Chapter Seventy-Seven: Return!

Zhao Nan led Euricis out of Oz's castle in silence. The moment he stepped beyond the threshold, the entire edifice vanished without a sound or ripple, as if it had never existed. It would only reappear once the siege of monsters ended—assuming, of course, that East Source City withstood the assault. If the city fell and was overrun by monsters, the castle might be lost forever.

Historically, East Source City had survived its first monster siege, but at a terrible cost.

Standing atop the towering cliff, Zhao Nan looked down. Shadows swirled below like a black tide, surging ceaselessly toward the city. The monster siege drew in every creature on the map: at first the lesser beasts, but as time passed, stronger and deadlier monsters appeared, and the casualties would mount.

Eerie roars, chilling shrieks, and guttural growls rang out in a relentless cacophony. With the siege underway, the city's teleportation was suspended; Zhao Nan would have to return on foot. He wasted no time on hesitation, called Euricis to follow, unfurled his Windflash Wings, and sprinted down the cliffside.

The swarms of Corrosive Ravens he encountered on the way were no match for his skills. For Euricis, these ravens became the first stepping stone on its road to growth, a wellspring of experience points. Zhao Nan gained little from slaying them, but for Euricis, each one was a significant boon.

Yet by the time Zhao Nan reached the base of the mountain, Euricis had only advanced two levels. He was amazed at how much experience the creature required to grow. He must have slain over two hundred Corrosive Ravens—enough for a level 0 player to reach level 8 or 9—yet Euricis barely rose.

But this insatiable hunger for experience was, in itself, a testament to the dragon’s potential. Among all the pet classes destined to become the world’s strongest, dragons ranked supreme. A pet that could reach level 80 before its bloodline was even purified—Zhao Nan had never heard of such a thing.

“You’re a tough one to feed,” he said, rubbing Euricis’s head fondly. The creature had imprinted on Zhao Nan the moment it hatched, recognizing him as kin—now, it was officially his pet.

They were still on the outskirts, where the monsters were around level 20. Zhao Nan had lost count of how many he had turned into pulp, leaving a river of corpses in his wake. Euricis simply followed closely behind, barely needing to lift a claw, yet steadily gaining levels despite the immense experience required. The monster siege meant an endless tide of foes, constantly spawning and charging towards East Source City.

Forward they surged—Zhao Nan and the monsters alike.

...

...

Year 0 of the Monster Era, January 20th, 4:00 AM.

At the city’s teleportation node—a complex encircled by the walls of a stadium—piles of monster corpses had reached halfway up the barricade. No one wanted to see their last refuge overrun, to be forced to live among monsters, fearful and exposed, nor give up the environment to which they had finally adapted.

The siege had begun two hours prior. Already, players were converging on the teleportation node, organizing themselves to defend the Soul Crystal.

Fending off the monsters amassed outside the walls and blocking the entrances was manageable, but the real challenge was the flying beasts swooping in from above. Since the siege began, a number—99999—had appeared over the Soul Crystal, representing its health. Now, it had fallen to 56123—a third already lost.

Xi Menyu frowned, standing beside another young man. Even mid-battle, he appraised his companion—this new head of the Guardians’ Guild was clearly no slouch. Coincidentally, he too was a mage, but not an ordinary one.

His class, however, remained a mystery.

He was Duan Tianlang.

All logged in players appeared under their real names. To insist on using one’s own name in the world before the cataclysm implied a staggering arrogance.

Xi Menyu suspected it was narcissism. In the middle of the fray, he turned to Duan Tianlang and was the first to propose cooperation.

Duan Tianlang, gripping a purple-quality staff, wore his gear openly, as if to proclaim his power. He was square-jawed, his eyes bright and commanding. “Xi Menyu, at this rate, the Soul Crystal’s health will be depleted!”

“And what do you suggest?” Xi Menyu squinted at the oncoming wave. The players at the wall were already struggling, but defending against the monsters dropping from the sky was a nightmare.

With good gear, one could take down higher-level monsters, but the problem was numbers—the enemy’s numbers and their own. Xi Menyu’s face was flushed with anger; etiquette be damned, he cursed under his breath like a prisoner: “To hell with it!”

“What we lack is unified command!” Duan Tianlang shot back. “Most players instinctively rally to defend the Soul Crystal, but they’re all from different backgrounds, with no unified orders or battle plans. It’s futile. And can’t you feel the monsters are getting stronger?”

