Blackwing was a beast of legends—a Level 185 Epic mount mastered in the art of Windborne Flight—yet even its massive pinions struggled under the weight of the full party. The air hummed with the pursuit of high-level predators. Despite the mount's blistering speed, the shadows clinging to their tail refused to dissipate.
As they streaked toward the Guild Grounds, the sky grew crowded. Ash Valor spotted several Level 200 flying bosses pacing them, maintaining a predatory distance that made an engagement suicidal.
"These bastards are getting bold," Ash muttered, his fingers twitching toward his quiver.
"They aren't closing in," Caden Marlowe observed, his eyes narrowed at the horizon. "They’re just… herding us."
Grant Fang leaned over the edge of the saddle, his face paling. "Wait, look down. The ground is crawling. Is that a horde heading straight for our Guild Grounds?"
Ash looked. A tide of Level 200 elites surged through the terrain below, moving with unnatural synchronicity. The trajectory was unmistakable: they were coming from the direction of the Eternal Guild’s former territory.
"Are they seriously trying to backcap us?" Ash hissed. "They waited until the elites left for Peerless City to hit our home?"
It was a nightmare scenario. With the guild’s main force occupied, a massive beast tide could erase years of progress in hours.
"Forget the Void Rifts," Caden said, his voice dropping into a commander’s cadence. "We’re pivoting to a Siege Defense. We have the life and mana fountains at the base. We don't hide anymore—we crush them."
"We’ve been too loud," Grant said, a grim smile touching his lips. "We outperformed the Eternal Guild, and now the world is pushing back. At least we dumped our Contribution Points into those defense towers recently."
Caden shook his head. "It’s not just a random raid, Grant. They aren't just targeting the base. They’re targeting us. Specifically, they’re targeting the leadership. Ash, you handed the captaincy to me, which makes the Guild Grounds my shackle. They know I won't run while our home burns. They’re pinning us down."
"They’re trapping us at home so we can't harass their rear," Ash realized. "Smart bastards."
"They know the main human forces are tied up at Peerless City," Caden added. "No reinforcements are coming. This isn't a skirmish; it’s an execution. They’ve calculated their strength against ours and decided they can break us before help arrives."
The atmospheric shift was palpable. The monsters weren't just AI scripts; there was a cold, calculated fury in their movements.
"We can hold," Caden said, turning to the group as the Guild Grounds came into view. "We have ten thousand members above Level 100 remaining. We’ll turn this slaughter into a power-leveling session. Grant, take the fliers for long-range recon. If things go south, prioritize the evacuation of the non-awakened to Southhaven. Buildings can be rebuilt; people can't."
Caden turned to Ash. "Ash, you’re leading a strike team of D-rank and higher players. Get their levels up. Nina, Cole—get into stealth. You’re our eyes. Don't engage unless necessary."
He paused, looking Ash in the eye. "There’s a big one coming, Ash. A real monster. Do we stand?"
"We didn't come this far to tuck tail," Ash replied.
"Good. But listen—Archers are glass cannons. You’re vulnerable to crowd control, mental attacks, and damage reflection. You need more than just range. Stop looking at the Player Exchange; check the War Merit Shop."
Ash checked his interface. After two major war campaigns, he had 12,000 War Merit points burning a hole in his pocket.
While the air over the Guild Grounds grew heavy, the situation in Peerless City was worse. The battlefield was a meat grinder. Orion, the Guild Leader, was covered in gore, his Berserker instincts pushed to the limit.
"Orion! Check the guild channel! The base is under siege!" a teammate screamed over the roar of battle.
Orion cleaved through a Dungeon Crawler before swiping open his interface. "A beast tide? Now?" He snarled. "Call The Stellar Pact! Tell them we need a relief force from Southhaven!"
"Sir, Southhaven sent everything here! There’s nothing left but the skeleton crew!"
Orion froze for a single second. The realization hit like a physical blow. "The Rift Gate," he whispered. "The monsters destroyed the gate. We’re cut off."
His elite squad stood paralyzed, their faces ashen. They were trapped in Peerless City while their home was being razed.
"Listen up!" Orion bellowed, his voice echoing across the guild comms. "Our home is on the line. If we can't be there, we send everything we have. Every single one of you—dump every gold coin you have into the Guild Treasury. Now! I swear on my life, I will pay you back double, but right now, Caden and Ash need resources!"
