Chapter 136 Revealing the Fangs
Willowbrook Town was geographically distant from Tempest Canyon. In an effort to economize on time, Eric employed a scroll of accelerated movement.
In an instant, his speed skyrocketed, transforming him into a blur as he dashed away.
"Whoa, did you see that? What was that speed? Is that even allowed?"
"Dude, this is Divine Realms: Legends, anything goes. But that was insane! I couldn't even make him out before he vanished. He must be an Assassin with max agility and every speed buff activated."
The players who witnessed Eric's sprint were awestruck by his lightning speed, like a race car tearing across the landscape, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
Eric just smirked at their reactions and activated Zephyr Stride. His speed surged once more, turning him into a fleeting shadow that disappeared from view in the blink of an eye.
The onlookers rubbed their eyes, wondering if they'd imagined the whole thing.
Ever since Eric reached level 10 and equipped his new weapon, Silverlake Gleam, his movement speed had increased dramatically, now more than double that of an average player.
Reaching level 10 granted all players a 10-point boost to their attributes and an additional 100 health points. This significant power spike made level 10 players vastly superior to level 9 players in every aspect.
However, Eric's attributes were already far beyond those of a typical level 10 player. The fusion with Frost Azure Flame had significantly enhanced his stats, not to mention the advantage his equipment provided. The Demonic Weapon Abyssal Blade, the top-tier Adamantite Weapon Silverlake Gleam, a full set of Silver Moon Outfit, several pieces of Mithril Equipment, and the title "One-Man Army" – which granted a 10% boost to all attributes – made him practically invincible against ordinary level 10 players.
His strength alone had reached an impressive 93 points, a number most players could only dream of, and his agility had surpassed 100, unlocking the intermediate hidden passive agility skill: Swift as the Wind.
This skill increased his movement speed by 15%, attack speed by 5%, and slightly reduced stamina consumption, enhancing his endurance. This was particularly beneficial in Wilderness combat, significantly boosting both his survivability and combat prowess. Swift as the Wind was considered a god-tier skill for Wilderness battles.
What would have otherwise required over two hours of continuous running, interspersed with breaks for stamina recovery, was accomplished by Eric in less than an hour without any apparent exertion, as he effortlessly arrived at Tempest Canyon.
The outskirts of Tempest Canyon were designated as an 8-level zone, while the interior was a perilous 9-level zone. The area was teeming with monsters, mostly found in groups. Venturing here without sufficient strength was practically suicidal. Only a handful of players dared to level up in this treacherous region.
Tempest Canyon was flanked by towering cliffs over 2,624.672 feet high, with a long, narrow valley floor covered in lush vegetation. If more than 500 players conducted a thorough horizontal sweep, they would undoubtedly find their target. However, according to Tonny, Martial Alliance had dispatched only 200 men, which wasn't enough to form a complete encirclement, making it difficult to locate Tonny and Ezio.
Furthermore, Martial Alliance would likely divide these 200 men into smaller squads to search for Tonny.
If it was just a squad of six, Eric was confident he could eliminate them single-handedly.
He was well-versed in forest combat, but players new to Divine Realms: Legends had virtually no experience in such battles, making them easy prey.
As he approached the entrance to Tempest Canyon, Eric donned a demon mask, altering his appearance beyond recognition, even to those who knew him well.
"Just as I expected, they have lookouts."
Upon stepping onto the entrance slope of Tempest Canyon, Eric's heightened senses quickly detected four level 6 Assassins lurking on either side of the path.
He deduced that these Assassins were Martial Alliance scouts, tasked with reporting any players entering Tempest Canyon, allowing their allies to prepare for potential threats. If the players were identified as enemies, they could set up an ambush.
Fortunately, Eric had anticipated this, which is why he had disguised himself. Even if Martial Alliance's experts were aware someone had entered Tempest Canyon, they would assume it was just another player leveling up and wouldn't be on high alert.
Eric ignored the Assassins and continued deeper into Tempest Canyon.
With his current strength, he could easily eliminate these four level 6 Assassins, but he chose not to. Martial Alliance had crossed a line by targeting his teammates, and they would pay dearly for it. He wouldn't alert the enemy or give them any reason to be wary.