Xi Menyu managed a bitter smile. That had been his concern from the start. The siege drew monsters from every region on the East Source map—the later waves were bound to be the strongest.

Already, level 15 monsters had appeared outside the walls. Soon, level 16, 17, even 20 would follow. For now, the sturdy stadium walls provided a defensive advantage, but if the lines failed, the consequences would be dire.

“What’s your plan?” Xi Menyu asked.

“An alliance,” Duan Tianlang replied. “Form one, and we can open an alliance channel. Right now, there’s no way to coordinate every player, so we must rely on ourselves. Damn it, if I’d known, I would’ve organized in advance!”

The alliance system had always been available, but Xi Menyu had never intended to use it—at least, not with just anyone. Even with the Guardians’ Guild, he’d hesitated. There was an undercurrent of rivalry, and he didn’t know Duan Tianlang well.

If he were to ally, he had a better candidate in mind. But where was that guild now? With the strength of that man, he couldn’t have died so easily during the siege.

A man who could hold off a mutated dungeon boss for minutes would not fall so easily.

“Well? What’s your decision?” Duan Tianlang pressed, seeing Xi Menyu’s hesitation. “It’s only a temporary alliance—just until we survive this siege. After that, we can dissolve it.”

...

“First, there’s the matter of unofficial members,” Xi Menyu said, his tone cool. “I assume you have plenty of non-core members as well?”

Duan Tianlang nodded briskly.

“Good. Disband all regimented teams and mix official and unofficial members into six-man squads. Forget regimental groupings—let’s issue orders directly through the alliance channel. Agreed?”

“No problem,” Duan Tianlang replied with a smile.

The two guilds began to coordinate as planned. Meanwhile, within East Source City, monsters still roamed the streets and alleys. Some players had not retreated to the teleportation node, instead barricading themselves inside sturdy buildings, clinging to whatever shelter they could find.

At the entrance to the Mage’s Hall, corpses were piled as high as a man...

Outside the Thieves’ Guild, blood flowed like a river.

...

...

4:30 AM.

Before the guild hall doors, several figures darted through the monster horde. At the center stood Gao Xiang, drawing his newly acquired golden longbow, maintaining his archery stance for nearly two hours.

Ahead, Sword Saint of the Sky and Sword Brave fought like two engines of slaughter—one large and one small—churning up a bloody storm, large or small, their blades yielded carnage.

“My experience is soaring... If I survive this siege, I’ll hit level 20!” Jiang Lun exclaimed beside him. “Though that’s assuming we make it out alive.”

“I wonder how things are going at the teleportation crystal,” Xu Fei said, having just finished a group heal and taking a moment to rest.

“It sounds like the Soul Crystal’s health is about to drop below four thousand,” Jiang Lun said, frowning. “I have a friend there—just asked him.”

“Still an hour and a half till dawn. Let’s hope we make it...” Gao Xiang sighed, exhausting his mana with Magic Arrow and needing to meditate to recover.

Without his magical onslaught, the battle ring shrank as Feini, Gao Mingyang, and Xu Feng fell back toward the hall doors.

“Xu Yang, how long until your next Radiance of Glory?” Gao Mingyang asked.

“About twenty seconds.”

“Good,” Gao Mingyang replied. “Feini, once the spell is ready, let’s focus on that elite monster first. That thing hits like a truck!”

“Alright... Wait, what’s that?” Feini’s expression darkened.

Gao Xiang, alarmed, quickly cast Eagle Eye on himself.

One glance, and his face fell. He swallowed hard. “Zombie rats...”

“I hate rats!” Gao Mingyang roared, cleaving a monster in two. “Especially ones as big as housecats!”

After the mutated dungeon, the members of World’s End guild had all developed a deep fear of rats.

It wasn’t their strength, but their sheer numbers. In a meter’s space, two or three monsters could stand side by side, but how many zombie rats could fill the same span? And this was a tidal wave of rodents.

“How aren’t they trampled by the other monsters?” Gao Mingyang cursed loudly.

“What do we do?”

“What else? Other monsters are fine, but these rats are impossible. Let’s retreat inside and wait for them to pass!”

“It’s all we can do.”

The doors slammed shut. Bracing themselves against the panels, they felt the force of the rats’ assault jarring their bodies.

“Not good—the rats are gnawing through the door!”

“Damn! Upstairs?”

“Idiot, only a few floors are open—how far do you think you’ll get? In the end, you’ll have nowhere to run!”

