n the morning, Bai Yi gazed at the girl beside him, a complex expression in his eyes. He hadn't left the previous night. Leaning down, he kissed Diane on the forehead and whispered, "Wait for me."
He stood up and exited the room. This was the Difeng family's manor, a grand estate belonging to Diane.
As dawn broke, the waiters were already bustling about, preparing for the day ahead.
Without a backward glance, Bai Yi vanished from the manor.
Inside, Diane curled slightly deeper into her quilt, her misty eyes fixed on the closed door. A whirlwind of emotions flickered across her face—confusion intertwined with shyness and joy.
After nine long years, when the White Plague had suddenly disappeared, she finally understood her true feelings. Now, everything felt complete.
"Um…" she murmured softly, as if responding to a quiet thought, before slowly closing her eyes once more.
Outside the Difeng Manor:
The bone dragon descended, and Bai Yi sat upon its mechanical throne. The complexity in his gaze faded as he noticed a familiar figure lurking in the shadows—it was Yuan Tang. They exchanged glances, but neither spoke a word.
The bone dragon flapped its wings and soared toward Dongwu City.
[You submitted the Tear of Rules and received 1 Special Skill Point.]
Eric no longer needed to utilize this rule, as his depleted energy and blood made breaking through to the legendary level exceedingly difficult.
As for reaching gold rank, Bai Yi believed it was wiser to focus on strengthening himself first.
Reflecting on his preferred skills—Demonic Flash, Mental Stasis, Accumulated Soul, and Malicious Intimidation—he recognized how each significantly enhanced his capabilities. Malicious Intimidation, in particular, allowed him to control his aura, providing an edge in battle. In his confrontation with Guan Xin, for example, his opponents had no way of knowing he possessed the specialty of Malicious Deception until it was too late.
Yet, he was also intrigued by the deadly poison known as [Wither]. What would happen if he applied special skill points to an already potent formula?
After deep contemplation, Bai Yi decided to invest his special skill points into the Sky Demon Flash.
His spatial abilities were lacking, and he relied on this skill most during combat. Enhancing his duration in the subspace would significantly boost his combat effectiveness.
As the skill point was triggered, Bai Yi closed his eyes slowly.
In his mind, he envisioned a figure executing the Demonic Flash, using blood and energy to tear through space, slipping into the subspace during the brief moments when the fabric of reality healed itself.
The figure moved faster and faster, becoming a blur that even Bai Yi's mental powers struggled to track. His mental protection specialty trembled, indicating a rapid drain on his mental energy.
Regardless of whether they were ordinary or special skill points, everything he learned was deduced through his mental power. The skill points were not just forced upon him; they guided him toward mastery.
This method felt rewarding—Bai Yi could sense his genuine growth.
Now, only afterimages remained in his mind. The constant rapid interpenetration prevented the space from healing, creating holes that tore through the subspace almost instantaneously.
As the frequency of using the Heavenly Demon Flash reached its peak, a phantom surged toward Bai Yi before vanishing.
Buzz~
Suddenly, Bai Yi realized something and opened his eyes. He looked down at his hands, feeling a slight vibration. A silk-like texture materialized in the space around him.
At a speed of Mach 5, it left a long trail across the sky.
[Your Demonic Flash has successfully transformed.]
[Name: Unnamed.]
Attribute: Active skill.
Effect: Can forcefully enter space gaps, lasting for 30 seconds.
Cooldown: None.
Introduction: A highly advanced spatial technique. While you possess a deep understanding of spatial patterns, be cautious—staying too long in the gaps may cause you to get lost in the turbulence of space.
[Named: Space Penetration.]
A thoughtful look crossed Bai Yi's face. This special skill point proved invaluable, allowing him to delve deeper and acquire more advanced skills based on his existing knowledge.
While the technique of Demonic Flash remained, Bai Yi's current understanding of space rendered it somewhat elementary.
