Chapter 9: The Collective Counterattack
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“What? A human has dared to run wild in Tiger Wolf Cave’s territory?”
“Yeah, Great King! Lately, it’s been a mess. A flood of human adventurers keeps popping up in the forest. Our front line tried to drive them off, but they ganged up on us. Not only did they take out our guys, but they also helped themselves to our clothes and weapons!”
The little demon glared in rage.
“SMASH!” The great demon slammed his hand on the stone table, which instantly shattered into pieces.
“Darn it! If we don’t teach them a lesson, they really think our demon race is a bunch of softies!”
About five kilometers away in the forest outside Tiger Wolf Cave, a group of human adventurers armed with all sorts of weapons were scouting around. They had just stuffed their backpacks with some bl**d-soaked animal skins, and the fresh stench of bl**d lingered in the air.
“Dear audience, did you see that? These little demons may look fierce, but their combat skills are pretty weak. In one-on-one situations, our average level 9 strength can hold its own against them.”
Leading the pack was a golden-haired youth who spoke while striding forward, his words echoing in the live streaming room.
“And after getting some buff assist, the little demons can’t even keep up with us.”
“So, killing them without getting hurt has become totally possible!”
“Previously, we mostly ground levels in the wilderness around various sects. But once we hit level five, experience points became almost nonexistent. To join the inner disciples of any sect, we need to complete a ton of tasks to even think about leveling up.”
“Our team picked up an A-grade quest from Thousand Bird City and thought we’d gamble in the Chaos Forest. Little did we know how rich the experience points here would be! With assists, we plowed through and in just three days, we all leveled from six to nine. If this were in the human realm, it would be downright impossible!”
The golden-haired guy, named Zhao Yi, was a born-and-bred Chinese who specifically dyed his hair gold for his game character. As he put it, even in a game, he wanted to be a striking dude.
Initially, he wasn’t that famous, but as they ventured deeper into the Chaos Forest, leaving everyone else in the dust, the audience’s attention naturally shifted to him.
“This streamer is amazing! Out of so many exploration teams, theirs ventured the farthest into Chaos Forest!”
“Wow, how big is this Chaos Forest? They’ve uncovered a huge area on their map, yet the fog still seems endless!”
“According to official lore, this Chaos Forest is a buffer zone between the human realm and the demon realm. If it were small, and the demon race decided to launch an attack while we’re still low-level, then we’d all be finished!”
“Don’t worry; isn’t there a defensive wall? They seem to take out a bunch of attacking demons every year.”
“Anyway, there are tons of little demons in the Chaos Forest. Watching the streamer level up by killing demons makes me want to jump in and grind some monsters myself, even though I’m stuck at Deficient Moon Valley on the other side!”
The livelier the discussion in the streaming room, the higher the popularity.
Zhao Yi was thrilled.
“Earlier, we captured a little demon and learned there’s an underground cave up ahead, likely filled with more demons and treasures. So, we’re taking a moment to regroup and then head into that underground lair!”
“Go for it, streamer! We’re rooting for you!”
“If you can pave a path for us to level up, I’ll drop a hundred Spirit Coins as a reward!”
“Yeah, we’re really in need of a good grinding spot!”
“Here are ten Spirit Coins! You got this, streamer!”
Before long, hundreds of Spirit Coins rolled in, making Zhao Yi grin from ear to ear.
This only reinforced his determination to delve deeper into the Chaos Forest. After all, they hadn’t run into any formidable enemies on their way, and it was entirely possible this area was truly made for players to level up. It was probably just that, since the server had just opened, humans hadn’t ventured this far yet.
The first to eat crabs is the brave!
Leading the way, his exploration team boldly stepped into the unknown.
But just two minutes in, Zhao Yi suddenly sensed something was off.
The forest was usually filled with birdsong, but now it was eerily quiet, as if every bird had switched to silent mode simultaneously.
What’s going on? Is there a bug in the game?
No wonder, considering the server just opened, and with the enormous database of the holographic game, some glitches were to be expected.
Just as he hesitated, Zhao Yi took another step.
Then, in the next second, terror struck.
A massive white-muzzled fierce tiger suddenly surged from the treetops, its sharp claws slicing through a hapless swordsman, turning him into a wisp of smoke.
【Warning: Elite Boss has appeared, level unknown, exercise caution.】
【Warning: Elite Boss has appeared, level unknown, exercise caution.】
…
All members of the exploration team received this system alert at once, and Zhao Yi’s face changed dramatically.
