022 The Gathering Storm

By the time Shadow-Night Frenzied Song realized what was happening, the situation before him had already spiraled beyond his control.

Four against one, yet two of his men had been countered and killed. Usually, a passing player might scoff, "Can you even play?" and walk away, but as someone caught in the fray—especially one on the losing end—maintaining composure, pacing oneself, or looking for a tactical breakthrough would be considered signs of a superior mindset. Those less capable would likely either fly into a rage and throw their lives away or simply be paralyzed by fear.

Shadow-Night Frenzied Song hadn't yet fallen into those states. His mind hadn't caught up; the thoughts racing through his head as he processed the sudden influx of information were merely extensions of his previous train of thought.

*What’s going on... did the people from the Justice Hall launch an ambush?*

Subconsciously, he glanced around. While the grass grew tall, the idea that it could provide enough cover for an ambush was laughable. The surroundings were clear at a glance; there were a few scattered trees nearby, and further out lay the edge of the forest. The notion that someone could snipe them from that distance in a beginner village was simply impractical.

Another scream rang out. He turned back to see the man who had just slipped past his subordinate. The intense momentum displaced the air, flattening the nearby weeds as the stranger pivoted on one leg, slid, and then completed a magnificent drift by bracing a hand against the ground. The man stood up slowly, sword in his right hand. With a flick of his wrist, he turned, his back to the fallen subordinate who was clutching his chest. The remaining members of the opposing group finally began to close in.

*Impossible...*

Shadow-Night Frenzied Song shook his head. The team he had brought for today’s operation consisted of capable players. Although resources in the beginner village were scarce and high-end gear was hard to come by, they had ventured deep into the forest several times; they lacked neither levels nor combat experience. To be defeated by a single person...

He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself against the tide of anger and shock, but his hands, trembling at his sides, betrayed his true state.

Over there, the girl and her two teammates hesitated, seemingly exchanging a few words with the man, though he could no longer hear them. The man seemed to wave them off, preventing them from approaching further, and then sprinted toward his last subordinate, who was now so terrified that he had lost all will to fight.

Sword strike, sidestep, body shift, leap—after a brief probe, the man’s movements suddenly accelerated. As the last man reacted in a panic, the attacker used a few quick steps to vanish behind him, thrusting his sword backhanded.

*What a beautiful sidestep...*

In virtual reality games, players mostly fought using their own physical bodies. While you couldn't pull off fancy sword techniques in a shooter, certain fundamental footwork was universal.

Since the founding of the League, professional players from major factions had worked not only to achieve results in various games but also to research the essence of virtual reality operations, such as movement techniques. Regardless of the genre, your movement, attacking, and dodging methods could be trained. Over the years, they had produced many results, which the League officially displayed for the general player base to study. These "martial arts manuals" were initially sought after by many casual players, but after everyone saw and practiced them, the results were mostly disappointing.

They were truly basic things—so basic that anyone could perform them.

But players like Shadow-Night Frenzied Song, who had seen many experts, understood more. The effect of a simple sidestep, roll, or even running posture varied wildly between a pro and a novice. Furthermore, these actions had to be judged within the context of actual combat. Being able to do a handstand in real life was useless in a virtual fight, and rolling around aimlessly in battle would only get you killed. Real-time judgment, the details of the movement, and even subtle environmental factors could produce drastically different results.

For instance, this person before him—if he weren't his opponent, he would have felt the urge to applaud.

With matters having reached this point, Shadow-Night Frenzied Song didn't want to dwell on the cause and effect anymore. Based on those few movements alone, he knew he likely couldn't win. He had intended to treat this as a casual pastime, only to hit a wall. Such things...

His hands stopped shaking, and his mood relaxed. Only the bitter smile on his lips revealed his helplessness.

He stepped forward, looking at the guy with the ID "Stranger to the Green Hills"—the other party was looking back, seemingly waiting for something. He weighed his words before speaking.

"This... Brother Green Hills."

"I won't ask who you are. But what happened here is truly unexpected. However, a slight misunderstanding is still..."

"No, no, no," Duan Qing interrupted, waving his arms. "You people... you have a hundred excuses when you're winning, but call it a misunderstanding the moment you start losing. I’ve seen enough of that." He walked forward, executing a few elegant sword flourishes. "So, let’s skip the empty talk. In the end... it’s all just grudges of the martial world."

