Chapter 590 - 228: No Retreat

The Sea Race, being relatively few in number, had spent the past six days fighting primarily from behind the Shield of the [Dragon Palace]. With their limited numbers, they could not match the NPCs and bosses one-for-one and simply couldn’t afford a war of attrition.

"No! We can’t leave!"

Hearing her subordinate’s report and looking at her surrounding kin—their eyes bloodshot, their spirits clearly at their breaking point—the Sea Race’s Emperor, Vanas, gritted her teeth and declared that they could not retreat.

Vanas, the Emperor of the Sea Race, had once been a stunning figure with a slender waist, a delicate face, and an extraordinary aura. But after these past few days of fighting, she had lost all her former grace. Her hair was a mess, her skin was scorched black, and she looked like a refugee from the battlefield. The members of the Sea Race around her were in much the same state.

"We can’t retreat! We have to wait for the Water God! Even if every last one of us dies, as long as the Water God returns safely, the dream our people have held for countless years will be fulfilled!"

Gritting her teeth, Vanas refused to retreat and explained her reasoning to her people once more.

Six days ago, when they encountered the massive and unmistakable Black Tortoise, Vanas had instantly recognized it as the master her people had sought for countless years. Then, she saw that the Black Tortoise actually had a master of its own. And in that Divine Lord’s hands was the special Uniqueness item, Black Spade A. Moreover, he had produced three Black Spade As in one go. Because of this, the people of the Sea Race had become ecstatic.

If the Black Tortoise alone might have given them pause, making them wait for further confirmation, the appearance of the Divine Lord holding three Black Spade As changed everything. Everyone in the Sea Race, including Vanas, knew in that instant that they had found the right person. Their countless years of wandering were about to come to an end.

"Understood!" Hearing Vanas’s firm words, the tribesman who had been trying to persuade her gritted his teeth and said no more.

"Besides, we can’t leave! The Uniqueness item, Red Heart A, is also crucial to the Divine Lord! Red Heart A has taken root here! It cannot be moved until its true form has fully coalesced! Otherwise, this manifestation of Red Heart A will be interrupted. For it to appear again, we would have to wait until this world’s version 5.0..."

After this explanation, Vanas gave another reason why they couldn’t move the [Dragon Palace] from this spot. Moreover, this second reason was, in some ways, even more important than the first.

Previously, when she saw the Divine Lord produce three single-use Black Spade As, Vanas had become certain that the Divine Lord held the true form of Black Spade A.

A person might be lucky enough to get one single-use Uniqueness item, but it’s impossible to get three identical ones at the same time. The fact that the Divine Lord, Shen Fei, could produce three at once proves that the true form of Black Spade A is in his possession.

Knowing the power of Uniqueness items, Vanas made a decision the moment she confirmed this. She would protect and preserve the other Uniqueness item, Red Heart A, on the Divine Lord’s behalf.

Red Heart A and Black Spade A had a chance to be reunited in this era, and Vanas was eager to witness that moment. She even knew that when the true forms of Red Heart A and Black Spade A came together, something else, something wondrous, would happen.

Therefore, to protect the true form of Red Heart A for the Divine Lord, the Sea Race could not retreat! Not only could they not retreat, but they could not allow the NPCs and bosses to breach the [Dragon Palace] in the slightest.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

As Vanas mulled things over, the violent booming continued. She saw that as the [Dragon Palace]’s energy depleted, gaps began to appear in the Shields. This allowed the attacks from the NPCs and bosses to pass directly through and strike the bodies of her people. Many of her kin were even injured, coughing up blood as a result.

The Intelligent NPCs and Super Bosses inherited from the Game World possessed unparalleled power in this now-gamified world of Blue Star. Moreover, because they originated from different games, their abilities were all vastly different. A wide variety of abilities—even items and skills that could break Shields—were unleashed all at once by the NPCs and bosses, all aimed at the massive [Dragon Palace].

"Your Majesty! Should we counterattack?"

Another ten or so minutes passed. Some NPCs and Super Bosses had even gotten right up to the [Dragon Palace]’s Shield, attacking it at point-blank range. A subordinate reported to Vanas again.

