Conquering OtherWorld Starts With a Game

"Weren't you guys hiding in that cave? How did you all get wiped?" Yang Ying asked in astonishment.

"That was no cave but the nostril of a gargantuan creature," groaned Qin Guan, the frustrated group leader. "That monster lay motionless until we all took shelter inside, and then it sneezed or something, blasting us all skyward… It was only from up in the sky that I got a clear view of the monster's entire form."

"The heck?!" Blossoming Strokes, Yang Ying, and Tang Jia, who were lagging behind the main group, were flabbergasted.

Jia Luo lamented in despair, "And here I thought I'd never have to experience being catapulted into the sky and turning into a flash of light again as long as I steered clear of that giant rat. Clearly, I was mistaken… I'm scared of heights, for god's sake!"

"Who would've thought that things seemingly part of the scenery have to be 'Identified'!" Unceasing Entropy muttered with resignation. "Let's not dwell on that first… We have 30 minutes per battle, and we're already halfway through without completing even the first battle mission. Maybe we should hold off on storming the main battlefield and cup with a plan first?"

Upon entering the battlefield, players discovered that victory wasn't determined by the traditional method of head-to-head combat but by completing specific tasks. Initially, this left many feeling underwhelmed. What fun was there in a battlefield where the thrill wasn't in the unrestrained combat but in task completion?

But as players received their assignments from the battlefield NPCs and nonchalantly made their way to the so-called main battlefield, any lingering discontent completely vanished.

This was no ordinary skirmish but a monstrous free-for-all that could rival the Battle of the Five Armies!

Not only were there sheer numbers, many of the monsters towered over ten times the size of any player character! Were it not for the green-named allies among these fierce, ultra-realistic creatures that outdid any 3D movie special effects, the players might have conceded defeat then and there. A battlefield like this that had only enemies would have meant certain annihilation!

Even with allied monsters in the fray, venturing into the battlefield was perilous. The tug-of-war between the factions was intense; territories held by allies one moment could be overrun by enemies the next. Previous routs had unfolded in just this manner.

In any case, influenced by the brutal atmosphere of the monster-ridden battlefield and having experienced several complete team wipes, players abandoned their initial skepticism. They began to take this new mode seriously, recognizing the challenge and strategy it demanded.

"Our mission," Blossoming Strokes began, "is to locate an enemy camp guarded by a Headless Knight and launch the signal flare given by the NPC into their midst. We've encountered the Headless Knight before during our last wipe. Although its nis visible, its level and details are all question marks, suggesting it's an unbeatable super boss. We need to complete our mission when it's away from the camp."

"But that knight moves so fast, it's impossible to tell where it's coming from, and with the density of monsters, finding the camp seems like a tall order," Qin Guan lamented.

"It is difficult," acknowledged Blossoming Strokes. "However, we have 25 people in our group. If we all head out together, we risk another wipe. If we split up, we get 25 chances to do reconnaissance. What do you all think?"

"I agree," Unceasing Entropy was quick to support the idea. "Given that we stand no chance against the monsters here, and death is almost certain upon entering the main battlefield, we might as well try to map out the terrain and possible routes before we fall."

Qin Guan glanced around and, seeing no one raise any dissent, declared, "Alright, let's give it a try or two."

With their plan set, this bunch once again set off toward the frontlines with grim determination…

No sooner had Qin Guan and his team departed from the rear base, which doubled as a respawn point in the form of a cave, a fresh wave of players materialized en masse.

"This gis unplayable!" An infuriated Brother Lahong slammed his weapon to the ground in a fit of rage.

"Calm down, Lahong. At least this twe managed to spot where the mission objective is," Guileless Gale tried to soothe him with a level-headed remark.

"Let's be real, even knowing where the mission is doesn't bring us any closer to completing it…" Phantom commented, deadpan. "The area's swarming with giant octopus monsters. How are we supposed to sneak in and drop the flare?! It's impossible to get close without dying!"

"If we die a few more times, there's no way I can stomach takoyaki anymore," lamented Study Obsessed sorrowfully.

Brother Lahong wasn't genuinely ready to give up the mission. This boss had a streak of stubbornness and, as he strode out, gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, let's go ask the NPC for more flares. We'll split into groups and charge in. I refuse to believe we can't be a fish that slips through the net!"

"Hey hey, 'fish slipping through the net' isn't exactly the right phrase to use here, right?" Phantom mocked.

"As long as the meaning is clear!" Brother Lahong retorted.

As two groups of determined players once again left the camp for the battlefield, Wagner and Kenn, these two sort of acquainted old timers, were seated together.

Yang hadn't abandoned them in this perilous demon world alone… He had left them with a few "Spellcaster's Eyes"—four floating above the battlefield facing their camp, one along the route from the battlefield to the camp, and one directly above the camp itself.

Spellcaster's Eyes transmitted live images to mirrors, allowing the two "battlefield NPCs" to spot danger signals in time. Should the forces of Calamity move their way, they could instantly retreat into the cave and activate the teleportation circle for living beings to return to Exile Town.

The six mirrors displaying the Spellcaster's Eyes' feeds were housed in Wagner's "barracks."

Wagner adjusted the mirrors to the scenes of the undead heading to the main battlefield and couldn't help but say, "Though these undead often leave us baffled and frustrated, they do have their merits."

Kenn remained silent for a moment before adding somberly, "Indeed, they don't give up easily… If it were any other army, even the vaunted Iron Legion of the Sokri Empire, they would likely falter when faced with such an inhuman battlefield."

Then, after a brief pause, Kenn added with annoyance, "But that's also because these undead possess the characteristic of immortality… I believe if they had but one life, their resolve wouldn't be nearly as unyielding!"

Kenn, an accomplished mercenary leader accustomed to commanding a hundred-strong force, had quickly discerned during his forced service in Exile Town that these undead were truly immortal.

While conventional wisdom held that undead could be banished by clerics or purified by exorcists, they wouldn't reappear as relentlessly as those in Taranthan. No matter how the Taranthan undead were dealt with, they'd soon be back, lively as ever.

Wagner empathized with Kenn's mixed feelings of respect and annoyance toward the undead. Frankly, his own sentiments weren't much different.

"At least, the task Yang demands of us isn't as daunting anymore," Wagner mused, his emotions complex.

If the undead could maintain this dogged determination to complete their battlefield missions at all costs, then using them as the main force to defeat the Radiant Sun Church's forces wouldn't pose a problem.

Overcoming the Radiant Sun Church wouldn't just allow Yang to flex but also provide him with more leverage in negotiations with the Church of Lady Gold Coin.

If the Church of Lady Gold Coin could be persuaded to begrudgingly support Rex, then Rex could openly challenge the Bartalis family for their territory in a manner that all Rhine nobles would have to acknowledge as legitimate.

This realization left Wagner with even more mixed feelings…

Indahl, which he had given his all throughout his life without receiving fair treatment, might be about to change hands.