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Chapter 981 – Howling Wind's Challenge
Nie Yan finally noticed the commotion on the forums. He didn't expect to find a video of himself. Apparently, that feeling earlier wasn't him imagining things. A Thief had indeed approached him. Checking his surroundings once more, he discovered nothing out of the ordinary. The other side had hid themselves fairly well. However, he couldn't be bothered to investigate any further.
As long as the enemy wasn't a Thief at the level of Sun, King of the World, and the others, they were nothing to Nie Yan.
Nie Yan was confident in the might of Jotunheim's Descent. If anyone dared approach him within 30 meters, in stealth or not, they would be frozen to death!
BANG! BANG! BANG! The heavy sound of ice rupturing rang out through the air like the sound of gongs being struck.
Another Umbra Demon King let out a mournful cry and collapsed to the ground.
Ding dong! A crisp jingle rang out as a white light fell over Nie Yan. A level up!
Nie Yan was elated. He'd finally reached Level 200!
It hadn't even been four months since his return to the game. Nie Yan never expected his levelling speed would be so quick. Thinking about it, be it the quest related to Hell or the Divine Eclipse Dragon, they were all part of the foundation he'd built up before his hiatus. If it weren't for them, he certainly wouldn't have these achievements today.
Nie Yan picked up the loot that the Umbra Demon King dropped. It was another fragment of the Death God's Bone. As he held the item in his hand, he detected something unfamiliar in the air. His face turned cold.
Hiding behind a pile of bones, Imperial Sword had the urge to jump out and snatch the loot the Umbra Demon King dropped. However, sensing the temperature in the surroundings plummeting, he couldn't help but bitterly smile. The person before him was insanely strong. Trying to steal from him was the same as snatching food from a tiger's den. Even though a Level 210 Demonified Lord was certain to drop amazing things, he needed to be alive to get them! So, he didn't dare to try his luck in the end.
Eye of Truth!
Nie Yan snorted, his eyes flashing with a profound light.
Sensing Nie Yan's gaze locking right onto him, Imperial Sword's heart trembled. He hurriedly said in voice chat,「Crimson, let's get out of here!」
Imperial Sword and Crimson Note both crushed the Unknown Transfer Scrolls in their hands. With a flash of light, the two disappeared.
"Looks like they know what's good for them." Nie Yan withdrew his gaze. If those two Thieves stuck around any longer, he would've definitely taken action and killed them. Them voluntarily leaving saved him the hassle.
Nie Yan returned to his grind. The experience the Umbra Demon Kings gave was far more ample than he expected. Likely, he would be at least Level 202 by the time he cleared them all out!
Nie Yan still had another two and a half months before his five-month deadline was up!
At the appointed time, Nie Yan would head to the underworld and challenge Plenty. However, he knew he wouldn't be facing Plenty alone. Moreover, Plenty definitely had killer aces up his sleeve. So, he wanted to be absolutely confident he could win, and level played an important factor in this.
For Asskickers United's glory, Nie Yan couldn't allow any mishaps!
Since those two Thieves from earlier had discovered this place, more people would likely start arriving. Nie Yan decided to pick up the pace. Thankfully, the players from the Evil Faction couldn't enter Hell. If Plenty found out about a Righteous Faction player solo grinding Level 210 Demonified Lords, he would definitely send his subordinates to obstruct them. It didn't matter if that person was Nie Yan or not.
Nie Yan wasn't afraid of them, but it would impact his levelling speed.
…
The Gates of Hell. An elven Elementalist donning the Azeran Void Robes and wielding the Soranda Void Staff arrived. Instead of looking for a team, he directly entered Hell.
The players in the surroundings were stunned.
"I-isn't that Howling Wind?"
"It is! I recognize him! Why is he here all alone?"
…
Even though Howling Wind was all by himself, no one dared to look down on him. He was a Magister who stood on the same footing as Young Sparrow Hawk!
Howling Wind ignored these players, though their whispers reached his ears. He set out with consecutive blinks. Before long, he was more than 600 meters away, leaving the gossipers far behind. The players back near the entrance couldn't help but sigh in admiration. What astonishing speed!
Howling Wind treated the monsters in Hell like they were nothing as he began searching for Nie Yan.
Five hours later, Howling Wind spotted a group of gigantic skeletal creatures in the far distance. They were the Umbra Demon Kings from the video!
"Found you!" Howling Wind muttered. After which he sank into deep thought. With his current strength, soloing a Level 210 Demonified Lord was possible, but it would be a struggle. Nie Yan was indeed strong. However, that was precisely why he wanted to challenge him! If his opponent were only roughly on par with him, he'd have no interest in fighting!
Howling Wind was an eccentric person. The stronger the opponent and more outmatched he was, the more astonishing power he'd display!
Only by challenging the strong could he grow more powerful!
Ever since he became the number one Mage in the Satreen Empire, Howling Wind hadn't found a worthy opponent. It was rather lonely at the top.
Perhaps the only worthy opponent was Nie Yan. However, he'd never found the right opportunity. This was his only regret. After Nie Yan disappeared three years ago, his heart became empty, as if he had lost something important. When he learned of Nie Yan's return, his desire for battle reignited. He knew the Mad Rogue of that time would eventually return, and an expert like Nie Yan definitely would not be content living quietly in mediocrity. Some people were destined to break the heavens and earth. Nie Yan was such a person! It was just that he never expected Nie Yan to come back with such ferocity. Within a short few months, he'd already gained such astonishing strength!
Howling Wind executed several consecutive blinks. As he looked around, he heard a mournful cry in the distance.
"There you are!" Howling Wind raised an eyebrow, teleporting towards the source of the sound.
…
Nie Yan had just killed an Umbra Demon King. As he started focusing on another one, he sensed something in the air. Looking into the distance, he spotted a silhouette rapidly coming in his direction.
Shortly after returning to the game, Nie Yan had watched many videos on the Dark Demonic Space and researched PvP techniques. Howling Wind was in some of them. So, he was somewhat familiar with Howling Wind's appearance. However, since the distance was too great, Nie Yan didn't immediately recognize him.
"A Mage huh," Nie Yan remarked, his expression turning dark. If the other side tried to interfere with his grinding, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them!
Howling Wind stopped at about 200 meters away from Nie Yan. He showed no signs of raising his staff to attack, instead patiently waiting. This place was the territory of the Umbra Demon Kings; ordinary undead didn't dare to approach here. The surroundings were completely barren.
After seeing that Howling Wind came with no ill intent, Nie Yan concentrated on his battle. The Umbra Demon King held strong for some 15 minutes before collapsing to the ground.
Seeing the battle end, Howling Wind approached Nie Yan.
Nie Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise as he finally recognized Howling Wind. Why did he come all the way here?
"Hi, I'm Howling Wind." Howling Wind could sense the cold aura emanating from Nie Yan, threatening to turn him into an icicle. He stopped at about 50 meters away from Nie Yan.
Nie Yan nodded. "I've heard of you."
"I know you're Nirvana Flame. I want to challenge you. Right here, right now," Howling Wind said, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. No doubt, the person before him was Nirvana Flame!
"Not interested," Nie Yan replied curtly. It turned out Howling Wind had only come here for a duel. If it were a week or two ago, he might've been interested. Now, however, he was already a Legend with a full set of Sacred-grade void equipment. The difference in strength was too great.
Howling Wind froze. He never imagined Nie Yan would reply in such a way, his heart quickly filling with indignation. So what if you're Nirvana Flame? There is no reason to look down on me like that!
"If you don't kill me, don't even think about grinding here in peace!" Howling Wind said. This was his only way to force Nie Yan to go all out!
"You're not my match. Come back when you've become a Legend." Nie Yan shook his head. Even though Howling Wind was the number one Mage in the Satreen Empire, the gap between a Master and a Legend was like that of the heaven and earth. If Howling Wind were to fight him now, it would be a one-sided beatdown.
Howling Wind sucked in a breath of cold air. Nie Yan had already become a Legend? He stared at Nie Yan in disbelief. How was that possible? He'd only returned to the game a few months ago. How did he become a Legend before all of them?
Nie Yan really did live up to his reputation as the Mad Rogue. He wasn't undefeated for no reason. Howling Wind felt dejected. Was a Legend really that strong? Did he really not even have a sliver of hope of winning?
Staring at Nie Yan, Howling Wind's eyes flashed with determination. He pointed his staff at Nie Yan and said, "I didn't expect you to become a Legend so quickly. Even though I know you're extremely powerful and I have no hope of winning, no matter what, I still want to try. So, please humour me. This has been my only wish for these past three years."
Nie Yan's heart trembled. No wonder Howling Wind could become the number one Mage in the Satreen Empire. This resoluteness couldn't be found anywhere.
"Fine, come at me," Nie Yan replied in an insipid tone.
Howling Wind's eyes lit up with joy. He raised his staff and cast Elemental Judgement.
Six tornadoes formed around Howling Wind and swept out toward Nie Yan. Such a powerful AoE magic was an instant cast!
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Chapter 982 – Death God's Bone
Under the cover of the six tornadoes, Howling Wind's body became a blur before splitting into three clones, which dashed off in different directions.
The ground stiffened as a layer of frost spread out. THUT! THUT! THUT! A dense cluster of ice spikes erupted out.
Howling Wind's attack was ferocious. If a player were to encounter such a frenzied assault, they would likely turn tail and flee.
Nie Yan's silhouette flickered before disappearing from his spot.
Fawne's Phantom!
Nie Yan was like a phantom, his silhouette flickering back and forth. It was impossible to pinpoint his exact location.
No matter how much of a seasoned expert Howling Wind was, he'd never seen a skill like this before. His heart sank. With a wave of his staff, he sent a shower of spells raining down on Nie Yan.
Eye of Truth!
Nie Yan's eyes blossomed out with a profound light. Sweeping his gaze over the three Howling Winds, he discovered to his shock that all three were real. "Whatever, I'll just kill them all."
Gale Step of Nirvana Flame!
Nie Yan's figure blurred, in the same moment appearing behind one of the Howling Winds 60 meters away. PSHFT! Blood flew into the air. Instant kill!
The speed of a Legendary Gale Step was fast beyond belief. All Howling Wind saw was a blur before one of his clones was killed.
So this is the speed of a Legend, Howling Wind inwardly muttered. Nie Yan was far faster than any player he'd met before!
The two remaining Howling Winds blinked around the battlefield, letting loose with a flurry of spells. Earth Spikes, Ice Arrows, Lightning… all his spells were instant cast. To his dejection, however, he discovered even with him completely focusing his senses, he couldn't pinpoint Nie Yan's position.
A Legendary skill wasn't something ordinary skills could compete with!
Howling Wind felt death drawing ever closer from behind him. BLINK! BLINK! BLINK! He continuously blinked around the battlefield, but the feeling never disappeared, as if Nie Yan's dagger was already on his neck.
PSFHT! The second Howling Wind died to a single attack.
Howling Wind felt deep shock battering at his heart. Just how did Nie Yan do it? How did Nie Yan have the energy to spare to deal with his other clone?
Unbeknownst to Howling Wind, Nie Yan had already toggled off Jotunheim's Descent. If it were activated, he would've long since turned into an ice sculpture!
This was the difference between a Master and a Legend. The two weren't even on the same plane! Howling Wind finally realized this was an opponent he stood no chance against. He originally thought even if he couldn't defeat Nie Yan, he could still put up a decent fight. Now, he knew that was only wishful thinking. How hard was it to advance to a Legend? He himself had been at it for a year already, but even after 20 attempts, he still was no step closer to breaking through that final hurdle. By the time he finally became a Legend, what level would Nie Yan be at?
No matter how much Howling Wind blinked around, he could sense Nie Yan's killing intent following him relentlessly. He couldn't comprehend how. His Blinks were completely random. How did Nie Yan pinpoint his location every time? His prediction ability was terrifying!
Nie Yan's comprehension of Fawne's Phantom grew deeper as he fought Howling Wind. Apart from the unrivalled evasion ability and speed, it also provided him unmatched pursuing ability. With this skill, even if the enemy blinked away at random, he could still track the movement through the flow of their mana.
Nie Yan became increasingly confident that if Plenty wanted to stand a chance against him, he had to advance to a Legend. Unfortunately, he didn't know whether Plenty already succeeded or not. So, rather than taking the risk of challenging him now, he would focus on increasing his strength instead.
"You've lost," Nie Yan said in an indifferent tone. He had to admit that Howling Was was quite strong. However, a Master had no chance of winning against a Legend. This was a gap that couldn't be closed with equipment nor level nor skill.
Howling Wind halted his step, looking a little lost. The strength he was so proud of was nothing in front of Nie Yan. He realized that cold chill he felt on his neck was Nie Yan's blade, ready to chop down whenever. He'd already lost.
Nie Yan stopped about 10 meters across from Howling Wind. Seeing his opponent's dejected appearance, he consoled, "This isn't an issue of skill. That's just how the game works. Legend beats Master like rock beats scissors. If you want to have a real duel, come back when you've become a Legend."
Howling Wind bitterly smiled. "I've got to witness the might of a Legend firsthand. But to be honest, even if you were still a Master, I don't think I could've won. You've already advanced while I'm still struggling to get past that final hurdle. This is a difference in skill. I won't make any excuses for myself. A loss is a loss."
Nie Yan shrugged his shoulders, declining to express his opinion. Perhaps it really was like what Howling Wind said. Even if Tang Yao came over right now, he probably wouldn't last more than a few moves. The difference in class rank was too great. When he defeated Howling Wind, he didn't have to do anything fancy. All he did was rely on the overwhelming power of his skills.
"If you want to improve, go learn from Sparrow Hawk, Sun, and them. Fumbling forward by yourself can only take you so far. You're a bit weaker than them in terms of skill." Nie Yan had an idea. He'd first belittle Howling Wind a little. Perhaps that would get him to join Asskickers United. An expert like Howling Wind was difficult to find. If he could be pulled into Asskickers United, it would be a big win. However, after becoming a Legend, Nie Yan didn't particularly care anymore if Howling Wind joined. One more or one less, it made no difference on the overall picture.
