Chapter 676: The Guild Master Duel! This Is Bad!

It wasn’t just SoulfireBlade and SoulSync who sensed that something was wrong. Everyone present could see it.

Unfortunately, by the time they realized what was happening, it was already too late to react.

In an instant, the golden teleportation gate expanded dramatically, its brilliance intensifying until a thunderous flash of golden light erupted across the grassland. The blinding radiance swallowed the gate, and when it finally faded, the gate itself had vanished. In its place, however, stood a massive army.

Warriors, knights, archers, and mages wielding every imaginable element now filled the space where the gate had stood. More than two thousand players had appeared out of thin air, their impressive equipment and interweaving magical auras creating a spectacular sight.

They were members of Inferno Guild!

At the head of this formidable force, a white banner fluttered proudly in the wind. Embroidered upon it was a five-clawed dragon riding auspicious clouds, the unmistakable emblem of Inferno Guild.

Two figures stood beneath the banner, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

The first was dressed as a mage, wearing a black robe and carrying a one-handed staff that radiated two golden halos. It was clearly a piece of +7 Golden equipment, and two pieces of black Mythic equipment completed his outfit. Tall and refined, with an elegant bearing, he looked every bit the part of a powerful mage.

He was Inferno Guild’s Vice Guild Master, InfernoFiend001.

The other figure was even more conspicuous.

Inferno Guild’s Guild Master, the renowned InfernoRider001!

Like his vice guild master, he wore equipment glowing with two golden halos, indicating that it had been upgraded to +7 Golden quality. However, what truly caught everyone’s eye was the enormous weapon in his hands and the imposing cloak hanging from his shoulders.

His weapon was a two-handed warhammer surrounded by three black halos, marking it as a +8 Black Mythic Artifact. Even from a distance, its sheer size and intimidating appearance were enough to make anyone take notice. The cloak on his back was equally impressive, a Black Mythic Artifact radiating two black halos, indicating that it had been upgraded to +7 Mythic quality.

His equipment was nothing short of extraordinary, and it was obvious that his combat strength was equally formidable.

Yet what made him truly intimidating was the aura he exuded. His expression was arrogant, his bearing domineering, and every movement carried the confidence of someone accustomed to standing above others. He didn’t even need to speak to make his presence felt.

SoulfireBlade’s heart sank as he took in the sudden appearance of Inferno Guild’s army. "This is bad!"

There were more than two thousand of them, nearly twice the number of players he had brought with him. SoulfireBlade immediately raised a hand, signaling his advancing forces to stop.

The Soulfire members obeyed, bringing their steeds to a halt approximately a hundred and fifty meters from the assembled Inferno army. The two sides now faced each other across the grassland, their formations intact and their weapons ready.

A heavy silence settled over the battlefield.

Nobody had anticipated this turn of events.

Inferno Guild actually possessed a teleportation scroll capable of transporting more than two thousand guild members at once! No wonder the Furious Three had remained so calm when Soulfire’s forces arrived. They hadn’t tried to flee, nor had they shown the slightest intention of backing down. They had simply been waiting for their reinforcements to arrive.

As it turned out, the golden scroll Ash001 had thrown earlier was a special Guild Teleportation Scroll capable of transporting two thousand members simultaneously. InfernoRider001 had obtained it several days ago after killing a Golden Boss, and it could only be used once every three days.

The Furious Three had been carrying it around while searching for monster bosses. They had intended to use the opportunity to hunt a boss and claim its rewards, but who could have imagined that their first major discovery would involve Soulfire Guild and two Blood Clan Bosses appearing together?

Now, with the scroll activated, Inferno Guild had turned the situation completely around.

InfernoRider001’s arrogant laughter shattered the silence. "Hahaha!" He stepped forward from the ranks of his guild members and looked directly at SoulfireBlade, his expression filled with amusement.

"Blade, I’ve been waiting for you! If you hadn’t shown up soon, I might have lost patience and killed the Blood Clan Bosses myself. At least that would have given us something to celebrate." He laughed again, then continued in a tone dripping with mockery.

"Fortunately, Soulfire Guild has never disappointed me. You’re still the same old rival I remember, always rushing to the scene at the most critical moment. I have to give you credit for that. You even brought your elites here at top speed and arrived right on time!"

"A friend from afar brings joy!" InfernoRider001 declared with a broad grin, deliberately twisting the familiar saying into a taunt. "Blade, my men reported that Soulfire discovered these Blood Clan Bosses first. So, how about you do me a favor and hand them over?"

He spread his arms as though making a perfectly reasonable request, but the contempt in his eyes was unmistakable.

"After all, they’re only Blood Clan Bosses. If you refuse to hand them over..." His gaze swept across the equipment worn by the Soulfire members, and his grin widened. "I’m afraid you’ll end up giving me a whole lot more than that."

He raised his chin, his arrogance reaching new heights. "Blade, are you going to take back what’s yours, or are you going to crawl away like a turtle? The choice is yours." He paused briefly before adding with exaggerated generosity, "Of course, if you beg for mercy, we might just let you leave with your lives."