"Ha..." The other side let out a laugh, then looked at him with an appreciative gaze. "Well said..."

"Brother, you are indeed a reasonable person. It seems you understand that no matter what, I must give an account to my subordinates, so..." He drew his iron sword and, without further ado, walked forward.

*Just... why did it have to turn out like this?* In the end, he couldn't help but sigh to himself.

********************

"Big Brother Green Hills, you really are an expert!"

After the chaos ended, the three members of Dream Bamboo’s group finally reunited with Duan Qing. Duan Qing hadn't let them approach earlier for safety reasons—having engaged the axe-wielder at the start, he had a rough estimate of the opponents' strength. He could handle them with ease, but the other three might have been sent back to the respawn point. Besides, having them "hold the line" in the back exerted a certain psychological pressure on the enemy; the expressions on the faces of the two who died last were proof enough.

With the problem resolved, those prior considerations became trivial details. He reverted to his usual leisurely demeanor, waving his hand nonchalantly while bragging, "You actually believed me when I said I was looking for a 'thigh' to hug? I am the biggest, thickest thigh you'll ever find, hahahaha..."

His laughter had a bit of the hearty spirit of Iron Ambition. His natural demeanor didn't seem fake, which only made the others feel more awkward. Dream Bamboo even tilted her head back and covered her face with her hands. "I can't stand it..."

Such banter couldn't satisfy the group's curiosity. It was the Evil Young Master who asked first: "Brother Mo is indeed an expert. When we met that day, I was right. I wonder which great god you were in the past? Have I ever heard your name..."

"That's easy to say. I used to be a pro, and people called me the Sword God of Green Hills. I wonder if you’ve heard of it..."

"Pfft." Amidst their blank stares, Dream Bamboo was the first to laugh out loud, covering her mouth as she ran to the side. "Sword God..."

"Uh, hahahaha, truly a resounding title, long heard of, long heard of..."

"Yes, yes, regardless of what it is, Brother Green Hills being a great expert is certain. This task of finding someone should be a piece of... that... in any case, it's very simple, right? Hahahaha..." A-Niu also chimed in, putting on an admiring expression.

"Easy, easy, hahahaha..."

The group continued to laugh and chat, gradually disappearing into the shadows of the forest trees. As for the confrontation that had nearly caused a panic, it was brushed aside by everyone.

At the same time, north of Green Stone Village, a low, rumbling vibration shook the ground.

Newbie players hunting monsters and admiring the scenery in the northern farmlands had noticed something unusual earlier. Since that morning, a group of players had been standing at the village entrance to the north, and they hadn't left since. Judging by their appearance, their gear was excellent; some of the styles were things many players had never seen before. They stood or sat, chatting occasionally, their expressions casual, yet their eyes would dart toward the path leading to the mountains in the north as if waiting or hoping for something.

The small, inadvertent movements they made were practically screaming the word "Expert." However, those passing by who knew the scene could recognize the player in the lead, who carried a large sword on his back.

"That's Infinite Illusion God..."

"People from Wings of Freedom."

"What are they doing here?"

"How would I know? But it looks like something big is about to happen..."

Observing the passing comments, the captain of the Sixth Squad of Wings of Freedom felt quite emotional. When he first arrived, he truly intended to guide the newcomers. The discovery of the ruins was indeed a twist of fate. But seeing the higher-ups' attitude toward this matter, he knew it was time for their people to show their strength.

From preparing the investigation to coordinating relations among the various factions in the area, he had racked his brain and exhausted his efforts to bring the whole matter to this point. Although there had been that incident with the little girl—the biggest negative event so far—minor matters didn't affect the big picture, and overall, things had gone smoothly. Thinking about it now, there should still be enough time. As long as no accidents occurred, the guild's reinforcements would arrive soon. Word from headquarters last night suggested they hadn't planned on resting, braving the dangers of the night to cover more ground.

The sun cast its heat onto Infinite Illusion God’s head, perking him up. Seeing the dust rising in the distance, he patted his weapon and slowly stood up. "Stop chatting. They're here."