Through countless simulations of the Demonic Flash, his comprehension of space had significantly improved. He learned how to navigate the gaps and withstand the pressures of space.
As he swept his hand through the sky while the dragon soared, the trace he left behind vanished, as his hand now existed in another realm.
This special skill point was incredibly powerful—a true tool for development.
His thoughts flickered. If this was the path of advancement, the most beneficial pursuit wouldn't be enhancing combat power, but rather alchemy.
For instance, he could focus on Salute to the Sun or further develop intercontinental missiles.
City defense weapons seemed far more practical than mere combat skills.
And then there was the Colossus!
Bai Yi's eyes sparkled with eagerness at the thought. The job assignment also granted three special skill points, which he could explore when the opportunity arose.
He retrieved the information on the Colossus and began to read. This knowledge represented the pinnacle of alchemy, yet he found himself puzzled as he sifted through the dense material.
It felt as if he were a foreigner struggling with classical Chinese—confusing and mentally taxing. He needed to take a moment to calm down.
After about five minutes, Bai Yi closed the book and tucked it away in his space ring.
Zero: [Miss Diane asks: Where are we?]
Zero: [Coordinates sent.]
Zero: [Miss Diane asked: Will I have children?]
Zero: [The probability of a gold-level extraordinary person having children is 0.036%.]
Bai Yi: [Chatting with Diane doesn't require complex calculations or distractions.]
Zero: [Instructions received.]
Bai Yi couldn't help but chuckle. A light screen appeared before him. While responding to Diane, he also monitored the situation in Dongwu City, where players were nearing the final preparations for war.
Outside Dongwu City:
Wei Lu's live broadcast had started.
As news of the White Plague spread across the internet, player forums buzzed with excitement. Anchors like Wei Lu, Demacia, Xiahou Fuxing, and others from Dongwu City were broadcasting simultaneously, rallying players to gather.
Currently, the 110,000 troops of Dongwu City were divided into four areas, surrounding three valleys and a plain.
The anchors connected their screens, broadcasting live from each location.
"Are you ready?" Wei Lu asked in a hushed tone.
The dense crowd of players behind him remained unusually quiet, their excitement palpable as they flooded into the live broadcast room, refreshing the screen.
[Ready.] ×n.
The anchors suppressed their anticipation and responded in low voices.
Wei Lu nodded. "Each battle zone currently has 50,000 players, so we may be at a disadvantage, but that's manageable. Other players can join the four zones when they log in. Those who aren't online won't be forced to participate."
"Let's wait for a mission first. If one appears, take it and charge. If not, don't worry. Whoever grabs the loot from the monsters gets it."
With over 200,000 players in Dongwu City, and thanks to the promotional video, nearly everyone was aware of the impending war.
Excited players flocked to the border towns, while others uninterested in battle drifted toward safer areas.
The majority of players engaging with the main storyline had pushed the population in Dongwu City to 450,000 and still rising.
The other three border towns experienced similar surges, which explained why Bai Yi hadn't felt overwhelmed by players when he visited the capital.
Although the capital was prosperous, it was also too stable and peaceful, leading to less activity.
Currently, tens of thousands of players in the capital were reluctant to roam, biding their time for significant events to unfold.
It was impressive that the anchors managed to gather nearly half of the players—after all, who truly listens to orders in a game?
If the guards hadn't warned them that entering the valley would be lethal, they wouldn't have waited so patiently.
A hint of excitement colored Wei Lu's voice. "Now, listen closely. Stay hidden, and I'll play a war song first."
Wei Lu searched through the forum, discovering various bards' songs recorded by players—some of which were beloved classics on Blue Star and hailed as masterpieces.
As the exhilarating music played, Wei Lu signaled.
Buzz~Boom!
Massive explosions erupted across the four major areas surrounding Dongwu City.
These explosives had been prepared by the players themselves—an effort orchestrated by a host. During this large-scale mission, they had leveraged a surge in traffic to distribute these explosives for free.
The ground trembled, and the valley shook.
