Chapter 117: Lord War Breaks Out in Full Scale
Shansang Ancient City.
Currently, over a hundred Players had arrived at the place.
Apart from Ye Li Meng, Black-Eyed Rui Ge, and a few others who had been here before, the vast majority were visiting the town for the first time.
These Players were like a group of tourists from faraway lands. Facing this city with a Han Dynasty national style infused with dark elements, each of them was full of curiosity and was frantically checking in at various locations.
The local soldiers and civilians were almost all young and able-bodied.
Though elders were extremely rare, there were still several individuals who had lived through the normal historical timeline to this day. From these people, one could not only understand the detailed history of the late Han period but also witness the profound changes brought by decades of history in Shansang County.
For a time—
The history of the ancient city was gradually being completed.
A large number of side quests were constantly being unearthed.
From the sorrows, joys, love, and hatred of every minor character, to the vast material enough to provide research topics for history or sociology papers, a more detailed, vivid, and fleshed-out world was unfolding before the Players.
Truly worthy of being the Twisted Three Kingdoms.
Every detail was impeccable.
Not long after, the Players received a grain distribution mission. Lord-sama had somehow obtained a large stockpile of grain, and the task for the Players was to ensure the food was fairly distributed to the civilians.
The mission rewards were almost negligible.
Yet Players competed to participate voluntarily.
Because the experience of providing disaster relief and being worshipped was incredibly fresh.
"Grain is being distributed! Grain is being distributed!"
"Everyone gets some! No cutting in line!"
"This food is a free gift from Lord-sama to all of you!"
Salty Fish Charge, Midnight Pig Slayer, Little Bell, Qingchen, Hua Mulan, and more than ten other Players were currently at one of the distribution points. With the coordination of local soldiers, they handed out sacks of grain one by one.
"Thank you, sirs!"
"Thank you, Lord-sama!"
"The Lord is truly an immortal descended to the mortal realm!"
"Our family is finally saved!"
"……"
The Players handed out sacks of grain to the pale and thin city residents. These soldiers and civilians all expressed heartfelt gratitude, with some even kneeling on the spot and kowtowing, greatly satisfying the Players' vanity.
Little Bell couldn’t help but say, "These common folk are so pitiful!"
Salty Fish Charge: "This is already considered pretty good. In the Abyss Three Kingdoms, there are probably countless others who are doing far worse."
Midnight Pig Slayer nodded and said, "That’s right. Not even mentioning the places we haven’t been to yet—just in this Wo Niu Mountain area alone, there are still thousands, tens of thousands of civilians being enslaved by those giant lizards!"
Level 7 female warrior Hua Mulan said, "Weren’t we summoned to this world by Lord-sama precisely to save our fellow people from the suffering caused by the nightmare of the Abyss and the cruel Starsea Demons?!"
Level 7 female ranger Qingchen also nodded and said, "Now that you say it, I suddenly feel full of purpose!"
This game’s immersion was exceptionally strong, especially after making contact with the local natives and learning about their suffering and emotions. It became difficult for the Players to treat this world as just a virtual game.
Everyone’s sense of purpose gradually grew stronger.
The task of the Calamity Legion was not only to frantically expand territory for the sake of benefits.
More importantly, it was to rescue the countless natives from their deep suffering and ultimately purify the entire world!
Just as they completed today’s grain distribution task, a sudden harsh bell rang out from the direction of the city tower.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Hua Mulan asked in confusion, "What’s going on?"
An on-site NPC officer’s face changed drastically and he quickly said, "Sirs, it’s bad, the Dragon-Lizard People are attacking again!"
Chenxi, Little Bell, Salty Fish Charge, Midnight Pig Slayer, and the others had all been to Shansang City before. They had even personally lured the Dragon-Lizard People into attacking the city, so this kind of signal was not unfamiliar to them.
Salty Fish Charge wasn’t afraid but rather delighted: "Hahaha, perfect timing, I was just about to head out and hunt some giant lizards!"
Midnight Pig Slayer: "Exactly, now that we have a new Resurrection Point, are we still supposed to fear these lizards? Our Calamity Legion can die ten times, a hundred times—their headquarters might be endless, but so are we!"
Little Bell (Xiao Lingdang): “I actually hope they’re endless. After all, killing Dragon-Lizard soldiers drops tons of Contribution Points!”
That was indeed the case.
There was already a bounty for the Dragon-Lizard People from the territory.
Each time a regular Dragon-Lizard soldier was killed, players would receive several hundred extra Contribution Points.
