1892 Information
Li Qingran stood atop the city wall, her brow furrowed.
She had realized it.
They were being toyed with by the Holy Court.
Initially heading to reinforce Gan City, Li Qingran found only a harassing faction from the Holy Court, wasting precious time.
But she lacked a viable strategy.
The mission's time constraints were rigid, leaving no room for contemplation. Hastily arriving to reinforce Willow Town, she couldn't afford to pause and gather more intelligence.
Additionally, gathered intelligence suggested that the Holy Court's strongest contingent had breached deep into the heart of the Enkama Empire.
The enemy's troop movements remained enigmatic.
There were potential, deeper machinations at play.
Regrettably, she lacked the time to amass further information for a better judgment.
Moreover, their current team's prowess made a confrontation unfeasible.
What could be done?
Li Qingran sensed that at this rate, the mission might remain incomplete, resulting in a slow and inevitable defeat.
Yet, she had no alternative but to persist.
Her hopes now lay on Fang Heng, relying on his potential breakthrough.
[Hint: Player's current mission, 'Snipe the frontline Holy Court Army'. The mission completion rate increased to 8.1%. Estimated remaining time for the mission: 141 minutes.]
[Hint: Player's current mission, 'Rescue Ciboreya (Team)'. Mission completion rate increased to 0.51%.]
Huh?
Just as Li Qingran thought of Fang Heng, a game notification appeared.
Fang Heng?
Did he defeat the enemy team again?
Li Qingran had been deeply focused on team command and personal involvement in beheading operations, overlooking the mission notification details. When she spotted the mission change notification, her eyes lit up involuntarily.
She wasn't alone in this fight.
Fang Heng was also in action!
As Li Qingran pondered, she meticulously combed through the game notifications, stumbling upon an intriguing pattern.
Almost every fifteen minutes, there was a game notification recording Fang Heng's defeat of the Holy Court team.
Despite two towns falling in the heart of the Enkama Empire, their mission completion rate lingered around 8%.
The predicted remaining time for the mission didn't decrease but rather exceeded two additional hours.
It seemed Fang Heng had found a way to counter the enemy.
"Senior Li Qingran, the enemy is showing signs of retreat. What should we do now?"
"Immediately pursue them, but ensure not to chase too far. Remember, we still need to rush for the next town to provide reinforcement."
"Got it!"
The players swiftly descended to relay the command.
The players didn't bear the same level of pressure as Li Qingran did. For them, fulfilling the immediate mission meant defending cities, repeatedly breaking the Holy Court's teams, and continually gaining rewards in the form of mission points.
It felt like earning points while following a seasoned leader. No excessive thinking was required. Ride the wave when favorable, abandon the mission, and flee if unable to cope.
Meanwhile, deep within the Enkama Empire's heartland.
Sadevich, commander of the recently conquered Puguang Town's elite Holy Paladins, led his forces forward once more.
He found it strange.
The Enkama Empire's rear defenses weren't as obliterated as expected, and the pace of Imperial towns falling was far slower than anticipated. Even the Holy Court reinforcements were fewer than they had projected.
It was very strange.
What exactly went wrong?
In front of them was a medium-sized city in the Enkama Empire.
Originally, Sadevich had expected to join up with the other 4 to 5 teams and attack the city together.
But now, he had only met up with the other two teams.
The next attack on the city had been delayed.
Sadevich felt that something was wrong, so he called the players in the party to ask questions.
Player participation in this Holy Court operation was minimal. Sadevich didn't trust the players. He didn't want any players to participate in this operation.
However, the players had a special advantage. They could communicate over long distances easily.
He also admitted that this ability was extremely useful in war.
"Any news from the Holy Court?"
The summoned player, visibly nervous, shook their head, responding, "Sir, Feudal Lord Dani's party has encountered resistance at the front line. Bishop Kotter's control over the translocation passage in the Jones Kingdom fortress remains steady. Also, news has arrived that the other Holy Court squads invading the Empire have destroyed three Empire Towns..."
"Hmm... Seems all is in order..."
Sadevich contemplated briefly before instructing, "Let Bishop Kotter verify the situation at our rear."
"Understood, sir!"
The player wasn't certain if Sadevich had discovered anything, but they nodded in agreement. "Got it. I'll immediately contact the military fortresses and advise caution. We'll dispatch a scouting team to confirm."
"Alright."
Sadevich pondered, finding no apparent oversight.
Was he overthinking it?
Perhaps the undead opposition was remarkably resilient?
Since that was the case, they would wait a little longer. They would temporarily change their target and attack another city after taking down another town.
The frontline skirmish had stalled, providing them ample time.
Sadevich pointed into the distance. "Next target, Weiluo Town! Charge!"
...
On the Enkama Empire's front line, Feudal Lord Dani and various necromancy players aiding in the battle engaged in fierce combat against the Holy Court.
The situation appeared grim.
During a break in the attacks, Feudal Lord Dani received news from the Empire about a rebellion in the Jones Kingdom. This prompted an urgent meeting among party leaders.
The news left everyone unusually tense.
Amid the current deadlock, they were at a disadvantage, battling to withstand the onslaught.
With the Empire's heartland under attack...
It spelled trouble!
Even deploying a small contingent back wouldn't yield significant aid.
Not sending anyone back meant allowing Holy Court forces to rampage within the Enkama Empire. Their supply lines would quickly collapse, leading to a precarious situation.
The team struggled with indecision.
To return or not?
Both choices seemed like treacherous pitfalls.
They had to leap into one, regardless of the dire consequences.
"We're out of time. We need instant personnel to seal the breach at the Jones Kingdom border."
"How? Where will the reinforcements come from? We're already battling against the front-line enemies."
"Shouldn't we seek aid from the necromancy faction? The Holy Court's advanced game world supported the team invading the Jones Kingdom..."
"But the necromancy faction won't mobilize on a large scale."
"We're still unsure of the enemy's movements. It's not appropriate for us to act rashly."
