Chapter 49 -49-Fifth Legion of the Expeditionary Army: Assemble!

Chapter 49: Chapter49-Fifth Legion of the Expeditionary Army: Assemble!

After leaving the city lord’s office, Rudy led John through the long corridor.

The two walked one behind the other toward the Expeditionary Army’s assembly plaza.

At first, neither of them spoke.

John glanced at the tall figure ahead of him and broke the silence first.

"Is Raymond always like that?"

Rudy looked back at him.

"Which part?"

"He looks like he could die beneath a pile of paperwork at any moment."

Rudy could not help laughing.

"Don’t let the city lord’s usual lack of energy fool you."

"Among all the current city lords in the kingdom, his strength is enough to place him within the top three."

"Whether in personal combat power, military command, or magical research, Lord Raymond is widely recognized as a genius."

John raised an eyebrow.

Even a Lv50 Legionbreaker-Tier Boss like Rudy praised him this highly.

It seemed that white-haired young man was far more dangerous than he appeared.

Rudy continued,

"He took control of Sunset City at sixteen and officially received the title of city lord at eighteen."

"To govern a first-rate main city at such a young age is truly enviable."

John recalled the office that had been completely buried beneath documents and miscellaneous objects.

He pulled an exaggerated face and spread his hands.

"Waking up to several thousand documents every day?"

"He can keep that blessing for himself."

Rudy seriously considered his words.

"You may have a point."

"I believe the last time the city lord had a full night’s sleep was seven days ago."

John was instantly filled with respect.

The two left the City Lord’s Mansion.

There were far more players on the streets than there had been yesterday.

Many had already reached Lv10 and entered the main city.

Walking beside Rudy, John attracted plenty of attention along the way.

After all, the Captain of the City Lord’s Personal Guard was personally escorting a player.

No matter how one looked at it, that was hardly ordinary treatment.

Ignoring the surrounding discussions, John continued asking questions.

"What is the current situation in Dawnstar City?"

The smile on Rudy’s face gradually faded.

"Bad."

"However, before I explain Dawnstar City’s situation, you need to understand a little more about this world."

He raised a hand and pointed into the distance.

"The world we inhabit is enormous."

"The human kingdom occupies only one part of it."

"Orcs, elves, dwarves, sea folk, and many other intelligent races all possess their own territories and nations."

"There is trade between the races."

"There is also war."

"Not every civilization is friendly."

John interrupted him.

"How many realms exist in this world?"

Rudy’s footsteps paused slightly.

"Realms?"

"Places like the Human Realm and the Dark Realm."

Rudy thought for a moment.

"Even my knowledge is incomplete."

"At the very least, the Human Realm, the Dark Realm, and the God Realm are confirmed to exist."

"Ancient texts also mention something called the ’New Human Realm.’"

"It is said that another human civilization lives there, but no one has truly reached it in several thousand years."

"Most people consider it nothing more than a myth."

The Human Realm.

The Dark Realm.

The God Realm.

The New Human Realm.

John silently committed the names to memory.

His previous speculation had indeed been correct.

The true world of Apocalypse extended far beyond only three realms.

"What about the Shadow Realm?"

Rudy frowned.

"The Shadow Realm?"

He searched his memory for several seconds before shaking his head.

"I’ve never heard of it."

"Is it a legend among you Otherworlders?"

"I happened to see the name somewhere."

John did not explain further.

Evidently, even the Captain of the City Lord’s Personal Guard knew nothing about the Shadow Realm incident in Giantwood Town.

Charon, Glen, and the Land of Fading Silhouettes were likely connected to a hidden main storyline that the Human Realm had not yet discovered.

"Continue explaining the front lines."

Rudy nodded.

"The Dark Realm’s invasion of the Human Realm has continued for nearly a thousand years."

"At the worst point, the armies of the Dark Realm simultaneously opened more than a hundred cross-realm teleportation formations."

"Half of the Human Realm was dragged into the war."

"Later, the various races formed a united army."

"After several centuries of counterattacks, they finally destroyed most of the large passages."

"For a time, humanity even gained the upper hand."

"However, the Dark Realm never completely gave up."

Rudy’s tone gradually became heavier.

"They can still use the remaining teleportation formations to continuously send smaller armies into the Human Realm."

"Yet the Human Realm lacks any means of entering the Dark Realm in large numbers."

"We can destroy the passages."

"We can drive the invaders back."

"But it is extremely difficult for us to truly carry the war into the Dark Realm itself."

"This stalemate has already continued for several hundred years."

John asked,

"Dawnstar City is guarding one of those teleportation formations?"

"That’s right."

Rudy nodded.

"Dawnstar City was built above a large cross-realm teleportation formation."

"That passage cannot be permanently destroyed. Every so often, it reawakens."

"At first, the settlement there was nothing more than a military fortress."

"Later, as more soldiers, merchants, and adventurers gathered there, it gradually developed into the border city it is today."

"The sole purpose of Dawnstar City’s existence is to keep everything emerging from the Dark Realm trapped behind its walls."

Rudy paused before looking at John again.

"To be honest, I admire your decision."

"If you remained inside the City Lord’s Mansion, you would lose nothing more than your freedom for a period of time."

"In Dawnstar City, however, people can die at any moment."

"Over the past several centuries, no one knows how many young soldiers the Human Realm has lost there."

"I hope you return alive."

High-level monsters.

An endless supply of Dark Realm armies.

Large-scale war quests.

And high-ranking Bosses that were certain to exist.

The more John listened, the brighter his eyes became.

He had been worried that ordinary dungeons contained too few monsters for him to level quickly.

The front lines, however, possessed an inexhaustible supply of Dark Realm creatures.

Where there were armies, there would naturally be Bosses.

[Reality Merge] required him to kill one Boss every day before it could activate.

Dawnstar City was practically a lottery ground designed specifically for him.

More importantly, a war between realms was highly likely to be connected to Apocalypse’s central storyline.

Choosing to join the expedition to Dawnstar City had been absolutely correct.

The corners of John’s mouth rose uncontrollably.

A sinister chuckle escaped him.

"Heh-heh-heh..."

Rudy glanced at him and subtly slowed his pace.

This Otherworlder had seemed perfectly normal just moments ago.

Why had he suddenly started laughing like that after hearing about several centuries of casualties in Dawnstar City?

Rudy remained silent for a long moment before sighing softly.

"Sigh."

"It seems I frightened him too badly."

"So young, yet his mind is already becoming unstable."

...

Sunset City’s eastern plaza.

An expeditionary force of nearly ten thousand people had already completed its assembly.

More than half of them were soldiers from Sunset City’s regular army.

Heavy infantry stood in formation at the front.

The archer and mage corps occupied the center.

At the rear were supply carriages, siege weapons, and medical units.

Six hundred players from Luna Wolf Guild had been uniformly assigned to the Expeditionary Army’s Fifth Legion.

Their silver wolf-head banners stood out clearly among the crowd.

The order to depart had not yet been issued.

For now, the players were gathered around the Military Merit Shop, discussing its contents with intense excitement.