27. The Dragon King's Strike

Su Yu stood behind the village chief, his expression indifferent as he observed the two opposing factions before him.

He had summoned the Zhantian Guild here for the express purpose of entrapping them. As a formidable level 84 NPC, the Aurelion Sol would certainly not be easily defeated by novice players. On the contrary, should a large number of players attack it, the Aurelion Sol would grow impatient, and a single breath of dragon fire would be more than enough to wipe out the hundreds of people gathered in the square.

As for the fact that he was also entrapping the players of the Dixue Guild while ensnaring the Zhantian Guild, Su Yu felt not a shred of moral burden. Although the Dixue Guild would eventually turn over a new leaf in the late stages of the game and actively cooperate with the overall strategic planning of the state, in its early days, it was a thoroughly unscrupulous guild—trapping them was simply a matter of course.

...

With the two major guilds facing off in the square, the official offline forum quickly erupted. One thread in particular—"Shocking! Zhantian Guild and Dixue Shitian Guild face off in Newbie Village No. 6, suspected to be on the verge of a brawl!"—became a hot topic. Within a few short minutes, the thread had garnered hundreds of replies. It even included a video recorded by a player on the scene.

In the video, Zhantian Jian led his subordinates to the right side of the square, while Dixue Shitian and Zhenhongyan Heilong stood with their own followers on the left. Both sides looked hostile, truly poised to fight at the slightest provocation.

The forum users were excited:
"Holy crap! It looks like these two big guilds are about to go to war!"
"Zhenhongyan Heilong left the disgusting Zhantian Guild to join Dixue Shitian. Is Dixue Shitian trying to help him get justice?"
"Don't talk nonsense! Zhenhongyan Heilong was never with Zhantian to begin with! He’s just framing our guild on purpose!"
"It takes two to tango. You say he’s framing you, but why would he do that for no reason?"
"This... anyway, the Dixue Guild isn't any better! They’re still monopolizing the leveling spots in Newbie Village No. 2!"

Gradually, the discussion drifted, devolving into a flame war beneath the post. Of course, many more players, upon seeing the thread, logged on immediately and headed to Newbie Village No. 6 to join the spectacle.

...

Near the "Carriage Driver" of Village No. 6, a multitude of curious players appeared, surging toward the village square like a tide. It felt quite like the crowded tourist attractions during the May Day or National Day golden weeks. Before long, the massive village square was packed. The onlookers, eager to see the drama unfold, began egging the two guilds on:

"We’re all here! When are you going to start fighting?"
"Hurry up, hurry up! Zhantian Guild, you have more people, you go first!"

"Exactly, don't be cowards! If you want to be the top guild, you have to show your mettle in this battle! No one wants to join a timid guild."
"Beer, beverages, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and eight-treasure porridge!"

...

Zhantian Jian had never expected so many players to come and watch the show! Looking at the endless, dark sea of people—and seeing the crowd continue to grow—he felt a slight chill on his scalp.

Yet, Zhantian Jian knew he had to do something now. He had five or six hundred people under his command, while the Dixue side only had about three hundred. If he continued to hesitate, it would indeed give the onlookers the impression that he was "cowardly," which would be detrimental to future recruitment.

Clearing his throat, Zhantian Jian stepped out from his ranks and shouted to the opposite side: "Dixue Shitian! You impersonated our name and blocked the village entrance to collect entry fees. How are we going to settle this debt?"

Seeing Zhantian Jian speak, the onlookers knew the main event was coming! They stopped their chatter and settled into "spectator mode." The noise on the field suddenly died down significantly.

Dixue Shitian was clearly prepared. He stepped out from his group, answering unhurriedly: "You know full well what dirty tricks you've played! Let me ask you one thing: why did you have Brother Zhenhong frame the innocent Muyun Guild?"

"Ha! Framed?" Zhantian Jian was so angry he laughed. "It seems you really won't give up until you see the coffin! I have already gathered sufficient evidence..."

Zhantian Jian stopped mid-sentence.

Just then, the sky suddenly grew violently dim! The once-white sky was filled with a massive amount of blue-purple light, and a gigantic silhouette emerged from behind the clouds!

"Look, what is that!" a player shouted, pointing at the sky.

Hearing this, all the players looked up. Upon seeing the massive dragon shadow overhead, everyone was stunned into silence. At the same time, the countdown interface for Su Yu’s quest, "Annie's Revenge," hit 00:05.

Su Yu’s expression turned grave. He took two steps forward, standing close to the village chief. The village chief turned his head, staring in surprise at this unfamiliar young man, but his attention was also fixed on the sky, so he did not stop him.

...

Aurelion Sol, the "Aurelion Sol," dove down from the clouds, descending upon Nolan Village!

[Aurelion Sol]
Level: ???
Health: ???

Aurelion Sol was a four-clawed divine dragon shimmering with deep blue starlight; in terms of sheer size, it was larger than the entire square! Sitting on its front claw was a little girl wearing a red hood—the little NPC, Annie!

Annie spotted Su Yu below, and flames of rage erupted from her eyes. "It's him!" she cried, pointing at Su Yu and casting a [Flame Mark] upon him.

A fiery red [Flame Mark] appeared above Su Yu’s head. Su Yu was startled and quickly donned the mask he had prepared in advance, ensuring no player could see his face. Moreover, he was wearing full leather armor, so the members of the two guilds would certainly not recognize him.

The Aurelion Sol locked its gaze on the marked Su Yu. However, upon seeing the village chief of Nolan Village beside him, it hesitated slightly. Due to the unique status of the village chief, it did not want to cause him harm, as that would invite unnecessary trouble.

Deciding against using its breath, it dove down from the sky with Annie, its sharp dragon claws raking toward where Su Yu stood.

Su Yu appeared frozen in fear, standing motionless on the spot without dodging. Only when the dragon king’s razor-sharp talons were mere meters away did he let out a soft breath.

[Blink]!

*Zing!*

Su Yu vanished in a flash of white light, reappearing twenty meters away, narrowly dodging the Aurelion Sol's strike.

*Boom!*

The dragon king’s massive claw tore across the ground, carving out a chasm several meters wide. Yet, by the feel of it, the dragon king knew it hadn't struck Su Yu. As a proud dragon king, it would not lower itself to continue hunting and attacking him. After a glance at Su Yu twenty meters away, it prepared to leave with Annie.

As for the village chief, at the moment the dragon king attacked Su Yu, a grayish, egg-shaped shield had appeared around him. Since he was not the intended target of the Aurelion Sol, the old man remained completely unharmed.