Howling Wind seemed dissatisfied with Nie Yan's evaluation. He opened his mouth to argue.
"I'm going back to levelling." Nie Yan turned around and dashed over to the Umbra Demon Kings in the distance, continuing his grind. After this match with Howling Wind, he had a rough idea of his own strength. He was confident that he had an absolute chance of victory if Plenty failed to break through in the next two and a half months.
Fallen Angel, I'll be coming for you soon!
The video of Nie Yan battling the Umbra Demon Kings continued circulating around. Eventually, news of this mysterious expert reached the ears of Fallen Angel. However, their higher-ups remained calm, expressing no particular reaction. Plenty appeared to have vanished into thin air, while Fallen Angel's elites were frequently spotted going in and out of Sword of the War God. According to the rumours, they were frantically collecting void metal.
Nie Yan received constant updates on the situation in Fallen Angel from Guo Huai. From that, he guessed Plenty was also crazily raising his level and the quality of his gear. Once the five-month deadline was up, he wondered how strong Plenty would be.
After grinding in Hell for three more days, Nie Yan received word from Guo Huai that Howling Wind had brought his team with him to join Asskickers United. Subsequently, he defeated Sun, Tang Yao, and the rest. Nie Yan couldn't help but chuckle. It looked like this was Howling Wind's way of proving him wrong. He had several powerful experts under his wing. If Fallen Angel ever tried to declare war on Asskickers United, they would now have a greater advantage.
Nie Yan recalled how Howling Wind took on Angel Corps all by himself in the previous timeline. Yet this unyieldingly proud figure was absolutely dominated by him.
Even though when the game first released Nie Yan had the advantage of foresight, he had to rely on hard work to get to where he was now.
Nie Yan eventually found the final fragment of the Death God's Bone. After he placed all 12 fragments together in his bag, they let out a dazzling light.
The 12 fragments gradually merged together before becoming a single bone.
Nie Yan stared fixedly at the bone, wondering what it would become.
The intact Death God's Bone was extremely smooth. There wasn't a trace of a single crack. It looked as if it were crafted from a black metal, giving off a dark lustre.
Death God's Bone: Special Item
Death Sentence: Target an enemy for death. If the target is not more than 20 levels above the user, this spell will instantly kill them. Cooldown: 30 days.
Death Sentence? Nie Yan was curious to see this skill in action.
A cooldown of 30 days. If Nie Yan used it, it would be back up by the time he would duel Plenty.
Looking in the distance, an Umbra Demon King happened to be moving towards him.
Death Sentence!
Suddenly, an enormous hand emerged from the sky as if it had crossed through from the void. As the index finger pointed at the Umbra Demon King, a powerful aura of death spread out.
This skill was far grander than Annihilation Slash! It also looked even more difficult to dodge.
The hand blotted out the entire sky as an immense force bore down on the ground. All the undead in the vicinity trembled in fear.
BOOOM! The Umbra Demon King appeared to be struck by a powerful force. It collapsed to the ground.
Instant kill?
Nie Yan gasped. What a powerful skill! It really was an instant kill! This skill was ridiculously overpowered. In terms of killing power, no other skill could beat it. Of course, it wasn't invincible. At the very last moment before the attack landed, it could still be evaded. However, only the fastest and most skilled could pull that off. Especially since Nie Yan would only use it at the most opportune time, when the enemy had no chance of evading!
After gathering the 12 fragments, Nie Yan had another killer ace!
Nie Yan's harvests were quite good. Looking around, there were still two Umbra Demon Kings left. He'd deal with them in 30 minutes. At this home stretch in Hell, a satisfied smile appeared on Nie Yan's face. He was already Level 202, 32%, while his dragons were even higher with the Divine Eclipse Dragon at Level 211 and the other two at Level 205.
Nie Yan broke out into laughter, his voice reverberating for a long time in the air. It brimmed with confidence, just like in the past. The moment he left Hell would mark the Mad Rogue's return to glory!
"It's been three years. I'm back!"
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Chapter 983 – Return of the Mad Rogue
With a flash of light, Nie Yan teleported back to Okoron. As he walked down the bustling streets of his city, he sighed with emotion. Finally, he was going to return to Asskickers United in glory!
Nie Yan was about to announce his return anyway, so he disabled appear offline mode. On the level leaderboards, he immediately shot up from the hundred millions to rank 93.
The players in the Righteous Faction quickly caught wind of the change on the level leaderboards, shock spreading among them. They rubbed their eyes in disbelief. How was this possible? How did Nie Yan level up from Level 156 to Level 202 in under four months? This was simply insane!
The news of Nie Yan's updated level quickly reached the Evil Faction, causing an enormous uproar.
The forums erupted with discussion. Those who previously claimed Nie Yan had no chance of catching up quietly shut their mouths. They couldn't wrap their heads around how he managed to level up at such an insane speed! It didn't take long before someone linked the footage of a Thief soloing the Umbra Demon Kings to him. All of a sudden, everything made sense.
At Level 202, there was only a four or five-level difference between Nie Yan and Plenty, meaning the level suppression was negligible. At that point, victory would be decided by skill and gear quality.
The players took Nie Yan disabling appear offline as a declaration of his return. The throne of number one player in the game once more had its master!
The phrase 'monarch overlooking the heavens' perfectly described Nie Yan. At this moment, no one believed Plenty could beat him. His undefeated record was engraved deeply in the hearts of countless players. Even to this day, it still remained standing!
After finding out Nie Yan was already Level 202, the entirety of Asskickers United broke out in celebration. The guild chat flooded with messages as everyone expressed their excitement. Some old veterans felt their eyes tickling with tears. It had been three whole years. Everything seemed like a dream.
At some point, word of Nie Yan walking down the streets of Okoron towards the guild headquarters started going around.
The Abernathy Great Grasslands, Calore, Orc King City, Blaze City, Chaos Temple, Sword of the War God, countless guild members stopped what they were doing and activated their Return Scrolls to teleport back to the closest city, then made their way to Okoron.
Players from Asskickers United were flocking from all over towards Okoron. There were also quite a few non-guild members rushing over to witness the occasion. The city was large enough to contain tens of millions of people, but it was still packed to the brim, even more so than usual. Everyone was brimming with excitement. They were here to witness the return of the Mad Rogue, the return of the king! This was sure to be a historic moment.
Three years, an entire three years! When news of Nie Yan being shot came out, countless guild members felt a huge blow to their hearts. Many even cried. He had guided Asskickers United down the path of glory, going from nothing to becoming the ruler of the Righteous Faction. Many people joined the guild as nobodies, slowly maturing over the years. The feelings these old veterans had for Nie Yan were extremely deep. Finally, he was coming back! He hadn't forgotten about them!
…
Sword of the War God.
Smoke Stub glanced at the guild chat, then turned to the others with a faint smile. "Looks like Nie Yan is coming back. How about we go back and welcome him home?"
"You sure this information is legit? If he's planning to come back, you'd think he would tell us first. Someone might just be spreading rumours," Bladelight said.
"It doesn't really matter. He has already disabled appear offline. With so many people gathering in Okoron, he has no choice but to show himself." Smoke Stub laughed.
Bladelight thought for a moment. It made sense. "Alright, let's head back!"
The rest of the team erupted into cheers. Sun, Undying Scoundrel, Lustboy, all of them were excited beyond belief. With a flash of light, they teleported back to Okoron.
Watching Bladelight and the others appearing in Okoron, everyone was even more sure Nie Yan was making his return. Their boisterous cheers shook the city to its very core.
…
Nie Yan made a run to the Starry Night Potion Shop. He originally wanted to take care of a few things, then get in touch with Bladelight and the others. But by simply appearing online again, he had caused such a huge commotion. He was a little taken aback.
It seemed futile to keep hiding. So, Nie Yan sent Bladelight, Smoke Stub, and the others a message. Taking off his cloak, he walked straight past the Starry Night Potion Shop and toward the Asskickers United guild headquarters.
Seeing a player in the middle of the street revealing himself to be Nirvana Flame, all the players in the vicinity stared at him in shock before quickly parting ways to let him through.
"Boss!"
"Boss, do you remember me?"
…
Some Asskickers United players in the surroundings yelled out to him. They didn't expect Nie Yan to reveal himself here. They could hardly contain their excitement.
Nie Yan nodded back with a faint smile. It had been three years. Even though he had forgotten the names of many of the people before him, he still recognized them. His heart was filled with a myriad of feelings. Three years ago, he had briefly died. Fortunately, he was given a new lease on life. Seeing these people again, he couldn't help but sigh with deep emotion.
As Nie Yan continued walking towards the guild headquarters, from everywhere people started following behind him.
Even though Nie Yan knew his return would cause a huge reaction, he didn't expect it would be to this extent. Okoron was even more packed than usual, tens of millions all here to see his return!
In the blink of an eye, the entirety of Asskickers United knew of Nie Yan's return.
Nie Yan glanced at the guild chat. It was moving so fast he couldn't possibly keep up, only seeing a few messages.
「Boss, welcome home!」
After catching a glimpse of this message, Nie Yan fought back the urge to let his tears come out. He wondered how Bladelight, Smoke Stub, Sun, and them were doing.
The players following behind Nie Yan started taking notice of his equipment. He'd hidden the stats of his equipment, but they could tell from its appearance what grade it was. Their minds trembled in shock. All Sacred-grade, and it looked like a set!
All six pieces had a sleek and stylish appearance and sparkled with a metallic lustre. Just above their surface circulated streams of azure light, which gave off an ice cold aura. They couldn't help but shiver.
Thinking back to the video of Nie Yan soloing the Umbra Demon Kings, they guessed this equipment set had an astonishing aura or domain type ability as well as that ice rupture effect. As they thought about that monstrous damage, they couldn't help but shudder in fear.
Nie Yan leisurely strode forward, wearing a calm expression on his face. Yet the players around him felt an untouchable prestige. The person before them was the undefeated legend, the Mad Rogue who accomplished countless impossible feats! His name alone gave off a sense of pressure.
A few minutes later, the entrance to the guild headquarters was already within view. Gathered there were several thousand of the guild's elites standing in rank and file. Seeing these passionate faces, Nie Yan couldn't feel more at home. He recognized many of them by name. Three years ago, they had fought shoulder-to-shoulder with him in leading Asskickers United to glory!
"Boss!"
"Boss, you're back!"
…
Many players let their tears run freely as their emotions got the better of them.
Nie Yan spotted Bladelight, Smoke Stub, Sun, King of the World, and the others.
Bladelight walked up to Nie Yan and gave him one big bearhug. Afterwards, he stepped back and patted him on the shoulder with a hearty smile. "You lil' punk. You finally have the nerve to show yourself, huh?"
"Big Bro!" Sun excitedly walked forward, his face full of snot and tears.
Tang Yao and King of the World were more calm. After all, they still interacted with Nie Yan regularly in real life.
Nie Yan's heart was deeply moved. He swept his gaze over the crowd gathered around him. Smoke Stub, Undying Scoundrel, Young Seven, Mistaken Smile… seeing all these familiar faces, he fought back the urge to holler at the top of his lungs that he was finally back.
"The king has returned, the monarch overlooking the world!"
"All hail the Mad Rogue!"
…
No one knew who was the first to yell out these words, but the rest of the crowd quickly followed suit. Their passionate cheers rumbled like thunder, threatening to bring all of Okoron down. One could imagine how loud they were. All the non-guild members in the scene paled in fright. They finally understood why Asskickers United always came out on top in an impossible situation and how they rose up to become the ruler of the Righteous Faction.
Even though Asskickers United remained relatively stable over these past three years, everyone in the guild felt like something intrinsic was missing without Nie Yan. With his return, all of them lost themselves in excitement. He was the spiritual pillar of the guild. As long as he was there, they felt invincible. This was the power of a leader!
The Mad Rogue was the glory of Asskickers United, their symbol of invincibility.
Okoron descended into a state of merriment. Countless Asskickers United players surged through the streets and gathered around the guild headquarters. Several million players were packed so closely together around the guild headquarters that their feet didn't touch the ground anymore.
Nie Yan climbed to the top of the highest tower in the guild headquarters. He looked over the sea of people, all of them eagerly looking up and waiting for him to speak.
Even the roofs of nearby buildings were packed with players! They were all cheering.
"Long live Asskickers United! Long live Nirvana Flame!"
Nie Yan's heart stirred with emotion and a sense of pride. This was the feeling of overlooking the world! As long as he gave the word, millions of players would sweep through all enemies in his path!
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Chapter 984 – Chapter of Holiness!
Nie Yan swept his gaze over the crowd below. He could sense the passion and emotions stirring in each and every one of them.
Bladelight put a hand on Nie Yan's shoulder and said with a smile, "Go on. They're all waiting for you to speak."
"Yeah, Big Bro! They've all been waiting for your return," Sun chimed in.
Tang Yao, Smoke Stub, and the rest nodded in agreement.
Nie Yan looked down at the excited crowd. "Brothers, it's been three long years. I'm finally back. I am so happy to see all of you again. You know, I was looking at the guild chat earlier and saw some say, 'Boss, welcome home!' Yes, I am home, and I'm deeply touched, touched that so many of you didn't forget me, didn't give up on me. To be honest with all of you, I'm overwhelmed that so many of you showed up here today. I vividly remember as though it happened yesterday how we fought shoulder-to-shoulder together and broke through all obstacles to rule the Righteous Faction. Today, for the sake of those who fought and still fight with us, for the glory of Asskickers United, join me again as we continue on this path of glory!"
Nie Yan pointed Zennarde's Sword toward the sky, the blazing azure flames reflecting the excitement in his heart.
"Long live Asskickers United!"
"Long live Nirvana Flame!"
"Defeat Fallen Angel and rule the world!"
…
The roaring cheers of the crowd shook all of Okoron. Nie Yan knew speaking any more words would simply be superfluous. He was back. That was all that mattered to these players. Their morale skyrocketed to an all time high.