Behind him, more than two thousand Inferno members immediately erupted into deafening jeers.

"Soulfire, don’t be a bunch of turtles! Beg for mercy!"

"Come on, crawl away!"

"Beg for mercy!"

The sheer volume of two thousand voices shook the grassland, their mocking shouts rolling across the battlefield like thunder.

Inferno Guild was deliberately provoking them. They wanted Soulfire to lose its composure, abandon all thoughts of retreat, and commit to a fight it couldn’t afford to win. If SoulfireBlade decided to withdraw using Town Portal Scrolls, Inferno would lose its chance to wipe out the opposing force and claim its equipment.

But the Soulfire members weren’t about to take the insults lying down.

"Fuck your mother, you arrogant bastard!"

"You’re the turtle! You were hiding inside that teleportation gate, and now that you’ve got your backup, you’ve finally stuck your head out!"

"Come crawl between Grandpa’s legs and beg for mercy yourself!"

Curses and insults erupted from the Soulfire ranks, each side trying to drown out the other. The atmosphere grew increasingly hostile, and it was becoming clear that a fight was almost inevitable.

Unfortunately, the numbers were heavily against Soulfire.

SoulfireBlade had brought a little over a thousand elites, and with Milo’s three hundred members, their combined force numbered approximately thirteen hundred. Inferno, meanwhile, had more than two thousand newly arrived reinforcements, in addition to the three hundred members led by the Furious Three.

That brought Inferno’s total to roughly twenty-three hundred.

A difference of a thousand players!

Under normal circumstances, Soulfire would have had little chance of winning a direct confrontation. Even with their elite players and superior individual strength, they couldn’t easily overcome such a numerical disadvantage without suffering devastating losses.

But retreating was no longer a realistic option, either.

SoulfireBlade was left with only one path forward. If he wanted to preserve his guild’s reputation and prevent Inferno from trampling all over them, he had to stand his ground and fight.

They had to fight, no matter what.

As if the situation weren’t troublesome enough, more than a hundred ordinary players with excellent mounts finally caught up after following Soulfire’s forces from behind. The moment they saw the two armies facing each other, their eyes lit up with excitement.

"Whoa! Two major guilds are about to fight!"

"Quick, start recording!"

The newcomers immediately began recording the confrontation, eager to capture what could become one of the most talked-about battles in Dominion.

Soulfire’s options had narrowed even further.

After all, people lived for their pride, just as trees depended on their bark. In a game where passion, reputation, and strength mattered so much, retreating in front of a rival guild while hundreds of spectators watched would be a humiliating blow.

But even as the situation grew more precarious, Marcus couldn’t help admiring InfernoRider001’s calculations. The man had planned this remarkably well.

From the moment Inferno discovered the two Blood Clan Bosses, InfernoRider001 hadn’t immediately used his Guild Teleportation Scroll to bring his forces over and claim the kills. Instead, he had deliberately waited for Soulfire Guild to make its move, anticipating that SoulfireBlade would personally lead a force to the battlefield.

The logic behind his plan was simple.

If SoulfireBlade decided to bring a massive army of two thousand or even five thousand players, their sheer numbers would slow them down considerably. InfernoRider001 could then use the teleportation scroll to bring his own forces directly to the battlefield and kill the Blood Clan Bosses before Soulfire’s main force arrived.

But if SoulfireBlade wanted to reach the bosses quickly, he would have no choice but to bring a smaller, faster force of elite players. And that was precisely what had happened.

SoulfireBlade had arrived with just over a thousand elites, accompanied by Milo’s three hundred men. InfernoRider001 had then activated his teleportation scroll, bringing his total force to roughly twenty-three hundred against Soulfire’s thirteen hundred.

With such a substantial numerical advantage, Inferno could potentially claim both Blood Clan Bosses and slaughter a large number of Soulfire’s elites, collecting their dropped equipment in the process.

It was a plan that made full use of Inferno Guild’s special teleportation scroll, allowing them to dictate the pace of the confrontation from beginning to end.

In other words, InfernoRider001 had seized the initiative before the battle had even begun.

The Soulfire members turned toward SoulfireBlade, their expressions speaking louder than words. They were waiting for him to give the order, but he remained silent. "Boss..."

There was a reason for his hesitation.

Inferno Guild still hadn’t moved.

That was strange.

At this point, Soulfire had little choice but to fight. The moment InfernoRider001 gave the order, the two thousand Inferno members could charge forward, and a full-scale battle would erupt.

Yet despite their overwhelming numerical advantage, Inferno’s forces remained where they were.

As SoulfireBlade tried to work out what his opponent was planning, InfernoRider001 suddenly urged his black warhorse forward.

The Berserker gripped his enormous Mythic warhammer and rode out from the ranks of his guild, advancing toward Soulfire alone. His horse’s hooves struck the ground as he covered more than a dozen steps, his imposing figure drawing the attention of everyone present.

The battlefield gradually fell quiet as both sides watched him, uncertain what he intended to do.

After advancing a short distance, InfernoRider001 stopped, raised his warhammer, and pointed it toward SoulfireBlade.

