[Attack Camp]
[Defense Camp]
[Or, you may remain uninvolved, simply observe, and avoid all risks.]
Without saying a word, Alex and Alice both selected the [Attack Camp].
Their choice wasn’t driven by reckless ambition but by necessity.
They couldn’t let someone as ruthless and power-hungry as Daniel establish a city.
It wasn’t just about the game, it was about the ripple effects his influence would have on the families and factions within and beyond the virtual world.
For Alex, the decision held even greater weight.
From his past life, he knew this moment marked the beginning of a shift in Universal Descent, a time when power and influence would dictate everything.
If humanity was to have any chance, FateBreaker needed to become an unshakable pillar of strength, a symbol of power and control.
To do that, he had to make his mark as the [City Destroyer], someone who dictated which cities could rise and which would fall.
By wielding that kind of authority, even the most powerful families and guilds would be forced to seek his approval to expand their influence.
This was no ordinary Monster Tide Trial. This was the beginning of a revolution.
[Monster Tide Start!]
A shockwave of energy rippled through the virtual world as the event officially began.
Monsters began materializing in waves, clawing their way from black fissures that tore through the earth.
The creatures were nightmarish, hulking ogres with jagged clubs, serpentine beasts with glowing eyes, and swarms of winged beasts whose screeches pierced the air.
Each one was between levels 150 and 200, a significant challenge for most players.
Though do note that the strongest a city becomes, the harder the monsters will be to defeat, and the level of the monsters is judged on the average player level, meaning that if you are level 1000, it will still be difficult.
Simultaneously, those who had selected their camps were teleported to the battlefield.
The attackers were placed very far out of the emerging city behind the monsters, while the defenders were stationed within its walls.
A vast, desolate plain stretched between the two sides, with the city’s towering walls casting long shadows over the battlefield.
The air crackled with tension.
Alex quickly assessed the situation.
Only a fraction of the players had chosen to participate in the event.
Most had opted to stay uninvolved, unwilling to risk death, item loss, or the wrath of powerful guilds.
Among those who did participate, the imbalance was staggering: nearly 99% had joined the [Defense Camp], leaving the attackers vastly outnumbered.
Plus, the defenders had the city walls, traps, and monsters to help even the odds.
From his vantage point atop the city’s tallest building, Daniel surveyed the chaos.
His voice boomed across the battlefield, amplified by an item that allowed him to issue commands to everybody.
“ARCHERS AND MAGES, STAY ON TOP OF THE WALLS AND SHOOT AT EVERYTHING! MELEE FIGHTERS, HOLD THE GATES! DON’T LET THEM THROUGH!”
The defenders scrambled to follow his orders.
Lines of archers and mages took their positions on the walls, firing a barrage of arrows and spells at the approaching monsters and attackers.
Bolts of lightning streaked through the air, colliding with the monstrous tide, while flaming arrows rained down in waves.
Assassins didn’t bother leaving the city walls, their jobs mainly to kill anyone who entered, and summoners were also at the front lines with their beasts.
Alex, standing among the attackers, watched the scene unfold with narrowed eyes.
The battlefield was a cacophony of sound and movement.
Attackers charged forward, clashing with both the defenders and the onslaught of monsters.
It was utter chaos, swords clashing, spells exploding, and monsters tearing through anything in their path.
The attackers and defenders may have had opposing goals, but the monsters were indiscriminate in their slaughter.
Alex darted through the melee with ease, his agility and strength far surpassing those of the average player.
Each swing of his weapon sent monsters and defenders alike sprawling, though their attacks barely registered against his overwhelming defenses.
-1 HP
That was the extent of the damage Alex took, no matter how many enemies tried to overwhelm him.
Alice, fighting nearby, was equally impervious, her arrows flashing like lightning as she carved through her foes.
Yet even with their strength, Alex could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on him.
The sheer number of participants was staggering.
Monsters, attackers, and defenders created an endless tide of chaos that seemed impossible to control.
Every time Alex tried to push forward, he was blocked by a crush of bodies, players and monsters alike, all fighting with reckless abandon.
“This is ridiculous,” Alex muttered, slicing through a hulking ogre before sidestepping a defender’s fireball.
He glanced over at Alice, who was fending off a group of players with ease but was also visibly frustrated by the unrelenting waves.
Rushing into the city wasn’t an option.
The defenders’ numbers, combined with the monsters’ attacks, created a nearly impenetrable wall.
Even if Alex tried to break through, the hitboxes of other players made it impossible to move freely.
Meanwhile, Daniel continued issuing commands from the safety of his tower.
“Focus fire on the monsters closest to the walls! If the attackers want to help, let them, they’ll die trying to get through us!”
Victor and Dawn stood nearby, both overseeing different aspects of the defense.
“This is going better than expected,” Victor said, watching as the monsters were funneled into choke points near the gates, where traps and spells awaited them.
“Don’t get cocky,” Dawn replied. “We haven’t seen FateBreaker yet.”
The mention of Alex’s alias sent a ripple of unease through the group.
Even Daniel, who exuded confidence, couldn’t hide the slight tension in his expression.
They had talked about it, but no one could deny that [FateBreaker] by himself could completely change the tides of this battle.
“No, I don’t see any reason why he would stop us from establishing this city,” Daniel shook his head, “Except… if someone asked him.”
“…”
“…”
As the battle raged on, Alex found himself retreating to a safer position.
It wasn’t that he was in danger, far from it, but the sheer chaos of the battlefield made it almost impossible to mount an effective offense.
He scanned the area, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a strategy.
The attackers’ lack of coordination was their biggest weakness, and the defenders were taking full advantage of it.
If things continued like this, the altar might survive after all.
[10:47:28 left before end of monster tide.]
Just as he was about to reassess his approach, a message appeared in his inbox.
[Aurelia: Come get me. We need to stop my brother, no matter what. I joined the ‘Attack Camp.’]
Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise.
[FateBreaker: Oh?]
He hadn’t expected Aurelia to join the attackers.
While he knew she wasn’t fond of Daniel, actively opposing her own brother was another matter entirely as she didn’t know what he did in his past life.
Still, her message only solidified his resolve.
If even Aurelia recognized the threat Daniel posed at this point of the game, then Alex had no choice but to see this through.
He gripped his weapon tightly, his determination renewed.
“Let’s end this,” he muttered, already making his way toward Aurelia with his [World Map].
The battle was far from over, and Alex knew this was just the beginning of a much larger war.