Over the next few hours, Okoron was livelier than ever as Asskickers United launched a massive celebration for the Mad Rogue's return.
Nie Yan entered a conference hall in the guild headquarters. Guo Huai and the others were already waiting for him.
"Thank you. I know it's been tough on you guys," Nie Yan said. He truly meant these words from the bottom of his heart. When news of him being shot came out, Asskickers United might have very well collapsed were it not for the efforts of Guo Huai, Bladelight, and the rest. They fended off the guilds that rose to prominence in his absence, and kept Asskickers United a coherent whole.
"Pfft! What is this courteous and polite nonsense? Don't treat us like strangers!" Guo Huai said with a smile.
"Right! When we hit the bar later, you can treat us to a few rounds!" Bladelight laughed.
"Consider it your punishment. Going off on a honeymoon with Yao Yao, and leaving us behind! We thought you'd forgotten us!" Smoke Stub broke into a smile. "It's good to have you back."
Nie Yan smiled at King of the World and Tang Yao.
They held a short celebration in the conference hall. After all, Nie Yan's return was an enormous deal.
Nie Yan took the opportunity to get to know some of the new faces. The number of elite experts under Asskickers United's banner reached the tens of thousands. Many were no less inferior to the likes of Undying Scoundrel, Summer Bug, and them. They had all joined after his departure from the game. For many of them, this was their first time meeting him. Still, he recognized more than half of them, since they were famous experts in his past life. Howling Wind and his group had also arrived. All these talented people were his subordinates. It really was like a dream.
"Guo Huai, how has Fallen Angel reacted to my return?" Nie Yan asked. News of his return had definitely reached Plenty's ears by now.
"It's strange. There seems to be no reaction whatsoever. Their members are talking about it, but apart from pacifying some worries, their staff members haven't expressed any thoughts. Their main team still hasn't returned either, and Plenty is nowhere to be found," Guo Huai replied.
"Looks like Plenty is really feeling the heat. He's probably holed himself up somewhere to raise his level," Bladelight said.
"I wonder if he's succeeded in becoming a Legend."
"Hard to say…"
…
Everyone chimed in with their thoughts.
Nie Yan eventually raised his hand, signalling everyone to calm down. "I'm going to complete a few quests by myself, then head to the Evil Faction to see what's going on down there for myself."
"Boss, you sure you don't want us to come with you?"
"No need. I'll be going alone." Nie Yan shook his head.
Bladelight, Smoke Stub, and the others didn't show much surprise. They weren't at all worried. There was a reason why Nie Yan remained undefeated. Even if he headed to the Evil Faction alone, he would still be fine.
"What quests do you still need to do?" Bladelight asked. "Need our help with anything?"
"They're all unique, exclusive quests, including completing the Book of Order," Nie Yan said. With his current strength, these quests wouldn't take much time or effort.
"Big Bro, before you go, let us hand over the chapters from the Book of Order we collected for you," Sun said.
"Ah, right. Yeah, that sounds good." Nie Yan nodded. He needed all the chapters to complete the Book of Order anyway. There was no need to refuse out of politeness.
The party lasted for two hours before everyone dispersed. Nie Yan had Sun and the others hand over their chapters from the Book of Order. Of course, they were non-transferable items and could only drop upon death.
A dazzling radiance shone from Nie Yan's bags. The scattered chapters fused into complete volumes. Five volumes and five chapters neatly lay inside his inventory.
These five volumes were divided into the Glimpse of Darkness, Glimpse Of Light, Glimpse of Ice, Glimpse of Thunder, and Glimpse of Fire. The Glimpse of Darkness gave the greatest stat bonuses for a Thief with the Glimpse of Light coming in second. The other three volumes didn't benefit Nie Yan as much, but they were still good. To complete the Glimpse of Divinity and with that the Book of Order, he only needed to find the Chapter of Holiness. Afterwards, he would have another Sacred item in his possession and would be bestowed the title of Supreme Pontiff.
According to rumours, the Chapter of Holiness was in the hands of a Level 200 Demonified Lord called the Void Walker. Nie Yan could only defeat it himself. To others, a boss like the Void Walker was near impossible to beat. To draw a comparison, for the sake of obtaining the last chapter of the Book of Chaos, Plenty had expended an untold amount of effort just to defeat the Level 200 Demonified Lord the Divine Djinn. At that time, Plenty was already level 205. Fortunately, retrieving the Chapter of Holiness would be a cake walk for Nie Yan. After all, he could already solo Level 210 Demonified Lords. What did he have to fear of the Level 200 Void Walker?
Over the next few days, Nie Yan completely engrossed himself in questing. Finally, he found himself at the entrance to the Void Palace, a place deep within the Chaos Temple. Behind those gates was the Level 200 Void Walker.
The Void Palace was the only place in the Chaos Temple that hadn't been explored yet. Most teams weren't strong enough to kill the monsters guarding the entrance. And even those teams who did kill the guards found themselves stuck, as the gates wouldn't budge no matter how they tried. So, they could only turn back in dejection.
Nie Yan stared at the gates, his three giant dragon pets proudly standing behind him. If others were to see him trying to enter the Void Palace alone, they would turn pale in fright.
Nie Yan placed his palm on the gate. It instantly lit up with a dazzling radiance as the gates slowly rumbled open. He blurred into motion and dashed straight toward the Void Walker.
The Divine Eclipse Dragon used Doppelganger and split into five bodies. The 10 heads all started chanting extremely powerful single-target Forbidden Magic.
The Void Walker roared out and slashed out with its ethereal claws. However, no matter how it attacked, it couldn't land a single hit on Nie Yan.
A dense shower of spells rained down on the Void Walker, causing it to wail out in pain.
A Level 200 Demonified Lord was actually powerless to fight back!
To Nie Yan, fighting this Void Walker was like a walk in the park. The monster continuously wailed out in pain as its health plummeted down. Even a team of apex experts wouldn't necessarily be able to match this damage!
About 10 minutes later, the Void Walker let out a final mournful cry. Its body started falling apart as it disintegrated into nothing.
To Nie Yan's surprise, nothing dropped after the Void Walker died.
"Where's the Chapter of Holiness?" Nie Yan knitted his brows. He looked around the palace hall and found a passage leading to who knew where.
So the Chapter of Holiness wasn't on the Void Walker after all! The passage was too narrow for the three dragons to fit in. Nie Yan thought for a moment before activating Gale Step and dashing in.
The scene that greeted Nie Yan left him gasping in shock. At the end of the passage was a long flight of stairs. It was about two meters wide, leading up to the endless void. The only interruption were the flaming green meteors streaking past.
This scene was more spectacular than tens of thousands of meteor spells combined together. It seemed like the work of an invincible Mage.
Even though there were countless meteors streaking through the void, none of them struck the stairs.
For the sake of obtaining the Chapter of Holiness, Nie Yan was willing to brave any danger, to say nothing of the fact he had absolute confidence in his strength now. Even if he did meet with danger, he could rely on his skills to turn the situation around to his advantage.
As Nie Yan ascended the stairs, he felt like he was walking through the void.
Nie Yan had no idea where he was anymore. Around him was a boundless void, and the stairs continued stretching upward without end. It felt similar to the dimension inside the Dark Demonic Space.
After climbing more than 200,000 steps, Nie Yan finally saw a black gate up ahead. It was sealed shut. On it were various strange engravings. He was instantly curious. What could lay beyond here?
Thinking to this point, a speck of light entered Nie Yan's vision. There appeared to be something floating in front of the gate.
That light couldn't be more familiar to Nie Yan.
It was unmistakably a chapter from the Book of Order, the Chapter of Holiness!
Nie Yan's face lit up with elation. The final chapter was almost within reach!
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Chapter 985 – Book of Order
The Chapter of Holiness floated in the void, emanating a powerful holy aura.
The last remaining chapter! The title of Supreme Pontiff was within grasp!
Nie Yan had started to realize a certain truth over the years while playing Conviction. The strong only grew stronger! Those more skilled than their peers could complete more difficult quests and obtain better gear and skills. With this better equipment, they could naturally take on even higher difficulty quests and get their hands on even better loot. Like this, they would pull farther and farther ahead from ordinary players.
Nie Yan was a prime example. After becoming a Legend, many things became much easier to obtain, such as the final chapter from the Book of Order and the Supreme Pontiff title. After obtaining these things, his strength would rise by another level, and he would pull even farther ahead.
Nie Yan climbed up to the top of the stairs and stopped in front of the floating Chapter of Holiness. He reached out to it with his hand.
The Chapter of Holiness appeared to sense the other chapters in Nie Yan's possession and started whirling around, giving off a gentle white light.
Nie Yan grabbed the Chapter of Holiness and placed it inside his bag. The remaining chapters slowly came together, releasing a dazzling light before merging into a complete volume. Afterwards, the six volumes fused together into a thick book. The front cover was made out of some unknown material while the edges were embroidered with gold thread. It was worn out and drab, evidence of its long history. Written on the cover in Ancient Common were the bolded words, Book of Order.
Nie Yan wondered what the stats of the completed Book of Order were. However, the stairs beneath his feet started shaking violently before he had a chance to find out. Countless cracks spread across the enormous black gate in front of him.
The whole place was about to go down!
Nie Yan's heart shook. He didn't dare to dally here any longer. He bolted away with Gale Step.
BANG! BANG! BANG! A cacophony of explosions rang out behind him.
The meteors, each of them hundreds of times larger than the ones summoned by Forbidden Magic, started raining down on the stairs. They obliterated large sections as they smashed through the steps.
A meteor crashed down directly below Nie Yan. BOOM! Hundreds of steps exploded into the void.
Nie Yan halted his steps. His way down was cut off!
Three notification and announcement jingles rang next to Nie Yan's ears. He had no time to check what they were. Just as he was about to summon the Spectre Dragon and fly away, several meteors came falling right towards him.
"Crap, I'm done for." Nie Yan despaired. Thankfully, he didn't have anything on him that would drop on death. His several Sacred items were all bound to him. That included the Death God's Edge, which bound to him after completing the quest in Hell, and the Book of Order which was now complete. So, he would only lose some experience.
BANG! BANG! BANG! Nie Yan felt an overwhelming heat engulfing him before all went dark.
A while later, Nie Yan revived in the graveyard. Looking at his experience bar, he felt it was well worth it. He obtained the Book of Order at a small loss of experience that didn't even see him drop a level.
Nie Yan glanced at the notifications and announcements he received.
Nirvana Flame has completed the Book of Order. In two hours, Archangel Tallod will descend on the Temple of Light in Calore and officially bestow him the title of Supreme Pontiff in a coronation ceremony.
Nirvana Flame has opened the Entrance to the Void World.
Invasion of the Void World: Inhabitants of the Atlanta continent, for the preservation of humanity, return to your cities and fight off the invaders from a foreign world. May the God of Light be with you.
Jebiath the Great has died. You have failed the quest "Elder Redwin's Betrayal." Jebiah the Great's Scepter Fragment has disappeared.
Before Nie Yan could comprehend what was going on, he received a second string of announcements.
Calore is under siege by creatures from the void. Calling all players for assistance.
Okoron is under siege by creatures from the void. Calling all players for assistance.
Nisode is under siege by creatures from the void. Calling all players for assistance.
…
Nie Yan received more than 30 such announcements in total. He was flabbergasted. Did him grabbing a single chapter really cause such a huge event?
Unbeknownst to Nie Yan, the trigger condition for the release of the Void World was the completion of both the Book of Order and Book of Chaos. Since Plenty had already completed the Book of Chaos, Nie Yan completing the Book of Order became the key to opening the floodgates.
Since this was a trigger event, Great Prophecy couldn't predict it.
Invasion of the Void World, this sounded like another major expansion.
In two hours, Nie Yan had to be in the Temple of Light in Calore to be coronated as the Supreme Pontiff. However, with the invasion of the void, the entirety of the Atlanta continent was in chaos. Likely, it wouldn't be as grand of an event as the crowning of the Chairman of the Dark Council.
Be it Nie Yan completing the Book of Order, receiving the Supreme Pontiff title, or the opening of the Void World, it triggered a huge uproar among the playerbase. So many major events were clustered together. Everyone was dumbstruck.
「Guo Huai, what's the situation like on your side right now?」Nie Yan asked.
「It's complete and utter chaos here. All our strongholds are under siege from void creatures. There are too many of them. We can't hold on.」Guo Huai anxiously reported.
Nie Yan pondered for a moment. Every now and then in Conviction, a major event would rear its ugly head to wreck immense havoc, forcing players to rebuild from the ruins. It was only a matter of time for this invasion of the void to happen.
「What about the Evil Faction?」Nie Yan asked. He hoped the void creatures were also invading the underworld and not just the surface, or else it would be really unfair.
「They're also under siege. I'm guessing Plenty is tearing his hair out trying to deal with it.」
「I see, that's good. Since everyone is being attacked, whoever can survive this calamity will be the victor. I'll return to Okoron immediately!」Nie Yan said. He skimmed through the guild chat and pieced together a rough picture of what happened. After he completed the Book of Order, innumerable green meteors starting raining down all over the Atlanta continent. After they crashed into the ground—obliterating many man made structures and even entire towns—they opened up to reveal hordes of void creatures. These monsters started hunting down the players in the wilderness. Before long, they found themselves without players left to feast on. Not satisfied with this, they started attacking settlements and cities too.
The weakest among these void creatures were ordinary Level 180 monsters. Among them there were countless, Void Walkers, Void Slaughterers, and Void Predators; Level 200, 210, and 220 Lords respectively. There were even Demonified Lords. The players in the cities fought back fiercely. However, taking down these void creatures required enormous manpower. On average, tens of thousands of players were required to deal with a single Void Walker!
Under the siege of the void creatures, strongholds were quickly lost; especially those of which that were hit by the meteors. The cities fared somewhat better. With countless powerful NPCS guarding them, they could put up a decent resistance.