His voice carried clearly across the open grassland. "Blade, I’ll give you one chance."

"This is the first time we’ve faced each other in Dominion, so let’s settle something between us before our guilds start fighting. Just you and me. A little friendly competition."

He gave his hammer a casual swing, the weapon’s three black halos glinting ominously.

"If you can withstand my hammer and defeat me, Inferno Guild will leave the Blood Clan Bosses alone and withdraw immediately. You won’t have to worry about us interfering any further."

’What the hell?’ InfernoRider001 was vicious.

It wasn’t enough for him to outnumber Soulfire and threaten to wipe out their entire force. He also wanted to challenge Soulfire’s Guild Master to a duel in front of both armies, crushing SoulfireBlade’s reputation and prestige before the battle even began.

If SoulfireBlade lost, the consequences would be far worse than losing a few levels or pieces of equipment. The defeat would be witnessed by hundreds of players, recorded for others to watch, and spread throughout Dominion. Inferno would gain a tremendous boost to its reputation, while Soulfire would be left struggling to recover from the humiliation.

And if SoulfireBlade accepted the challenge and lost, InfernoRider001 could still proceed with his original plan. There was nothing preventing him from turning around and ordering his guild to attack afterward.

Clearly, he was confident enough in his own strength to make such a provocative challenge.

Sure enough, after a brief smile, InfernoRider001 straightened in his saddle and spoke in a loud, commanding voice. "I, InfernoRider001, Guild Master of Inferno Guild, hereby challenge SoulfireBlade, Guild Master of Soulfire Guild, to a duel!"

The two thousand Inferno members behind him immediately roared in unison, their voices rising like a thunderous wave and shaking the heavens and earth. "Duel! Duel! Duel!"

The pressure was immense.

Lydia sent Marcus a private message, her usually captivating face now showing unmistakable concern as she watched the confrontation unfold. "I heard that InfernoRider001’s Mythic weapon, the Flame Gold Mystic Hammer, can kill even a full-Vitality Blood Bull Knight in a single hit!"

"Just a few days ago, he one-shot several Level 50 Blood Bull Knights who had invested all their stats into Vitality. Those knights were built specifically to stack health and survive damage, yet they couldn’t withstand even one of his attacks."

Her worry was understandable.

The Blood Bull Knights she mentioned were renowned for their extraordinary durability. A player who could kill several of them in a single blow possessed terrifying burst damage, and InfernoRider001’s +8 Black Mythic Artifact was undoubtedly a major reason for his strength.

SoulfireBlade, by comparison, had a more balanced build. He hadn’t concentrated all his attributes into defense or Vitality, meaning he was far less capable of enduring an attack of that magnitude.

If InfernoRider001’s hammer really could kill a full-Vitality Blood Bull Knight in one hit, SoulfireBlade might not even survive their first exchange.

The thought quickly spread through the Soulfire ranks.

The members who had been shouting insults at Inferno moments earlier gradually fell silent, their confidence shaken by the implications of the challenge. They knew how powerful SoulfireBlade was, but they also understood that InfernoRider001 wasn’t someone who would make such a bold declaration without having the strength to back it up.

Who could have imagined that InfernoRider001 would pull a move like this?

Even if SoulfireBlade managed to survive the first strike, there was no guarantee he could withstand a second. And if he fell in front of both guilds, Soulfire would suffer a devastating blow to its morale before the real battle even began.

Was Soulfire Guild really going to stumble here?

The same question crossed the minds of countless Soulfire members. Judging purely by their equipment and the damage InfernoRider001 had demonstrated, the odds were undeniably unfavorable.

Worse still, SoulfireBlade couldn’t simply ignore the challenge. With hundreds of players watching and Inferno’s members shouting for a duel, refusing would be interpreted as an admission of weakness, regardless of his actual reasons.

Inferno’s two thousand members roared again, their voices growing louder as they pressed their advantage. "Duel! Duel! Duel!"

SoulfireBlade suddenly chuckled. "Heh."

He urged his brown warhorse forward, its hooves pounding against the grass as he rode out to meet his opponent. Like InfernoRider001, he advanced alone, covering more than a dozen steps before stopping to face the enemy Guild Master.

The two men now stood approximately a hundred meters apart, their gazes locked on each other across the open ground.

SoulfireBlade’s expression remained calm, and his posture was relaxed. There was no trace of panic or hesitation in his bearing, and his composure was no less impressive than InfernoRider001’s domineering presence.

He understood one thing perfectly well: whatever happened next, he couldn’t allow himself to be intimidated.

If he lost the battle of wills before the duel even began, Soulfire’s position would become even more precarious. His members were watching him, and they needed to see their Guild Master stand firm in the face of an overwhelming challenge.

Of course, maintaining his composure was one thing. Winning the duel was another.

A confident appearance couldn’t make up for a difference in strength, and SoulfireBlade knew better than anyone that momentum and actual combat ability were two entirely different matters.

So, facing InfernoRider001 in a duel that could determine the fate of the coming battle, what chance did he really have of winning?