Part 2, Episode 148.
[World Message]
[A sudden event occurs in the Continental Quest due to the appearance of the Invader Leader!]
“?”
“Huh?”
“World Message? What is this?”
Amidst a tense exhibition situation.
Users could not help but be confused by the world message that suddenly appeared.
As if things weren’t chaotic enough with that massive darkness swallowing the sky and those terrifying eyes, suddenly what?
A sudden quest popped up?
[The leader of the invaders is leading his forces.]
[Resist their attacks before the sky-swallowing eye ‘Rag Behemoth’ awakens.]
[If occupied, you will lose ownership of the land to invaders.]
It wasn’t even an ordinary random quest.
A sudden quest occurred in the continental questline.
“The invaders are on the move… fend off their attack and prepare for disaster?”
“A raid? What’s about to happen now!?”
“Intruders? What’s that? Were there guys like this?”
“Judging by the circumstances, they seem like hostile forces… Wait, as if capturing the Strongest of the Abyss wasn’t enough, you want me to stop another hostile force as well?”
“I hear they’re taking away ownership of the land? Is it just me, or does this look serious?”
Since a world message has even appeared, they shouldn’t be an easy enemy to defeat.
With the scale growing larger and larger, an atmosphere was created where users in Elanis were chatting non-stop without a break.
It was truly a cauldron of chaos.
Do the NPCs know this?
“I don’t know. We just found out ourselves, so how would you understand?”
Shouldn’t you have told me?
“The top 10 guilds will surely tell you. We don’t even get to meet the executives anyway.”
“Aren’t the Mikazuki Guild and the Rankers meeting with Allowin already?”
“Rephias and Siana are here… and I see Laihas is talking with the other Nymph executives, so we just need to see how things unfold and join forces.
Are you joining the raid?
“Then aren’t you doing it? If it’s a continental quest, the rewards would be massive just for participating. You’d be a loser if you didn’t get this.”
“Exactly. The kids on other continents can’t even participate even if they want to.”
“Well, I guess…”
But even that is only for a moment.
The chaotic atmosphere gradually subsided.
This was because high-rankers, including the top 10 guilds and the disciples of NPCs, were already making preparations.
And that is not all.
Then who gathered on the Elf village side?
“Well, that’s Kaiser’s party. They say the cultists are still on the move, but it looks like they’re heading towards the elf village.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d come this way first.”
“Isn’t it because the top 10 guilds have already claimed them? They have to distribute them properly.”
In the Elf village are the Empress, the Sword Saint, and Ast.
And the Kasin religion, where the fanatics and Harrington are located, is deployed. At this point, it was true that I felt more anticipation than worry.
It was because, as it was the very first continental mission, no one knew what kind of reward would be given.
And the community’s reaction was not much different.
Since they aren’t human and are alien races, they might give you something amazing like an artifact.
Seriously, whatever it is, the scale will be bigger than World Quest.
Of course it is. There is a difference in scale.
The NPCs in the Empire and the NPCs here have lived for a completely different amount of time. Naturally, there would be more rare items.
Wow, teenage guild masters must get top-tier rewards, right? Ha, I’m so jealous.
You never know. If we beat up those intruders or whatever this time, we might get something good too.
Ah, so is that it? Honestly, raids have their limits, so sudden quests are just extra content for nobodies like us.
Oh, that sounds plausible.
Is it because they were blinded by the reward?
Or perhaps it’s because the overwhelming tension has dissipated thanks to the reliable members.
Users have reached the point where they perceive ‘Intruder Raid’ as additional content made for them.
Of course, not everyone did that.
-Sigh, something feels off…
If that’s the case, does a world message usually pop up as well?
Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?
Are the teenage guilds not reacting at all? I think we should wait and see their reactions before deciding.
On the contrary, there were quite a few people who felt a sense of foreboding.
However, given the circumstances, it was highly plausible to think of it as an event, so the majority of users were accepting the situation with amusement.
And usually, the favorite is bound to win rather than the underdog, but…
Ding-
It wasn’t this time.
The news broke less than 20 minutes after I started running my positive circuit.
-Fuck you crazy!!
-Damn it, is this right? I think I’m screwed.
└Why? What is it that you’re making such a fuss about?
They say all the Rankers and NPCs in Alloween’s Mansion are dead. I heard some jerk, whether he’s an intruder or whatever, killed them all?
└Damn it! #!%#!#%!
I mean the news regarding the true nature of the ‘Intruders’ Raid,’ which was thought to be an event just for the supporting cast.
“-The Alloween Mansion… isn’t that the Mikazuki Guild? The one where Yamamoto died?”
I don’t know. No one has said they’ve seen Yamamoto.
Did they die in the end? Or are they alive?
No, is that important right now? It means all the high-rankers got wiped out by just one intruder or whatever his name is.
Users were shocked by the shocking news.
It is a situation no different from going out expecting to see cherry blossoms fluttering, only to realize that they were actually fragments of building debris swept away by a tsunami.
And this was just the beginning.
…Hey, this seems more serious than I thought. I just heard it from an acquaintance… Ugh… I think I’m screwed.
-Why again? What’s the problem?
You mean things could get even worse from here?