Nie Yan was puzzled about one thing. What did Jebiah the Great's death and Elder Redwin's Betrayal have to do with the invasion of the void? He'd been putting off that quest for who knew how long without issue. But now he'd suddenly received a notification that he failed it. Thankfully, there weren't any penalties, nor did the quest disappear as a new continuation opened up. Could it be that Elder Redwin had something to do with this invasion?
Nie Yan didn't have the luxury to continue pondering this question. He would have to deal with things as they came. Plus, this was also a blessing in disguise for him. With his current strength, these high level Lords were perfect food for him. He could seize this opportunity to power level!
Nie Yan still hadn't had a chance to check out the Book of Order. He pulled it out and examined it.
Book of Order (Sacred): Inheritance Item
Description: Only the holder of the Book of Order will receive God's inheritance and become the Righteous Faction's Supreme Pontiff. Your mission is to spread the glory of light. The owner of this item may mobilize the army of the Temple of Light and give out orders to all its followers.
Properties: All Stats 300%, Experience 80%, Magic Item Drop Rate 10%, All Skills Max Rank, Dark Magic Immunity, Physical Damage Reduction 80%. Access to all skills and spells; the user may learn up to 100 of them at any time (Some effects cancelled out by the Book of Chaos).
Restrictions: Nirvana Flame
Note: Item effects are applied immediately upon entering the player's bag.
The Book of Order was undoubtedly amazing. As an item that took effect just by sitting in the player's bag, it could only be described as heaven defying. Then again, it was one of the ultimate items in Conviction. For it to have these kinds of properties wasn't shocking.
Nie Yan was especially taken aback by the fact that he had access to all skills and spells and could learn up to 100 at any given time. Likely, the Book of Chaos also gave something similar. If he didn't have the Book of Order and rashly challenged Plenty, he would've probably suffered a humiliating defeat. It appeared Plenty was still holding back. Thankfully, he wasn't hot-headed.
What Nie Yan didn't know was that the Book of Chaos was completely different from the Book of Order. But since the properties of the Book of Chaos weren't public, he had know way of knowing what they were.
Nie Yan obtained another item that didn't lose out to any other Sacred-grade piece of equipment. His strength soared up by another level. He could probably stand as an equal among the Legendary NPCs now.
Plenty probably saw in the void creatures the same as Nie Yan, a great opportunity to level up. Nie Yan's heart was filled with eagerness and competitive spirit. As he tightly gripped Zennarde's Sword in his hand, the flames blazed brightly. "Let's see who can kill them faster, Plenty!"
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Chapter 986 – Absolute Might!
When Nie Yan returned to Okoron, he found the whole place in chaos. Countless players were rushing towards the city walls. However, they couldn't stop some void creatures from breaking through the city's defenses. They floated ominously above the ground, resembling mega sized spectres with sharp teeth and claws. The troops from Asskickers United desperately fought back against them.
A Void Walker moved through the city, toppling down buildings while completely brushing off the shower of magic raining down it.
Even though the players fighting the Void Walker were panicked and confused, they still managed to form a relatively effective resistance.
"Mages, take position to the left. Use the buildings as cover. Maintain your damage output! Warriors, protect the Mages!" a Priest from Asskickers United ordered. The players in the surroundings rallied under his leadership.
BANG! BANG! BANG! The Warriors charged forward while the Mages bombarded the Void Walker with their magic.
A Level 200 Demonified Lord was normally an untouchable existence for ordinary players. However, by throwing enough bodies at it, they slowly whittled its health down.
"HREEEEEK!" the Void Walker cried out, wrecking the surrounding buildings with one clean slash.
Just at this moment, Nie Yan arrived on the scene. Okoron was his city. He had poured an untold amount of blood and sweat on it. Seeing the Void Walker wantonly destroying everything he had worked so hard for, his expression turned ice cold.
Nie Yan disappeared from his spot and reappeared right below the Void Walker. He slashed out with Zennarde's Sword as a string of frightening damage values floated up above its head. Three minutes later, it let out a mournful wail and collapsed to the ground.
Nie Yan glanced at his experience bar. It had only filled up by a tiny bit. As for the loot, he left it where it was. The city needed him right now, and he wasn't about to let it fall because he was preoccupied with something as unimportant as that.
The players in the vicinity were dumbstruck. They'd been fighting the Void Walker for who knew how long and only brought its health down to 90%. Yet a single person had come around and took care of it in the blink of an eye.
"That Thief, that dagger… it's the boss!" the Priest exclaimed as he stared at Nie Yan's departing silhouette. "No doubt about it, the boss is here!"
This small piece of news sent waves through the players from Asskickers United as they started fighting with even greater ferocity.
The non-guild members dumbly starred in the direction Nie Yan disappeared in. So, that was Nirvana Flame? How strong! This was their first time seeing Nie Yan live in action. Under the blade of Zennarde's Sword, a Level 200 Demonified Lord was nothing more than helpless prey!
Nie Yan was putting out fires all over Okoron, bumping into Bladelight and other familiar faces along the way. They were also working hard to drive the void creatures out of the city.
"Nie Yan, the east gate needs help! I'll go with Smoke Stub to back up the west gate!" Bladelight said.
"Got it!" Nie Yan said before dashing off.
…
Okoron, east gate. Several hundred thousand Asskickers United players were on the walls, beating back the void creatures outside. The arrow towers and catapults were firing at full power.
Undying Scoundrel was the man in charge at the east gate. From atop the wall, he gravely looked at the endless sea of void creatures, with no small number of high level Demonified Lords among them. The Mages had already cast 60 Forbidden Spells to kill just one of them. They were too strong, and there were simply too many of them! Their every attack would break large chunks off the wall. It wouldn't be long before the east gate would fall.
「Scoundrel, we can't hold on any longer!」
「Send up the three Magisters who still have their Forbidden Magic! Cast them one after another!」Undying Scoundrel shouted.
A Level 220 Demonified Lord-class Void Predator managed to scale the walls and slashed down with its monstrous claws. BAANG! The walls shook violently as several dozen players were sent flying.
For many of them it wasn't their first death since the void invasion. Even so, they didn't hesitate to rush back from the graveyard and continue helping in the city's defense. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the walls were starting to crumble.
The players on the walls desperately tried to fend of the enemy. If worse came to worst, they could only retreat from the walls and set up a defensive line in the city. However, that meant Okoron would suffer even greater destruction.
At this moment, seven dragons appeared out of nowhere on the city wall.
The players from Asskickers United were briefly taken aback before realizing who these dragons belonged to. Their eyes lit up with joy.
A silhouette rushed forward to greet the Void Predator.
「Scoundrel, focus all your attacks on whichever monster I'm attacking!」Nie Yan ordered.
「Understood, Boss!」Undying Scoundrel relaxed someone as he passed on the message to his men.「Everyone, the boss is here! Listen to my orders!」
「It's the boss!」
Morale instantly skyrocketed. Nie Yan's presence was an enormous source of confidence for these players.
「Listen to Scoundrel!」
「Follow my lead! Help the boss!」Undying Scoundrel shouted.
Nie Yan struck the Void Predator with his Backbreaker of Nirvana Flame. BANG! An explosion of ice ruptured out from the wound, halting its movements. Immediately after, the Forbidden Magic from the dragons along with the spells from the Mages came raining down.
An assault of more than 50,000 spells!
About a minute later, the Void Predator let out a mournful cry and collapsed to the ground.
Nie Yan glanced at the Void Predator's remains and noticed something sparkling. "Void metal!" He reached down and grabbed it. Upon closer examination, he discovered it was Void Silver Ore! Not a bad harvest. Every ore was definitely precious!
After taking down the first Void Predator, Nie Yan immediately locked onto the next. He pounced forward with a Legendary Nightmare Beheader!
Nie Yan had taken the two Legendary skill books for Thieves that were in Asskickers United's guild treasury. One was Nightmare Beheader and the other was Shadow Escape.
Nightmare Beheader's range couldn't compare to Annihilation Slash. However, its damage wasn't any bit inferior, and its cooldown was much shorter. It worked best on a single target!
BANG! The Void Predator took a heavy blow and staggered several steps back.
The Void Predator was about to retaliate, when a locust swarm spell came whistling over. The locust swarm engulfed it, interrupting its attack. Nie Yan seized the opportunity and circled around with a Lacerate.
PSFHT! Ice rupture proc'd again!
About a minute later, the second Void Predator fell under the fierce assault.
As for the weaker Level 180 Void Wolves in the vicinity, they couldn't endure the bitter cold of Jotunheim's Descent and instantly froze to death.
Nie Yan had Kalenna protect him with Kalenna's Guardian Barrier. It almost tickled as multiple Demonified Lords attacked him together.
Asskickers United's players were left speechless. No matter how much they attacked, they couldn't deal with a single Void Predator. However, with Nie Yan's arrival, they killed two in the span of a short few minutes. His position in their hearts rose even higher as they once more viewed him as an invincible god.
Seeing Nie Yan's silhouette flickering around the battlefield like a phantom, they wondered how long it would take for them to reach his level.
They could only rely on the protection of the walls to deal damage to the void creatures. Meanwhile, Nie Yan dared to charge into the frightening sea of monsters all by himself. What astonishing strength!
「M-my God! Look at our stats!」a Mage shouted.
「36 blessings! Holy crap! No wonder our damage increased by so much after the boss arrived! Before we were barely hitting in the double digits. Now, we're hitting in the several thousands!」
Kalenna's blessings weren't just for Nie Yan, but for all his nearby allies too!
It was a pity the second Void Predator he killed didn't drop any void metal. Nie Yan picked up a piece of equipment. It was a Level 200 Legendary void metal chestplate. Its stats were pretty decent. He tossed it into his bag.
Under Nie Yan's leadership, Asskickers United launched an all-out counterattack. They focused on the Demonified Lords, which fell beneath his blade one after another. As for the ordinary Level 180 Void Wolves, they were swept away by the Divine Eclipse Dragon's AoE magic.
As the Divine Eclipse Dragon's light and dark Forbidden Magic rained down on the battlefield, countless void creatures were vaporized into nothing.
Ding dong! Nie Yan glanced at his level. He had reached Level 203!
What astonishing levelling speed!
Not only Nie Yan, everyone else received a lot of experience too. More than 80% of the players had at least levelled up once. Some even levelled up two or three times!
About an hour later, the void creatures at the east gate were almost completely wiped out, the ground littered with corpses. There were only a few stragglers left alive. Nie Yan didn't stick around for them as he immediately headed elsewhere.
An hour and 50 minutes later, Nie Yan levelled up again. He smacked his lips in satisfaction. With the release of the Void World, levelling became much faster. At the same time, he also received a notification.
You have killed 36,000 void creatures and obtained the Allied Army Legion Commander title.
You have obtained a Void Silver Ore.
Nie Yan was puzzled. What was the Allied Army Legion Commander? Would it give him something useful?
That said, the Void Silver Ore was a pleasant surprise. Apart from this one, he'd also obtained five from killing Void Predators.
Nie Yan wondered if he could upgrade the Tyrant Abak Set again with the Void Silver. Then again, the Tyrant Abak Set was already quite powerful. If he couldn't use it, he could always pass it on to Bladelight and them.
Thanks to the efforts of the players form Asskickers United, most of the void creatures around Okoron were eventually cleared away. However, there were still many void creatures in the wilderness. Sooner or later, they would come swarming over. So, they had to take advantage of this brief period of peace to strengthen their defenses and prepare for the next wave.
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Chapter 987 – Fallen Angel, Get Ready!
Calore, Temple of Light. The flames of battle couldn't reach here, a gentle holy aura in the air.
News of Nie Yan's coronation ceremony had quickly spread around the Righteous Faction. Even though the situation across the continent was chaotic right now, many people still came to witness this historic moment.
After all, the Supreme Pontiff held the highest authority in the Righteous Faction.
The main hall in the Temple of Light was packed with players. A red carpet was rolled out that led directly to a seat at the front of the room. The throne of the Supreme Pontiff! A symbol of absolute authority!
In front of the throne was Archangel Tallod clad in his silver white armour. The ethereal wings of light on his back fluttered back and forth. His palms rested on the pommel of his greatsword, which was pointed downward toward the ground. He appeared dignified.
After the Gates of Hell opened, many players became familiar with Archangel Tallod. Seeing his dignified expression, they knew better than to open their mouth. Even though the main hall was packed, it was deathly silent, so much so that you could hear a pin drop.
Bladelight, Smoke Stub, and the others weren't present. They were busy protecting Okoron. Besides, the coronation ceremony was merely a formality.
Nie Yan entered the hall, slowly walking over the red carpet. Looking at Archangel Tallod and the throne behind him, he still couldn't help but feel excited. From the beginning of the game to now, from an ordinary player to the Supreme Pontiff, the journey truly wasn't easy.
Nie Yan scanned the room before landing on a familiar face. Standing in the crowd right below the throne was Xie Yao. She had an indescribable grace about her, making her stand out like a snow lotus in full bloom.
As they met eyes, Xie Yao broke into a smile so gentle and enchanting that time appeared to come to a halt.
Whenever Xie Yao was by his side, Nie Yan felt like he could accomplish anything.
Nie Yan slowly strode forward, all eyes following his every step. The crowd felt like they were watching the ruler overlooking the world as reverence filled their hearts. He was about to officially become the Supreme Pontiff of the Temple of Light!
Nie Yan was an unreachable, god-like existence to countless players!
Many members of the crowd belonged to Asskickers United. They excitedly watched as Nie Yan approached Tallod, their eyes welling up with emotion. As they recalled the brilliance of his past achievements, they couldn't help but feel their hearts race and boil with excitement. It was him who had led them to the peak of honour and glory!
Nie Yan stopped in front of Archangel Tallod, who placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Holder of the Book of Order, Nirvana Flame, are you willing to inherit God's glory and spread the faith of his light?" Archangel Tallod asked.
"Yes, I'm willing," Nie Yan said. He felt a heavy pressure just by being in Archangel Tallod's presence. What an overwhelming aura! It was far more powerful than any Legendary NPC!
