"Major Announcement: Due to ongoing conflict with [Godslayer], NPCs have been evacuated from Pondenorlin and will return in four hours."
Celestial Fortress loomed over Pondenorlin City, a titanic behemoth casting an oppressive shadow over the first major city many Infinite Dimensions players had encountered.
Madman: "Holy hell, I think I just pissed myself!"
Divine Slash: "What the hell are we doing here? There aren't even any high-tier bosses in this city."
Raven: "Just shut up and watch, old man. This time… we're not playing by the rules."
His eyes burned with excitement.
Raven had always known Orgod was no ordinary player.
But to take things this far?
To outright declare war on Light Dragon Empire by opening fire on one of its major cities?
That was beyond insane.
Orson activated Celestial Vision, scanning the ground below.
The Priest Guild, the Archer Guild, and a large contingent of imperial soldiers were already in position, sensing his hostile intent.
A fierce battle intent surged within him.
Never had he imagined that one day, he'd be the one looking down on these NPCs, deciding their fate.
His grip tightened on the Heavenly Fire Staff.
Raising it high, he pointed toward Pondenorlin City and declared, "Where our blades fall, that land belongs to Godslayer!"
A roar erupted from his guildmates.
"Hell yeah!"
"They thought they could gang up on us? Time to wipe them off the map!"
"An eye for an eye! No mercy!"
The air burned with collective rage.
Even the life-skill players, who rarely fought, were fired up.
They were done being pushed around.
It was time to send a message: Anyone who crosses Godslayer… will face utter annihilation!
Bradley broadcasted a warning across the region:
"Pondenorlin City is now a no-go zone. All non-affiliated players and new players should evacuate immediately. This city is about to be destroyed."
Shocked reactions flooded in.
"No way… are they actually going to destroy a main city?!"
"Are you insane?! Those cannons… they're all Ancient Relics! That's—those are Divine Artifacts! Are they really gonna blast the city into the dirt?!"
Players grinding nearby froze, cold sweat dripping down their backs.
A player-led siege on an NPC city?
Who in MMO history had ever attempted something this insane?!
Pondenorlin wasn't just some random village.
This was a full-fledged imperial city.
It had two fully staffed NPC guilds, multiple magic barriers, trained war beasts, and tens of thousands of imperial soldiers.
Yet Godslayer was going to level it?
"He's serious…?"
"I don't know… but one thing's for sure: Orgod doesn't let grudges slide. If you cross him—NPC or not—you will regret it."
The King Family's Xiao Xiao chuckled.
"Good thing we're allied with Godslayer."
Nearby guilds watched with growing unease.
Standing beneath the hovering fortress, they felt insignificant.
This was no longer just a game.
This was power.
Madman: "The Divine Legion is ready!"
Dynasty Old Yin: "Secondary cannons charged. Main cannon ready to fire on command!"
A series of system messages popped up.
"Saint Swordmaster Victor is watching you."
"Dragon Knight Sap is watching you."
"Judicial Executor Daziel is watching you."
Orson remained unfazed.
It wasn't just the thousands of players watching—Light Dragon Empire was watching too.
Celestial Fortress entering imperial airspace was no small thing.
This was a test.
Would Godslayer back down?
Would Orgod hesitate?
The Judicial Tribunal's scrutiny was the most telling.
If he followed through with this attack, it wouldn't just be Pondenorlin he'd be fighting—he'd be challenging the entire empire.
Orson exhaled slowly.
"Blood for blood. No mercy."
Cain had betrayed them.
The empire had turned a blind eye.
Fine.
Then he'd force them to acknowledge his power.
A group of high-level NPC knights rode griffins into the air.
"You dare challenge us, heretic?! Do you truly think you can stand against the might of the empire?"
"A mere adventurer challenging the empire? Ha! This is an insult!"
The two Level 60 NPCs sneered down at him.
Orson's expression didn't change.
"They really don't know they're already dead."
He raised his staff.
"FIRE!"
The Divine Legion locked onto a weak point in Pondenorlin's barrier.
A surge of flames coalesced around Orson's staff—then Grip of the Underworld slammed down like a meteor.
A colossal stone hand emerged from the earth, seizing the flying NPCs and crushing them into the ground.
-550,000 CRITICAL!
-20,000
-1,000,000 SMASH DAMAGE!
The watching players gasped.
"Holy shit… these aren't just random NPCs… Those were Guild Instructors!"
Orson remained impassive.
He lifted his hand—Judgment Flame.
A golden inferno descended.
The remaining NPCs—riders and war beasts alike—were incinerated on the spot.
Total annihilation.
The imperial troops below trembled.
The weakest among them were already on the verge of turning and running.
Only the guild NPCs' leadership kept them in place.
"Kill the heretics! For the Empire!"
"Yes! They are just adventurers! Crush them!"
A familiar voice rang out.
Orson narrowed his eyes, using Celestial Vision to locate the speaker.
His gaze landed on a Commander NPC standing atop a wooden crate, rallying the troops.
But the moment he finished his speech—
—he jumped down, ripped off his uniform, and transformed into a beggar.
"Idiots! I'm not dying for this bullshit!" he muttered, slipping through a crack in the barrier and bolting for the hills.
Orson blinked.
"...That's Wesley?"
That guy had the survival instincts of a cockroach.
The man might not be the strongest warrior, but damn if he didn't have the brains for this world.
Orson let out a chuckle.
He had no quarrel with Wesley.
The Dwarven Artisan had also left the city earlier—meaning there was nothing left to hold him back.
He exhaled, voice calm.
"Kill them all."
The sky darkened.
A crimson Demon Moon rose high.
"ALL CANNONS—FIRE!"
Madman's roar was nearly lost beneath the deafening hum of charging energy.
The Divine Legion unleashed a simultaneous volley.
Thirty-two devastation beams fused into a single, kilometer-wide energy blast.
Below, the NPCs scrambled.
"DIVINE SHIELD!"
"DEFENSIVE ARTILLERY, OPEN FIRE!"
"HOLY BARRIER—!"
Hundreds of layered defensive spells exploded across the city.
A breathtaking, dazzling battle between divine and mortal magic erupted.
BOOM!
Buildings trembled.
Shockwaves tore through the streets.
Half the imperial forces vaporized on the spot.
A massive, two-kilometer-wide crater replaced the city's center.
The few remaining survivors—barely a thousand blood-soaked archers and priests—stood amidst the wreckage.
"You have slain an Imperial Soldier. Infamy +3,000!"
"You have slain an Imperial Commander. Infamy +6,000!"
Orson's system log scrolled endlessly.
A collective gasp rang out from the watching players.
"Look at his nameplate—his title just turned gold!"
"A gold-name?! Holy shit—he's not just a red-name criminal anymore… he's something worse!"
Over 10,000 NPCs had died.
His infamy exceeded 3,000,000.
"Global Announcement: US Region player [Orgod] has demonstrated unparalleled power, slaughtering 9,667 NPCs of his affiliated faction!"
"This player has now embarked on the path of a true world villain!"
"New Hidden Quest Triggered: [Audience with the Emperor]."