The response was immediate. These were the elites; they had been saving for gear, but the survival of the guild came first. Gold flooded the treasury—millions, tens of millions, then hundreds of millions.
"One billion gold," Orion muttered, looking at the total. "Caden, if it gets bad, pull everyone out. The territory doesn't matter, the lives do."
Back at the base, Caden saw the notification. "Ash, we have a billion in the treasury. How much do you need to break your limits?"
Ash didn't hesitate. "Give me four hundred million."
"Four hundred million?" Caden barked a short, stressed laugh. "You trying to retire early, kid? A full set of Epic gear doesn't even cost ten million."
"I need it, Caden. I have a Tier Ascension Stone and thirty million of my own. With four hundred million, I can change the tide of this war."
"It’s not my money, Ash. It’s the blood and sweat of the guys trapped in Peerless City. Don't make me regret this."
[Transaction Successful: You have received 400,000,000 Gold.]
Ash felt the weight of that number. He immediately opened the Exchange, buying every high-tier material the market had to offer.
[You spent 225,000,000 Gold. Received: Tier Ascension Stone x10]
[You spent 100,000,000 Gold. Received: Enhancement Gem x10,000, Refined Gem x10,000]
Ash stood in the center of the guild hall, the Duskfall Longbow floating before him. He fed the materials into the soulbound interface.
[Consuming: 100,000,000 Gold, 10,000 Enhancement Gems, 10,000 Refined Gems, 1 Aberrant Beast Sinew, 10 Tier Ascension Stones...]
[Soulbound Weapon Evolution Successful!]
Duskfall Longbow (Soulbound / Unique)
Rank: Legendary
Level Requirement: None
Stats: All Stats +50,000 (was 5,000)
Attack: +1,000,000 (was 100,000)
Attack Range: +400m (was 200m)
Attack Speed: +6
EXP Bonus: 100%
Effect 1: 10% Critical Strike chance (+1,000,000 flat damage).
Effect 2: 10% chance to Ignore Defense.
Effect 3: Reduces target's Defense by 10% on hit.
Effect 4: 0.01% Trigger Rate for Death Strike (Instant Kill).
Effect 5: Homing Shot – Arrows track the target.
Effect 6: Bow Skill Mana Cost reduced by 20%.
Effect 7: 1% chance to Stun (Duration based on Willpower).
Enhancement Level: +4 (All bonuses increased by 40%)
Next Upgrade: 10 Billion EXP, 10 Million War Merit, 1 Plane Stone, 10 Divine Crystals, 10 Starfall Ore, 1 Dragon Sinew.
Ash stared at the requirements for the next tier. Ten billion EXP? It felt impossible. But the jump to Legendary was astronomical. His combat power hadn't just increased; it had mutated.
[Notification: You have acquired a Legendary Weapon. Achievement Unlocked: Ascension: First Blood. (EXP Gain +1%)]
[Notification: Your Combat Power has entered the Azure Prime Top 100. Achievement Unlocked: Light of the Plane. (HP +100,000)]
Ash checked his status. The numbers were terrifying.
Level: 187
Total Stats: 568,392
Attack Power: 1,780,000
Health: 2,200,000
Mana: 480,000
Defense: 183,000
Attack Range: 1,295 meters
Phase Step (Dodge): 30%
He was no longer just an Archer. He was a mobile artillery platform. He could fire Skybreaker Arrow twelve times in a row now, or rain down Meteor Volley thirty times before needing a potion.
He sent a quick message to Orion: Thanks for the help. I’ll pay it back. Every cent.
[System: Your friend has muted all incoming messages.]
Ash smirked. The man was busy surviving.
Turning to the guild plaza, he saw the sea of new faces—Level 100 players looking up at him with a mix of fear and desperate hope. It felt like a lifetime ago that he was one of them, struggling for scraps.
"Kent Ryder, Wes Harding, Frost Calloway..." Ash muttered, accepting the flood of party invites from the guild’s most promising D-rank talents. "Over a thousand elites. Fine."
He looked toward the horizon, where the dust cloud of the approaching horde met the sky. For the first time, he didn't feel like a survivor. He felt like a god.
"Caden," Ash called out over the guild chat. "What’s your total stat count?"
"Pushing five hundred thousand," Caden replied. "Why?"
Ash gripped the warm, vibrating riser of the Duskfall Longbow. "Just checking. Get ready. This isn't a siege—it's a harvest."