"Nirvana Flame, will you accept the title of Supreme Pontiff and become the executioner of God's will?" Archangel Tallod asked.
"Yes, I'm willing!" Nie Yan answered. Under the weight of Archangel Tallod's aura, he showed the utmost respect, not daring to show the slightest arrogance.
"Hereby I grant you the absolute authority to lead the followers of the Temple of Light. Fight bravely! May God's light be with you!" Archangel Tallod finished. A dazzling radiance brimming with an unrivalled power power fell over Nie Yan,
Nie Yan felt every pore of his being surging with strength.
Within the radiance, Archangel Tallod took out a golden crown and placed it over Nie Yan's head. His stately voice lingered in Nie Yan's ears.
"As I bathe in the light of Heaven, God has granted me an immortal body. Archangel Tallod has bestowed upon me supreme authority. As the Supreme Pontiff of the Temple of Light, I will declare war against the darkness and make sure His light illuminates every corner of the land. I will drive off all evil from this world and dispel all of humanity's sickness. I am this world's king!"Nie Yan's deep voice reverberated out.
A powerful aura swept out, causing the players in the surroundings to pale in shock. They didn't dare to show any resistance as they knelt before him in submission.
Nie Yan's eyes swept over the crowd. It was as if his gaze could see through all. The players felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.
Finally, the players from Asskickers United erupted into cheers.
"Supreme Pontiff! Supreme Pontiff!"
"Long live Nirvana Flame!"
…
Nie Yan lightly nodded. He could finally mobilize the army of the Temple of Light! Opening his status page, he noticed an additional tab for summoning NPC troops, which comprised a 200,000 strong Paladin Legion, 20,000 strong Priest Legion, and 50,000 strong Holy Griffon Knight Legion.
With the threat of the void creatures still looming over them, Nie Yan instantly mobilized them. They would help the cities across the continent in repelling this invasion.
After the coronation ceremony, Archangel Tallod stayed in the Temple of Light. From now on, he would personally oversee the temple in Calore. With him here, Calore would never fall!
Nie Yan took his crown in his hands and inspected it. It gave zero stats, but it represented the highest position and authority!
The cheering of the players from Asskickers United could be heard all across Calore. Nie Yan faintly smiled. The coronation ceremony gave him a brand new feeling. Today marked the day that he had reached the highest peak in Conviction! From now on, he would rule over the entire Righteous Faction! Perhaps in the future, his influence would even spread to the underworld!
Staring at Nie Yan who bathed in a holy radiance, Xie Yao started reminiscing about the past. When they first met, she didn't know why, but from the first moment she felt like they were connected by destiny. In these past seven years, countless things had happened, all of which had become her most cherished memories. While Nie Yan sought higher and higher glory, she was simply content simply being by his side.
The celebration after the coronation ceremony lasted for a few hours. The Asskickers United players in Okoron were also endlessly excited. Watching the video of the event, they wished nothing more than to be there in person. Unfortunately, they had to stay behind and defend Okoron.
The guild members shared their joy in the guild chat.
「Archangel Tallod crowned the boss Supreme Pontiff!」
「The title of Supreme Pontiff and Chairman of the Dark Council basically cancel each other out. He can definitely beat Plenty now!」
「That's for sure!」
「Boss, we'll follow you wherever you go! Lead us to victory against Fallen Angel!」
…
Nie Yan glanced at the guild chat. He was pretty much set on heading down to the Evil Faction. However, with the opening of the void, he could still raise his level a bit more first!
Lost in thought, Nie Yan's pet space suddenly erupted with a powerful energy. His heart trembled. The Darkwing Dragon broke through to Rank 10! It had increased in size by several times over with a wing span of well over 100 meters! Nie Yan was speechless. It had practically become a flying fortress. Its scales even radiated a faint holy aura. He had probably triggered some special evolution during the coronation ceremony.
The sole Rank 10 Legendary flying mount! At this moment, the Darkwing Dragon was once more the supreme ruler of the skies!
The Spectre Dragon also showed signs of breaking through. However, it likely wouldn't come into play in the underworld.
Karsi's quest had a time limit of three years. However, no one had ever completed it. Nie Yan reaccepted the quest and headed out of Calore before summoning the Darkwing Dragon. Hopping on its back, he took to the air and paid a visit to the Roth Wetlands and Abyss Caverns of the Lorang Mountain Range.
This quest was rather easy to Nie Yan now. Even though Cerberus was strong, it was nothing more than a Level 200 Demonified Lord. With his current strength, he could make quick work out of it. He finished the quest in just under two hours.
After saving the eight surviving members of the Ten Holy Paladins, they joined the Temple of Light. They were all powerful NPCs that now fell under Nie Yan's command.
As the Supreme Pontiff of the Temple of Light, even if Nie Yan didn't finish the Ten Holy Paladins quest, he could still command Karsi to a certain extent. However, after rescuing them, Karsi directly became his servant and could be dispatched at will.
Apart from the Abyss Caverns, Nie Yan also made a trip to the Dragon Valley in the Moz Mountain Range. It took him roughly three hours to complete the Secret Treasure of the Dragon Race quest. Even though the rewards weren't that spectacular, he did obtain two dragon runes for Zennarde's Sword. They were ancient enchants that increased the attack power of Zennarde's Sword by 5,000, while also boosting the effects of all its supplementary skills by an additional 20%. It was now better than the Death God's Edge in every regard.
The void creatures surged out endlessly from the void. Even though there was chaos all over Conviction with cities collapsing, the average level and gear quality of players was shooting up. The void creatures gave an extremely ample amount of experience, far more than equal level monsters. Not to mention the equipment they dropped was of high quality.
The Righteous Faction and Evil Faction entered an arms race of sorts, with both competing to raise their levels and the quality of their gear faster than the other.
In the short span of half a month, Tang Yao reached Level 210, Plenty Level 211, and the other top experts also rapidly climbed in levels.
During this time, Nie Yan didn't head to the Evil Faction to challenge Plenty, nor did any conflicts break out between the two great factions. There was a rare period of peace.
Of course, this couldn't last forever. In the darkness of the underworld near the entrance to the surface a silhouette appeared. This person was naturally Nie Yan. He had teleported here with Instant Transmission.
Nie Yan looked in the distance. Even though his Night Vision stat was extremely high, he could still only see a relatively limited range. Everything beyond was covered in a veil of endless darkness. He smirked. "Fallen Angel, Plenty, get ready. I'm coming!"
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Chapter 988 – Heads Rolling with Every Step
Nie Yan summoned his dragons. The void creatures were also invading the underworld. So, he could do some levelling along the way.
Since the start of the void invasion, Nie Yan's level skyrocketed. He caught up to Tang Yao at Level 210. Of the Level 220 Demonified Lords that spawned in the Righteous Faction, he had single-handedly taken down more than half of them.
Nie Yan no longer hid himself behind a cloak. His azure armour flickered with a dazzling radiance within the darkness. A pair of black wings slowly fluttered on his back. These were Demon Wings he crafted from the Demon Feather. In the past few weeks, Guo Huai had helped him collect the other materials he needed for crafting them They didn't give any stat bonuses, only the ability to fly.
Even so, these wings were still useful to Nie Yan. He now had decent aerial mobility.
Apart from his unrivalled equipment, Nie Yan also had an old man wielding the Amos Void God Staff following behind him at a steady pace. A white nebula of holy energy circulated around him.
This old man was Karsi. As a Legendary NPC, he had seen countless battles and racked up astonishing achievements on the battlefield. He was an existence countless players revered.
Karsi would only take action if Nie Yan gave him the order.
A Level 230 Demonified Lord-class Void Succubus appeared up ahead. When it discovered Nie Yan, it immediately let out a shrill cry and pounced toward him.
Nie Yan's figure blurred, activating Fawne's Phantom, and reappeared in front of the Void Succubus. He twisted his body to the side and executed a Reverse Grip Backstab. His blade plunged into her side, proccing ice rupture and instantly covering her body in a thick layer of frost.
The Void Succubus lashed out in a violent frenzy. But no matter what she did, she failed to land a single hit on Nie Yan.
BANG! BANG! BANG! A shower of Forbidden Magic rained down on the Void Succubus. A string of 20,000,000s floated up above her head.
Not far from where Nie Yan was battling the Void Succubus, several Thieves were flitting across the darkness.
Sensing something, Nie Yan looked in the distance and spotted several silhouettes. He smirked. It appeared Fallen Angel would find out about his arrival pretty soon.
He was going to openly slaughter a path to the capital of the Undead Empire, Necropolis!
From here to Necropolis. Meet god, slay god! Meet buddha, slay buddha! Nie Yan wanted to see who in the Evil Faction could block his path!
Beneath his feet was the territory of the Evil Faction. Fallen Angel probably didn't expect him to announce himself in such an arrogant manner.
Under Nie Yan's fierce assault, the Void Succubus let out a mournful cry and disintegrated into nothing.
…
Necropolis, Fallen Angel's guild headquarters.
Over 200 higher-ups from Fallen Angel were holding an emergency meeting in the conference hall. They'd just received word that Nirvana Flame was spotted in the underworld. The entire guild was in an uproar. Even though Plenty was an invincible existence in their hearts, the person coming for them was the Mad Rogue! In the short span of five months, he'd gone from being pitifully weak at Level 156 to only being one level behind Plenty at Level 210! What insane levelling speed! It was practically heaven-defying! Seeds of doubt sprouted in their hearts. Could Plenty really defeat Nirvana Flame?
The showdown between Nie Yan and Plenty was unavoidable. If Plenty lost, Fallen Angel would suffer an enormous blow. Previously, Asskickers United's peak experts had already shown their superoirty. If it weren't for Plenty single-handedly making a comeback, they would've lost all face. However, as if in response Nie Yan had risen back to the top. It appeared he wasn't content to let them have even that victory.
"That son of a bitch! Who does he think he is? Does he think we are so easy to bully? Boss, we should send our people to intercept him!" a Dark Zealot exclaimed in righteous indignation.
Sending people to intercept him? That would be the same as Fallen Angel declaring that Plenty was too afraid to fight Nie Yan! Warlance glanced at Plenty, whose eyes were closed.
Plenty wore a cloak that hid his equipment. He remained silent, causing the others players to glance at each other confidently.
Eventually, Plenty opened his eyes and replied in an indifferent tone, "He'll come sooner or later. No need to get anxious." There was no avoiding the inevitable. As for how sure he was of victory, he couldn't say.
Godking joined in and asked, "Boss, should we at least send some people to probe his strength?"
Plenty pondered for a moment. Nie Yan was without a doubt the strongest enemy he'd encountered to date. He had no idea how much stronger Nie Yan had grown in this short amount of time. This didn't bode well for his chances of victory. However, sending people to intercept Nie Yan was a show of weakness.
Seeing Plenty frozen with indecision, God King and Warlance glanced at each other. They began making arrangements themselves.
Since Plenty wasn't willing to tarnish his reputation. It could only be left to the two of them.
"Help me prepare the summoning formation. If I can't defeat Nirvana Flame, we can only rely on that move," Plenty said.
These words caused Godking and Warlance's eyes lit up. With that move, they might actually stand a chance!
"Yes! We'll prepare right away!"
…
Word of Nie Yan's arrival in the underworld quickly spread. Not just within Fallen Angel, but throughout both great factions. The players couldn't help but get excited to see what Nie Yan would pull off this time.
A post on the forums soared to the top. It contained a livestream from Nie Yan's perspective.
"Nirvana Flame actually went to the underworld alone! He's crazy!"
"With his skill, he can be as arrogant as he wants to be."
"Huh? Who's that man next to him wearing a cloak?"
"That should be Karsi, a Legendary Holy Mage. I heard a rumour that he's Nirvana Flame's servant."
"A Legendary servant…"
Discussion surrounding Nie Yan filled the forum. Many people were guessing whether Plenty stood a chance. After witnessing Nie Yan's might, would he even dare to fight? Apart from the discussion, the flame wars between Asskickers United and Fallen Angel had never stopped. However, in terms of morale, Asskickers United's side held a clear-cut advantage. Nie Yan had killed his way into the Evil Faction by himself, and his destination was the capital of the Undead Empire, Necropolis! Even if Fallen Angel's side wanted to argue back, there was nothing they could say.
Nie Yan glanced at the forum and smiled indifferently. These comments didn't mean anything. In the end, strength prevailed over all!
After picking up the loot the Void Succubus dropped, Nie Yan strode forward. As more void creatures fell to his blade, he started noticing an increase in player activity near him.
As expected, Fallen Angel had sent people to intercept him!
A dozen Thieves suddenly jumped on Nie Yan. But as their blades cut down on him, they failed to connect. PSFHT! PSFHT! PSFHT! Blood splashed out as 12 bodies dropped to the ground.
The Thieves had inconceivable expressions on their faces.
What insane speed! Was this the might of a Legend?
These Thieves hadn't even advanced to Soulweavers, yet dared to challenge him! Nie Yan sneered. Even ants would put up a better fight.
Though these Thieves weren't wearing any guild emblems, Nie Yan was sure they were sent by Fallen Angel. After all, no one else was crazy enough to provoke him!
Nie Yan's eyes flashed coldly as he locked onto something on a distant hill. Moments later, the Divine Eclipse Dragon's magic struck there. Three Thieves were revealed from stealth as their bodies exploded.
Triple kill!
Every step Nie Yan took another Thief would reveal themselves. They tried a wide variety of techniques to catch him by surprise, to deal some actual damage. However, they all failed. Before they could even get close to him, they would find their health bars suddenly empty.
To Nie Yan's surprise, there wasn't a single Soulweaver among the Thieves that came for him. In fact, he hadn't so much as sensed the presence of one. These Thieves were nothing more than cannon fodder, probably to make him drop his guard. He guessed the real fun was still to come.
At this moment, three Thieves came dashing towards Nie Yan, closing in with lightning speed.
They pincered Nie Yan, not even giving him the time to command his dragons.
Lockdown!