The time for the harvest had arrived.

On the winding path, a few black dots appeared in the distance. As the silhouettes gradually grew larger, the figures of several riders became clear.

In *Free World*, mounts did exist. Some even predicted that legendary creatures could potentially be tamed as mounts—if one had the skill. However, among the current player base, no one had obtained their own mount. This was not just because the difficulty of acquisition and taming was high, but also because mounts like warhorses were of little help.

In this age of flourishing swords and magic, only on a massive battlefield would cavalry be roughly equal to high-level sword skills or devastating magic. Neither the continent's situation nor the players' progress had reached that point. For general adventure and exploration, mounts like warhorses, which had little use beyond their initial charge, provided minimal combat assistance. If one encountered complex terrain, even handling the mount became a problem—this world didn't have "mount storage" or anything of the sort, at least not yet.

However, if used only for transportation, there were simple ways to manage it. Larger cities in *Free World* had transportation hubs providing such services. Large guilds would also consider keeping horses to facilitate their members' travel. Wings of Freedom certainly had that capability, which was why the main force they sent used this method.

The sound of hooves drew near, and the figures on horseback became clearer. To the surprise of the onlookers, the lead rider was an heroic-looking woman.

She wore silver-white armor. While designed for a woman and appearing lightweight, it covered every vital area completely; if not for the contour of her chest, people might not have even identified it as female armor.

However, everyone could tell she was a woman because she wasn't wearing a helmet. As she moved at high speed, her long black hair fluttered behind her, forming a sharp contrast with the silver armor while slightly obscuring her beautiful face. A long sword hung at her waist, and though it was sheathed, one could tell from its specifications that it was likely a two-handed blade.

The riders slowed to a stop at the village entrance. The woman in the lead dismounted, followed by the others. She brushed the long hair from her face and tied it back simply. She exhaled, as if shaking off the exhaustion of days of travel—the place was incredibly remote, and her team had passed through several transfer stations and traversed rugged mountain roads for days before finally arriving.

She signaled for her team to dismount and wiped the dust from her face. On the other side, the members of Wings of Freedom who had been waiting at the entrance stepped forward.

"Welcome to Green Stone Village," said the man with the ID Infinite Illusion God, stepping to the front. "Great gods of the First Squad."

"Although it might be... inappropriate, I still have to ask: do you need to rest?"

"No need," the woman replied coolly. Her eyes were long and narrow, her nose bridge delicate, and her skin fair. Coupled with the cascade of black hair behind her, she was indeed remarkably beautiful. Yet, Infinite Illusion God didn't dare look her in the eye because of her icy expression and the unique aura that came from someone often in a position of authority.

After a few seconds, seemingly aware that her attitude was a bit off, the woman's expression softened. "My apologies. We are aware of the efforts made by the Sixth Squad these past few days... everyone has worked hard."

The icy atmosphere thawed slightly, and Infinite Illusion God felt relieved, relaxing his posture. He thanked her and decided to get straight to business.

"The location of the ruins has been basically confirmed to be in the depths of the Emerald Forest, but a specific route is hard to determine..."

"Hm?" Handing her horse to a teammate, the group began walking into the village. The woman walked at the front, listening to Infinite Illusion God’s report. Hearing this, she continued forward without looking back, expressing her doubt... or dissatisfaction... with a hum.

"The Emerald Forest is vast, making landmarks and orientation difficult to recognize. It is hard to find a fixed route. However, through our comprehensive data collection and organization, while the deepest areas remain elusive, some fixed points have been confirmed. As for the specific situation..."

Infinite Illusion God spoke cautiously as the large group marched into the village. Passing players and villagers instinctively cleared the way, but as more people appeared in the village, the group gradually blended into the crowd. At one point, the woman in the lead saw an old man with white hair and beard standing by the roadside, watching them with a detached gaze.

*These NPCs...* The woman glanced at him coolly and continued toward the inn.

In the distance, dark clouds appeared in the sky, causing the daylight to dim. The players at the north entrance watched the imposing group enter the village, all feeling an omen that something big was about to happen. Several looked up and noticed the shift in the weather.

"Looks like it's going to rain..." they thought, then beckoned their companions, preparing to head back into the village to seek shelter from the coming rain.