C23 New Mission Trigger

"Kill!"

"Charge!"

"How can I possibly die here!"

"For our king!"

Players shouted a mishmash of battle cries, weapons in hand, as they surged forward with reckless abandon, largely ignoring the monsters around them. Like piercing arrows, they cut through the horde of creatures blocking their path and raced toward the distant village.

Whoosh! An arrow flew from afar, lodging itself in the forehead of an unlucky player, his face streaming with blood.

Biting down hard, he yanked the bone arrow out, boasting through clenched teeth, "In ancient times, there was Xiahou Chun. Today, I, Tyrande, will not be outdone!"

Witnessing the blood gushing from the small hole in Tyrande's forehead, a nearby player couldn't help but advise, "Brother, you better press on that wound, or it looks like you're going to bleed out!"

Puchi! The sound of a blade slicing flesh echoed as a Kobold, having slipped unnoticed into the throng of monsters, plunged its sharp claws into the chest of the player before it.

"Serious Man!"

His allies swung their weapons furiously at the Kobold. The smug creature, ready to withdraw its claws and escape, was caught off guard when the supposedly dead man in front of it suddenly gripped its claws tightly, preventing its retreat. In the next moment, a flurry of weapons reduced the Kobold to pulp.

"Damn, I didn't think it'd be me!" Looking down at the gaping wound in his chest, Serious Man passed his weapon to a comrade, "Keep going, don't mind me!"

"As if we would, you drama king!" his companion retorted, snatching the weapon and swiftly moving on with the main force. Left behind, Serious Man was quickly swarmed by monsters and vanished in a flash of white light, respawning back in the city.

"Close ranks! Keep an eye out for ranged attacks, and watch for suicide bombers!"

The players left a trail of monster blood and carcasses in their wake. Injured players were becoming more common, and occasionally, some were dragged down by the creatures, falling behind and meeting their demise.

Heeding Serious Man's earlier warning, these players passed their weapons to their comrades in their final moments. Those wielding dual weapons found that this tactic didn't seem to diminish their fighting strength, and the team's advance was hardly slowed.

Shadow of Wind, leading the charge, was a mess. His face was smeared with blood and a nauseating, sticky substance—the aftermath of disemboweling a kobold. His body bore numerous wounds, though strategically none were life-threatening, located in less critical areas.

"My butt!" Shadow of Wind, hot on the heels of the setting sun, clutched his rear, hobbling yet undeterred in speed. A legless zombie had managed to sink its teeth into his flesh, tearing away a significant chunk. Each movement triggered a gush of blood, soaking his pants and leaving a spattered trail on the ground.

Faang Qiubai, observing the player squad's advance, had to acknowledge their impressive adaptability. Having only once before faced an ambush by monsters, they had quickly devised this effective countermeasure.

The strategy was sound; many monsters on the periphery lost sight of their targets and staggered away aimlessly.

After a loss of about twenty comrades, Shadow of Wind's eyes gleamed with hope. A couple of hundred meters ahead, the remnants of several buildings came into view, along with a nearly obliterated fence—the layout mirroring that of Kenta Village. If all went as expected, they had reached Kaka Village, as mentioned by the NPC.

"Pick up the pace, just two hundred meters to go! Victory is ours once we break into the village!" Shadow of Wind didn't know the criteria for mission success, but he bellowed the command to bolster his allies' spirits.

"Charge, charge, charge!"

"May gods or Buddhas block our path, they too shall fall!"

"Zhao Zilong of the Shi Family stands here—who dares to impede me!"

These cryptic battle cries rang out, spurring even the gravely injured players, who seemed moments from death, to muster their strength and surge ahead. They breached the monster blockade and entered the village, more rundown than Kenta Village.

Ding... Main Storyline Mission Announcement:

Find and destroy the source of the dark energy near Kaka Village.

"A new mission? What's this dark energy source?"

"Could it be a BOSS fight?"

"Old Shit, any thoughts?"

Shadow of Wind was acutely aware that strategizing wasn't his forte, so without a moment's hesitation, he turned to the one they all considered the strongest.

"I'm with you on the BOSS connection, but it could just as easily be a portal or something similar. The main thing is, we can't afford to stop now—the monsters are right on our heels," he said, his face shadowed and brow furrowed as he scanned the area.

"I say we head in that direction!" a player declared, pointing emphatically toward the village's eastern edge.

"Lee Sanguang, do you have any proof? If we head the wrong way, we might not be able to make it back with all these creatures on our tail!" another player cautioned, tugging at his arm to temper his rashness.

"Nako thinks we should go that way too. The heaviest onslaught of monsters is coming from there, which probably means it's the epicenter of the dark force!" Nako's influence as an early gaming 'influencer' meant her opinion held weight, and as everyone took a closer look southward, it did seem like the direction with the most monsters—twice as many as anywhere else.

"Facing this many monsters head-on is a no-go. If we try to outflank them, we risk losing players. I think spreading out is our best bet right now. What's your take?" Shadow of Wind reasoned that dispersing might be more effective than sticking together, as it could lead to some players drawing the monsters away, creating chances for others.

"Splitting up works, but how will we communicate if someone finds the target? We don't have the option to message each other privately," one player pointed out, recognizing the significant downside of not being able to coordinate once separated.

"Let's keep teams within eyesight of each other. If you spot something, just shout it out. Remember, the reward for the NPC protection mission was gear for the Beginner Village, and this task is clearly more complex. That means the stakes—and the rewards—are higher. We can't afford to fail!" he rallied the group.

As the players dispersed into smaller squads, the monsters also scattered, each pursuing different targets. Some opted for a steady, cautious advance, while others tried to shake off the monsters as they moved. But they all shared a singular focus: to locate the source of the dark energy and destroy it.