Chapter 326: Piling Up Lives
In this round of defending the city, players decided to go on the offensive right from the get-go, welcoming the enemies with open arms—as if they were hosting a party!
As the battle progressed and the number of monsters swelled along with their strength, the plan shifted to retreating into the city, coordinating between the upper and lower parts of the castle like a well-rehearsed dance.
When the late game hit, and the monsters were just too many to handle, they’d hunker down and hold the fort, relying on the magical barrier of the Golden City and various defensive tools.
To put it bluntly, the lives of the players weren’t worth much in this scheme. Trading their lives for the durability of the big barrier? A steal!
This consensus was shared by the highest command, including renowned players like Fiery Conflict Across the Sky, Can’t Sleep, and Kailona, all from various servers and regions.
Even if the barrier remained intact and the mission was completed, those players could be considered expendable—no biggie!
This was the “at any cost” mentality, where any means were fair game to reduce the chances of mission failure.
Little Moon, the special squad captain, was also part of this high command. Her team was made up of top players and main characters from various guilds.
In the early stages, they didn’t need to lift a finger. But as things heated up, they’d spearhead point-to-point breakthroughs and decisive strikes.
Actually, there was another, perhaps more fitting, candidate for captain, but she never showed up, seemingly uninterested in this main mission.
When Little Moon heard the command’s crazy plans laid out, she was just shocked!
Influenced by Yuliya, she had largely separated this world from the game in her mind. Even players like her should have some semblance of native traits in this world.
Was it really okay for players to d*e over and over again like this?
She had never experienced d*ath herself and had zero desire to try.
So, the notion of piling up lives for the mission was a tough pill to swallow.
But she held her tongue and nodded solemnly.
It was like war; you might hate it, you might refuse to accept it, but when the moment arrived, you could only numb yourself as you watched enemies fall, teammates d*e in battle, and perhaps even your own life flicker out.
The command center had set up numerous lookout points outside the Golden City.
Within a radius of a hundred kilometers, they placed lookout teams every kilometer, creating a sort of radar network to keep tabs on monster movement.
These lookouts didn’t need to fight; they were purely there to observe and relay intel.
The desert’s open terrain was a blessing—sightlines stretched out to a thousand meters with ease.
If they spotted a horde of monsters heading toward the Golden City, they’d immediately send a private message to the squad leader, then report to the corresponding sector command and the overall headquarters.
Every time they passed a lookout, it was like a new radar ping, mapping out the monsters’ approach.
The lookouts had to keep a low profile, hiding to avoid detection—or worse, being stomped flat by a charging mob of monsters.
In the desert, this was relatively easy. Just dig a hole in the sand!
They could even prepare a little coffin in advance.
Once the monsters arrived, they could just hop into the coffin, pull the lid down, and let the sand bury them, waiting for the horde to pass by.
Or, you know, get really into character and stay in there until it was all over.
Just over an hour into the Golden City defense, the first report came from the frontline lookout.
“Massive horde of monsters detected approaching from the north, various types, estimated at over ten thousand!”
This announcement meant the easier times were over; the monsters were coming in hot!
Players from the Golden City still opted to greet the invaders with enthusiasm.
With numbers on their side, they dispatched 50,000 players to deal with the monster swarm as quickly as possible and return home.
About ten minutes into their sortie, and before even seeing a monster, a warning came from the west.
Another batch of monsters was closing in.
The west sent out interceptors as well. All directions were reporting oncoming beasts.
Groups of players kept being sent out.
Their goal? To prevent the monsters from breaching the gates.
From within the Golden City, the view was still the same, sand swirling in the air like it had taken a permanent vacation.
But those stationed inside knew that, dozens of kilometers away, people just like them were battling for their lives.
You could imagine the chaos: some shouting, some howling, others clutching their wounds while still swinging their weapons—while some had already turned to dust, floating back to the Golden City.
They’d respawn, endure a brief recovery period, then armor up for another go at it.
This was real war—the ultimate battle for survival against the monsters.
Time ticked away.
More and more disheartened souls shuffled up onto the city walls, warriors who had fallen in the wilderness.
Groups returned, not because they were bravely victorious, but simply because they were the luckier ones—though they too might not fare so well next time they ventured out.
“How’s it feel?” Someone asked one of the returning souls.
“Eh, not great, but I’ll survive,” came the reply.
Most people arriving had two main objectives.
One was for the cash; outside the game, the rewards were hefty.
The second was to complete missions, for which loot could flow like water.
The former were pure wage slaves, while the latter had a bit more skin in the game.
Essentially, both groups weren’t all that different—just looking to upgrade their characters from different angles.
And thus, regardless of their motivation, they all had expectations, which kept them going.
They shared a knowing smile.
“Honestly, we just have to listen to the orders and fight; it’s actually nice not having to overthink things. Those commanders are the ones really sweating bullets!”
Young master, there’s more in this chapter! Click the next page to continue; it only gets better from here!
Since the players had started charging out frequently to face the enemies, all command centers fired into action.
They calculated distances and timing, allocated resources, and coordinated support.
Their ultimate goal? To dispatch the monsters efficiently and effectively.
In a defense battle, nothing was worse than monsters piling up.
Handling one or two monsters was child’s play; but if a horde gathered, resistance would crumble, and the frontline would be swiftly pushed back.
While it was inevitable that hordes would accumulate at the city walls, the aim was to delay that moment for as long as possible.
This required precise command and planning.
Once the first wave of players finished battling, could they take a detour to tackle a smaller group of monsters?
How long should the returning players rest before rejoining the fray?
How many players were needed to handle what quantity of monsters?
Could they move early, utilizing the terrain for ambushes?
How many players were lost, and how many were severely injured?
These scenarios all demanded clear planning and coordination.
Yet even with all this considered and arranged, surprises often popped up unexpectedly.
The battlefield was in constant flux.
Lines of players came and went, patches of gear swapped in and out, individuals dying and respawning left and right.
Time pressed on, and the sun arced across the sky.
The swirling sands remained constant, the golden city’s beacon still shone brightly, and the waves of energy ebbed and flowed.
It was as if the world would stay this way forever, unchanging.
Until, on the horizon, against the backdrop of yellow sand, countless dark shapes emerged.
Those were the monsters’ shadows.
They had finally pushed the frontline to the very doorstep of the Golden City.