Players and guards alike peered into the depths of the valley, eagerly anticipating what might come next.
As time passed, a faint figure began to materialize amidst the billowing smoke at the end of the cleared road in the valley.
The soldiers of the Scarlet Nation, caught off-guard, had not anticipated that half of the teleportation arrays they were preparing for a stealth attack on Dongwu City would be suddenly compromised.
Still bewildered, they remained on standby, awaiting orders to protect the teleportation array—a responsibility they took seriously.
Meanwhile, in the player camp, tens of thousands of players grew increasingly restless, their eyes fixated on the valley.
As time dragged on, some players could no longer contain their excitement. Fueled by the stirring music from the live broadcast, they seized their weapons and charged into the valley without hesitation.
As one player surged forward, others followed suit.
"Kill them! The blame is mine! Hurrah!"
"Hurrah!"
The players shouted various battle cries, merging into a deafening roar that heralded the Fourth Calamity.
Hundreds of scarlet soldiers who emerged to assess the situation were stunned by the sudden influx of foes.
"The Federation is calling! Report to His Majesty!"
"Our plan has been exposed! Hurry! Stop them before they reach our land!"
They shouted strange commands, with some soldiers advancing toward the players while others rushed to the teleportation array.
"Fireball! Ulla!"
A mage player unleashed a skill, and a one-meter fireball plummeted to the ground with a resounding explosion.
This marked the official commencement of the players' second team battle.
[You have triggered the multiplayer main quest: Kingdom Invasion.]
[Name: Country Invasion.]
Attributes: Multiplayer main quest.
Mission Description: The kingdom of the ancient gods has set its sights on the Federation. You have uncovered their teleportation point and thwarted their plan for a surprise attack.
Please destroy the enemy's teleportation array and thwart this invasion.
Mission rewards: Skill points +2, Attribute points +1, Gold coins +5, Experience points +300.
Continuous Rewards: Earn additional rewards with each enemy unit you defeat.
Failure penalty: None.
Introduction: Victory will ultimately belong to order, and the gods shall tremble at your feet.
As soon as the quest was announced, the players' eyes lit up with excitement. They surged forward, their pace quickening. It was time for the monster snatching phase!
Some players even directed their attacks at their fellow players, frustrated by the scarcity of monsters in the area.
The guards at the rear received the mission, their eyes gleaming. "Head forward! This is the monster spawning point! Don't push the crystal; start spawning monsters! Those are gold coins waiting to be claimed!"
Other anchors and union leaders echoed the sentiment, shouting at the top of their lungs as they charged ahead.
They feared that if the players up front destroyed everything, they would miss their chance for loot.
Yet, their worries proved unfounded. Dozens of scarlet soldiers in the valley were quickly overwhelmed, but from behind them, fresh waves of soldiers emerged.
A scarlet glow radiated from their bodies, exuding an air of menacing power.
These soldiers rapidly filled the valley, pushing outward in an instant. The players' momentum faltered as many were swiftly cut down.
The two sides found themselves at a stalemate, with the players clearly at a disadvantage.
The siege of Dongwu City hadn't been particularly secretive. After suffering significant losses during the last engagement, the king of the Scarlet Kingdom sought to test Dongwu City's strength this time.
If they could overpower it in one swift assault, they would unleash their full might to seize Dongwu City. If they were thwarted again, they would merely draw out the city's manpower.
For the ancient gods, an abundance of soldiers lay outside, and they could afford the losses.
The soulless and mutated beings were precisely what they needed to observe.
At the valley's summit, soldiers recorded the data from this conflict to analyze the disparities between the two sides.
This was the reason Dongwu City had remained safe following Luo Ning's strategic arrangements. The plan had shifted from warfare to reconnaissance.
When the next real invasion began, this evaluation would serve as the Scarlet Kingdom's assessment of Dongwu City, paving the way for a decisive confrontation.
Not only the valley but also the four enclosed war zones had been abandoned by the Scarlet Kingdom.