Chapter 172 Shocked in All Directions
The Martial Alliance crew was heading to Crystalbrook Hamlet.
Crystalbrook Hamlet was the nearest small town to Willowbrook Town, with about five to six thousand players hanging around.
"Sure, moving our base is a big hit, but we can always bounce back. But Kai Blackthorn, your name's mud now. Everyone's trashing you. I can't wait to see how you survive in Divine Realms: Legends. Who's gonna join your team now?" ZephyrStrider chuckled, scrolling through the posts on the official site.
The other members, who were pretty bummed about getting kicked out of Willowbrook Town, perked up at his words. They eagerly soaked up the nasty comments and accusations aimed at Eric on the forums, their bruised egos feeling a bit better watching his downfall.
Then, a system announcement rang out, loud and clear, bursting their bubble of smug satisfaction.
Eldoria Region Announcement: [Congrats to player Kai Blackthorn for being the first in Eldoria to reach a city! Reward: 20 points of Silvervale City reputation and the title of Honorary Citizen of Silvervale City!]
ZephyrStrider froze, his smug grin turning into a look of pure shock. It took him a good six seconds to process what he just heard.
'How? How is that even possible? The XP needed to jump from Level 9 to Level 10 is insane, way more than the previous levels. Even the top players in the best guilds are still grinding. But here's Kai Blackthorn, already chilling in a city.'
'While we were busy plotting his downfall, Eric was miles ahead, leveling up at a crazy speed. For a solo player, this is just nuts.'
He was too stunned to think straight.
"ZephyrStrider... you gotta see this," a nervous voice piped up behind him. "The forums... there's a new post about Kai Blackthorn. And it's... well..."
ZephyrStrider's blood ran cold. He quickly opened the forums, his heart sinking as he saw the new post pinned right at the top.
[Silvervale City's First Legend: Kai Blackthorn.]
The title alone was a punch to the gut. But the post itself was even worse. It wasn't just about Eric reaching Silvervale City first. It detailed his feats, his achievements, painting him as a hero, a trailblazer.
And then there was the video.
The video showed Eric, surrounded by nearly a hundred Martial Alliance members, slicing through them like they were nothing. One guy, against all those odds, coming out on top. It was a display of skill and power that seemed almost unreal.
The video was short, but it looped endlessly, each replay burning itself into the viewers' minds. Eric's moves were smooth and precise, his attacks brutally effective, a masterclass in combat.
Previously, many who cursed Eric claimed that the video was photoshopped. They insisted that Eric could not possibly be that strong and was merely a despicable traitor to his companions. There's a limit to whitewashing; such a person is not worth idolizing. Don't be deceived.
But then, witnesses stepped up. Players who had been there during the fight, who saw firsthand the chaos Eric unleashed. They backed up the video's authenticity, shutting up the doubters.
After all, videos recorded in Divine Realms: Legends couldn't be messed with. The game's system made sure of that. What happened in the game stayed in the game, recorded forever.
More posts popped up, shedding light on what led to the mass booting of Martial Alliance.
[Those idiots got what they deserved! They couldn't handle Kai Blackthorn, so they resorted to lies and slander! I was there! Martial Alliance brought in those mercenaries, hoping to use them as scapegoats! They were the ones who betrayed Kai Blackthorn!]
[It's true! Those mercenaries were scared stiff of Martial Alliance, so they tried to pin everything on Kai Blackthorn! They even tried to off their own leader to keep him quiet! Kai Blackthorn had no choice but to defend himself!]
[And now look at them! Acting like they're the victims! Kai Blackthorn single-handedly sent hundreds of Martial Alliance players running with their tails between their legs! And they think they deserve to be his companions? Give me a break!]
[He's a legend! One word from him, and the entire Martial Alliance was booted out of Willowbrook Town! You won't find a single one of them left! That's the power of Kai Blackthorn!]
ZephyrStrider stared at the screen, his face pale. His carefully crafted plan to ruin Eric's reputation had blown up in his face. And Eric hadn't even had to do anything. A single system announcement, showcasing his undeniable skill and achievement, had undone all of ZephyrStrider's efforts.
As for FlameDancer's old crew, they were drowning in regret. They had totally underestimated Eric, misjudged him completely. If only they had stuck by his side, they'd be basking in his glory, not wallowing in the shame of their betrayal. Instead, they were now outcasts, their levels knocked back, their reputations in shambles.
Their fear of Martial Alliance's revenge now seemed utterly ridiculous. The guild was gone, scattered to the winds. They had thrown away their integrity for nothing.
The shockwaves from Eric's achievement weren't just felt in Willowbrook Town. Over in the sprawling city of Silvervale, Sutharos and the Guardians of the Abyss were just as stunned.
Sutharos's carefully laid plans, his strategy to crush Eric, were in ruins. Eric's arrival in Silvervale City changed everything. They were back to square one.
Meanwhile, Isabella, grinding her way towards Level 10 in a high-level monster zone, stared at the system announcement, a wry smile on her lips.
"I never thought I'd see the day I underestimated Kai Blackthorn," she murmured. "At this rate, he'll be miles ahead by the time we reach Silvervale City."
She knew that in the world of virtual reality games, resources were everything. The earlier one established a foothold in a resource-rich area, the faster one progressed. Cities, with their abundance of high-level quests, fast travel options, and limited-time items, were the ultimate prize.
The five or six-hour head start Eric had gained was huge. It was enough time to secure a considerable advantage.
"It seems we'll have to renegotiate our terms when we arrive," she said, a hint of resignation in her voice.
Isabella wasn't the only one with this realization. Across Silvervale City, guild leaders were scrambling to contact Eric, hoping to recruit him, to secure his loyalty. His solo achievement had sent ripples through the entire city, a testament to his extraordinary talent.
Even guilds outside Silvervale City took notice. A solo player reaching Level 10 first was unheard of. It was a wake-up call, a sign that the game was entering a new phase, one where individual prowess could shake up the established order.
The scramble for resources intensified. Guilds began mass-producing Whetstones of Precision, driving up the price of sturdy stones. The race to catch up to Kai Blackthorn had begun.
Unbeknownst to them, they were playing right into Eric's hands.
Silvervale City, a sprawling metropolis of towering structures and bustling streets, dwarfed any town. With a population exceeding a hundred thousand NPCs and a capacity for over two million players, it was a prize worth fighting for.
Eric strolled through the city's crowded streets, his Demon's Mask safely tucked away. He had used its power to clear his name, ensuring a smooth entry into the city. While his status as a world noble granted him certain immunities, a red name would have locked him out of many high-level quests and opportunities.
"First stop, City Hall," he said to himself, a confident smirk playing on his lips. He had a letter of introduction from Mayor Blackbeard himself, a trump card that would grant him access to the city's elite.
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