One of the Thieves tried to lock Nie Yan down. Nie Yan quickly activated his Legendary Gale Step and used the brief moment of invincibility to evade at an unimaginable speed. He was faster than these Soulweavers by several times over.
One of the Thieves sensed a sharp killing intent washing over him. His face paled in horror. He tried to escape with Gale Step.
Lockdown! Cutthroat!
Nie Yan executed the two skills masterfully with no gap in between, almost as if he'd practiced them millions of times. The Thief didn't even have a chance to activate Gale Step before his body was immobilized by lockdown. PSFHT! A fountain of blood jetted out from his throat.
Instant kill!
Nie Yan's ruthless and efficient dispatching of their comrade left the other two Thieves breaking out in a cold sweat. However, in this critical moment, they had no time to hesitate or think. They'd come here with the resolve to die anyway. Their attacks were filled with an unyielding might as they staked everything on the line.
Dash Strike!
Dash Strike!
The daggers of the two Thieves streaked forward like meteors.
Nie Yan's figure flashed. All the two Thieves saw was a blur as their attacks missed. They panicked.
Before they could react at all, Nie Yan chained Extreme Intimidate with Counter and Phantom Assassination! PSFHT! PSFHT! Two jets of blood spurted out at the same time. The Thieves wore expressions of disbelief as the light slowly faded from their eyes.
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Chapter 989 – Killing Godking
Nie Yan slaughtered everyone who came for him. These players were simply too weak, lacking even the qualifications to probe his strength. He decided to try out some of the 100 skills he could learn from the Book of Order. Even if he wasn't familiar with them, they were still more than enough to kill these small fry.
Between killing players, Nie Yan quenched his thirst on void creatures. He made quick work of them and raised his experience all the way to Level 210, 65%. Just a bit more grinding, and he would catch up to Plenty!
A Level 220 Void Predator appeared up ahead. Nie Yan was about to engage it, when he detected the presence of a large group of players in the distant forest.
After thinking for a moment, Nie Yan summoned his shadow clone. It entered stealth and dashed toward the forest.
Before long, blood-curdling screams rang out from the forest. These players were no match for the shadow clone!
Some players attempted to approach Nie Yan, who had his dragons blast them from afar with their flames. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Their bodies were thoroughly roasted.
Nie Yan ignored the prying eyes and engaged the Void Predator.
About a hundred Mages in the greater surroundings paced back and forth in hesitation. They didn't dare to approach Nie Yan. All those that tried before them were instantly killed. Some didn't even get anywhere near him as they were frozen to death by the effects of Jotunheim's Descent. Still, their job was clear. They all drank Sage-rank Ice Resistance Potions, and then closed in on Nie Yan.
Nie Yan glanced east, where a group of Mages was approaching him. Since the Thieves couldn't handle him, they sent in the casters!
The 100 Mages were all Gold Wings. In the entire Evil Faction, no one besides Fallen Angel could mobilize such a force!
The Mages hid their appearances behind cloaks, rapidly closing in on Nie Yan with blinks.
Nie Yan shot a glance at the Mages before shifting his attention back to the low health Void Predator. He didn't panic in the slightest. He let loose with a flurry of Hell Executions. A string of misses floated up above its head before the last one landed. The Void Predator wailed out in anguish and disintegrated into nothing.
Nie Yan gazed over at the Mages. The leader was a player in silver ashen robes. Giving a signal with his hand, the hundred players split into teams of five and moved in to surround Nie Yan.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! Magic started raining down from the sky.
Gale Step of Nirvana Flame!
Nie Yan evaded the bombardment of spells. At the same time, the Divine Eclipse Dragon fired out two spheres of light, one black and one white. The two balls spiralled around each other before colliding together. BOOOM! A massive explosion immediately swept out. Some Mages failed to escape in time and were engulfed in the flames.
"Fuck! What kind of skill is that?"
"Those were clearly instant cast spells! Why the hell was that attack so powerful?"
The two spells the Divine Eclipse Dragon fired out were Light Ball and Dark Ball. On their own, they were nothing special. However, after being combined together, their destructive potential increased exponentially, far surpassing the realm of low level magic.
Even more frightening, this combination magic could be used freely! The cooldown was near non-existent and the cast time was almost instant.
A chaotic battle broke out. Many of the Mages switched focus to the Divine Eclipse Dragon. A few others tried to surround and pincer Nie Yan, but they couldn't keep up with his unpredictable movements.
Most terrifying though, was that Karsi had yet to take action.
With Karsi's strength, dealing with them would be extremely easy. No one understood why he hadn't taken action yet. Could it be that Nie Yan couldn't command him? Of course, this was only a faint hope. The Divine Eclipse Dragon and Nie Yan alone were already too much for them.
Because of this, their objective was simply to draw out and probe as much of Nie Yan's strength as possible. They had no hopes of actually killing him.
Unfortunately, Nie Yan appeared to have already figured out their purpose. He used only Fawne's Phantom, Counter, Gale Step, and a few other common skills. Yet they still couldn't get a handle on him at all.
Nie Yan's figured blurred as he closed in on one of the Mages.
The Mage immediately felt the surrounding temperature plummet and his movement speed decrease. Staring in Nie Yan's eyes, he blinked away. As his feet touched the ground, he heard a rupturing sound behind his back. Nie Yan had somehow followed him!
Instant kill! Blood sprayed into the air.
Even in death, the Mage couldn't wrap his head around how Nie Yan predicted his blink.
A blink form a Gold Wing Mage was a 100% effective tool. No matter what kind of attack they faced, they could blink away to escape. However, this surefire skill was completely useless against Nie Yan!
Finally locking onto Nie Yan, the Mages immediately targeted a barrage of spells at him, like Earth Spikes, Ice Blast, and so on.
Nie Yan's figure blurred and disappeared without a trace.
BANG! BANG! BANG! The barrage of spells failed to hit their target.
Nie Yan used Gale Step to appear behind another Mage. Sensing a cold chill behind their neck, the Mage panicked.They tried to blink, but discovered their skill bar was grayed out.
PSHFT! Nie Yan stabbed through the Mage's chest with Zennarde's Sword. Another instant kill!
The Mages were dropping like flies, unable to put up any form of resistance.
Watching his men dropping like flies, the leader ordered, "Have the 200 on standby come forward!"
Nie Yan had come to the Evil Faction alone. A hundred Gold Wings fighting him was already pushing it. It would be difficult to avoid rumours that Fallen Angel was unscrupulous, sending so many players to gang up on one person.
Fallen Angel originally believed these 100 Gold Wings were enough to force Nie Yan to pull out his cards. Never did they expect that he could take them out without breaking so much as a sweat. This was unacceptable! So, the leader called more players over.
As the leader of the Mages called for reinforcements, Nie Yan locked onto him among the crowd.
Nie Yan's silhouette blurred into motion as he shot forward.
Feeling the temperature around him plummet, the leader of the Mages froze. Even though there were seven other Gold Wings around him, he knew Nie Yan was after him.
The leader of the mages waved his staff. Darkness Burst! A dark explosion swept out from around him.
Nie Yan activated Shadow Escape, taking advantage of the brief invincibility to nullify the attack. As he pounced forward, Zennarde's Sword blazed brightly as he slashed down on the leader of the Mages.
The leader of the Mages quickly waved his staff. A thick layer of stone formed around his body. This Stone Sculpture spell had incredible defensive properties.
Nie Yan's attack landed on the statue. BOOM! It instantly shattered into a million pieces as debris flew everywhere.
The statue was destroyed in one hit!
At this moment, the leader of the Mages appeared 30 meters away, his chest heaving up and down heavily as he gasped for air. Nie Yan's attack was too fast and too fierce. It was impossible for him to dodge it physically!
Stone Sculpture was actually an escape skill.
Nie Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise before his lips curved into a faint smile. The Mage in the silver ashen cloak was actually Godking! No wonder he could escape his ferocious assault!
Godking was once the guild leader of Pantheon, a former rival that stood on equal footing with Plenty. His strength wasn't to be underestimated.
Godking knew his identity was exposed after using Stone Sculpture. The number of players in the Evil Faction with this skill could be counted on one hand.
Godking started waving his staff to shield himself, when Lil' Gold blasted him with a jet of flames.
Lil' Gold was already Level 230. If Godking were hit by the attack, even if he didn't die, he would be barely clinging onto life.
Godking quickly blinked away. BOOOM! The flames blasted the ground where he previously stood, sending rubble flying everywhere.
What destructive might!
Godking had Spirit Awe active, but the effective range was only 120 meters. Meanwhile, the Level 230 Lil' Gold's attack range was an astonishing 300 meters!
The other players with Spirit Awe tried to close in on Lil' Gold, the Divine Eclipse Dragon, and the Violet Eye Dragon. However, the dragons' firepower was too fierce. They couldn't enter anywhere within a 200-meter range. Even though they could exchange fire with the Divine Eclipse Dragon from afar and try killing it that way, it was the equivalent of using a pistol to go against a turret! One player after another was transformed into white rays of light.
Godking had just dodged Lil' Gold's flame breath, when a light and dark combination spell from the Divine Eclipse Dragon came whizzing over. BOOOM! An enormous explosion swept out.
Godking had already used several consecutive blinks to escape the range of the blast. Just as his feet touched the ground, he felt the temperature around him plummet.
Nie Yan was after him again!
Godking blinked away again. In his place, a demon in black armour emerged out of thin air and came slashing out with its blade.
Nie Yan's silhouette flickered, instantly engulfed in a cloud of smoke and debris.
"Did it hit?" Godking felt the temperature around him returning to normal.
He'd seen the Archfiend's attack land on Nie Yan!
In this brief moment of hope, Godking felt an ice-cold aura lock onto him. His body immediately froze up, unable to move.
No! Godking's heart trembled.
The last thing Godking saw was a dagger shrouded in black flames slashing down on his chest. These ominous flames seemed to want to devour him completely, both body and soul. His pupils shrank.
PSFHT! Instant kill!
Nie Yan's figure slowly materialized over Godking's corpse.
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Chapter 990 – Rank 10 Legendary Darkwing Dragon!
By the time the reinforcements Godking called over arrived, less than 30 of the 100 Gold Wings were still alive.
Nie Yan and his dragons were absolute killing machines, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. The enemies trembled with fear.
When the 200 Gold Wings arrived, Karsi finally took action. He waved his staff, and the magic energy within a several thousand meters radius undulated violently. Lowering his head, he started chanting a cryptic incantation. His voice seemed to pierce through time and space.
"W-what's going on?"
"I don't know!"
The players from Fallen Angel knew they were in great danger. However, they were frozen in place with no idea on what to do. This was a strength that couldn't be resisted.
"L-look over there! Karsi is casting magic!"
"Shit. Everyone, retreat!"
The Gold Wings scattered without hesitation. Stop Karsi? What a joke! Nie Yan would never give them the chance to even get near him! Moreover, they sensed that whatever spell Karsi was casting was already on the verge of completion. Even if they wanted to, they didn't have the time to stop him.
Several players had Transfer Rings and directly teleported away. The rest ran as far as their legs could carry them.
At this moment, Karsi chanted the last syllable. A dazzling radiance erupted from his body, making him resemble a miniature sun. Everything in a several thousand meters radius was turned into a world of white. A divine hymn could be heard in the air as the image of a holy temple appeared.
The Gold Wings cried out in pain. The holy light threatened to purify their entire existence.
They were all Evil Faction Players. So, their bodies were filled with darkness energy. The powerful holy energy tried to cleanse this.
PSFHT! PSFTH! PSFTH! 200 Gold Wings burst into smoke and disappeared without a trace, not even leaving behind a corpse.
Even Nie Yan was taken aback. He stared at Karsi with his mouth wide open like a goldfish. So, this was the might of a Legendary Mage? Too frightening! Even though Nie Yan was also a Legend, he was a player while Karsi was an age-old NPC. They simply weren't on the same level in terms of strength.
Nie Yan's only advantage over Karsi was that he could revive an unlimited amount of times. However, even this advantage wasn't enough to beat Karsi, who reached infinitely close to the realm of a god. If he tried, he would simply be beaten back to Level 0.
Nie Yan only wanted to see Karsi in action a little. He didn't expect Karsi would use such a shockingly powerful spell on the first move. More than 200 Gold Wings wiped out in an instant! He was afraid after this, no one would dare to play with him anymore.
The viewers of the livestream felt their scalp tingling, expressions of horror plastered on their faces. They had no idea how to describe the shock in their heart. The might of a Legendary Holy Mage was beyond anything they could've ever imagined!
With such a powerful servant at his side, Nie Yan was pretty much invincible!
「Who would do something without being sure of themselves? Especially someone like Nirvana Flame. Since he dares to slaughter his way into the Evil Faction alone, that likely means he has confidence in winning. Plenty is probably in for a world of hurt. I don't see him beating a Legendary NPC like this.」
「I wouldn't be so sure. I don't think Nirvana Flame will have Karsi join the battle. After all, it's a 1v1 duel between him and Plenty. Still, I don't see Plenty winning.」
…
The players on the forums were all voicing their opinion. Unfortunately, there was no word from Fallen Angel. Plenty chose to remain silent, not bothering to give any reply. Everyone was wondering how Plenty was going to deal with Nie Yan. Apparently, Fallen Angel was working on something in Necropolis. However, in the face of absolute power, no trick would work.
…
The holy light slowly faded away. Nie Yan felt like he was transported to another world, then brought back.
There wasn't a single corpse in the surroundings. The battlefield was completely swept clean. However, there were quite a few sparkling pieces of equipment on the ground. Nie Yan collected them all and tossed them into his bag. Looking in the distance, he spotted several Thieves in hiding. Karsi's spell hadn't purified them. Likely, they were people from the Righteous Faction. The spell only dealt damage to those from the Evil Faction. Since they weren't his enemies, he didn't bother with them. They were probably just trying to get some footage of his escapades in the Evil Faction to broadcast in real time.