“Screw it, I’d rather fight a few more...”

“I saw a swarm of zombie rats on my way here—are they heading your way?”

“We’re about to be bitten in the rear, what do you think... Wait!” Gao Mingyang swore. “Zhao Nan!”

“I heard. I’m not far from you—just speak in guild channel,” Zhao Nan replied. “What’s your situation?”

“Blocked by rats, holding the door.”

“Understood. Hold on a bit longer, I’m almost there. When you hear my signal, open the door.”

“Wait...”

“I have a plan. Don’t worry.”

...

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

No one knew what the plan was, but the zombie rats kept battering the door. Their shrieks seeped through the wood, sending chills down the defenders’ spines.

“Xu Yang, if they can’t hold out, cast Radiance of Glory the moment they fall back!” Feini ordered. “Xu Fei, get ready for group healing. Zhao Nan didn’t say, but let’s be prepared.”

“OK!”

“Roger!”

Feini nodded, forcing herself to relax as she calculated her available skills. When the doors opened, she could only hope things wouldn’t be too dire.

A minute... two... three...

“We’re barely holding on!”

A small hole appeared in the door. In an instant, a zombie rat’s head poked through, baring its fangs, its eyes gleaming with menace.

ROAR—!!!

ROAR—!!!

Two deafening roars erupted outside. Even among the cacophony of monsters, these stood out—so clear and powerful they sent a tremor through the heart.

Screech!

The rat at the door abruptly retreated, and the pounding on the wood fell silent. Gao Mingyang, frowning, swallowed hard. “What’s going on?”

“All clear. You can come out now,” Zhao Nan’s voice came through the guild channel.

Creak.

The guild hall doors swung open. Gao Mingyang and Xu Feng peeked out cautiously, their faces turning ashen at the sight.

Before them, a vast space had been cleared—the mass of zombie rats that had choked the entrance now stood frozen, hair bristling, bodies raised high, forelimbs bent, too fearful to take another step forward.

And there, before the hall, stood a strange, deep crimson beast, its double wings each spanning two meters, standing as tall as a man. The creature lowered its head, rubbing affectionately against Zhao Nan’s arm, almost playfully...

But there was nothing playful about it! Gao Mingyang strode out, the others close behind.

On the long street ahead, monsters still roamed in the distance, but near the guild hall, all were frozen, their behavior oddly unnatural, the air charged with tension.

“Sorry I’m late,” Zhao Nan said apologetically. “I was supposed to return last night.”

“It’s... because of this?” Feini came to Zhao Nan’s side, reaching out, hesitating only a moment before stroking the creature’s hide. Zhao Nan almost stopped her, but to his surprise, Euricis didn’t mind at all, seeming to enjoy the attention.

Feini seemed born to bond with monsters; she had once cradled an elite beast like a housecat when they first met.

“Yes... Euricis. I gained it as a reward for completing a quest,” Zhao Nan replied with a smile. “You all know the pet system is open now, right?”

“But in all this time, no one’s heard of being able to actually have a pet!” Xu Fei frowned.

“We can talk about that later. Once this siege is over, I’ll show you where to get one,” Zhao Nan said, pointing ahead. “For now, let’s clear out these monsters. There are plenty of contribution points at stake—we shouldn’t waste them.”

Narrowing his eyes, Zhao Nan patted Euricis’s head. He’d lost track of how many monsters he’d slain on the way; Euricis had gained five levels already.

At level five, it could fly—which was how Zhao Nan had crossed so many monsters to get here.

Before anyone could react, Euricis unfurled its wings, coiled its long body on the ground, then shot forward like an arrow.

It soared above the monsters’ heads, unleashing a thunderous roar. Chaos broke out among the monsters, scattering them in all directions.

“What kind of attack is that?”

“Dragon’s Might!”

Zhao Nan smiled faintly, gestured, and Euricis circled in the air, then swooped back toward him. Zhao Nan leaped up, mounting the dragon’s back, rising into the air.

“All right, no more dawdling—it’s over an hour till the siege ends. Let’s hunt as many monsters as we can!”

With that, he raised his Sighing Staff, summoning two massive crimson hexagram magic circles behind him. A barrage of fireballs rained down.

On the ground, sword light flashed in a ceaseless wave, cutting through the street like a silver dragon, sweeping across twenty or thirty meters in an instant.

Sky Sword Saint—Star Combo!