Moreover, the drop rate of Abyssal Magic Crystals was more than tenfold that of elite monsters of the same level. The Abyssal Magic Crystals dropped directly by the Dragon-Lizard People could be exchanged for a large amount of Contribution Points. There was nothing more profitable than killing them.
However—
Just then—
All Players within the ancient city—
Simultaneously received a new quest.
————
【Quest Name: Reconnaissance】
【Quest Content: After the territory successfully captured the Shansang Ancient City, the Dragon-Lizard Tribe has begun making strange movements, seemingly attempting to launch a massive siege before the territory gains a foothold!】
【Quest Objective: Probe and collect intel on the number of enemy troops!】
【Quest Rewards: One-time reward of 100,000 Essence, 100,000 Contribution Points, to be distributed freely among the participating team!】
————
A few minutes later—
Over one hundred and twenty Players gathered together.
Ye Li Meng rubbed his bald head: “Eh? It’s just a scouting mission, and the rewards are this generous?”
Black-Eyed Rui Ge had a serious expression and said, “I feel like this quest isn’t going to be so simple. This invasion by the Dragon-Lizard People isn’t simple either!”
“Exactly!” said Mad Blade Old Wang. “Just look carefully at the quest description, and it’s clear—these Dragon-Lizard bastards are coming straight for us. This siege is going to be more dangerous than any before.”
Street Slayer sneered, “It’s already too late for them to act. We’ve got the defensive advantage provided by the city and the nearby Resurrection Point. Even if it turns into a battle of attrition, there’s no way we’ll lose!”
“That’s true.”
“But we still can’t let our guard down!”
“Let’s try scouting with an eagle first.”
Currently, only three Players knew how to cast Summon Thunderhorn Eagle.
One was Midnight Pig Slayer, one was Chenxi (Morning Dawn), and the last was an 8th-level monk named Glorious Years.
The three summoned their Thunderhorn Eagles simultaneously. Though it was the same spell, the strength of the summoned eagles differed significantly due to variations in skill level, character level, and personal attributes.
If everything went smoothly, the Thunderhorn Eagles would complete the scouting, allowing the three to effortlessly finish the mission and claim the generous rewards.
However—
As the Thunderhorn Eagles neared the Dragon-Lizard People’s stronghold near Xi Village, the entire area was shrouded in a thick mist. Even with the Thunderhorn Eagles’ eagle vision, they couldn’t see what was going on inside.
“These lizards came prepared!”
“Get closer and check!”
Several powerful javelins were suddenly launched.
All three Thunderhorn Eagles were struck at the same time, caught completely off guard.
Midnight Pig Slayer’s expression turned grim: “It failed. These lizards weren’t just prepared—they’re on high alert. Our Thunderhorn Eagles can’t even get close!”
Chenxi: “I knew it wouldn’t be that easy!”
Glorious Years: “Then what do we do?”
Ye Li Meng said, “If the shortcut’s blocked, then we’ll fight them head-on. Since when has our Calamity Legion ever backed down?”
Street Slayer: “Hahaha, they’re trying to exploit our unstable foothold to break in, but we can just as easily strike them while they’re gathering!”
“True that!”
“Let’s kill those bastards!”
All the Players readily agreed and began their battle preparations—using anti-venom food effective against Dragon-Lizard People, consuming Breath Concealing Potions, and storing any excess items in the city to avoid item loss upon death.
One hundred and twenty-six Players quietly exited the city through a secret passage.
They found a small grove near the Dragon-Lizard People’s stronghold as their hiding spot.
According to the plan, the scouting team led by Lone Boat and Rui Ge would first infiltrate and observe, followed by a full-force ambush from all Players on the Dragon-Lizard People.
This time, the Players weren’t expecting to return alive.
The Calamity Legion never feared death.
They only feared dying for nothing!
As long as they completed the reconnaissance quest, it would be worth it.
And if they managed to kill a few more Dragon-Lizard soldiers, it would be a massive gain.
The Players were confident in their strength—after all, there were eight Tier-Two Players among them. Their power was no longer the same as it was when they first encountered the Dragon-Lizard People!
But just as the scouting team was about to move—
A flurry of arrows, thrown spears, and over ten fireburst spells suddenly rained down from all directions into the grove.
“Not good!”
“We’ve been exposed!”
“How did they find us?!”
“Those damned big lizards are really cunning!”
“No time to talk—break out, now!”
As the Players scrambled out of the grove, at least thirty were killed in the chaos and ambush. A force of nearly a thousand Dragon-Lizard soldiers stood ominously before them.
“What the hell?”
“There’s so many of them!”
“This is a death match for real!”
“I get it now—the Shansang Ancient City quest is over. We’re entering the next stage of the main storyline!”