An elite boss with an unknown level?
This could only mean the enemy’s level was at least three times theirs!
But there was only one enemy. If they turned to run, the tiger would take them down one by one. It was better to fight to the d*ath—there might be a slim chance of victory.
As they nervously lined up to face it, a piercing howl rang out behind them.
A giant wolf suddenly charged, sinking its teeth into their crucial support character.
A scream echoed.
The support that had helped the team so much dissipated into a wisp of blue smoke.
【Warning: Elite Boss has appeared, level unknown, exercise caution.】
【Warning: Elite Boss has appeared, level unknown, exercise caution.】
Surrounded and with their support gone, the team was in dire straits.
The viewers in the live stream were stunned; they never expected Zhao Yi’s team, which had been riding a smooth wave, would face not one but two elite bosses in quick succession. Their fortunes had turned ominously.
“Form… formation!”
Realizing they were caught between the fierce tiger and the giant wolf with no escape, Zhao Yi struggled to string his words together.
“Ah… ah…”
The stream suddenly erupted with continuous screams.
“Help! Help!”
In the game, dying meant losing half of one’s experience points, which meant all their previous hard work would be wasted. Zhao Yi tossed aside his backpack, clutching only a longsword, and desperately sprinted sideways, hoping his speed would let him escape the beasts’ grasp.
Unfortunately, all struggle was futile against the crushing weight disparity in level.
The viewers watched in disbelief as his stream went black. Two seconds later, it flickered back on, but the backdrop had reverted to the nearest spawn point in Thousand Bird City.
Zhao Yi was left utterly speechless.
He had lost all his loot, except for the weapon in his hand.
“Wah…”
He actually cried in front of his viewers.
The audience could relate to that heartbreak. It felt like in an RPG when you’re about to defeat the final boss, only to lose your save. No one could accept the reality of their hard work going to waste.
Not just Zhao Yi’s team—at the same time they faced elite bosses, several other streamers entering the Chaos Forest also fell prey to powerful monsters.
Players who thought they were raking in easy experience by slaughtering little demons were crushed under the wrath of the mighty monsters, with only a fortunate few managing to escape from the forest.
Strangely, the monsters didn’t pursue the survivors once they exited the forest.
It seemed they weren’t interested in escalating the conflict—they just wanted to drive humans out of their territory.
Players were baffled; they never imagined the first real conflict between the human and demon realms would unfold like this, and that it would end in a devastating loss for human players.
Though people were upset, screaming for revenge against the demons in forums and streams, everyone knew that facing elite bosses with their current skills was a complete no-go.
Time—they needed time.
If they waited a few months to level up sufficiently, they believed those monsters in the Chaos Forest wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
In a strange turn of events, the defeat in Chaos Forest unexpectedly fueled endless leveling motivation for the players, a twist none of the original participants had anticipated.
Meanwhile, a player named “Strong Brother Commentary.AVI” caught everyone’s attention with a forum post.
“Due to the lack of direct video footage regarding the Cold Moon Witch in this event, the next video episode will be postponed. However, as a seasoned player, I feel it’s essential to analyze what’s happened.”
“The reason for the massive influx of players into Chaos Forest is straightforward: someone released an audio related to the Cold Moon Witch. He claimed that he encountered her while locking eyes with her, and thus didn’t know her exact location. His forum post sparked the enthusiasm of a vast number of players.”
“But have you considered this might be a deliberate ploy by the Cold Moon Witch? She could’ve easily arranged for that player to vanish without a trace; just let her minions finish him off. Some might ask, ‘Do NPCs even know about recording?’ Ha! Those asking that are so low-level. In the NPC’s view, our live streams and forums are merely cheap magic effects. A boss-level figure like the Cold Moon Witch knows all too well.”
“So, at the Cold Moon Witch’s intentional urging, players flooded into Chaos Forest. Just when they thought they could confidently level up by slaying tons of little monsters, a horde of elite monsters emerged and dealt a harsh reality check to those foolishly seeking the Cold Moon Witch’s whereabouts.”
“Also, I previously mentioned that the Cold Moon Witch holds considerable status in the demon realm. Just from her ability to command elite boss-level demons, it’s clear. So, brothers, the missions from Thousand Bird City are not a walk in the park. If you want to drop to level one quickly, be my guest.”
“Remember this: never underestimate the Cold Moon Witch!”
