All the prominent players of the Light Dragon faction had gathered.
Meanwhile, the Godslayer guild had been keeping a low profile for some time. Aside from a few members who frequently posted material collection bounties in the world channel, they rarely appeared in public. As a result, discussions about Godslayer and the US Triple Crown winner had cooled down in the forums.
This is a common occurrence in other online games as well — guilds that start out strong often lose momentum as time passes. Most guilds expend all their energy early in the game, and eventually fade away, some even disappearing entirely.
"Godslayer is a thing of the past. Our chance has come."
"We've got over two hundred noble members. Damn it, we'll wear down Golden Dragon Knight even if it takes forever! Pondenorlin will be ours, for Hellfire!"
Even though the leaders of the various guilds weren't exactly sure what benefits becoming the ruler of the main city would bring, defeating the seemingly invincible Golden Dragon Knight and earning the title of City Lord would certainly boost the guild's prestige. This would, without a doubt, open doors to sponsorship deals and be a lucrative business.
"So, how confident are you?" Slaughter Spree asked, glancing at their leader, Demon Emperor, his eyes burning with intensity.
"All the info on Golden Dragon Knight's mechanics and traits is almost gathered. Whether we succeed or fail depends on your performance." Blank said coldly.
"I don't know." Demon Emperor, riding his Titan Cobra, shook his head, his gaze sweeping towards the city walls of Pondenorlin.
Two slightly forlorn figures stood side by side, it was Wedge and DonutWizard, who had been missing for quite a while.
Slaughter Spree: "I heard that during their time away, they got their hands on some really powerful items, but I don't know if it's true."
"It doesn't matter how powerful they are; timing is everything. Too high HP and you'll die; too low and someone else will steal the kill," said James, an inconspicuous level 31 warrior, Blank's buddy.
The sound of war beasts charging echoed, and a fierce gust of wind swept through the street. Players jumped out of the way in shock.
"Ghost-Faced Dragon Lion! Domain Lord-Class war beast!" Everyone shouted in unison. A young man in white rode the Ghost-Faced Dragon Lion and jumped onto the city wall, joining Wedge and DonutWizard.
He raised his brows slightly, scanning the crowd.
After briefly stopping at Blank's group, he smiled and nodded at them.
"Alexander. He's always a troublemaker," James said, his face hardening.
Alexander continued scanning the crowd. When he didn't see that familiar figure, he sighed in relief and muttered, "He didn't come. Thank goodness."
Inside the Pondenorlin City tavern.
"Let me kill the Empire's champion swordsman myself. Why doesn't he just ask me to die?" Bradley grumbled, finishing a drink of Lucid Dream, letting out a burp as he complained about how difficult his hidden quest was.
Recently, Bradley had been working solo, away from the main group, and had obtained a clue about the divine-level Human Soul Seal from Saint Swordmaster Glacier.
Glacier was once the strongest of the Saint Swordmasters, but was ostracized by the swordmasters, led by Victor, due to his expertise in dark magic. Glacier promised Bradley that if he could kill the Empire's champion, Victor, and avenge him, he would reward Bradley with the Soul Seal called Sword Qi Eternal.
But Victor was no ordinary foe. He was a hybrid Dragon Warrior, the descendant of Lightning Dragons and humans, with strength comparable to that of a humanoid dragon. His lightning-based energy made him nearly unbeatable, and his stats surpassed even those of Glacier.
"Kill him myself? There might be a loophole in those words." Orson smiled and clinked glasses with Bradley.
Bradley paused, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"'Kill him yourself' means a one-on-one duel, but you know as well as I do that there's no way you'll win that," Orson said, thinking for a moment before continuing. "But Infinite Dimensions doesn't have any task that's theoretically impossible to complete. At the end of the day, this task is just about you delivering the final blow."
Bradley's eyes lit up, and he frowned. "You're saying it's a group fight?"
"Group fights probably won't give you the chance. The task requires it to be 'fair,' meaning it has to be in a challenge, a duel, or combat of that nature," Orson shook his head.
"War... that's not happening. Unless we start a war with Light Dragon Empire right now, this task is impossible," Bradley sighed, willing to settle for the Epic Rank Soul Seal. He had one Human Soul Seal that would work for him.
"Don't lose heart, man. There might still be a chance to take him down," Orson grinned, pouring Bradley a glass of divine brew mixed with Phoenix's Lament.
"Shit! What's this drink? It's so strong! At least 100 gold coins a bottle, right?" Bradley exclaimed after sniffing the aroma.
The NPCs in the tavern all stared at them. A faint reddish mist swirled around the room, with a phoenix illusion hovering above their heads, adding a mystical aura.
"Free, didn't pay a dime." Orson nodded, raising his glass to clink with Bradley's.
The Phoenix's Lament was worth more than a thousand gold, but Orson didn't care. The best wine was for sharing, and when the time was right, he'd brew up a hundred or more barrels in Barrel Town for the Godslayer brothers to enjoy!
"It's about time for you and Vanessa, huh?" Orson said with a mischievous look, eyeing Bradley skeptically.
Bradley wasted no time on the rare brew, chomping down on some fatty meat, and said, "Why would I lie to you? Two months, man. You'll be in charge of the milk and diapers."
"Ah, yeah, I guess it's about time," Orson said, only just realizing. He thought of the little chubby girl Isla, always asking him to buy cake for her, calling him 'godfather' with that sweet voice.
Orson couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. If it weren't for the hardcore mode and the Heaven Demon's bloodbath, Bradley, Vanessa, and Isla would have been a family many would envy.