Chapter 8: Fallen Species (5)
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“Master, should I jump in and help them out?”
Little Musashi’s eyes sparkled with a murderous excitement.
“Wait a bit longer.”
Lin Nan was perched atop the highest point of the castle, standing on a tower that could barely fit a toe.
From the looks of the morning combat, everything seemed normal—attackers attacking, defenders defending. But with bl**d flying everywhere, a good number of players probably met an untimely demise in this little squabble.
What puzzled her was whether the attackers were overly confident in their skills or simply had a surplus of cannon fodder. Throughout the chaos, Lin Nan hadn’t seen any powerful veteran players barrelling in.
No, to be precise, there were veterans, but they were all low-level ones—players who hadn’t joined the game since its launch but had merely entered a month or two earlier than the latest batch. They had learned a few skills, sure, but only the surface-level stuff, making them slightly stronger than the newcomers, but not by much.
This siege and defense battle had a fair number of players involved, but the backbone was really just those who had been playing for only a month or so.
It was like watching a bunch of chickens pecking each other—horribly brutal and yet, honestly, quite the spectacle that made Lin Nan steal a few extra glances.
If Li Hanbo was taking charge, the attackers would probably be wiped out in mere minutes.
But, oddly enough, Lin Nan didn’t see any high-ranking members of the Heavenly Sword Sect on-site, including those Inner Door Disciples who had led them to the guest hall the night before.
“Master? Master?”
Little Musashi popped her head out the window, repeatedly calling out to Lin Nan, who was standing on the top level.
“Don’t you dare go!” Lin Nan replied firmly.
“Ah? But…”
Little Musashi’s eyes were practically shooting fire; right in front of her was a bloody battlefield, and she wasn’t allowed to jump in? Torture!
Jing Feng yanked Little Musashi back from the window.
“Listen to the Master, stop yelling.”
Usually so gentle, Jing Feng’s expression was surprisingly stern at this moment, giving Little Musashi an abrupt jolt that made her quit her antics immediately.
“Master definitely has her reasons; don’t disrespect her again, got it?”
“Okay, okay, I get it!”
Little Musashi quickly agreed, scared that Jing Feng would rattle on like a broken record, repeating herself thirty times or more.
Finally, after half an hour of this dramatic display, both sides were exhausted, unable to muster up another round of fighting.
So, after the attackers dragged away all the corpses and injured folks from below the city, the defenders cheered at their victory.
They seemed to be quite accustomed to such battles and didn’t feel the least bit unsatisfied about the absent guild higher-ups.
Sky Sword City returned to quietude.
Lin Nan slid down from the tower and gracefully leaped through the open window back into the castle.
As soon as she regained her footing, she heard Li Hanbo’s cheerful voice greeting her.
“Good morning, three lovely ladies.”
Lin Nan nodded, acting as if nothing strange had happened, she replied casually, “Good morning.”
“The kitchen has prepared a delicious breakfast, just waiting for you to come and enjoy,” Li Hanbo beamed like an overly friendly host, making it hard for anyone to dislike him.
“Well then, we won’t hold back!”
Lin Nan didn’t bother being polite.
As for the morning castle siege, she was sure she’d find out the juicy details from Li Hanbo.
The dining hall was on the first floor of the castle, nestled next to a floor-to-ceiling window that opened into the garden. The warm sunlight filtered through the glass, casting a cozy glow that was a welcome relief from winter’s chill.
“Who would’ve thought that the cook here is also skilled in Demon Race cuisine? It’s just like our Western-style breakfasts,” he said, proudly, “Don’t you ladies love this vibe? I didn’t let them make stuff like soy milk and fried dough sticks—that would ruin the aesthetic.”
Lin Nan wasn’t picky about food; as long as it went down without poisoning her, she would enjoy it.
For Little Musashi and Jing Feng, it was their first taste of a Western breakfast, and it felt delightfully novel.
Gazing at the artistic-looking rolls on their plates, Little Musashi shamelessly grabbed her kn*fe and fork, unleashing a whirlwind of pent-up fury from her morning abstinence onto the food.
Indeed, after a peaceful moment of indulging,
Li Hanbo wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled, “I assume Miss Lin has witnessed the morning’s little battle?”
They had already exchanged names.
Little Musashi’s name was too recognizable, so Lin Nan temporarily changed it to Little Dance; Jing Feng kept her name, which was perfectly normal.
Lin Nan nodded, “I guess this is a little agreement among you guild leaders, huh?”
Li Hanbo looked surprised. “You can guess that?”
“Of course. Given that Sky Sword City is packed with guilds, it’s likely that the founders are all seasoned veterans. In other words, even if you don’t know each other well, you’ve at least heard things, so communication shouldn’t be an issue.
The reason for forming guilds is to stake a claim in this power vacuum, right? But there’s a tidal wave of rookie players flooding in here beyond what you all anticipated. Even with your current resources and food reserves, meeting the demands of your guild members is nearly impossible.
Plus, as a guild leader, it’s not surprising that your treatment is better than that of regular members.
So, letting surplus guild members get chewed up has become a mutual understanding between guilds.
You all enjoy instigating guild skirmishes daily but don’t send in your main forces; you just let the newcomers duke it out, trimming their numbers. Fewer members means less food pressure, making it easier for you to collaborate and control Sky Sword City.”
After Lin Nan’s spiel, Li Hanbo clapped his hands enthusiastically.
“Didn’t realize Miss Lin is not only stunning but also incredibly astute! I’m impressed!”
“However, you missed something crucial.”
“The Asking Dao Continent is currently in chaos. Just the airdrop of a billion players is like locusts—they’ll wipe out the entire continent’s food supplies.
And with winter upon us, nearly all creatures are hiding, leaving the fields barren. A year of famine will surely bring calamity.
Guilds aren’t charities; everyone wants to survive, so we have to artificially enforce survival of the fittest.
Moreover, their skills and levels can grow through these skirmishes, and the experiences gained from life-and-d*ath situations far exceed mundane training.
So we’re not hurting them; we’re helping the newbies integrate quickly into this world.
This world is one where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, and we’re just helping them see that sooner rather than later.”
Lin Nan silently watched Li Hanbo.
She knew he was spitting truth, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy was hiding something.
Was he being this friendly just because he admired their strength…
Or was there something else, like ulterior motives a la Song Chuan?
