### Chapter 232: The Passing of the Old Emperor
The next few days rolled by without much change; the situation in Emerald City remained as usual, with the city gates frequently locked down tighter than a drum.
But unbeknownst to them, players slowly started to notice something strange. They seemed to be encountering fewer high-level players lately.
Flames of War, Eastern Dragon, and the Peakless Mount Guild were all looking a little less fiery, like someone had pulled the ignition key.
The Peakless Mount Guild was part of WZC’s ranks. They may not be on par with the first two guilds, but they’re certainly a hefty player faction in their own right.
Some players began to dig for information through various channels, only to find out that these guilds had seemingly packed up and left, likely off to a new hot spot to level up.
Considering the current state of Emerald City? Well, a relocation made perfect sense.
In reality, they were already prepping for something big.
The three guilds had mustered about ten thousand players altogether. That sounds like a lot, but considering Emerald City boasts over a hundred million players, it was merely a drop in the ocean.
They toyed with the idea of bringing along more players for safety’s sake, but if they suddenly vanished in such a sensitive period, it might raise eyebrows among NPCs, prompting Prince Isaac to alter his plans.
Currently, according to Elia’s intel, the Radiant Knight Order had only called back two thousand from the frontline.
Their numbers were already tight; first off, they couldn’t leave the frontline vulnerable, and secondly, too many players would mean they couldn’t squeeze into the secret realm anyway. What a waste!
That made it possible for the players to surround them.
Ten thousand players isn’t too shabby; leaving Emerald City wouldn’t raise any alarms, especially since they’d be up against a mere two thousand whom they should be able to handle!
Ten thousand versus two thousand—five to one! The odds were deliciously in their favor!
Now, they had to keep in mind the mission required them to avoid NPC casualties, not to mention that NPC power can be pretty unpredictable. But still, it felt a bit shaky.
However!
Add this baby to the equation, and it’s as solid as a rock!
Flames of War, Can’t Sleep, and WZC were all itching in their pockets.
Guess what? They were packing some serious heat.
In hindsight, why the heck did the Nuclear Bomb Princess specifically reach out to their ragtag group for missions?
You could almost argue Flames of War had decent rapport, while Can’t Sleep? Well, zero chance he could charm anything, let alone a princess.
The only common ground they shared? They all bought a box of eggs!
Little Moon was the outlier here, nearly finished sewing the NPC-relationship quilt.
So, looking at this from another angle, what did they just shell out about five million gold coins on?
The right to embark on a legendary quest! That Nuclear Bomb? Just a bonus prize!
Think about it! That five million spent translates to the chance at tackling a legendary mission!
Online forums were buzzing with bounties for clues on rare and epic quests.
But a bounty for legendary quests? Nope, hadn’t seen one. Everyone barely even knew what an epic quest looked like, let alone daring to dream about a legendary one.
Those for rare quests ranged from one thousand to five thousand coins, while epic quests soared to several hundreds of thousands.
So how much would a legendary quest be worth? A hundred times that of an epic quest?
Perhaps even more!
Of course, that’s all speculative pricing—everyone has their own bias and it ultimately boiled down to only a couple of rare quests being successfully posted.
In any case, the trio was kicking their feet in delight, already dreaming up epic rewards once they’d knocked this mission out of the park.
This was a royal candid photo op from the current Empire Princess, soon to be Empress!
Now, they found themselves about a hundred miles from Emerald City, preparing for a little reconnaissance.
According to Princess Elia, just ten kilometers ahead was a fortress where the Radiant Knight Order’s troops were camped, biding their time.
They too needed to be ready for when the moment struck!
First on the agenda? Identify a solid respawn point.
Player casualties were a given; d*e, respawn, and get back in the game.
Respawn points, however, were limited to notable landmarks or populated villages.
With their sizable crew, it didn’t take long to pinpoint an ideal spot.
Next up was scouting the enemy, ensuring they had the numbers right.
Ten thousand players in the middle of nowhere? You bet that’s gonna turn some heads.
The Radiant Knight Order was a battle-hardened regular army with an eye for security.
But let’s be real—players have a little trick up their sleeves called “logging off.”
Once you log off, poof! You could be the most infamous outlaw and they wouldn’t even know it!
Once the respawn points were secured, the main army logged off, leaving a small, dedicated group behind to keep an eye on the fortress and spy on the situation.
After confirming things were peachy keen at the fortress, they would re-log in smaller waves, closer to the target, before logging off again.
Now, all they needed to do was hang tight for the right cue.
And when the moment came, they’d be ready.
A single arrow through the clouds, from a thousand horses charging forth.
In an instant, a massive army emerged on the wide plains, startling the Radiant Knight Order like a ghostly office party gone wrong.
Almost simultaneously, it wasn’t just the Outsiders leaving Emerald City. Lurking in the shadows were the Dark Moon Knight Order NPCs!
With their numbers under a thousand, the Dark Moon Knight Order was small but their combat prowess? Absolutely terrifying!
They sneaked out of Emerald City like professionals, dispersing toward various lord regions and, like an awkward first date, vanished into thin air.
Throughout the Empire, every high-ranking official had their own schemes brewing.
They were waiting.
With anxiety, excitement, and a hint of fearlessness brewing in the air.
Until that fateful day.
On that day, all the royals, maids, guards, and anyone else left hanging around the Imperial Palace stood on the main square before the grand hall.
They’d actually been standing there a whole day.
When the strong approach their significant end, they tend to have a clear awareness of their imminent fate.
Emperor Abis, a legendary powerhouse, could even pinpoint the exact moment of his own d*ath.
Not too long ago, he’d commanded everyone to gather for the occasion, and even earlier chased out all the noble riffraff from Emerald City.
All of this was essential—part of the great ritual.
Everyone stood solemnly, gazing at the hall in silence.
Yuliya was a bit puzzled. She had been standing there for ages herself.
She had business to attend to but Elia had practically dragged her there.
Suddenly, a surge of power erupted within the hall, like a balloon bursting after being overly inflated, a force pushing outward, breaking free from flesh.
The shockwave shot up into the heavens, leaving a streak across the sky, winds and rains swirling as if to block out the sun.
The dark clouds were tears from the sky, the howling winds a lament from the earth; a somber feeling wrapped around the realm.
The crowd in the square promptly dropped to their knees.
Yuliya bent down but didn’t fully kneel.
A wave of sorrow washed over her.
The passing of an Emperor, the fall of a legendary powerhouse; it deserved respect, but honestly, that was about it.