"ZephyrStrider, another player just entered, but it's not the target, Kai Blackthorn," one of the guarding Assassins reported.
"Acknowledged. Maintain your position at the entrance. The moment Kai Blackthorn enters Tempest Canyon, report it immediately. And remember, you must tail him without being detected. If you succeed, you'll be invited to join the elite team," ZephyrStrider replied sternly.
"Understood."
After the report, the Assassin, filled with excitement, resumed his vigil at the entrance, eagerly anticipating Kai Blackthorn's arrival, completely oblivious to the fact that the person they were waiting for had already slipped past them.
Once inside Tempest Canyon, Eric moved swiftly and silently through the trees, using them for cover and to survey his surroundings, making calculated judgments while minimizing his chances of being detected.
"Someone's here."
He quickly picked up the sounds of a struggle nearby. It was quite a commotion. If it were just players fighting wild monsters, it wouldn't be this loud.
He immediately changed course to investigate.
As Eric drew closer, the sounds of magical explosions and clashing steel grew louder.
"Could they have found Tonny?" he wondered, shaking his head. It seemed unlikely. The last time he'd spoken to Tonny, he was in the level 9 inner area, and this was the level 8 area. It was impossible for them to have crossed paths.
Eric bounded onto the proximate treetop to secure a superior vantage point, and indeed, beheld a relentless conflict amidst the players.
More than ten bodies lay scattered across the ground, blood staining the earth.
The besieged group had dwindled to a mere five members, with no healers in sight. Their attackers, easily identifiable by their Martial Alliance guild emblems, held a commanding advantage with 18 members, including three healers – two level 7 Priests and one level 8 Druid – all equipped with Bronze and some Dark Iron Equipment. The rest of the group was equally well-equipped, their levels no lower than 7, and all sporting Bronze Equipment.
These 18 were undoubtedly elite members of Martial Alliance. There was no other explanation for their levels and equipment, which surpassed even Martial Alliance at its peak.
"When did Martial Alliance acquire so many elite members?" Eric wondered, perplexed.
Logically, after Martial Alliance was placed on the bounty list, their members were relentlessly hunted, and most had abandoned the guild. How could they suddenly have so many elite members, all well-equipped, even stronger than during their prime? Their influence in Willowbrook Town was now on par with a third-rate guild, which was unbelievable.
The five free players were surrounded, locked in a desperate struggle for survival.
"You're surrounded. Give up and die," the Swordsman captain sneered, his words directed at a striking female Assassin.
The woman had a delicate oval face framed by long, elegant eyebrows and eyes as clear as spring water. Her beauty was undeniable, radiating a captivating charm.
"Don't flatter yourselves. If you think I'll surrender, you're dreaming. I'd rather die taking all of you down with me," she retorted, her lips curling into a disdainful smirk.
"FlameDancer, you need to go. I'll hold them off. If this drags on, none of us will make it out alive. We're red-named players, and the death penalty is severe. We'll lose at least 2 levels and three or four pieces of equipment. If you die, our team is finished," the Berserker beside her whispered urgently.
Although the Berserker kept his voice low, Eric's enhanced senses caught every word.
"FlameDancer?"
No wonder the female Assassin seemed familiar. She was the top-ranked female Assassin, FlameDancer, notorious for her relentless pursuit of Martial Alliance members.
"Looks like I need to intervene." Perched atop the tree, Eric drew his dual swords, a cold smile playing on his lips, his eyes glinting with lethal intent. He moved closer, his movements silent and deadly.
He arrived with the intent to exact revenge.
Martial Alliance had made a grave mistake by targeting his teammates, and he would show them no mercy. His motto was simple: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If they killed one of his own, he would answer with a hundred of theirs. Even though he didn't know FlameDancer personally, he wouldn't stand idly by while Martial Alliance ran rampant. He would unleash the full fury of a lone wolf scorned.
The Martial Alliance Swordsman captain let out a hearty laugh. "You think you can escape? The moment I spotted you, I called for reinforcements. This area is surrounded. Surrender the Mithril Equipment, and I might grant you a swift death."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
