MMORPG: The Elementalist

Members from the Ten Great Leagues were in deep despair after they witnessed their Champions vaporizing instantaneously in front of the formidable enemy. The claustrophobic nature of the canyon aggravated their hopelessness as they found no place to hide from the terrifying opponent.

Facing Subjugator who hovered oppressively in the air like a god of war, the army from the Ten Great Leagues choked and began to retreat. They did not wish to become the next victim of that frightening long-ranged AoE Attack.

“Charge!”

Although the reaction of the Ten Great Leagues was not what the Fallen Angels would have hoped for, they couldn’t stop themselves from springing forward as they had initially decided.

A deep growl preceded the release of a group of Demigod Champions led by Slayer’s Heart and Wandering Soul. The two stormed out from both sides of Subjugator like two ferocious beasts!

Before the enemies were able to react…

“Furious Cyclone!”

A powerful magical force ascended abruptly from below following the roar.

The Tier 5 AoE Spell exploded inside the enemy zone like an atomic bomb. It did not affect the Fallen Angels as the burst came before they entered the cyclone’s attack range.

“Shit!”

Every player from the Ten Great Leagues was greatly shaken from the blast.

They did not expect the enemy to launch a Tier 5 AoE Spell in such a confined space. Being caught off guard, the group of Tier 5 winged players at the front were directly hit by the shockwave. They flinched upon contact with the gusting wind-blade and plunged toward the ground, leaving behind the vulnerable Summoners and players with flying Pets to encounter the driven Demigod Champions from Fallen Angels, midair, all by themselves. It was no different from hitting a stone with an egg.

Soon, bodies of players and Pets from the Ten Great Leagues were seen tumbling down from the sky.

“F*ck!” Subjugator was disappointed on how things had turned completely one-sided this early into the battle.

After losing the flying platoon, the ground team of the Ten Great Leagues was now in grave danger. They dared not move an inch further, deterred by the furious lethal spells firing wildly in all directions above them.

About a hundred Fallen Angels with flying Pets stood guard not far ahead from where they were. If they rushed over, they would be forced to brace the attacks from them as well as the Demigod Champions in the air. Worse, the Demigod Champions might turn around to their backs and flank them from behind.

In such a scenario, not even an idiot would have dashed forward.

***

“The battle has begun at Blackscale Canyon.”

Black Emperor and the others only raised their eyebrows slightly when Thriller Knight ¹ from the Dark Cyclone League announced the news.

“Oh,” After the brief reply, Black Emperor realized that he must have sounded unconcerned, thereby immediately asking, “How’s the situation?”

He knew very well what kind of answer he would get. Sky Thread was a widely known natural fortress that was easy to defend and hard to conquer. There would be no way the three Leagues, led by Dark Cyclone could defeat the Fallen Angels there.

“It’s worse than we have anticipated.”

Thriller Knight frowned and recollected the course of events to the other nine League Leaders. They immediately understood why Thriller Knight intentionally mentioned about the predictable defeat.

The temperature inside the room had dropped dramatically after Thriller Knight finished his story.

Black Emperor, Golden Blood Lion, and Terminator were hit the hardest by the news and looked extremely awful. After a while, the silence was broken by the only female in the room.

“Are you serious?”

Thriller Knight made no further explanation. Instead, he projected the video that his underling had just sent him, directly to the middle of the table.

The ten leaders in the room watched the video in horror as if they were the ones on the scene and had personally tasted the fiery flare that had appeared to devour everything it licked.

A few dozen players vanished instantaneously under the commanding strike.

“Is he still human?” Terminator, who is also an Ignis Swordmaster, gazed straight on the figure covered entirely by fire in the video. He muttered, “I guess not even the NPC is this powerful…”

“Perhaps, it’s power he obtained from the Underworld?”

“Though we don’t have a settlement in the Underworld, I believe we have enough understanding about that place. Subjugator’s skill and equipment are never before seen or heard, not even in the mysterious Underworld.”

“If Subjugator is already this powerful, I wonder how great the Winter Demon had become.”

The will of several leaders inside the room had obviously swayed.

Realizing the tense atmosphere, Black Emperor quickly regained himself and tried to diffuse the uneasiness among the group. “It’s just a Tier 6 skill. Stop thinking that this is the end of the world.”

“As you all can see, Subjugator did not continue to attack after releasing the skill. This showed that he is still afraid of our strength in numbers. The powerful attack does not mean that he is unbeatable!”

“That’s right!” Golden Blood Lion also chipped in and echoed Black Emperor’s view. “But then again, the Fallen Angels have the advantage of having a settlement in the Underworld. They have better support and supply in there. Thus, it’s not surprising that they stumbled upon one or two Tier 6 Skill Books by sheer luck alone.”

