Chapter 49: You Dare to Raid My Territory? Six Lords Wiped Out on the Spot!

"Now I get it. Which idiot arranged a circle of skeleton soldiers to use as a fence?"

"Come on, come on. Push them aside. We’ve got things to do."

Several centaur units immediately stepped forward, rudely shoving the skeleton soldiers out of their way with their spear shafts.

Just as expected, the skeletons showed no reaction whatsoever. They toppled over one after another, then slowly picked themselves back up.

What they didn’t know was that these undead units had no intelligence of their own. They neither patrolled on their own nor pursued enemies beyond their formation.

Only when someone inside the territory came under attack would they automatically awaken and retaliate against the intruders.

The group laughed and joked as they squeezed through a gap in the encirclement.

They hadn’t gone much farther when orderly chants suddenly echoed through the fog.

The six exchanged puzzled glances.

"What was that?"

They slowed their steps and cautiously followed the sound.

What appeared before them was a village under construction.

Several natives dressed in coarse cloth were mixing mortar and carrying stones. A half-finished stone wall already stood nearby.

However, the villagers had spotted the intruders through the dense fog moments earlier.

After all, the mist only obstructed the vision of outsiders. Those inside the territory could see everything clearly.

Several women dropped their buckets and screamed as they ran into the houses. The men grabbed their hoes and shovels and rushed forward to stand guard, their faces deathly pale.

"Outsiders are here!"

"Don’t panic! Don’t panic! Get the children and elderly inside!"

Gru hurriedly began organizing everyone.

Swifthoof Kalen, however, suddenly spun around. He wasn’t frightened. His voice trembled with excitement.

"Guys! Do you see that? Those are natives!"

"Have they just delivered themselves right to our doorstep?!"

Demolish the houses, and all the bricks, stones, and timber would become resources. Capture a few natives, and they could be taken back as forced laborers.

The thought made him increasingly excited. He immediately waved his hand viciously.

"Sand Spiders! Centaurs! Move out! Tear down those houses and pin the natives to the ground!"

"Yes, sir!"

The centaurs and Sand Spiders surged forward like a swarm.

BOOM!

Two newly built houses collapsed when the centaurs smashed into them with their spear shafts, sending splinters flying everywhere.

The villagers stood no chance against these units. Within seconds, several had been knocked to the ground, while the Sand Spiders bound them tightly with their webs.

"You! What do you think you’re doing?!"

Still mounted on his horse, Swifthoof Kalen swaggered over to Gru, who was pinned to the ground. He lifted the old man’s chin with the tip of his boot.

"Old man, tell me where your lord has hidden his treasures. Give me the answer, and I’ll make your death quick."

Gru’s face was covered in dust, but he showed no fear. He glared furiously at Kalen and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"People like you dare covet our lord’s treasures? Lay a hand on us, and the dragon will punish you!"

"What dragon? What nonsense are you spouting? You’re asking to die!"

Swifthoof Kalen’s expression darkened as he raised his iron spear high—

ROOOOAR!!

A deafening dragon’s roar suddenly descended from overhead, shaking the very air around them!

Everyone instinctively looked up.

Above the fog, fifty purple silhouettes descended like reapers from the heavens. The Dragon Knights plunged straight into the mist, dragons and riders charging together!

"Holy crap! What the hell is that up there?!"

"Are those really dragons?! How is that possible?!"

The six lords nearly lost their souls.

From their perspective, all they could see was a wall of white fog and a few captured natives.

But above the mist, the Dragon Knights John had left behind had already seen the entire enemy force of more than a thousand troops invading the territory.

They had been standing by without orders.

But the instant the intruders attacked the villagers, the protective command John had left behind automatically activated!

Dragonflame rained down from above.

-4825!

-5353!

-4914!

Explosive damage numbers flashed across the battlefield. The Scarab Shield Guards at the front were roasted alive inside their shells, sizzling as the flames engulfed them. The Sand Spiders curled into charred balls by the dozens.

The centaur cavalry was sent tumbling by the shockwaves, their iron spears flying far into the distance.

In a single breath attack, more than half of the thousand-plus troops had fallen.

"Their damage is insane! Retreat! Retreat now!!"

Swifthoof Kalen panicked and scrambled in every direction, desperately turning his mount around to flee.

The others immediately followed.

But at some point, the Undead Spearmen that had been standing motionless in the fog had all risen to their feet.

Every single skeleton turned toward the intruders.

The ghostly blue flames in their eye sockets flickered in unison.

Five thousand Spearmen advanced silently, their spears held firmly in their hands.

Fifty Dragon Knights controlled the skies, while six lords and their remaining troops stumbled blindly through the fog below.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

In their panic, the fleeing intruders repeatedly collided with the units stationed inside the territory.

-743!

-593!

-972!

But the moment they struck back, the Priests stationed inside the territory immediately cast their healing spells in unison.

[Healing Light]

+291

+326

+385

Not a single unit managed to kill an enemy. Instead, the six lords were driven farther and farther into the territory as they desperately fled in the wrong direction.

BAM!

All six crashed into one another in a tangled heap.

Before they could even complain, they looked up and found themselves staring at a magnificent castle.

Towering stone walls rose into the sky, and soaring spires pierced the clouds.

Every trace of color drained from Swifthoof Kalen’s face.

He finally understood.

This was Tyrant’s territory!

The Tyrant who had dominated the entire World Channel just three days into the game and claimed the number-one ranking!

He was the only player who had a castle at this stage!

"Wait!"

Hooded Rigg pointed at the castle, his voice trembling with terror.

"Something’s wrong! It’s only been a few days. How does he already have dragons?!"

Just then, the Dragon Knights overhead lowered their heads for a second attack.

ROOOOAR!

Another torrent of Dragonflame descended.

This time, the six lords didn’t even have time to scream.

All six, along with their remaining troops, were instantly reduced to charred corpses in the surging purple flames.

...

Several minutes later.

At a lord’s altar on the outskirts of the Judgment Alliance’s Third Division on the Newbie Continent, six flashes of white light burst into existence.

Six young men tumbled out.

Swifthoof Kalen scrambled to his feet. Looking down, he realized that the only piece of equipment he had acquired during this entire period was gone.

Every unit in his army interface was now marked as dead.

All the resources they had stolen had been left behind in Tyrant’s territory.

The muscles in his face twitched.

"It’s over..."

"Quick!"

Suddenly remembering something, he grabbed Hooded Rigg beside him. His voice trembled uncontrollably.

"We have to report this intelligence to the division immediately!"

"We’ve found the territory of Tyrant, the number-one-ranked player!"

"And that place... that place appears to have dragon-type units!!"

...

Inside the spatial rift.

Unlike the outside world, the sky here was shattered.

Floating rocks and torn ribbons of spatial energy filled every direction.

Within the rift, an enormous BOSS made of distorted bands of light appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

It was incredibly fast, precisely dodging Ophelia’s Dragonflame and Raistlin’s attacks every time.

-4211!

A thunderous crack rang out.

The BOSS had already blinked ten meters away, dodging another incoming attack.

"Why is this thing so damn agile?"

John was beginning to get frustrated.

This was the most evasive enemy he had encountered so far.

He watched the BOSS’s movement patterns for a while, then realized that continuing like this wouldn’t work.

Suddenly, he raised his hand and changed his strategy.

"All Dragon Knights, advance and pin it down!"

The Undead Dragon Knights he had brought along immediately folded their wings. Together, they formed a massive purple wall and charged straight toward the BOSS’s position.