“That’s actually a good way to look at it!”
“So the next stage is the war against the Dragon-Lizard People?”
"……"
When the Players scanned over the Dragon-Lizard army, everyone was shocked. The enemy was not only large in number but also of high quality—there wasn't a single Dragon-Lizard soldier below level 8!
The Dragon-Lizard Tribe soldiers were all at least level 8 elite units, with a large number of level 9 and 10 soldiers, plus at least over thirty Tier-Two advanced unit types, and five to six special hero units.
At this moment, two distinct Dragon-Lizard figures stepped out from the main army.
One was a Dragon-Lizard elder wearing a long robe, holding a staff, and emanating a powerful aura.
【Dragon-Lizard Steward: Green-Eyes】, Level 11 Commander Unit... Description: A hero unit recruited by the Dragon-Lizard Lord from the Land of the Stars. Not only does he possess powerful combat capabilities, he is also the number two figure in the territory.
The elder followed beside a Dragon-Lizard who was nearly four meters tall, double the size of any other Dragon-Lizard, with striking crimson-red scales!
They had never seen such a majestic and domineering Dragon-Lizard!
This Dragon-Lizard was clad in heavy armor, wielded a giant battle spear, and rode a fierce war beast as his mount.
【Dragon-Lizard Lord: Chi Lin】, Level 14 Commander Unit... Description: The supreme lord of the Dragon-Lizard People's territory. Not only does he command the entire Dragon-Lizard army, but he also possesses unmatched personal strength.
"The Lord!"
"The big lizard's lord!"
"This guy actually came down to the battlefield himself!"
"……"
The Players never dreamed they would encounter the enemy lord so soon!
Although the lord was typically the most powerful individual in a territory, under normal circumstances, they rarely appeared on the front lines. A lord's primary role was to oversee the bigger picture—not to engage in combat and brute force contests.
More importantly—
Once such a core figure entered battle—
It brought massive uncertainty to the entire territory.
If the lord was killed, the territory would cease to exist!
Almost at the same moment, in every Player’s mind, a quest notification suddenly sounded.
【Quest Completed!】
【Ding, New Quest Triggered!】
【Quest Name: Shansang City Defense Battle!】
【Quest Content: The Dragon-Lizard Lord has personally led his army to Shansang City. This presents a tremendous threat to the city. Protect the city at all costs and defend the dignity of your territory!】
【Quest Objective: Defeat or completely repel the Dragon-Lizard army!】
【Quest Rewards: Based on personal performance, earn between 1,000–12,000 Essence, 2,000–30,000 Contribution Points, and a chance to obtain a reward chest!】
【Special Note: During this event, all participating Players will receive three free resurrection chances!】
————
"It’s here!"
"A large-scale event!"
"A major quest has been triggered!"
"This is another high-level mission!"
"Does this mean the war with the Dragon-Lizards is finally beginning in full?"
"……"
After seeing the quest notification, all the Players felt both excited and thrilled. This was another large-scale quest like the defense of Hexi Village, or the Defense of the Main Base during the Darkest Day!
These large-scale quests not only offered incredibly generous rewards, but the benefits were shared by all!
In theory, all Players participating in this event had a chance to instantly earn tens of thousands of Essence, and also obtain reward chests containing a trove of items, skills, equipment, and more.
Of course, that depended on how well they performed during the event.
Additionally, these kinds of large quests usually served as major driving forces for the game’s storyline!
What made this different from any previous quest was that, this time, the Calamity Legion’s opponent wasn’t Abyssal Creature—
It was a Lord War erupting between forces from the Land of the Stars!
"What is up with these people?"
Green-Eyes, the Dragon-Lizard Tribe's number two, looked bewildered upon seeing the Calamity Legion Players.
"Are these humans really offspring soldiers? Why are their minds and mental states so abnormal? Could it be the influence of some Abyssal relic—or the aftereffects of a mysterious resurrection power?!"
At that moment—
The Players suddenly became excited.
"Holy crap!"
"What a great opportunity!"
"The enemy leader has stepped out!"
"If we take this chance to kill him—"
"Then there’s no need to even fight the defense battle!"
"Yeah, go straight for the win, and the rewards would probably be maxed out!"
All the Players’ eyes locked onto the Dragon-Lizard Lord Chi Lin at the front of the Dragon-Lizard army. Though a commander unit was difficult to deal with, nearly a hundred Players throwing everything into a desperate assault might just have a chance to take him down.
When brave warriors meet on a narrow path, the bold wins!
They had no way to escape anyway!
No matter how they looked at it, it was worth a try!