Episode 270
The emerging message brought tension to the peaceful forest.
And along with a new alarm, the rules were revealed.
[Invasion Event]
*Duration: 3 hours
*Participation Restrictions: Level 200 or higher, Faction affiliation
*Victory Conditions
: Winning team determined by the number of conditions met
(However, in case of a tie, the defending team wins)
– Attack Team:
1. Defeat the boss summoned within the capture zone.
2. Eliminate all occupying faction players within the capture zone. 3. Occupy
the strategic base by the end of the event. – Defense Team: 1. Protect the boss summoned within the capture zone. 2. At least 1 occupying faction player within the capture zone must survive by the end of the event. 3. Occupy the strategic base by the end of the event. *Additional Notes: 1. Entry to the capture zone is restricted by a 20-minute waiting period (combat is not allowed during this waiting period). 2. An additional 10-minute entry time is granted after the event starts; entry is not permitted thereafter. 3. If you die during the event, you cannot respawn until the event ends. *Victory Rewards : 1. Ownership of the capture zone . 2. Grant of a large amount of Faction Points and Faction Buffs. *Special Reward: A Fortune Box is awarded to the faction that achieves the highest total capture zone points by the end of the event (Rank and grade are assigned differentially based on contribution) . -Huh? "-Isn't the attack too tough? " "-Seriously, the defense team just needs to camp at the strategic base and it's over. " "-Do you think the Adult Faction guys can't break through that ? Haha." "-The defense team just needs to stay next to the boss and keep interfering . " "-Monsters don't have allies. " "-They're going to get their heads smashed in ." Viewers poured out all sorts of reactions to the divided conditions. However, Hanbit, who was examining the details, smiled inwardly. 'It's gotten better.' The victory conditions and additional details were structured to fit his plan perfectly. The only task now was to welcome the Adult Faction members coming to capture point 32. That was it. "How do the conditions look?" As he leisurely looked down, Max asked in a whisper from beside him. Hanbit also spoke in a low voice. "Not bad. It's advantageous for us." "What about information on the boss? Is there anything to predict?" "It will definitely require a significant number of people to defeat it. It's highly likely to proceed in the form of gimmicks scattered across the entire map." “The entire map… does that mean the whole thing is going to be the boss’s territory?” Max, his eyes wide, looked down at the five-story forest in surprise. Hanbit nodded and added a fabricated explanation. “Roughly 1,000 people? No, if we factor in the interference, maybe 1,500 will be needed. Anyway, you can consider Capture Point 32 a victory.” “1,500… I see. If it’s our victory, there is no problem.” Max walked away with a serious face, saying things he didn’t mean. Seeing him move his hands as he turned his back, it seemed he was busily passing on information. Hanbit also gave instructions to the other members of the alliance. Since information regarding potential bosses, monsters, and gimmicks had already been conveyed, the instructions were entirely about rules and strategic bases. Time passed like that for a while. About ten minutes later, a crowd began to fill the area below the capture point. “Huh?” “U-that many?” “This is insane…” —No; —Please let them off the hook. —You brought a damn lot. —This won’t do. Let’s cross over there. -???: If you can't win, join them. Alliance players and viewers reacted with surprise to the endless procession. Hanbit immediately assessed the surging crowd. 'About 1,200, I suppose. They got their pride up to par.' The required number he had conveyed to Max was 1,500. However, the Seongche faction brought slightly fewer. It was all too easy to see who was in charge. Ta-ta! Summoning a vine, Hanbit grabbed it and slid down. Arriving on the first floor, he walked toward the Seongche faction group. “You have no fear, do you? Come here to die on your own.” A woman with blue hair approached from the front. The name Xiaohui was floating above her head. He didn't know the weight of being ranked 9th, but the equipment and magical tools visible all over her body were things even Hanbit didn't recognize. -Xiaohui? -Rank 9th… * shivers* -That's cheating; -But doesn't she look that strong? -If Poppy next door is ranked 9th, that's cheating too. Regardless of his mischievous appearance, his 9th place ranking proved everything.
Hanbit stopped a short distance away and spoke nonchalantly.
“I’m just saying hello in advance. You’re going to lose miserably.”