Nie Yan continued making his way forward. After Karsi's display of might, no one else dared to stir up trouble with him. He easily dispatched the many void creatures he encountered on his journey. Along the way, he happened to come across five strongholds belonging to Fallen Angel. However, they were all in ruins. During the invasion of the void, Fallen Angel had also taken heavy losses. It was easy to see from all this ruin and destruction.
Destruction, creation, destruction, and creation again. This was simply how the world of Conviction worked. Players would rise up from the ruins and rebuild a brand new world.
About five hours later, a crisp notification jingle rang out. Nie Yan glanced at his character page. He had reached Level 211 and caught up to Plenty!
Nie Yan smirked. At least in terms of level, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
A grand stronghold appeared over the horizon. An Advanced Stronghold!
Both Asskickers United and Fallen Angel had obtained several Advanced Strongholds and numerous Intermediate Strongholds over the last few years. Advanced Strongholds had extremely thick walls that could be compared with Intermediate Cities. They were heavily fortified and often housed a large number of siege engines. They were important strategic points.
The walls of the stronghold were packed with players. They were relying on the protection of the walls to repel the siege of the void creatures. Most of the void creatures around the stronghold had already been cleaned up. Only 30 high level Demonified Lords were still attacking the walls.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The walls groaned under the assault of these void creatures. The arrow towers and cannons were firing nonstop at them as a dense hail of arrows and shells rained down from the sky. Several hundred flying mounts were circling in the air, sweeping down regularly to attack the void creatures.
The fighting was extremely intense.
An evil grin formed on Nie Yan's face as he watched this scene. Fallen Angel only had three Advanced Strongholds. If he razed one of them to the ground, even with how large they were, it would still be a huge blow to them.
Darkwing Dragon!
Nie Yan summoned his Darkwing Dragon. With the sound of a howling gale, the gigantic Darkwing Dragon appeared in front of him. Its 100-meter wingspan made it resemble an ancient behemoth. Ordinary flying mounts were less than a tenth of its size.
With the arrival of the Darkwing Dragon came also a powerful aura that swept out into the surroundings.
The sole Rank 10 Legendary flying mount!
Apart from the Darkwing Dragon, Nie Yan also summoned his Spectre Dragon. Although it was still fairly large compared to other flying mounts, it looked like a child next to the Darkwing Dragon. A single beat from the Darkwing Dragon's wings could send it flying.
Nie Yan leaped onto the Darkwing Dragon. He also had his several land dragons and Karsi jump on its back. There was plenty of space.
The Darkwing Dragon flapped its wings and took to the air. A powerful gale sent the Spectre Dragon reeling several meters back. Shortly after, it also took to the air and followed behind.
As soon as the Darkwing Dragon appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of the players defending the stronghold.
"L-look over there! What's it that?" The players on the walls gazed in horror as an enormous black beast came flying straight for them.
"It looks like a flying mount!"
"A dragon! It's the Darkwing Dragon! Oh my God! Why is it so big?"
This was their first time seeing such a large flying mount.
"His Darkwing Dragon broke through to Rank 10!" the flying mount riders cried out in shock. They had a better understanding of the strength of flying mounts. A one rank difference, especially at the higher ranks, was like the gap between the heavens and earth.
What did a Rank 10 flying mount represent? Invincibility! Every other flying mount in the face of a Rank 10 flying mount was nothing more than an ant! Fallen Angel had more than 300 Rank 9 flying mounts. They were the ultimate weapons in the sky. It was believed Rank 10 was only a myth, so they considered themselves at the apex. So, one could imagine their shock when they saw the one and only true Rank 10 flying mount in existence!
The Darkwing Dragon was like a tempest, pouncing towards the flying mounts from Fallen Angel.
The several hundred flying mounts instantly scattered. They didn't have the slightest will to fight.
The riders frantically tried to recall their flying mounts. However, the flying mounts wouldn't budge. In the presence of a Legendary Rank 10 flying mount, they were frozen in terror, some even outright refusing the orders of their masters.
PSFHT! PSFHT! PSFHT! Three Rank 9 flying mounts tried to attack the Darkwing Dragon, only to be torn into pieces.
Nie Yan's dragon pets and Karsi started casting magic. A shower of single-target Forbidden Magic rained down from the sky, instantly taking out the flying mounts from Fallen Angel.
A one-sided slaughter!
"Show them your might!" Nie Yan said.
The Darkwing Dragon raised its head to the sky and let out a roar. The powerful dragon cry swept out, carrying the aura of an invincible king.
All the Fallen Angel players on the scene paled in fright.
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Chapter 991 – Battle of the Pinnacle (1)
The Rank 10 Darkwing Dragon terrorized the sky, tearing through multiple Rank 9 flying mounts in the blink of an eye.
The flying mount riders from Fallen Angel fled in every direction. Instead of giving chase, Nie Yan had the Darkwing Dragon swoop down toward the stronghold.
"The Darkwing Dragon is coming for us! E-everyone, run!"
In the face of the invincible and unstoppable Darkwing Dragon, the players from Fallen Angel lost all will to fight and quickly scattered.
Both light and dark energy rapidly converged above the Darkwing Dragon. Before long, two beams pierced through the air and headed directly for the stronghold below. They spiralled around each other before finally merging at the end. BOOOM! A giant explosion shook the entire stronghold.
The destructive blast swept mayhem through the entire stronghold.
After the dust and smoke settled, everything within a several thousand meters radius of the blast zone was transformed into ruins. The walls were no exception, with the void creatures flooding in like a surging tide.
The stronghold became a chaotic battlefield. Nie Yan had the Darkwing Dragon fly across the air. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Its enormous wings collided with the arrow and cannon towers, causing some to collapse completely and others to have their tops broken off.
A shower of magic rained down on the stronghold. The dragons focused their spells on where players were most concentrated. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Countless players were engulfed by explosions.
After suffering Nie Yan's assault, the stronghold was quickly overrun by void creatures.
The Mages from Fallen Angel raised their staffs and attacked the Darkwing Dragon with their magic. BANG! BANG! BANG! The spells exploded on its body but failed to do any meaningful damage. Their attacks barely left a mark.
Nie Yan passed an order to the Darkwing Dragon. It quickly ascended to a 600-meter high altitude.
Looking down from above, the stronghold was in complete chaos. There were over 100 high level void creatures wreaking havoc inside. Surrounding them were countless black dots. These were the players from Fallen Angel. They were trying their best to repel the void creatures, but their numbers were quickly dwindling. Before long, the stronghold would be lost.
Nie Yan had successfully broken the previous deadlock with his appearance. Fallen Angel had no way of repairing their walls in the middle of combat, nor could they deal with the never-ending flood of void creatures. In the end, they would have no choice but to abandon the stronghold.
Nie Yan no longer paid any attention to the players below. The Darkwing Dragon sped away and disappeared into the horizon.
…
Necropolis, Fallen Angel guild headquarters.
Plenty wore a grim expression on his face. He had just received word of Nie Yan's destructive display in the Soraga Stronghold. The stronghold was one of Fallen Angel's three Advanced Strongholds. If the void creatures turned it into ruins, it would be a heavy blow to Fallen Angel.
However, there was nothing Plenty could do to save the stronghold. Nie Yan was heading right for Necropolis. This was where his odds of winning were the greatest. If it were anywhere else, he would have no hope!
So, even though he knew Soraga was going to fall, he didn't take the initiative to attack.
Right now, Plenty's only hope was that Nie Yan would arrive here faster so they could have their showdown in Necropolis.
…
Nie Yan stood on the Darkwing Dragon's back and gazed into the distance. A vast grave stretching as far as the eye could see appeared in his vision. In the center was an enormous transfer gate. At the top of the gate was a giant eyeball which emitted an ominous light as it swept its gaze over the surroundings.
The only way for a Righteous Faction player to reach Necropolis was by destroying this gate.
Hundreds of thousands of Evil Faction players formed a giant semicircle around the gate to protect it.
"I heard Nirvana Flame is about to arrive!"
"Yeah, I wonder how the showdown will go."
…
Several players were quietly discussing amongst each other. They were guildless players who only came here to watch the show. This kind of once in a lifetime match filled them with curiosity. If Fallen Angel hadn't sealed off the area, even more people would've come to watch.
Some players gazed over at Fallen Angel's ranks. Standing at the front was Plenty in his ashen cloak. According to rumours, he had upgraded all his equipment to Sacred-grade with void metal. As for their stats and bonuses, no one knew but him.
The distance was too great. The spectators couldn't see Plenty's expression. He stood proudly with his cloak fluttering in the wind and a large scepter in his hand. The other players from Fallen Angel stood more than five meters behind him, surrounding him like the stars around the moon.
In the Evil Faction, Plenty was an absolute existence. No one dared to go against his authority.
"Look, over there!" someone shouted.
The entire crowd stirred. They all looked into the distance, where a large shadow appeared over the horizon.
"It's Nirvana Flame! He's here!"
Many people carried a hint of excitement in their voices. Today, they would witness a battle between the highest peaks in the two great factions.
Plenty looked up at the sky. His eyes flashed with a peculiar light. His Night Vision was far higher than that of anyone else. Piercing through the darkness, the enormous Darkwing Dragon entered his vision. His face slightly paled.
The Rank 10 Legendary Darkwing Dragon. Plenty couldn't help but wonder how Nie Yan managed to obtain such a powerful flying mount.
The Darkwing Dragon's body was enormous. Every beat of its wings left him reeling with shock.
What a frightening flying mount!
The Darkwing Dragon was like a gale. As it came flying over and landed in an open space about 400 meters away from Plenty, the gusts of wind it kicked up sent the players in the vicinity flying. Facing this terrifying beast in person, they broke out in a cold sweat. Never had they seen anything like it!
Nie Yan swept his gaze over the crowd before locking onto Plenty. He leaped down from the Darkwing Dragon's back and calmly walked forward.
Even though he was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of enemies, Nie Yan didn't show the slightest fear.
Everyone held their breath as they focused their attention on Nie Yan. The man before them was the same Mad Rogue who rebuked the heavens and earth and swept through everything in his path. He'd departed from Conviction three years ago, vanishing from the eyes of the players. Some even believed that he was no longer a top expert. But now here he was, an expert they could never hope to rival. His legend hadn't faded in the slightest! He was undefeated today just as he was three years ago!
Even though Nie Yan belonged to the enemy faction, the players from Fallen Angel didn't hold the slightest bit of hostility toward him. On the contrary, they felt a deep respect. A character like the Mad Rogue was a legend in their eyes. They simply couldn't bring themselves to hate him.
After giving the crowd a moment to overcome their shock, Plenty took off his cloak and walked forward.
Nie Yan and Plenty stopped at about 100 meters away from each other.
The players in the surrounded retreated 800 meters back, giving the two plenty of room to fight.
This place would be the battlefield for Nie Yan and Plenty. So as to not get caught up in the middle of it, they opted to back away a good distance.
Everyone stared at the two. Nie Yan's azure light armour was extremely impressive. As he held Zennarde's Sword in one hand and the Death God's Edge in the other, he resembled an unsheathed blade, brimming with killing intent. Even though they were more than 800 meters away, this murderous aura still pierced their hearts and caused their souls to tremble.
Standing across from one legend stood the other. Plenty wore ashen black robes. Holding a mighty scepter in his hand, he was also quite imposing.
These two players held the greatest authority in their respective faction. A single word from either could shake the heavens and earth. The spectators couldn't help but lose themselves in reference. If they could reach this level one day, they would have no more regrets in life.
"I didn't expect us to meet again after you quit." Plenty smiled, sizing Nie Yan up. "Nor did I think our first meeting after three years would be like this."
Nie Yan shrugged his shoulders. "Fate works in mysterious ways. Even three years ago, everyone guessed we would have this match one day."
"If there wasn't any other choice, no one would want to go against a freak like you." Plenty bitterly smiled. Nie Yan really was inhuman. Over these past three years, he'd gained an enormous advantage, but Nie Yan still managed to close that gap in a short five months and perhaps even surpassed him. As much as he didn't want to believe this, these were the facts. If he waited another one or two years, he'd be left behind in the dust.
"No matter what, with so many people from both factions watching us, this match is unavoidable!" Nie Yan chuckled. Looking at Plenty, his eyes flashed with a cold light. "Come, Plenty. Let's see how strong you've grown over these past three years!"
Zennarde's Sword seemed to sense Nie Yan's fighting spirit and blazed to life, emitting a scorching heat.
"Alright, I'll keep you company. The battle today will determine who's the true ruler between Asskickers United and Fallen Angel!" Plenty turned serious. Holding out his scepter in front of him, darkness energy came pouring out and transformed into a powerful whirlwind.
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Chapter 992 – Battle of the Pinnacle (2)
The spectators felt a powerful aura sweep out, threatening to blow them away. With pale faces, they retreated back further as they stared at the two in alarm. What powerful might!
All eyes were on the battlefield. Both sides were ready to battle!
At this moment, several hundred silhouettes came flying over and landed about 700 meters from the battle area. They were players from the Righteous Faction led by Bladelight.
"Looks like we made it just in time." Bladelight chuckled. Nie Yan and Plenty were still standing opposite of each other.
"Like we would miss this match!" Undying Scoundrel exclaimed.
"They're starting!" Smoke Stub said, taking a step forward to get a better look.
When the players from the Evil Faction saw Bladelight, Smoke Stub, and the rest, their eyes widened in fear as they retreated another 60 meters.
Their numerical advantage meant nothing against these peak experts from Asskickers United. Fighting them was simply seeking death! Besides, Bladelight, Smoke Stub, and the rest wouldn't have to expend any effort to kill them.
Bladelight, Smoke Stub, and the others didn't bother with these players either. Their eyes were fully focused on the battle that had just started.
Apart from Bladelight and others, there were also a few guildless players from the Righteous Faction. Of course, anyone that dared to come here was a top expert.
A white robed Holy Mage holding a white leopard cat in her bosom was watching the battle. Her graceful temperament and charming appearance captivated those around her. However, no one dared to try and flirt with her. They weren't suicidal! No one in their right mind would dared to hit on Xie Yao, the girlfriend of Nirvana Flame!
"It's starting!" The crowd stirred.
