Chapter 50 -50-Meeting Horus Again

Chapter 50: Chapter50-Meeting Horus Again

"Killing an ordinary Dark Realm monster only gives one Military Merit point."

"Elite monsters give ten, while Bosses are worth at least several hundred!"

"I heard five thousand Military Merit can be exchanged for A-Rank equipment!"

"I checked the contribution ranking rewards. First place gets an S-Rank skill book!"

"How much do you need for a noble title?"

"At least a hundred thousand Military Merit, right?"

"You should figure out how to survive long enough to earn that much first."

"What’s there to be afraid of? Luna Wolf has six hundred people!"

"Military Merit is calculated individually. Do you think the guild leader can kill monsters for you?"

The more the players talked, the more excited they became.

War quests were extremely difficult.

However, the rewards were equally outrageous.

Equipment.

Skills.

Gold coins.

Reputation.

There were even noble titles that ordinary players would normally have no chance of obtaining.

As long as they survived and accumulated enough Military Merit, a single expedition could create an insurmountable gap between them and other players.

At that moment, a unit of the City Lord’s Personal Guard appeared at the entrance to the plaza.

Rudy was walking at the very front.

The previously noisy players immediately became excited.

"They’re here!"

"Are we about to depart?"

"A Lv50 Personal Guard Captain is escorting us personally. This expedition is practically guaranteed!"

"Did you forget that our destination is Dawnstar City?"

Everyone’s attention quickly shifted toward the figure behind Rudy.

A young man dressed in mage robes and carrying a black-and-gold staff was following the group at an unhurried pace.

"Who’s that?"

"He isn’t wearing a military uniform, and he doesn’t have a Luna Wolf emblem."

"Is he an NPC or a player?"

"He looks pretty young."

Several Luna Wolf members gathered together.

One of them studied John for a few moments before lowering his voice.

"If a pretty boy like that got thrown into our company, his ass would definitely be popular."

Laughter immediately erupted around him.

John raised his eyes and looked over.

The player who had spoken instantly turned his head away and pretended he had said nothing.

Horus stood at the front of the formation.

At first, he paid no attention to the figure behind Rudy.

Only when John drew closer did his expression suddenly change.

"Endbringer?"

Hawk Eye beside him recognized John as well.

"Why is he here?"

Horus frowned.

Just yesterday, they had been discussing how to maintain contact with John.

Yet today, as they prepared to depart on an expedition, the Captain of the City Lord’s Personal Guard had personally brought him to the assembly point.

No matter how one looked at it, this did not resemble the arrival of an ordinary volunteer.

John noticed Horus looking at him and gave him a brief nod.

Before they could speak, Rudy had already stepped onto the raised platform in the center of the plaza.

"Silence!"

His voice, amplified by battle aura, instantly spread throughout the entire plaza.

The discussions of nearly ten thousand people rapidly died away.

The regular soldiers stood in perfect formation.

Under Horus’s command, the Luna Wolf players also closed their mouths.

Rudy swept his gaze across everyone below.

"I am Rudy Ironstone, Captain of the Sunset City Lord’s Personal Guard."

"I have only one duty during this expedition."

"To escort all of you safely to Dawnstar City."

He raised a hand and pointed toward the city gates beyond the plaza.

"I’ll make this clear beforehand."

"If any of you regret coming, you may still leave now."

"The moment you step out of this plaza, you will officially become a member of the Expeditionary Army."

"Anyone who deserts during the journey, refuses military orders, attacks allied forces, or disrupts morale—"

Rudy’s voice abruptly turned cold.

"Will be executed on the spot."

The pressure belonging to a Lv50 Legionbreaker-Tier Boss descended over the entire plaza.

The players’ breathing stalled.

Those who had just been discussing noble titles and rewards instantly fell silent.

No one withdrew.

Rudy waited ten seconds before nodding in satisfaction.

"Very good."

"Expeditionary Army, heed my command."

"Move out!"

Boom!

The heavy infantry at the front stepped forward simultaneously.

Their thunderous footsteps merged together, causing the entire plaza to tremble faintly.

The nearly ten-thousand-strong force began to move.

They first entered Sunset City’s military teleportation zone.

An enormous spatial formation covered the entire plaza, transporting the Expeditionary Army toward the eastern border of the Human Realm in separate groups.

[Teleportation Destination: Dawnstar Fortress!]

White light swallowed John’s vision.

When he opened his eyes again, the surrounding scenery had completely changed.

The sky had become dim.

A faint smell of sulfur permeated the air.

The distant mountains were scorched black, while vast stretches of land were completely barren.

[You have discovered a new area: Dawnstar Fortress!]

[Title "Forerunner" activated!]

[Until you complete the exploration of this area, all damage you deal is increased by 20%!]

Dawnstar Fortress was already the closest safe teleportation point to Dawnstar City.

To prevent the Dark Realm armies from using human teleportation formations to invade the rear lines if the front fell, no long-distance teleportation facilities had been constructed near Dawnstar City.

The remaining distance could only be covered on foot.

Rudy led the personal guards at the very front of the force.

Regular soldiers spread out along both sides of the road, remaining constantly alert toward the surrounding wilderness.

The Luna Wolf players gathered in the middle section, still quietly discussing Military Merit and combat arrangements.

John walked alone at the very rear.

The Void Staff rested across his shoulder.

Occasionally, he kicked a loose stone from the roadside.

Sometimes, he whistled a few notes.

He would even stop to examine strange plants that had been corrupted by Dark Realm Strength.

Nearly ten thousand people ahead of him were acting as though they faced a deadly enemy.

He alone looked as though he were taking part in a long-awaited field trip.

The expeditionary force slowly advanced.

John continued walking by himself at the rear.

Most Luna Wolf players operated in organized parties, so naturally, they had little interest in an unaffiliated player of unknown origin.

More importantly, the frontline quest rewards were extremely generous.

Everyone was studying the Military Merit rules, and no one wanted to waste time on a stranger.

John was perfectly happy with the peace and quiet.

As he walked, he observed the terrain on both sides of the road.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.

"Mr. Endbringer."

John turned around.

At some point, Horus and White_Bear had separated from Luna Wolf’s formation and quietly made their way to the rear of the Expeditionary Army.

Horus walked up beside him.

"I didn’t expect to encounter you in the expeditionary force."

"How did you end up participating in the Dawnstar City mission?"

John answered casually,

"I was dragged here."

Horus’s footsteps halted.

"What?"

White_Bear’s eyes widened as well.

"Dragged?"

"You were captured?"

"That’s right."

John looked at the two of them.

"Weren’t you?"

Horus remained silent for two seconds.

"We received a war quest."

"Our guild members spent a great deal of time raising our reputation in Sunset City and completed seven prerequisite quests before we obtained the right to join the expedition."

"I see."

John nodded in realization.

"I was stopped outside the magic academy by three members of the City Lord’s Personal Guard."

"Then the city lord gave me a choice between house arrest and joining the expedition."

"So here I am."

For a moment, Horus had no idea what to say.

Luna Wolf had mobilized a vast amount of manpower.

They had organized their relationships with NPCs.

Collected prerequisite clues.

And cleared seven consecutive high-difficulty quests.

Only then had they successfully triggered this large-scale war expedition.

John had done absolutely nothing.

The NPCs had simply come to his door and dragged him directly into the army.

Although his method of triggering the quest did not sound particularly glorious, the efficiency was outrageously high.