Three days ago, they had discovered that the Intelligent NPCs and Super Bosses were swarming them. An endless, fearless tide of enemies charged the [Dragon Palace], impossible to kill completely. To conserve energy, the Sea Race had ceased all attacks. They had shifted from offense to defense, with every member redirecting their efforts to supplying the Shield with more energy so they could hold out longer.

But seeing these NPCs and bosses besieging them for so many days only to now mock them by attacking point-blank against the Shield infuriated the Sea Race. Letting the enemy attack them at point-blank range like this, the Taunt was just too much. They were finding it hard to endure.

"No! Hold the line! No matter how they provoke us, we do not move!"

Unfortunately for them, Vanas instantly rejected her subordinate’s suggestion.

"We have defended against the NPCs and Super Bosses for six days now! In less than a day, the sixth inheritance of game abilities will begin! Once that starts, there’s a high probability these NPCs and Super Bosses will leave to go devour the newly inherited entities of their own kind to increase their power! So while it looks like they’re taunting us with these point-blank attacks, the truth is, they’re getting desperate! Hold steady!!"

After rejecting her subordinate’s suggestion, Vanas added some words of encouragement for her people. Though her words were meant to boost morale, they were also factually correct. Not long after she finished speaking, the NPCs and bosses attacking at point-blank range changed their tactics, just as she had predicted. Furthermore, countless NPCs and Super Bosses even summoned massive siege engines and began to intensify their assault.

Just as Vanas had guessed, the NPCs and Super Bosses, after sieging them for six days, were growing desperate as the sixth ability inheritance approached. They were not only desperate to destroy the [Dragon Palace] before the ability inheritance so they could be free to devour the wave of their own kind that would inevitably be created, but there was another reason. They were also worried that another version update, with its massively accelerated speed, would occur during the sixth ability inheritance. If, by some chance, version 4.9 were to update during the sixth inheritance, and they still hadn’t eliminated the Sea Race’s [Dragon Palace], then the situation could lead to new complications.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

As time went on, after realizing that the Sea Race was truly hunkering down like a turtle in its shell and showing no sign of attacking, the NPCs and bosses, pressed for time, became even more brazen, unleashing a greater variety of attacks. The [Dragon Palace] at the center of their siege instantly began to falter.

"All hands!!! Activate the Bloodline Technique!! Burn your lifespans to replenish the [Dragon Palace]’s Shield! Hold on!! Hold on!!!"

Facing the intensified assault from the NPCs and Super Bosses, one of Vanas’s subordinates, with her tacit approval, roared the command for the entire Sea Race to activate the Bloodline Technique.

WHOOSH~

As the Sea Race activated their last resort, countless crimson threads emerged from their heads, connecting to the [Dragon Palace]’s Shield. The faltering Shield of the [Dragon Palace] was then rapidly repaired by the crimson threads.

"Hold on!! Just hold on for half a day more! The sixth game ability inheritance is almost here, and that will be our chance!!"

Seeing many of the elderly Sea Race rapidly age and begin to collapse from using the Bloodline Technique, Vanas suppressed the immense grief in her heart and loudly bolstered her people’s morale. After countless years of wandering, they had finally found a powerful patron. Vanas refused to give up so easily. The Sea Race did not want to continue their endless wandering.

Water God! Where are you! Divine Lord! When will you return!

She remembered the sight of Shen Fei summoning his Defense Towers and instantly annihilating countless NPCs and Super Bosses. Vanas prayed for the Divine Lord to return quickly. I know that when he returns, everything will be all right!

But alas, as she watched the elderly members of her race collapse one by one from using the Bloodline Technique, the Divine Lord and Water God she so eagerly awaited were nowhere to be found.

"Hm!?"

Another two hours passed. The [Dragon Palace]’s Shield was once again on the verge of collapse. Just as she was about to activate the King’s Bloodline Technique—an ability only the Emperor of the Sea Race could perform—Vanas suddenly saw it.

A brilliant pillar of white light erupted in the distance, instantly annihilating a section of the NPCs and Super Bosses besieging the [Dragon Palace], leaving no trace behind.

"God!! Divine Lord!!!"

Seeing the distant spectacle, Vanas’s pupils dilated, and she roared with uncontainable excitement.