Chapter 88: Defending

On the southern city wall, Blaze of War was already standing, directing the battle. “Everyone take turns! If you’re severely wounded or about to fall, pull back and let someone else take your place. Mages and archers, stay in the rear. Warriors, hold the front line. Summoners, send your beasts forward to take the brunt. Priests, hurry up and heal!”

From the top, I could see tens of thousands of monsters gathering below—an overwhelming horde. But atop the city wall, over a million players had assembled. Clearly, this first wave of monsters was just here to deliver experience points.

Though the first wave was generous, the second would be much different. At that moment, packs of Wind Wolves emerged, unleashing blade-like gusts in their attacks. Alongside them came Flame Demon Wolves, level thirty-six, and Forest Wolves, level thirty-five—both larger in size than the Wind Wolves, but their sheer numbers were astonishing.

“Brother, what about the rest of us?”

“We’ll fight together.”

I quickly switched my player mode from default to peaceful, so my attacks wouldn’t harm allies, then shouted, “Dragon Battle, indiscriminate attack!” No sooner had I finished than a barrage of wind blades shot upwards, showering the warriors on the wall with damage numbers in the six hundreds. Many players were struck by several blades at once, and before the priests in back could heal, they burst into white light, vanishing. Immediately, those behind surged forward to fill the breach. Meteor Firestorm, Death Hurricane, Ice Hell, Meteorite Storm, Lightning Tempest—one advanced spell after another rained down on the monsters below. Individually, damage was limited, but when the spells were stacked, the effect was staggering.

Suddenly, a dragon’s roar echoed overhead. Dragon Battle’s immense form appeared atop the wall, then leaped down—not so much landing as plummeting. Upon impact, many monsters were crushed, some left with only half their health, others killed outright. The dragon’s black sword swept through the crowd, dealing over five thousand damage with each swing, instantly obliterating weakened foes. The sight left the players above stunned.

But the dragon had drawn a tremendous amount of monster aggro. A swarm converged, clawing and biting at him. Though their attacks only dealt tens of damage, it was clear Dragon Battle couldn’t last forever. I shouted, “Blaze of War, heal the summoned beast!”

Blaze of War responded, “All high-level priests, heal that dragon! Don’t let it fall!”

Everyone joined the fray, and twenty minutes later, most of the wolf packs had been cleared. Many on the wall had leveled up, excitement buzzing through the ranks. Piles of coins and equipment were stacked like small mountains below, but no one dared to descend—the second wave had already arrived.

The second wave brought an even more diverse array of monsters. At the vanguard were level thirty-five Fire Foxes, followed by blue-skinned lizards, giant cats, Flame Tigers, Azure Pythons, Silver Wolves—monsters ranging from level thirty-five to forty-five. Behind them, a series of roars erupted, and colossal figures surged out from the seething mass, vaulting over the front lines and landing among the rear ranks.

“Oh no, it’s the Lizard Tyrant!”

“Whoa, the Bear King—help!”

“Even the Flame Wolf King is here!”

“My god, so many bosses at once!”

One after another, these massive forms crashed into the crowd, sowing chaos, for each was a boss-level monster.

“Roar!” The Flame Wolf King opened its jaws, unleashing a stream of searing flames. Five or six players were instantly incinerated, transformed into charred husks.

The Bear King swung its mighty paws, flattening any player unlucky enough to be struck, leaving bodies sprawled across the ground. The battlefield echoed with cries and flashes of white light.

In the blink of an eye, the southern gate’s defensive line collapsed. Players fled in panic, retreating toward the city’s interior. The human defenses were no match for the bosses; they crumbled instantly.

Those at the front fell back inside the gate, and a fresh horde of monsters surged forward, only to be met by an intense barrage from the mages and archers on the wall.

Suddenly, someone shouted, “Bad news! The wall’s health is dropping—the monsters are attacking the wall!”

Everyone saw it: most monsters couldn’t attack at range and had started battering the wall itself. If this continued, the wall would fall before the main force of monsters arrived. What then?

“Dragon Battle, separate the monsters from the wall!”

“Yes, master,” he replied, flying in front of the wall, sweeping his black sword across the ground to force some monsters away. Meanwhile, Blaze of War commanded, “Warriors, jump down and block the monsters! Priests above, heal constantly! If the wall falls, we’re doomed—understood?”

He was the first to leap from the wall, and a wave of Blaze of War’s players followed. Monsters surged forward, stepping over the fallen, and warriors’ health plummeted. The priests above chanted healing spells nonstop, their mouths working furiously, keeping many warriors alive, though some unlucky ones were surrounded and slain.

The warriors who jumped down formed a new line between the wall and the monsters, attacking ceaselessly. Fists of flame, whistling wind blades, gleaming ice shards, and massive meteors rained down relentlessly upon the army of monsters.

Below, the battle cries, shouts, and monster roars created a deafening cacophony.

Then someone yelled, “The boss legion is here!” Everyone looked in the direction they indicated—sure enough, boss monsters were attacking the wall.

“I’ll tank the boss!” Illusion Moon declared, charging forward. The Holy Flame Tiger, a level thirty-eight boss, known for wielding powerful fire magic and lethal combat techniques in the Death Forest, with above-average intelligence.

As the information returned from Fire-Eyed Golden Eagle, Illusion Moon had already reached the boss, tossing a red sphere onto its head, then drawing her twin blades and slashing with her invisible sword, landing a flurry of strikes.

—2100

—1950

—1999

A series of damage numbers rolled off the boss's head. Enraged, it retaliated, clawing away over sixteen hundred health from her.

Meanwhile, an avalanche of spells crashed down on the boss, draining its health rapidly. But suddenly, the boss radiated blinding firelight, and meteors rained down from the sky—not cast by players, but by the boss itself. Many players were struck, vanishing in bursts of white light, but Illusion Moon darted through the barrage, her phantom trailing behind, untouched by the onslaught.

She unleashed a series of combos, swiftly felling the boss at her feet. Equipment littered the ground, watched eagerly by those on the wall, but Illusion Moon seemed uninterested, either dismissing it or simply not wanting it.

A swarm of monsters then surrounded her, but a surge of azure energy erupted from her, blasting them away—those too close were pulverized. She dashed forward, slashing through the horde as monster cries and roars echoed all around. Suddenly, a giant monstrous flower appeared, its vines wrapping her tightly, glowing green as damage numbers flickered above her head. At the same moment, a bolt of lightning exploded within the flower, and I rushed to Illusion Moon’s side, drawing Ice Fang to sever the vines binding her.

Freed, Illusion Moon knelt, panting heavily behind her helmet. Her breathing was ragged; I reached out. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she replied, coughing twice and gripping my hand to stand. As she did, I felt a jolt—like an electric shock. She quickly let go, then spun so her back rested against mine. “Thank you,” she said.

I blushed, stammering, “It’s… it’s nothing. Let’s fight together.”

Illusion Moon nodded. “Mm.”

And with that, we charged together into the heart of the monster horde.