-1000!
-1000!
...
"Ugh... What do you mean 'it's about time'!?" Bradley suddenly jolted, almost choking on the piece of meat in his mouth. He stared at Orson, wide-eyed and suspicious.
"Huh?"
Orson snapped out of his thoughts, his face turning red. His words had definitely caused some confusion...
"Do you know something? Did you run into her ex-boyfriend? Come on, speak up! Orson!" Bradley pressed on, clearly panicking, suspecting something was off.
Orson couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Any normal person would be suspicious after hearing his words, but Bradley was worried about Vanessa's ex?
This guy would actually expose his heart like that. Orson would never think he'd do something to betray his friend.
"Ahem, what I meant was, you two have been together for so many years, it's about time, or I'd start doubting your capabilities," Orson said, laughing heartily, trying to calm Bradley down and stop him from getting any more suspicious.
The two of them continued to joke around in the tavern, but outside, chaos was brewing.
"Get him! Only 30% health left! Push forward, everyone, charge!" the leader of Hellfire Guild shouted.
Hundreds of noble players launched an all-out assault on the Golden Dragon Knight Bibienne, hoping that sheer numbers would whittle down the dragon knight's remaining health.
Slaughter Spree: "Are these Hellfire guys idiots?"
James: "Sure, they've got a ton of noble players, but they can't do much damage. Their NPCs heal faster than they can hurt them. Ridiculous."
Hellfire Guild had emerged as a strong contender, but their number of high-tier players was limited. However, their overall strength wasn't low, given that they had acquired so many noble titles, a testament to their strong financial backing.
"Dammit, we just get wiped out instantly. We've had ten people die already, and the boss's health went up by 2%!"
"The Territorial Struggle dungeon ends in 12 hours. By the time these guys are done, it'll all be over."
Hellfire Guild was nearly blocking the challenge entrance, with players charging in, only to die repeatedly. The boss's health fluctuated between 28% and 33%.
"Get the Hellfire players out of here! Our guild master is going to challenge the Golden Dragon Knight!" one of the Supreme Guild players shouted angrily.
"Yeah, these noobs are wasting time. If anyone's going to do it, it's us Slaughter Guild!"
Slaughter's players pushed their way forward, shooting insults at Hellfire Guild.
Hellfire Man: "You damn idiots! How many people are challenging, and you think it's your business? Come at me if you dare!"
Hellfire Man, upset by the insults, was getting furious. He, too, was a big player, and he wasn't about to let some random players talk back.
The arena where the challenge took place was still under Pondenorlin City's control, and with the NPCs guarding the area, it wasn't easy to go rogue and kill people without consequences.
Slaughter Spree: "If you don't move, I won't mind clearing the field."
With that, Slaughter Spree summoned a Storm Dragon, ready to charge through the NPC soldiers' dragon breath and clear the area.
"Hmph, Slaughter's vice president thinks he can clear the field?"
A cold voice interrupted, and a woman riding a deep purple Chimera appeared.
"Magical Fiancée, ranked 79th on the leaderboards."
Slaughter Spree frowned. The woman had green, snake-like hair, and her eyes were an eerie grey.
She was the leader of the Glory Seekers Guild, who had risen quickly after acquiring three strongholds. She had unlocked the S-class career of Gorgon-Headed Sorceress, capable of petrifying dragons and controlling them.
Magical Fiancée nodded to Hellfire Man, and the two guilds had already reached an agreement to jointly take over Pondenorlin City and rotate control.
"I'll give you an hour to challenge the dragon knight, but after that, I'll clear the field."
Demon Emperor, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke.
"Demon Emperor, you're in the city. Are you really trying to clear the field? Do you think you're Orgod?" Hellfire Man sneered.
At the mention of Orgod, Blank sighed. "Why bring that bastard up?"
"Demon Emperor, you're so impressive, but you're no different from a statue in my eyes," Magical Fiancée laughed coldly, her eerie eyes glowing grey.
"What the hell! Does that woman petrify anyone she looks at?"
The group shuddered, watching as the wooden structures began to turn to stone and disintegrate into dust.
"I'm only giving you an hour," Demon Emperor said, his authority still palpable.
The Titan Snake raised its head, releasing a terrifying hiss as black light spread, causing two nearby NPC soldiers to explode.
The Glory Seekers and Hellfire Guild members were shocked.
They noticed that Demon Emperor's name hadn't turned red, meaning he was immune to Infamy.
He had some artifact that protected him from penalties.
The rumors about Demon Emperor possessing a divine Soul Seal were starting to seem more and more believable. He could kill enemies to gain health.
Slaughter Guild's small accounts were likely just there to provide "blood packs" for him, and the divine Soul Seal allowed him to kill both enemies and allies to stack health.
DonutWizard: "I also agree we shouldn't waste time. The Golden Dragon Knight is not a boss you can handle."
ShatteredCrown: "Oh? So, you think you can handle him? What a dog."
DonutWizard: "You're Orgod's lapdog. Without your master, you're nothing!"
"SSR is dead. Stragglers can't achieve anything. Don't waste your breath here," ShatteredCrown retorted.
Before DonutWizard could speak again, the Empress of the Moon arrived with The Flame Dragon. The temperature soared, and an oppressive feeling swept over the crowd.
Wedge had disbanded the SSR Guild, a once prominent club in the US esports scene, now a laughingstock among players.
This was a fatal blow.
Back then, they'd made US Triple Crown winner a target; now, the consequences were on SSR.
DonutWizard's face turned pale as he ground his teeth, but he was stopped by Wedge's raised hand.
"Infinite Dimensions belongs to no one player or faction. They can win a thousand times, ten thousand times, but one loss means everything is lost. No need to say more."
Alexander, with a small smile, added, "Well said. In the end, everything has its time, rises and falls."
"Everyone, stop talking. Let Hellfire people hurry up. Five minutes left," Slaughter Spree announced.
Hellfire Man and his guildmates ground their teeth in frustration.
With The King Family and Moonlight Guild's stance shifting, they found themselves aligning more with Slaughter Guild.
This put a lot of pressure on Hellfire Guild, who quickly realized they were becoming the target of everyone's scorn.
"Kill! Take down the Golden Dragon Knight! The reward is a million gold!"
"Kill him! Rise to power!"