# Chapter 0: A Salute to the Lonely Great King of Cold Wind City
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Ever since the expansion pack dropped, the game’s popularity skyrocketed like a rocketship, drawing players in like moths to a flame.
And oh boy, the rivalry between White Feather City and Cold Wind City has become the hot topic for daily arguments among players.
No doubt about it, thanks to the forum’s hottest post, almost every player believed that White Feather City’s victory was a foregone conclusion.
I mean, after scrutinizing the detailed images and data, it’s like Cold Wind City was being steamrolled.
Whether it’s the nitty-gritty details like cityscape, streets, population, or military gear, or the big picture stuff like heritage and territory, White Feather City was clearly on the offensive.
With a tidal wave of players flooding in, it was hard to find a glimmer of hope for Cold Wind City.
Thus, the nearly thousand players joining Cold Wind City had already been humorously dubbed “orphan martyrs,” endlessly mocked in forums and live streams.
If this battle could be divided into the actual operation and the online realm, Cold Wind City was already tanking in the reputation department. No hope of a comeback in sight.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, the speech video of Cold Wind City’s Second Great King, Cold Moon, was posted on the forum. Even the “High School History Teacher” made a cameo in the comments!
The title was quite the eye-catcher: “Cold Wind City’s Beautiful Second Great King Rants About Revolutionary History; Experts Say Cold Wind City Will Ultimately Prevail!”
At first, players thought this was just a sad attempt from Cold Wind City to cling to life, desperately fishing for attention and support.
But after gagging on the brutish orc figures of White Feather City, they clicked in, half-expecting some eye candy with the words “beautiful” in the title.
The first thing that grabbed them was Cold Moon’s stunning beauty.
Sure, she didn’t exactly match up to the Cold Moon Witch, but she was definitely one of the more visually appealing NPCs out there.
Uh-huh, just her looks were worth a few wasted minutes of their time.
Wait—what did she just say?
This isn’t quite matching our expectations.
With a dramatic, heavy background score, isn’t she supposed to say some stuff like, “Warriors, welcome to Cold Wind City!
Though we’re at a disadvantage, from now until the end of the world, we will forever be remembered.
We are the fortunate few, we are brothers bonded tightly,
Whoever fights beside me today is my brother!
No matter how lowly one’s origins, today’s battle will elevate them to true nobility!
Cold Wind City shall prevail! Shall prevail…”
Something motivational to rally the players, right?
But instead, she started rambling about the hardships of the monster race.
Hey, who signed up for that lecture!?
It’s not on the syllabus—skip, skip!
Huh? There’s no skipping!?
Wait, now it’s getting a bit interesting.
“Everyone in the monster race is equal!”
“…Only by smashing this old world to bits can we gain rebirth!”
What the—Cold Wind City’s Great King struck gold with some equality theory in a forest that looked like it came straight from a savage tribe, and she’s putting it into practice!
Good grief, she’s just as fierce as the creators of the Red East.
Cold Moon’s speech was nothing like what they had imagined.
And the analysis from the player nicknamed “High School History Teacher” left everyone stunned.
Could it be that this was the game’s real motive for launching this expansion pack?
Learning while gaming?
Pfft!
But without a shadow of a doubt, “High School History Teacher’s” insightful analysis opened a whole new perspective for the players.
In the past, when analyzing the strengths of both sides, players mostly focused on external appearances to judge the chances of victory.
But from now on, they couldn’t ignore the colossal influence of the spiritual leader of Cold Wind City.
And they also began to see the vast potential within Cold Wind City.
If it’s true, as the “High School History Teacher” said, that Cold Wind City represents advanced productivity while White Feather City represents stubborn old forces,
Then even if White Feather City had a huge advantage at the start of the conflict, how could the relentless tide of history be swayed by one or two minor battles?
The ultimate victory would surely belong to the advanced forces.
But here comes the kicker.
White Feather City’s dominance is formidable. If they snuff out Cold Wind City in its cradle,
Then the era of Cold Wind City might just be pushed back by N years.
For the system that’s only judging the outcome of this war, players siding with White Feather City still had a huge head start.
Only now, the players from Cold Wind City were draped in a tragic aura.
Idealists sacrificing reality for their dreams.
Worthy of respect, but… hey, you want to go waste your time? Go for it! We’re here to play a game, not start a rebellion in it!
With just a monster race trying to give the old forces a run for their money, plus the humans and demons caught up in the mix, it looks like this would take a couple of millennia to hit that historic turning point.
Could you players please stop trying to hasten the process?
Let Cold Wind City fade away like a puff of smoke!
If the Asking Dao Continent had history books, perhaps a millennium from now, it would record the obliteration of Cold Wind City by White Feather City in bold strokes.
They’ll be respected as the pioneers of an idealistic vision.
But players… heh, they’re just cannon fodder. Those wanting in on the action should expect half experience for their trouble.
Most people play games for the thrill; what’s the point of playing if it’s not fun?
“k*ll, k*ll, k*ll! Slash, slash, slash!”
Current victories are what truly matter!
Is Earth OL not torturing you enough?
Yet amidst all the bickering, a small band of fiercely loyal Cold Wind City supporters emerged.
Heh, a bunch of mindless drones!
You all belong in a lawn-mowing simulator!
Why do we call this game a second life?
Because it offers us experiences we can’t get in the real world.
Life’s not just about thrill;
Games want us to explore deeper meanings.
True, choosing Cold Wind City means facing hellish difficulty. Not only are they up against the old forces, but they also have to deal with backlash and the fact that most players won’t support them due to profit concerns.
But here’s the kicker you all forgot.
Heroes are always lonely.
We don’t want to be cowards; we want to become heroes who resist this old world.
With the anti-immortal Extermination of Immortals faction in front and Cold Wind City raising the banner against the old order behind,
This indicates that the world of Asking Dao is lighting up with sparks of rebellion.
As witnesses, we have the power to choose to advance and retreat with them,
To salute the yet-unnamed Great King of Cold Wind City!
You are lonely and misunderstood by this world.
But from today onward, we will fight for you, even without any rewards; we’re willing to lay down our lives to change this world!
That’s all!
P.S. Early morning update! Here’s to a glorious today!
