Chapter 1961 – Slaughtering Time
Icy-blue frost covered the Ice Jade Forest's trees. From afar, it looked like a crystal forest.
Since the monsters in the area had a chance of dropping Ice Crystal Fragments, which could be refined into Ice Resistance Potions, many powers came here to grind. Moreover, as the monsters in the Ice Jade Forest were not skilled with magic and had no ranged attacks, they were relatively easy to kill. Because of these factors, the Ice Jade Forest had become one of the most important resource maps within the Lake Heart City region.
A 3,000-man expert team from the Tier 2 Guild, Eternal Undead, currently raided the Eight-eyed Frost Spider, a Level 62 Specialized Grand Lord. The team had split into three groups of 1,000 and took turns tanking the Grand Lord and its 100- plus Guardian Frost Spiders. When a group was near its breaking point, it would swiftly retreat, switching places with one of the other two groups and ensuring that only 1,000 players remained within the Boss's sphere of influence. This prevented the Boss from receiving an Attribute boost.
“The Boss is going to enter its berserk state soon! MTs, use your Lifesaving Skills! Healer unit, switch with the reserve unit!” Miserly Wind, one of Eternal Undead's Vice Guild Leaders, hurriedly ordered as the Eight-eyed Frost Spider's HP was about to fall to 30%.
The Guild's members followed the orders seamlessly as the MTs activated their Lifesaving Skills and the healers gradually retreated from the battlefield. At the same time, the waiting healers switched places with their comrades before they ran out of Mana.
When the Eight-eyed Frost Spider went berserk, the team's Level 58, Tier 2 MTs rapidly lost HP. Seeing this, the rear line healers cast one Healing Spell after another without paying heed to their Mana consumption. This prevented the MTs' HPs from falling below a safe limit In the meantime, the Eight-eyed Frost Spider's HP steadily dropped.
“Boss Wind, this place is awesome. Not only is our leveling speed here so fast, but we've also collected a ton of Ice Resistance resources. We should've partnered with Miracle sooner. The Guild might have given us a spot in the inner region,” a Level 58, Tier 2 Oracle said excitedly as he watched the near-dead Eight-eyed Frost Spider.
“The Guild Leader has his own concerns. We weren't sure how serious Miracle was about eliminating Zero Wing, and we couldn't recklessly provoke Zero Wing,” Miserly Wind said, smiling. “But now that we know how furious Miracle is with the Guild and that it fully intends to annihilate Zero Wing, we don't have to worry about them. Even if we are bait, Zero Wing won't dare to attack us, and we can grind in such a resource-rich area in return.”
“I actually hope that Zero Wing comes looking for a fight. If they do, we'll be able to earn some extra income,” the Tier 2 Oracle said as he licked his lips in antic.i.p.ation.
“That isn't likely. Zero Wing should know that it has no place in the Ice Jade Forest anymore. Of course, Miracle has cut the Guild off from every map in the Lake Heart City region, not just the Ice Jade Forest If Zero Wing dares to dispatch a force to any of these maps, Miracle will destroy it. However, Zero Wing will crumble, sooner or later, regardless of what it does. Now that the various large Guilds are provoking Zero Wing on the official forums, its reputation will suffer if it refuses to respond. If the situation drags on, no player will want to be a member of the Guild,” Miserly Wind said, chuckling. “Once Zero Wing is gone, our Guild can garrison in Lake Heart City and enjoy a share of the Ice Crystal World's profits.”
Just as the Eight-eyed Frost Spider was about to die, s.h.i.+ Feng's 1,000-man team had sneaked within 2,000 yards of Eternal Undead's army. The team's 200 Tier 2 experts led the charge against Eternal Undead on their Mounts, while the remaining 800 experts followed on foot.
Eternal Undead's scouting Rangers immediately noticed the commotion and reported back to the team.
“Boss Wind, we found Zero Wing's members! They're charging toward our team!” the Oracle beside Miserly Wind exclaimed as he read the scouts' message.
“What? Have Zero Wing's members lost their minds?” The news confused Miserly Wind. “How many are there?”
“It's a 1,000-man team,” the Tier 2 Oracle said.
“A 1,000-man team?” Miserly Wind chuckled. “Zero Wing sorely overestimates itself. It dares to charge at us with just 1,000 players? Do they think that Eternal Undead is a Guild of pushovers? Tell our players to finish the Boss quickly and prepare to greet Zero Wing's team. This is our Guild's chance to bolster our fame in the Black Dragon Empire! We mustn't let Miracle's members take it from us!”
Among his 3,000 players, 1,500 were experts and 40-plus were Tier 2 players. Miserly Wind was not worried about Zero Wing's a.s.sault at all.
When Zero Wing's 1,000-man team was less than 500 yards away from Eternal Undead's, the latter finally defeated the Eight-eyed Frost Spider. Under Miserly Wind's command, Eternal UndeacTs members then fell into a defensive formation to greet the enemy Guild.
“Attack! Our chance to get rich has come!” Miserly Wind shouted when less than 100 yards separated the two forces.
The battlefield glowed with countless lights as Spells and arrows flew to meet Zero Wing's Tier 2 experts as they led the charge.
“Kill them!”
Fierce Snake bellowed when he saw the incoming attacks. He brandished his battle axe, slamming it on the ground before him. The earth split, and walls of rock and dirt rose up before Fierce Snake, stopping the Spells and arrows that targeted his players.
Zero Wing's other Tier 2 players didn't bother to dodge the incoming attacks, either. Like Fierce Snake, they blocked every attack without fail.
Although some of the incoming attacks included Tier 2 Spells and Skills, they posed no threat to Zero Wing's Tier 2 players due to the Basic Combat Devices' effects. With little-to-no effort, Zero Wing's Tier 2 players stopped one wave of attacks after another, soon reaching Eternal Undead's defensive wall.
The defensive wall Eternal Undead's MTs had formed was practically non-existent to Fierce Snake and his comrades. With a single attack, each of Zero Wing's Tier 2 melee players sent multiple MTs flying. In the blink of an eye, Fierce Snake and the others broke through Eternal Undead's defensive wall and pounced on the ranged players like hungry lions pouncing on a flock of sheep.
Eternal Undead's Tier 1 players lasted no more than a handful of hits before Zero Wing's enhanced Tier 2 experts, and the enemy Guild's Tier 2 experts were no exception. The difference between their Basic Attributes was already ma.s.sive, and after including physique, reaction speed, and several other aspects, Eternal Undead's members stood no chance against these Zero Wing experts. Even though Eternal Undead's healers frantically cast their Healing Spells, they couldn't stop the rapid drain on their allies' HPs.
After a brief moment, over 500 of Eternal Undead's players were dead, their bodies transforming into streaks of light and fading from the Ice Jade Forest.
“How is this possible?!” Miserly Wind's eyes widened in shock, paling as he watched his Guild's experts die, one after another. He had never dreamed that his Guild's experts would be so weak against Zero Wing's Tier 2 experts. In fact, not even Eternal Undead's Tier 2 players survived more than a few hits from Fierce Snake and his friends…
However, Miserly Wind didn't know that Fierce Snake and his team had the combat power to rival peak experts. Naturally, 200 peak experts would have no trouble slaughtering 3,000 ordinary experts, and only half of Eternal Undead's team consisted of expert players.
Upon seeing Zero Wing's remaining 800 players draw near, fear overwhelmed Miserly Wind.
Two hundred of these players had already devastated his team. If another 800 players joined the fray…
“Retreat! Everyone retreat to Miracle's teams! We'll be safe once we meet up with them!” Miserly Wind shouted in a panic.
