Chapter 404: Chapter 404: Onlookers
“I bet this fellow is in cahoots with the ancient god, why else would he draw us in here?”
“Indeed, there’s dark energy surrounding him, no way he could have opened that door if he wasn’t working for the ancient god.”
“Exactly, it must be so. This explains it all. I knew that tentacle wasn’t ordinary.”
“A bunch of idiots, deceiving yourselves up to this point.” Li Yao said coldly, “Now you only have two options, either fight these Faceless creatures created by the ancient gods with me, or I’ll slaughter you all from the back with the Faceless, then deal with them myself.”
“You dare…”
The masters and players suddenly stopped approaching Li Yao, proceeding to keep their guard up. They finally realized that Li Yao wasn’t exactly a pushover either.
“What am I afraid of? If I can kill all the Faceless, then upon my return, I will commend your efforts. You all will be remembered as heroes who died fighting the ancient god. Many will remember you.”
Li Yao chuckled and said, “This way, you will have achieved fame through your accomplishments, don’t you agree?”
“Damn you, we’ll settle this with you later.”
The masters were seething with anger. However, faced with the golden puppet shrouded in black mist, no one dared to take the lead.
Li Yao’s combat prowess was clear for all to see. Whoever rose against him first was bound to be struck with his Thunder Strike.
Needless to say for the players, all they could do was curse in frustration. This had essentially forced them into a dead end.
After all, those so-called masters were merely using them as cannon fodder. If anyone was facing certain death, it was those players.
But they also forgot that Li Yao hadn’t invited them in. They had rushed here on their own, voraciously vying for the so-called treasure.
Moreover, the giant pus-filled sacks had already burst open, releasing countless monsters.
These monsters resembled octopuses, yet seemed to possess a backbone and skeleton, akin to a giant.
However, their arms were tentacles oozing with thick liquid and emitting black gases. Even more nauseating was the fact that, though they had heads, they possessed no faces or facial features. It was an extraordinarily horrifying sight.
“You should understand, it’s your negative emotions nourishing these monsters. Otherwise, these Faceless wouldn’t have been able to hatch.” Li Yao’s voice sounded clear yet indifferent. “Of course, it’s also the best opportunity now. If this ancient god wants to annihilate us, he must let these Faceless creatures come into the world earlier, hence they won’t have time to grow.”
“What are you trying to say?” A master spoke up while preparing for battle, with the masters currently forming their ranks.
“What I mean is, you’re also very lucky. This ancient god probably hasn’t been awakened for long, so now is the best time to kill him.” Li Yao asserted seriously.
“What? After all that rambling, you haven’t said anything clear. What exactly are you trying to say?” Some of the masters were still rather perplexed.
Li Yao chuckled and said, “Alright, I’ll be straightforward. I was worried you guys might betray me, let me lead the charge, and then abandon me. So, I was rambling to buy time. Once you get engaged in the fight, I’ll join in. It’s impressive you managed to listen to all that.”
Ahem…
The masters nearly choked on their own blood in anger, itching for a chance to turn around and take out Li Yao first.
But the Faceless were already attacking, forcing them to fight back.
While commanding the players to form a defensive line, they were inwardly cursing Li Yao, for taking them for fools and messing with them.
“Master, you’re so wicked.” Little Cold Hands almost burst out laughing, while Ephemeral Bloom and Light Flower shot Li Yao odd glances.
Just a moment ago, he was all righteous, fighting for the faction and world peace. His narrative shift was swift indeed.
The players were speechless too, having never come across such a cunning and unconscionable NPC before.
The battle instantly erupted, with the Faceless charging at the defensive line formed by the players and masters.
Both factions had no room to retreat. Behind them was a door emitting black gases. Retreating would mean a certain death.
The weakest of these Faceless creatures were Silver Heroes of level 17 or 18. In hordes they came, with leader-level Faceless among them.
This was the main reason why Li Yao let them in. In a situation like this, he alone would definitely not be able to handle what was inside.
The ancient god was no kind soul and not easy to deal with. With thousands of players and twenty-plus masters, they stood a faint chance.
Li Yao wanted to procure the core of the ancient god’s will, a precious object. He also aimed to claim the credit for thwarting the ancient god’s scheme.
Although the tanks up in front were trying hard to hold back the Faceless, some spells occasionally managed to infiltrate the crowd, instantly killing some of the more fragile players.
The battle was devastating right from the start. Of course, their gains were considerable as well.
The weakest among them were Silver Heroes. At the very least, they could drop a piece of level 15 and above Blue Equipment. Some with luck managed to obtain Purple Equipment, which was a form of consolation and motivation.
As for the masters, their enthusiasm was noticeably lacking. Killing these monsters didn’t grant them any direct benefits. But to survive, they had to give it their all.
“Hey, shouldn’t you lend a hand by now?” Some master healers spoke up while healing their comrades up at the front.
“Sure, I’ll lend a hand.” Upon Li Yao’s command, his Death God 4000 began launching its attacks, much to the crowd’s dismay.
“You’re still messing with us? You’re seeking death! If you don’t go all out now, do you think you can survive if we die?” Some of the masters were getting anxious.
Li Yao casually replied, “Right now I must maintain my peak condition to face the ancient god’s will. Or, you prefer to deal with the ancient god’s will in my place, and I take your position on the front lines, how about that?”
The masters were instantly deflated. They were barely coping against the Faceless, let alone fighting against the ancient god. That was a joke! Even the Titans couldn’t slay the ancient god. They were essentially courting death if they faced it.
“We hope you won’t go back on your word later. When the time comes, you’ll be responsible for facing the will of the ancient god.” Some masters spoke up despite their fear.
“I always keep my word. If it’s one, it’s one, if it’s two, it’s two. I never go back on my word. I’ll say it again, when the ancient god comes into action, I’ll handle it. You just have to cover me from the side.” He scoffed at the thought. With the Dark Touch capable of absorbing the divine power of the ancient god, he had nothing to fear. The core of the ancient god’s will was a highly valuable material.
Getting it from higher ranking NPCs would be daydreaming. Only these low-level, cowardly masters didn’t understand the significance of the ancient god’s will.
The battle continued. Soon, Light Flower and others joined the fight. Little Cold Hands was safe with the protection of his puppet. As a powerful healer, Light Flower became a target of protection for many. Ephemeral Bloom, with her peculiar tricks, didn’t have any trouble staying alive either.
Li Yao just sat back and watched how the battle unfolded. The number of Faceless in the hall was high, but not inexhaustible.
The ancient god’s will hadn’t been freed from its seal for long and wasn’t particularly strong. It couldn’t spare much energy to create the Faceless. As Li Yao said, the timing to take him down was perfect …