-Damn it, I feel dizzy, so hurry up and tell me.
They say you can’t be resurrected if you die.
-??
-? What are you talking about?
Literally, resurrection is impossible.
-? You don’t mean to say that I won’t be able to connect if I die?
I can connect, but they say I won’t resurrect in Elanis and will spawn outside of Elanis. And they say I can’t get back in… Ugh, f*ck…
-Wait a minute, then… … .
So you’re saying I can’t participate in the continent quests if I die?
No, that’s not the problem. Then if all the rankers die, won’t we be unable to stop the Strongest of the Abyss?
-……uh?
-F***?
Naturally, the users, who suddenly felt like challengers attempting to beat the final boss with a single coin—something they had only done in arcades as children—were thrown into a frenzy.
This was a very serious matter.
No matter how fucked up the difficulty is, the fact is that it is a game that can be cleared in the end.
Since it is a game and not reality, there are plenty of chances.
But what if that opportunity is only once?
Murmuring
“What? You mean it’s over if you die?”
“……? You mean all the Rankers died to just one intruder?”
“……Is that true?”
This news spread quickly and reached the ears of users who were online.
Uooooh-
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Trouble broke out before there was even a moment to doubt whether it was true or not.
This is basically a village surrounded by mountains and forests.
It was thanks to that that I was able to see it.
A massive number of figures descending from the hill in the distance.
And as soon as I discovered them, a message window frantically popped up before my eyes.
[The intruders’ raid begins.]
[Prevent the invaders from occupying Elanis before ‘Rag Behemoth,’ the colossal catastrophe that swallowed the sky and the former mighty of the abyss, awakens.]
[Intruder’s Raid]
-Rank: Sudden Event
– Description: The leader of the invaders is leading his forces to attack Elanis.
With the descent of ‘Rag Behemoth,’ the eye that swallowed the sky, imminent, it will be extremely dangerous if they seize Elanis.
Join forces with the other races to stop their attacks.
Differential compensation is paid in proportion to the level of contribution.
– Quest Success Condition: Clear if you defend at least two of the three key areas before Rag Behemoth awakens.
– Upon quest success: Tiered special rewards are given to ranks 1 through 100, and S~D grade rewards are given based on contribution for ranks 100 and below.
– Upon quest failure: Encounter ‘Rag Behemoth’ with Elanis’s ownership revoked.
[Time Remaining: 29:13:45]
[Elf Village (0 / 1)]
[Nymph Village (0 / 1)]
[Rupalo Forest (0 / 1)]
[If two of the three most critical locations in Elanis are captured, it is considered a failure, and ownership of the land falls into the hands of the invaders.]
[Caution! If you die due to a certain energy, you will not be able to re-participate or enter the core area.]
“ah…….”
A message akin to a death sentence.
At that moment, only one thought came to the users’ minds.
“……I’m screwed.”
* * *
A world message appeared, and the flow changed rapidly.
Preparing for a disaster by building up power?
There was no such peaceful way anymore.
Kwaaaah-
Ugh!
Because the reality right now was to face the countless demonic beasts of the abyss attacking right before our eyes.
Forget preparations or anything; war broke out immediately.
Each and every one of those hundreds or thousands of monsters is on the level of a decent field boss.
[Nerid, the Beast of the Abyss]
[Beast of the Abyss Vahidra]
[Granbade, the Beast of the Abyss]
… … .
Among them were even named bosses, and some of them boasted such powerful strength and size that it would not be an exaggeration to call them raid bosses.
It is no exaggeration to say that there was even a monster three times the size of an ogre.
The sight of them attempting to breach the barrier by throwing boulders the size of houses was truly horror itself.
“This is crazy……!”
Just how many named bosses are there, anyway!
“Fuck, at this point, isn’t this basically a raid?”
Even raids don’t launch a massive offensive like this.
“With this shitty difficulty, if you die it’s over? Is this even a game?”
Up until now, we’ve only been taking down a single raid boss with multiple people.
For users who never imagined they would have to engage in a massive battle with boss monsters, it is a situation that naturally makes them swear.
The bigger problem is that it’s not just monsters.
Tadadat.
Pow!
“Damn it, arrows! Raise your shields!”
“It’s assassins! Lift your heads! Keep a straight eye on them so they don’t come in.”
“Ugh! Those monsters alone are killing me, but why are the invaders so agile?”
True to the event name “Intruders’ Raid,” the intruders moved through the rampaging monsters.
Composed mostly of archers and assassins, they were a significant nuisance.
The synergy between the beasts that properly fulfilled the roles of tank and damage dealer, and the swift invaders, was beyond imagination.
Moreover, the level of the intruders was extraordinary.
Rustle- rustle
He commanded. May there be an end to Elanis… … .
Pierce through. And offer it.
The assassins were so flashy and fast that only a ranker could stand a chance against them, and the archers hit their targets with every arrow they shot, as if possessed by Robin Hood.
It’s a nightmare because they even spam skills like the legendary ‘Piercing’.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Boom!
And behind that, thousands of massive monsters approaching, thrusting their enormous bodies forward.
Watching those guys pushing in with overwhelming force up close is… … .
It was despair that was truly indescribable.