The others were persuaded and the nervousness inside the room had largely disappeared.

“We are all League Leaders. Don’t be swiftly blinded by the power of a single player. Try to look at the big picture. The situation is still well under our control. We will continue to divert their attention by sending smaller troops to Blackscale Canyon and Chimera Nest, while our main force will keep on marching toward Black Flame Valley. Once we take over that place, I believe the Fallen Angels would have no choice but to fight us with everything they’ve got!”

***

In the sky above the forest, north of Fireseal City, hundreds of winged players, along with tens of thousands of players with all kinds of flying Pets formed an airborne silk thread that spanned more than a few hundred meters. It was like the players were all lined up to attend a grand occasion.

Fierce competition was brewing amongst their ranks. They were competing for speed, outlook, power, ability, and uniqueness. One after another flying Pet showcased their outstanding traits under the commands of their respective masters.

Even the winged players with better equipment and skills were shadowed by the flying Pets that came in different shapes and sizes.

There were several players, fond of critique, embedded within the crowd. Infected by the surrounding mood, these players began to comment on the pros and cons of each Pet Type. This had drawn great interest as more and more players joined into the discussion.

Qin Ruo, who hid inside the crowd as a disguised Warrior, was no exception. He temporarily relieved himself from surveying his opponents and stopped by to listen.

Though most of them were merely gloating, Qin Ruo did learn some refreshing opinions from the truly knowledgeable ones.

He especially agreed with the summary made by a winged player named Thriller Knight.

Pets, regardless of quality, were classified by their Attack, Defense, Support, Composite, and Gifted-Type battle monster.

Attack-Type Pets are further subdivided into long-ranged, Melee, and Balanced-Type. The various types were distinctive but hard to coordinate. If the Pet did not fit properly to the player class, then it would end up wasted. But if it matched perfectly, then it could directly elevate an unknown player to the rank of Champion, just like what happened to Permanent Lock of the Fallen Angels.

The Defense-Type were separated into Technical and Pure Tank. This class was the least popular, but they were an interesting group. The former used a skill or magical barrier to minimize damage to its master, which was suitable for players good in manipulation or loners. The latter, meanwhile, used its own body to tank the damage taken, making it ideal for a party. However, due to the presence of a Beastblood Berserker and a Steel Berserker, the Pure Tank Pet was of limited usage.

The Support-Type came in all forms. There was magical support that deflected debuffs during a battle, as well as monsters that healed and those that could fly. Value of this Pet type differed greatly and was highly dependent on the player’s specific requirements.

The Composite-Type was relatively popular. It was good in both long-ranged and melee battles. Having a Composite Pet was like teaming up with a reliable ally. It could be given an important task, fight solo or in a team, and was highly adaptable.

And then was the Gifted-Type! Undoubtedly the best of the best, as well as the most valuable type currently in the market, it came with a specialized ability, as well as a rare attribute bonus or innate spell. A good example would be Teleport, a skill with high debuff damage, or even specialized attacking and defensive traits. Their battle prowess was exceptional in certain specific areas.

When Thriller Knight mentioned about Gifted Monsters, he used Qin Ruo’s Pet, Poochie, as an example.

A Gifted Pet was close to an Ultimate. It was uncannily good at melee attacks bundled with an outrageous movement speed. In the hands of a powerful Aquamancer, they would complement each other perfectly and make Winter Demon a household name!

Anyhow, he admired Monster’s Cavalry Troop which was created by the Fallen Angels the most. Its sheer might intimidated its opponent and its capability to attack in a group was unmatchable. This was especially true when the three different Cavalry Troops rolled out together…

It could definitely dominate both the land and the sky!

If this time, the Fallen Angels League were challenged by only two or three newly formed Leagues, then no one would have paid attention because the Fallen Angels were certainly the overwhelming favorite.

“If you think so highly of the Fallen Angels, why aren’t you joining the crusade?” A voice interrupted Thriller Knight as he was busy lamenting.

The tranquil voice had caught Thriller Knight’s attention.

The voice belonged to a normal winged Warrior. The clan insignia on his chest was unfamiliar. He must have come from a rather ordinary clan.

Thriller Knight retracted his gaze and pointed behind. He then laughed and said, “I am just going along with the currents. Since we all have the same intention, why bother to ask the obvious question?”

Turning his head around, Qin Ruo immediately took a deep breath.

The crowd behind him had suddenly expanded by several fold. Countless players were seen wiggling through the plains outside Fireseal City. Not only that, but the air route was also crammed with players. They trailed like a swarm of locusts and formed a spearhead that pointed toward one common destination—the Black Flame Valley.