Chapter 329: Small Victory, but a Bigger Challenge Awaits
Yuliya’s attack left many with their eyes wide in disbelief.
Wait, she just pointed at the air and bam—instant monster vaporization?
That’s a bit ridiculous, right?
But upon closer inspection, it seems fitting for a princess.
Strong, graceful, with a dash of mystery.
Now that His Highness the Princess is personally getting her hands dirty and making a ruckus, we definitely need to step up our game!
In reality, though, Yuliya’s attacks were more about style than substance.
Taking out a couple of monsters doesn’t really change much.
Even a few hundred kills? Meh, still no biggie!
This is a war between a massive player group and an even larger horde of monsters.
Unless someone is strong enough to single-handedly turn the tide, each individual is just a speck of dust.
And Yuliya’s just a speck of dust that can only stand within the Golden City.
She noticed several small teams sneaking out from the corners of the castle walls, heading to the back to launch some precision strikes.
Those far-off players were laying low on the ground, soaking up the sand, and thrumming with energy to launch rock projectiles—bombarding the monsters attacking the walls and barriers like artillery.
They were way too far for Yuliya to reach, and others couldn’t touch them either. It was a risky business to send someone out to handle that.
If it were the old days, when the Golden City still had some offensive capabilities, this would have been a breeze.
But now, all it had left were walls and barriers.
Birds of prey fluttered through the sky, distant missiles flew past, and right nearby was a chaotic swarm of monsters piled up.
Occasionally, a bird would crash down, wreaking havoc on the walls, potentially exploding in the process.
Every once in a while, a rock missile would slam into the walls, splattering a bunch of people.
And there were monsters scaling the walls, engaging in close combat, some perishing while others got tossed off.
New players came and went in waves, expendables used up in crates, while the monsters just kept rolling in.
This was the main theme of the battlefield— a life-and-d*ath struggle between players and monsters.
Yuliya was hit a few times but managed to deflect it all, striking out at a distance before smashing downwards.
She eliminated foes while protecting her nearby comrades.
Hearing their gratitude gave her a bittersweet feeling.
Half of you guys have died more than once, and I haven’t even scratched my pretty princess face!
She wouldn’t suggest that they take a break or hide—no need for that sappy nonsense. A slight smile was her only response.
Glancing back at the barrier, she noted it had only worn down by 5%.
After seven hours had passed, even from when the monsters got close, it had still only been half an hour.
They only needed to hold out for three more hours until the ritual was complete, and at this combat intensity, they could definitely last.
This was the result of this ragtag group of players pushing themselves to the limit.
Yuliya wouldn’t linger in one spot. She walked along the castle wall, striking at monsters that needed to be dealt with and defending against incoming threats.
During this time, she felt her energy surging, seemingly inexhaustible.
It was as if she was becoming one with the Golden City, everything around her sharp and vivid.
From the east, she sensed an urgent situation in the west, from the south, she saw monsters climbing the walls only to be pushed back down.
Surveying the battlefield, Yuliya felt a twinge of worry, but she strolled on calmly.
She was the representative of the NPCs in the city, the hope of the players on the walls, the symbolic spirit for everyone here.
Where she stood, everything was kept safe.
Suddenly, another group climbed up onto the walls.
They were well-equipped, full of energy, and brimming with fighting spirit.
Right away, it was clear they were different from the players who had been battling up there all this time.
They were from various command centers.
At this stage of battle, the influence of commands was minimal.
These players who hadn’t initially fronted up were now stepping onto the walls.
They were a small group—just a thousand or so from different command units plus mobile teams.
But that thousand had to be the strongest players in the player camp.
Spread across the walls, they soon began engaging in combat on the front lines.
With these guys joining the fray, the tide of battle improved significantly.
There were only a handful of points where monsters were climbing the walls, so they just needed to focus on those.
The advantage of higher levels was now shining brightly.
Most players were only at levels 25 or 26, and after dying a couple of times, they’d dropped further down.
They could handle fodder, but when it came to anything stronger, they faced level suppression.
Both their attacks and the damage done via items faced debilitating reductions thanks to the level gap.
But this new wave of players? Most were at level 32 and above.
Not only were they free from level suppression, but they also reversed it, obliterating weaker monsters left and right and dealing a couple extra shots to anyone tougher.
With their arrival, the frantic battle turned steady and then started shifting back.
After an hour, this wave of gathered monsters was surprisingly pushed back.
Looking down from the walls, although plenty of monsters remained, the strong ones had been decimated, and the rest struggled to mount an effective offensive.
This time, they had held their ground!
Yuliya raised a hand to brush away the dirt and sand clinging to her hair, gazing at the bugs skittering below the walls, letting out a heavy sigh.
She looked back at the barrier.
Still over eighty percent durability left.
She smiled faintly.
Seeing her smile, the others couldn’t help but mirror it.
They laughed heartily, embraced, and laughed skyward.
Just two more hours until the sweet taste of victory!
After letting them enjoy the moment, Yuliya called out, “Everyone, take a moment to rest! The battle isn’t over yet—we’ll hold on till the very last second!”
““Yes! His Highness the Princess! Please take care of yourself too!””
They all chorused back firmly.
Yuliya was actually fine; their spirits were high, and their magic supplies were plentiful.
As long as she stayed within the Golden City’s range, she was always in tip-top shape.
A group approached, and Yuliya turned to see the bigwigs, with Little Moon trailing behind.
“His Highness the Princess, this can be considered a phase victory for us,” Fiery Conflict Across the Sky stated modestly, “If this continues, we should be able to hold Golden City without too much trouble.”
“Hmm, here’s hoping everything goes smoothly,” Yuliya smiled, giving a casual response.
“Well then, shouldn’t you return to the city? This area might be a bit dangerous for you, and we’ve got this handled.”
Yuliya shook her head, “I believe I should remain here; I want to see all of your efforts firsthand.”
With such a resolute attitude from the Little Princess, the others didn’t press any further.
They were more there to bask in her presence and get some credit, so they couldn’t go against her wishes.
And they hadn’t forgotten—they were there with ulterior motives, along with special tasks!
“Alright then, let’s stroll with you.”
They started a casual patrol.
But then, in the next moment, a quake strong enough to rattle the Golden City reverberated through the area.
No, it wasn’t just one quake; it was wave after wave, seemingly unending.
Yuliya furrowed her brow, casting her gaze at the barrier, then took a couple of steps and unexpectedly raced up through the translucent barrier all the way to the highest point.
She looked out towards the far-off horizon.
In her line of sight, dark and tiny figures started to emerge once again.
But this time, they were significantly larger than before.