“Go ahead. I’ll twist your neck the moment the event starts.”
Xiaohui warned, clenching her fist tightly.
Judging by her hands and feet, she appeared to be a fighter-class player.
Moreover, being ranked 9th, it was entirely possible.
“Can you catch me? You don’t seem to know this forest well.”
“I don’t need to.”
Whoosh!
Closing the distance in an instant, she was right in front of him.
Her gaze, looking up from below his chin, was full of confidence.
“You should stop there.”
Just then, a man approached from behind.
It was Glitch, ranked 141st.
“It is stated that combat is prohibited, but this might be a form of penalty. It looks like you might hit me for no reason, so please step back.”
“Tch.”
Clicking her tongue, Xiaohui obediently stepped back.
'That person must be the mastermind.'
Their respective positions were evident even in that brief scene.
He appeared to be in the position of analyzing and judging the situation.
However, his strategy had failed from the start in bringing that many people here.
“But you came here as if you knew the situation? I thought you managed your intelligence quite well. Did it leak somewhere?”
“Le-leaked? What do you mean leaked? We just relied on our gut…”
As I expressed my suspicion, Xiaohui became slightly flustered and tried to gloss over it.
“Sir Xiaohui.”
Glitch stepped forward in her place.
Standing directly ahead, he continued speaking with a blank expression.
“Information regarding the capture points has already been leaked to both sides, so it is a natural judgment. There is no reason not to aim for a number as high as ten.”
“With him here, wouldn’t half the number have been enough?”
“We can’t do that when we’re facing the Black Dragon, no less. Didn’t you turn on the stream because you were confident? I simply responded to that provocation.”
—Is… that so?
—Now that I hear it, it does seem like you’re right.
—But seriously, filtering the information was tough;
—Seriously, the community was a complete mess all day long.
Glitch’s explanation, pointing out reasons point by point, was persuasive.
I suppose I should just be grateful that she's participating so actively in the plan.
“Well, let’s both give it our all. I have absolutely no intention of losing.”
Hanbit shrugged and turned to leave.
Just then, a voice came from behind.
“Don’t you look at your watch?”
“Your watch?”
“I’m late.”
Thump!
Suddenly, with a sensation of being pulled, his body floated up.
His right arm was grabbed
before he knew it. It was Xiaohui running, holding onto it.
Crash!
Advancing with tremendous force, she climbed the outer trees connecting to the upper floors, heading upwards.
Reaching the fifth floor in one go, Xiaohui knocked Hanbit over and stopped.
“I guess it’s okay as long as you don’t hit me? It’s one minute now.”
She straddled his stomach and grinned.
One minute was the time remaining until the event began.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll kill you right away.”
—Huh?
—I’m screwed;
—I should avoid the ground;
-Event -Complete-
With his fist raised, Xiaohui seemed intent on killing the moment the event began.
The situation was threatening, and escaping was not easy even if harm were inflicted.
However, there was no need to make such a choice in the first place.
“R-Rank 9?”
“Shit, what do we do?”
“Shouldn’t we get rid of him before the event starts?”
The Alliance players watched the situation from a distance.
Although there was only one enemy, it was difficult to even approach recklessly.
“It can’t be helped.”
Just then, Max, who had been watching the situation, spoke up.
He glanced sideways at Hanbit, looked around, and said,
“Everyone scatter! I will reorganize our strategy after we survive!”
-?
-Huh?
-Abandon the Black Dragon?
-That bastard?
-It might be a good decision… …
-How can we win without the Black Dragon?
-We’re screwed;
The meaning of Max’s order was clear.
To abandon the captured Black Dragon and prioritize survival.
Of course, this was also the most ideal situation for a spy of the Adult Faction.
This was because it was completely unexpected that the Black Dragon, which was also the ultimate goal, would be eliminated right from the start.
“Move! We only have 20 seconds!”
“Damn it!”
“Team B, this way!”
Judging that there was no other choice, the Alliance players scattered in an orderly fashion.
Before anyone realized it, no one remained around.
“I’ve been abandoned, what am I supposed to do?”
Xiaohui, still holding his fist, grinned as he spoke.
