who contributed would earn the right.

The announcement spread through the Northern Frontier like wildfire, and players who had hesitated before now poured across the border in endless waves.

The reason was simple: Ethan had specifically said that everyone who participated would be allowed in. Anyone who missed this battle would have to pay the teleportation fee later if they wanted to reach Dragon City.

Once the Dragon City region officially activated, the roads leading there would become high-level monster territory. Trying to walk there afterward would be practically impossible.

Flying wasn’t much safer. The monsters in the skies were even deadlier than the ones on the ground, and very few flying mounts could survive a journey through them.

Fortunately, Ethan’s army wasn’t that far ahead. The Demonic Siege Engine moved slowly enough that players riding 100% movement speed mounts still had a chance to catch up.

Those with only 60% speed mounts weren’t nearly as fortunate. The army itself was advancing at roughly the same pace, meaning slower riders would struggle just to keep up unless the march stopped because of another battle.

Even so, nobody wanted to give up the opportunity.

The army continued pressing toward Dragon City. Far ahead, the coalition’s forward outpost finally came into view. Even from this distance, dark clusters of Warlocks could be seen stationed around it.

Meatball floated up beside Ethan atop the siege engine. “Boss, want me to scout ahead?”

Ethan nodded. “Go ahead, but only send a small force first. Don’t commit your entire army until we know what’s waiting.”

“Got it.” Meatball turned to leave, then suddenly stopped and looked back with a shameless grin. “Boss… I’ve been suffering out there this whole time. About that mech you promised me…”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Get moving. You’ll get your mech.”

When they’d first put this plan together, the greedy guy’s first condition had been asking for a mech. Ethan hadn’t forgotten.

“Hehe! Thanks, Boss!” Meatball laughed and shot into the sky.

About five hundred thousand skeletons immediately broke away from the main undead army and charged after him. Their endless clattering echoed across the plains as the ground shook beneath countless bony feet. Despite their numbers, they moved even faster than players riding 100% speed mounts.

Within moments, both Meatball and the skeletal vanguard disappeared over the horizon.

The main army continued its steady advance toward Dragon City. Only a few minutes later, Ethan received a private message from Meatball.

“Boss… there’s nobody here.”

Ethan frowned. “Nobody?”

“They’re gone. Every last one of them. The entire outpost is empty.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes. ‘What were they planning?’

Before he could think it through, a shout came from behind him. “Boss! Check the official forums!” The Mad Engineer’s voice was filled with urgency.