When the Dark Magic was unleashed, it was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Ishinaka, Rukawa, Shimoji, and the others had completely lost their fighting spirit. This would be a nightmare they would never forget.
Millions of US players, in coordination with Yamata no Orochi, began a relentless massacre of the remaining UJ district players.
A few tens of thousands of UJ's elite were quickly overwhelmed by the tsunami of US players.
"This battle will go down in history!"
The World Channel exploded in activity, with many top-tier items being listed at the Empire Auction House. Latecomers among the US players had missed their chance and would be left with nothing but regret.
"SSR, Rattlesnake, Sky Wolf... These trash guilds need to get out of our US district!"
"Orgod resisted the foreign invaders, but these bastards stole his home!"
"I can't take it anymore! These idiots really deserve to die!"
The participating US players quickly realized that while the foreign invaders had been wiped out, the "internal enemies" still remained.
Under the guidance of SirLagsALot and others, players began to form their own conclusions:
The fact that Orgod wasn't personally guarding the Bone Dragon Stronghold meant that he had prioritized the US district above all else.
Such noble sentiment was far beyond what the SSR guild's little pawns could understand!
"Alright, thank you for your hard work, everyone," Orson said as he mounted the Crimson Lizard King and addressed the crowd.
"Old man, you're not leaving!"
"Who needs to go?! Let's keep pushing forward! No matter if it's NPC legions or the SSR guild, let's crush them all!"
"No, I still haven't seen any decent equipment. Triple Crown winner, take us for one more round!"
...
The regional chat was flooded with messages, and Orson felt overwhelmed. Instead of leaving, the millions of players below him were now rallying to continue the fight!
"But... most of you haven't received any fortification tasks, you can't go to the Celestial Fortress," Orson said in surprise.
"Can't go to Celestial Fortress? Then let's go to Bone Dragon Stronghold!"
"Yes! Let's hit Bone Dragon Stronghold. Whoever dares to take Godslayer's base, I'll go after them!"
"Let's go, Triple Crown winner! Stop talking like a girl!"
Orson was taken aback, realizing that he had completely over-energized these players. They were now all bloodthirsty.
"Sigh... Alright, let's go crush them," Orson said, unable to do anything else.
"Ha ha, Wedge that bitch better wait for me! If she dares show her face, I'll strip her robe off! Let her taste what true sleaziness is!"
"Bro, calm down, I've set my eyes on Reaver's two legendary daggers. I'm calling dibs on them!"
"Nothing wrong with calling dibs on Snow Dream's staff, right?"
...
A tidal wave of players surged toward the first battlefield.
"The Demon Emperor's Legion commander role is yours now. Bone Dragon Stronghold is yours to manage. Whether you keep the base for yourself or..." Orson smiled and glanced at Demon Emperor, who was riding on the Frostmoon Giant Wolf.
Demon Emperor's smile stiffened at the words. Keep the base for himself? Was Orson serious?
Bone Dragon Stronghold was rich in resources, and its labyrinthine monsters had a high drop rate. But Demon Emperor wasn't a fool. If he took the base now, he knew the US players wouldn't just let it slide. With millions of players rallying behind Orson, could he afford to go against that?
The momentum of US Triple Crown winner was now at its peak. Whether Orson planned to take the Bone Dragon Stronghold or not, if Demon Emperor made a move now, the entire Slaughter Guild would be drowned in spit from public outrage. That's how terrifying public opinion could be.
Orson had once been a hunted dog, but now, he could rise to god-like status!
"I'm glad you like it, Orson-kun," Naoko sent a private message.
"Meh," Orson replied nonchalantly, his lips curling into a smile.
Now, Naoko was the number one enforcer and guild leader of Bright Galaxy Guild. Anyone who didn't pay their Tithe would be bombarded by Yamata no Orochi's destructive power. She was the voice of Orson in the UJ district.
"Can I meet you in person?" Naoko's voice was sweet.
Orson was momentarily taken aback. Meet in person? What for? Was there something that required offline discussion?
This was troublesome.
Naoko sent a voice message, her voice seductive, "I think Orson-kun, you're even more charming in real life. Would you let me witness the glory of Triple Crown winner?"
Is she crazy? Does this woman have a masochistic tendency?
Orson's thoughts were in turmoil. He tried to remain calm and replied, "I don't understand UJ language."
"But I speak English..." Naoko's voice trailed off.
Without hesitation, Orson blocked her.
"She's messing with my mind," Orson muttered under his breath, his face slightly flushed.
In his mind, he thought: "Another woman crushed in the game, now trying to get back at me in real life. I'm not interested."
But despite his words, he knew Naoko was a top-tier beauty. Still, in his eyes, she seemed more like a wild lioness, a beast that needed to be tamed. Her rising ferocity couldn't be left unchecked; otherwise, it would bite back at him at the worst possible time. She needed someone to control her, and Orson was more than happy to hold the leash.
"Defeat! The three top guilds from the UJ district combined forces and nearly 100,000 elite players were wiped out!"
"Not a single survivor! They couldn't even manage to commit suicide!"
In the labyrinth, the SSR guild members were stunned when they received news of the UJ district's collapse. They had cut themselves off from most of the channels to focus on finding the exit.
Yet, the news soon reached them. The US forces had appeared on the third battlefield, and Yamata no Orochi had blocked the door, massacring the UJ district players.
She was an SS-level Kingdom Summoner, wasn't she supposed to be from the Thousand Hands Guild?
How could she single-handedly massacre thousands of UJ district elites?
These questions left the SSR guild members utterly confused. Only a few high-ranking officials were constantly receiving updates about the third battlefield. Their faces were as dark as water, and their moods were highly agitated.
Inadvertently, they had made a fatal mistake. Now, they found themselves in an irredeemable situation. If the Godslayer guild didn't fall, and Orgod wasn't eliminated, every one of their guilds would become the enemy of the US players!
"Why are we being labeled as traitors? Cross-server alliances have happened before! Where did these idiots get such a strong reaction from?!"
In the deep tunnel, Reaver gritted his teeth and muttered to himself.
The labyrinth's second level was vast, full of tunnels whose depths could not be seen, and small secret zones that had already been cleared by Godslayer members.
And there were high-level monsters with ridiculous amounts of HP that could ambush them at any moment. The SSR guild had split into multiple teams, each searching for an exit.
"Who the hell is stirring up the trouble? Who's leading the charge?" one of them whispered.
The rest of the SSR members were focused on taking down the Godslayer guild. No one wanted to risk being expelled from the US players' faction.
As professional players, they knew just how terrifying public opinion could be. They had seen how badly Orson had been treated in the past.
But now, it was too late to back out. The invisible hand of fate was pushing them deeper into the abyss.