There were now only five seconds left.
It was a situation where death was foreseen by anyone.
However, Hanbit calmly met his gaze.
“How dangerous do you think this forest is?”
“What?”
Xiaohui looked puzzled at the abrupt question.
And just as the remaining time slipped away in silence…
Ding-
[Waiting time has ended, the invasion event begins.]
Whoosh-
Along with the alarm, a massive number of monsters appeared.
Crunch! Snap
!
The specter-like beings revealed themselves once again.
Their levels and appearances were exactly the same as when Hanbit had killed them earlier.
“Yeah, it’s going to be dangerous. For those worthless guys, that is.”
Even though the event had started, Xiaohui did not kill him.
He seemed to be enjoying the situation where he held the upper hand.
However, that composure did not last long.
“Who said this was dangerous?”
“What? You seem like you’re just stalling for time, spouting nonsense…”
Ding—
an alarm sound cut off the voice.
Soon after, a message appeared before the two of them.
[Eliminate the Gatekeeper to bring true change to the forest.]
[Territory: Abyss of Specters opens.]
Crash!
Along with the message, the forest snapped like paper.
The land, which had begun to shatter before they knew it, became a jumbled mess in an indescribable form.
The change did not end there.
Crack—
with a grotesque sound, the bodies of monsters split vertically.
What emerged from within was a being of hell.
Kyaaak!
Screech!
[Evil-Infested Specter Predator (Lv. 742)]
[Evil-Infested Specter Parasite (Lv. 745)] The creatures, with
their arms and legs attached in strange places, roared as they opened their vertically gaping mouths.
“What is this…?”
It was a bewildering sight that drew Xiaohui’s gaze involuntarily.
Crunch! In the meantime, Hanbit ,
having summoned vines, glided free from the restraints.
“Damn it!”
Realizing it too late, Xiaohui kicked off and charged forward.
The distance narrowed in an instant.
But it was an illusion. The distance between the two, which had seemed to be shrinking, distorted like a hallucination and turned hazy. Watching Xiaohui’s face gradually recede, Hanbit waved his hand. “Try your best to hold on.” “Hey!” The loud voice quickly faded away. Hanbit looked at the message that had just appeared. [Area Effect: Space of the Dead is applied.] [The area distorts significantly, and the fragmented terrain is reassembled.] [Within this area, the following effects are randomly applied: Disappearance, Distortion, Reversal, Poison, Seal, Confusion, Hallucination, Bleeding, Despair, Weakness, Erosion, Paralysis, Madness, Rupture, and Erosion.] -? -Huh? -Is this hell?; -What on earth is the Dead… … . "-Aren't we completely unable to do anything, whether it's occupation or whatever? " "-Something seems seriously wrong." The listed debuff effects were horrific. However, none of them applied to Hanbit, who possessed the World Tree Legacy effect. All he could see right now were distorting areas and terrain sticking together haphazardly. Of course, the viewers watching through the camera must have been utterly bewildered. Ding- "Breaker" "I have killed the gatekeeper as you requested. Shall we leave now?" A moderate player from Vestige who had infiltrated the Alliance. Not only did they share a connection from consulting on the direction of the event, but they also joined forces thanks to Vestige's representative, Diorama, joining the Alliance. What was requested of him was to kill the last remaining Specter Gatekeeper as soon as the event began. "Thank you for your hard work. The additional entry time is 10 minutes, so please hurry and escape via the designated route." After sending the reply, Hanbit surveyed the terrain, which had become as complex as a maze. About 80% of the Alliance members had already planned their escape. The rest were players brought by Max. In other words, once the additional 10 minutes of entry time had passed, the only ones remaining here were Hanbit's enemies. “Aaaargh!” “Help me!” “I said I can’t see you!” Screams and shouts echoed through the forest. It was the reality for the players afflicted with the debuff. Quite a few would likely be killed by the monsters in that state. ‘Shall I try reducing the numbers a bit?’
It was only right to eliminate the troublesome obstacle before cornering Xiaohui.
Hanbit, observing the still-changing terrain, scanned the area where the Seongchepa members were concentrated.
It was quick to spot the target.
