Chapter 87: The Monster Siege

"Number one on the Celestial Ranking."

"When did this guy get here?"

"He took on over a hundred of my brothers single-handedly—this is just insane."

With the arrival of Phantom Moon, the members of the Blazing Fire Mercenary Group were gripped by an unprecedented terror; some were already wavering in their resolve.

Fierce God stepped forward and shouted, "You bastard, why are you attacking my brothers? Did we ever offend you?"

Phantom Moon replied coldly, "Just passing the time."

Fierce God grew furious. "What did you say? My brothers are not here for your amusement! If you know what's good for you, get out of the way, or I'll take you down too!"

"You think you can?" Phantom Moon said flatly.

"That's right!" With that, Fierce God hefted a broadsword and charged at Phantom Moon. Phantom Moon dodged to the left. Fierce God tried to follow up with a combo, but suddenly a sharp pain shot through him. He looked down and saw a crimson katana buried in his chest.

"Damn it!" He staggered back two steps, but just then, a second, blue-bladed katana pierced his body. The two swords twisted violently, shredding his form.

A scream tore from Fierce God's throat, abruptly cut short as his body split apart, chunks of bloodied flesh crashing to the ground. Only his head remained intact—until Phantom Moon crushed it underfoot, reducing it to a pulp. Witnessing their leader's brutal dismemberment, the remaining Blazing Fire players lost the last shreds of their will to fight and scattered in panic.

"Hey, Mighty Dragon," she said, slowly walking toward me.

At that moment, I felt everyone looking at me with strange expressions. Feeling uneasy, I stepped forward, putting some distance between us. "Do you need something?"

Phantom Moon spoke: "Here, take it." She produced a red staff.

I recognized it immediately—my Ruyi Staff. What else could it be? I asked, "You're giving it back to me?"

"Of course. I never intended to keep your equipment. Hurry up and take it."

Overjoyed to reclaim my lost Ruyi Staff, I promised myself to treasure it even more from now on. Then Phantom Moon added, "You'd better hurry and break your weapon's seal, or it'll become useless."

I was puzzled. "Break the seal?"

She replied, "Do you even know what sealed equipment is?"

I shook my head. She explained, "Sealed equipment is gear whose powers are locked. It requires an external force to break the seal. Only when you unseal it can its true value be revealed. Otherwise, it's just an ordinary item."

"I see," I said. "So how do I break the seal?"

"Figure it out yourself," Phantom Moon replied bluntly.

Uh... I continued, "Who are you, anyway? Why do I feel like you seem so familiar?"

"Really? You must have a deep impression of me, Dragon Spirit," she answered.

A jolt ran through me. "How do you know my name?!"

"You told me yourself."

"When did I ever tell you?"

"When we were eating fish."

"Eating fish... Ah! It was you!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Why such a big reaction?" Phantom Moon said.

"It's... nothing, just surprised. I didn't expect to see you again." I felt a bit shy.

Phantom Moon laughed, "Why are you blushing again?"

"I'm not... am not!" I glanced back and saw that the others were all wearing odd expressions. At that moment, shadows suddenly swept across the ground. Looking up, I saw the sky swarming with flying monsters, their roars deafening. Hundreds of beasts of every kind surged from the forest, instantly surrounding us.

We hurriedly used Return Scrolls to teleport back to the city, but as soon as we entered Dragon City, chaos greeted us. Someone screamed, "What's happening? Monsters are surrounding the entire Dragon City!"

"Damn it, is this the legendary Monster Siege event?"

Players all around were abuzz with speculation.

"Ding~! Citywide Level 1 Alert! Someone has broken the magical seal deep within the Forest of Death, releasing a horde of monsters to trample Dragon City. Brave warriors of humanity, unite and defend our homeland to the death! Slay all invading monsters and crush the villain's scheme!"

"Ding~! This siege event will last 10 hours. All players, prepare for battle! Any player who dies in the next 10 hours will lose one level; if the city falls, you'll lose three more. During the siege, death means forced logout!"

With the system notifications, every player was stoked. Everyone knew what a siege event meant: victory would bring generous rewards; defeat would spell disaster for all.

In the center of the square, shafts of white light flared one after another as players native to Dragon City materialized in droves.

A thunderous roar echoed from afar, shaking the heavens and the earth. The deafening sound sent chills down every spine. The ground trembled with the stampede of countless monsters.

A great crowd gathered at the center of the plaza—obviously the leaders of the major player organizations in Dragon City. This crisis was unprecedented; everyone understood the gravity of the situation. If Dragon City fell, they'd all become exiles, unable to return home.

Snow Night Warlord was the first to speak. "This is the first monster siege in history. We must allocate defenders to all four gates. If any gate falls, reinforcements must be dispatched immediately to ensure the inner city remains untouched by the fighting! If you have suggestions for assignments, speak now!"

But before anyone could respond, screams erupted from outside the East Gate, the situation growing increasingly dire.

Dynasty called out, "What the hell is there to discuss? By the time we're done talking, we'll be monster fodder. My brothers and I are heading to the East Gate to farm experience. If you want to chat, do it yourselves." With that, he roared, "All Dynasty members, follow me to the East Gate!" He dashed off, brandishing his twin axes and howling.

"Let's follow the boss and farm some EXP!" The rest of Dynasty's players promptly followed.

Blaze Leader shouted, "We're heading to the South Gate! If you don't want to get killed by monsters, join my group—we'll fight together!" Then he charged for the South Gate.

"We, the Yanhuang Guild, will defend the West Gate! Let's go!" Yanhuang Warlord led his group toward the west.

Snow Night Warlord was not to be outdone and immediately shouted, "Snow Night, to the North Gate! If you're coming, hurry up!"

"Brothers of Heaven Duel, follow me to the West Gate for some action!" bellowed a player wielding a massive greataxe, clearly the leader of Heaven Duel.

"Everyone, team up and head out of the city to farm experience!"

"Hey guys, I'm a level 37 fire-element mage—super fast at leveling. Quick, add me for monster farming!"

"Mages have so little HP, they're not safe at all. Knights are more reliable—close combat, no worries even if monsters pop up next to you! I've got 4,100 HP and can tank with ease!"

"Level 35 Priestess, 1,200 HP, looking to join an East Gate team—handsome warriors and controllers preferred!"

One after another, the free players formed parties of three or five, each heading to one of the four gates. The monster horde pressed in relentlessly—if they couldn't hold, it would be total annihilation. At this moment, all personal grudges and selfishness were set aside; unity was the only hope.

"Brother Long, where should we go?" Xiao Xi couldn't help but ask. From all directions, shrill cries and flashes of death filled the air, both sight and sound enough to make one's blood run cold.

"Let's go to the South Gate and find Blaze Leader," I said, heading that way.

"Let's move to the South Gate!" Wind Moon commanded, following close behind.

"Count me in," Phantom Moon said to me.

I nodded and added her to the party, then we all hurried to the South Gate together.

When we arrived, the sound of battle was thunderous. The gate was packed with players, the city walls crowded as well. Outside, white lights of death flashed repeatedly—this was going to be a brutal fight.