Nie Yan entered stealth and disappeared from view. Even the murderous aura pouring out of Zennarede's Sword seemed to wink out of existence.
This caused Plenty to feel even greater danger!
The enemy before him was the legendary Mad Rogue. Plenty didn't dare to be careless, for the slightest lapse in concentration would result in a dagger in his throat.
In a battle between peak experts, a hair's breadth could mean the difference between victory and defeat!
Demon Eyes!
Plenty's black pupils glowed crimson and transformed into the shape of a diamond. As his gaze swept out, he instantly became aware of every creature in the surroundings.Yet he still couldn't detect a single trace of Nie Yan!
How was this possible?
Plenty felt apprehension. Activating Demon Sense, he focused his senses and quickly felt a frightening cold air behind him.
What insane speed!
Nie Yan was faster than any player he'd encountered before!
After Nie Yan entered stealth, he activated Fawne's Phantom and true to the skill's namesake appeared behind Plenty like a ghost. Zennarde's Sword came slashing down.
Plenty waved his staff. A large, black serpent congealed from darkness energy leaped up from the ground and wrapped itself around him. PSSFHT! Nie Yan's attack slashed the serpent apart, causing it to vanish like a wisp of smoke. However, Plenty was gone.
Eye of Truth!
Nie Yan let out a grunt as his eyes blossomed out with a profound light. The surroundings instantly became clear as he locked onto Plenty in the distance. At the same time, a dark gloomy aura rose up from the ground. Though it was nearly indiscernible, it still didn't escape his detection!
A giant shadowy hand shot up from the ground and moved to grab Nie Yan.
What frightening cast speed! Nie Yan had no idea when Plenty cast Shadow Bind.
If it were an ordinary player, there would be no way they'd be able to predict, nor react to a Shadow Bind right after killing the dark serpent.
However, Nie Yan had already lost count of how many battles he'd experience in both his past life and this one. His senses for danger were refined to the extreme. He activated Gale Step in the nick of time and escaped.
Miss!
In the next moment, Nie Yan appeared in front of Plenty and stabbed at his chest with a Dash Strike.
Plenty's body suddenly turned into several shadows as he avoided Nie Yan's attack. With a wave of his staff, the ground beneath Nie Yan's feet became soft. Everything in a 60-meter radius of the two transformed into a giant sandpit.
Nie Yan hurriedly retreated several dozen meters away, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Plenty had really grown much stronger. He was definitely the strongest enemy he'd faced to date!
The battle had only just started. So, both sides had yet to pull out their cards. They'd only used probing attacks so far. However, in the hands of these peak experts, even the most ordinary skill became extraordinary!
Be it Nie Yan or Plenty, the slightest slip-up would prove fatal.
The exchanges between Nie Yan and Plenty were too fast for most players to keep up with. All they saw was two blurs darting around non-stop on the battlefield. In the span of a short few seconds, the two moved between six different places. Only the experts could tell how perilous the battle truly was as they broke out in a cold sweat. If it were them there, they would've already died several times over.
The players who couldn't make heads or tails of the live battle downloaded the recording and replayed it back frame by frame. They immediately felt their scalps tingle, shocked by how many times Nie Yan and Plenty had exchanged moves in such a short time frame. Even more, each move was incomparably fierce. Nie Yan's attacks were ruthless and as fast as lightning. On the opposite side, Plenty's reflexes were extraordinary, and the speed at which he cast his magic was astonishing. Most casters would have to wave their staff several times and chant a long incantation to cast a single spell. Meanwhile, he only had to slightly move his lips and wave his scepter to do the same. Not to mention how easily he transitioned from one spell to the next. The slightest hesitation would result in his opponent being hit.
"Seems like they're still feeling each other out. Plenty, that bastard, has grown really strong. It's no wonder he defeated us," Bladelight remarked.
"What? This is still just a warm-up?" A few Asskickers United players in the vicinity gazed at Bladelight with a look of disbelief.
"Look, they're still using the most ordinary skills. We haven't seen any high rank ones yet!" Bladelight explained. Observing the battle between Nie Yan and Plenty, his heart was also filled with a myriad emotions. Both of them could be described as heaven-blessed geniuses. Only these two freaks could allow everyone to experience the pinnacle of PvP.
The spectators watched the match with eyes full of astonishment. Meanwhile, Plenty and Nie Yan were immersing themselves deeper and deeper into the battle until it seemed like they were the only two people in the world.
A stray fireball landed in a crowd of players. BOOOM! The resulting explosion swallowed up 30 players. The rest of the crowd quickly retreated another several hundred meters.
Nie Yan glanced at his skill bar. In less than a minute, he'd used 60 skills. If it weren't for the Book of Order, he would be really worrying right now!
As the battle continued, Plenty was starting to feel the pressure. Many of his ordinary skills were on cooldown. It was obvious that Nie Yan had far more skills than him. With each wave of attacks being fiercer than the previous, he was forced onto his back foot.
If he kept trying to match Nie Yan blow for blow, he would be done for.
Both sides had already finished gauging the other's strength. Since it was like this, Plenty was ready to go all out to see who was the strongest between the two of them!
Plenty retreated 100 meters. Seeing Nie Yan chasing after him, he let out a low grunt. A powerful aura surged out of him as he stabbed his scepter into the ground. BOOOM! Enormous cracks started spreading out from the earth at a frightening pace!
An enormous serpent formed out of electricity coiled around Plenty, sending bolts of lightning flying into the surroundings.
Finding the earth trying to swallow him up, Nie Yan quickly pulled back. With his hand bracing against the ground, he catapulted 60 meters back before landing on his feet. As he gazed over in Plenty's direction, his expression turned serious.
There was no more holding back!
Nie Yan showed no signs of retreating. The true match would now starts. Everything before was only child's play!
Plenty flapped his golden wings. He slowly started ascending in the air as his robes fluttered in the wind, resembling a demon god. He chanted out a cryptic incantation in a hoarse tone. With a wave of his staff, he sent his lightning serpent lunging towards Nie Yan.
What a fast attack! Nie Yan's silhouette blurred as he dodged out of the way. BOOOM! A large five-meter wide crater was carved out of the earth where he previously stood.
This was the destructive might of magic!
Plenty didn't stop here. Seeing his attack miss, he waved his scepter again as the serpent lunged toward Nie Yan once more.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Explosions rang out across the battlefield like a torrential downpour.
The spectators paled in fear. How could someone possibly dodge such a fierce attack? If they were the slightest bit slow, they would be struck by the lightning serpent and killed.
Nie Yan's silhouette continued flickering back and forth. He used Fawne's Phantom to barely avoid the attacks. As he tried to close in on Plenty, the attacks became even more intense.
Plenty had completely broken through the limits of his class! For him to be able to become the Chairman of the Dark Council, his strength had to be extraordinary!
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Chapter 993 – Battle of the Pinnacle (3)
Dark electricity crackled all around Plenty. Occasionally, a stray bolt would hit the ground and send rubble flying everywhere.
With his path to Plenty obstructed, Nie Yan's heart sank. Since they were already starting to use skills of this caliber, he wouldn't hold back either. Kalenna waved her staff as a white radiance fell over him.
Kalenna's Guardian Barrier!
A dazzling barrier enveloped Nie Yan. After which he braved the lightning and dashed straight for Plenty.
Thunder God's Hammer!
A giant white hammer appeared in front of Nie Yan and shot directly toward Plenty. This was the supplementary skill transferred over to the Tyrant Abak Set from Paternoster's Warhammer! It was extremely deadly. If Plenty were hit, he would be barely clinging onto life at best. Even then, the added stun effect meant his fate was sealed!
BANG! BANG! Two electric serpents struck Nie Yan, causing the barrier around him to tremble lightly. A damage value of 200 floated up above his head.
Plenty's heart trembled. What a sturdy barrier! At the same time, the Thunder God's Hammer was about to smash him flat. He quickly waved his scepter and called forth a Bone Cage. Thick bone spurs resembling the fangs of an ancient beast erupted from the ground. They shone with a black, metallic lustre.
BOOM! The hammer crashed into the bone spurs before exploding. The three bone spurs were rendered into a fine powder.
Nie Yan swung out with Zennarde's Sword and unleashed a Legendary slash.
Nightmare Beheader!
Before Plenty could even catch his breath, the frightening slash came cleaving down towards him.
The famous Annihilation Slash, which had killed scores of players, had similar visual effects. So, as soon as Plenty saw the Nightmare Beheader, he mistook it for Annihilation Slash!
Only six meters were between Nie Yan and Plenty when he cast Nightmare Beheader. In the same breath, he also targeted Plenty with Lockdown.
Plenty paled in fright. The enemy was upon him, and he couldn't use any escape skills! He hurriedly waved his scepter.
Lich King's Barrier!
In this life-or-death moment, the image of the Lich King appeared behind Plenty and shielded him with a black barrier.
BOOOM! The Nightmare Beheader slammed into Plenty and sent him flying like a cannonball. A damage value of 36,000 floated up above his head. BANG! The ice rupture effect was triggered too, causing him to take an additional 20,000 damage. He lost more than half of his health in this one attack!
It was a pity the ice rupture failed to deal more damage to Plenty. Even though Nie Yan had already activated Jotunheim's Descent, it had a limited effect on Plenty. This probably had to do with Plenty's Ice Resistance. After all, Jotunheim's Descent was revealed a while back already. It would be strange if Plenty didn't take measures against it.
If it weren't for the Lich King's Barrier, even if Plenty had twice as much health, he still wouldn't have survived Nie Yan's attack!
Nie Yan wasn't surprised Plenty had a powerful skill like Lich King's Barrier. In fact, it would be strange if a player of his caliber didn't.
Gale Step of Nirvana Flame!
Nie Yan's figure flashed, disappearing into stealth yet again as he pounced toward Plenty.
Plenty didn't dare to linger. He quickly activated Shadow Mist as his body transformed into fog and disappeared with the wind.
Nie Yan concentrated his gaze, trying to pinpoint Plenty's location.
The powerful skills displayed by both players left the spectators breathless. They didn't even dare to blink, afraid they would miss the next move.
"My lord! This is out of this world!"
"Those two are Legends!"
"What amazing skills!"
The crowd sighed in admiration. Even though the exchange in the beginning was impressive, apart from the speed, Nie Yan and Plenty were only using ordinary skills. So, everyone felt the match was fairly normal. Now, however, Legendary skills were used left and right. They felt this was the way things should be. The skills Nie Yan and Plenty were using they had obtained through their own strength. Only those who had mastered the basics had the right to learn these powerful Legendary skills! The heavens were fair!
In order to stand at the very apex, luck alone wasn't enough. Unrivalled skills and talents and an even stronger backing were all essential. Even with how large Conviction was, only Nie Yan and Plenty had reached these heights.
Watching the battle between Nie Yan and Plenty, the spectators felt their hearts racing with excitement. So this was the battle of the pinnacle!
Nie Yan locked onto Plenty's position. Zennarde's Sword and the Death God's Edge flickered with a sharp light as he shot forward.
Plenty backed away with several consecutive blinks, shooting out one powerful spell after another. From the start of the battle to now, he could sense the huge gap between him and Nie Yan. If things went on like this, he would undoubtedly lose!
Nie Yan seemed to possess an endless amount of skills, each more powerful than the previous. Who knew how many more trump cards he still had up his sleeve?
Plenty glanced at his skill bar. The skills he hadn't used yet were mostly Forbidden Magic. However, Forbidden Magic was fairly useless in PvP since their cast times were too long. In such an intense battle, a split-second could determine victory or defeat. If he stopped to cast Forbidden Magic, it would be the same as throwing in the towel.
Looking at his last two skills, Plenty's eyes flashed with determination. No matter what, I have to win! I've never lost before, and I'm not about to start losing now!
Three years ago, he might've felt that he stood no chance against Nie Yan and had no desire to fight him. However, things had changed and he refused to believe he would still lose!
"Lich King Form!" Plenty growled.
An enormous silhouette emerged behind Plenty. It wore ragged, ashen robes. Behind its hood was a frightening skeletal face, its eye sockets blazing with ominous crimson flames. Its body rapidly shrunk down and entered Plenty's body.
Plenty raised his head to the sky and roared. An endless sea of magical energy formed an enormous vortex around him, resembling a boundless nebula. It rapidly expanded to several thousand meters in size, looking like it would sweep up everything.
The spectators tripped over their feet as they ran for safety. This enormous vortex of magic energy threatened to suck their very souls away!
"L-look, our mana!"
"That thing is draining our mana away!"
The casters paled in horror. They watched as their mana was sucked away by the nebula.
"Everyone, retreat! Especially the casters!" Bladelight shouted. The casters here were basically serving as an endless source of mana for Plenty!
Running for safety, Tang Yao frowned.
"Since when the hell did his Lich King Form become so strong?"
"Right, his Lich King Form back then didn't seem so powerful!" Everyone was puzzled. They had all witnessed Plenty's Lich King Form during the competition in Judgement Valley. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful as it was now, though.
"I think it's because he upgraded his equipment. He's wearing a full set of Sacred-gear now. The supplementary skills attached to his equipment should've received an upgrade as well!" Bladelight surmised.
"That must be it!" Everyone had anxious expressions as they looked over at Nie Yan in the middle of the vortex. How would he deal with this powerful skill?
At this moment, Plenty became the embodiment of the Lich King himself. His entire body radiated a frightfully sinister aura. With a wave of his staff, it was as if the heavens were going to collapse and the earth would cave in. Countless cracks opened up across the ground as large pillars of black flames erupted into the air.
The magic energy from Kalenna's Guardian Barrier was being sucked away at a rapid pace.
At this rate, Nie Yan would die within this vortex!
He had to kill Plenty kill! However, to Nie Yan's shock, he discovered his body was basically locked down. The force of the vortex was too strong!
A light bulb flashed in Nie Yan's head. He unfolded the Demon Wings on his back and allowed the vortex to carry him up in the air. He started swirling around Plenty, picking up greater and greater velocity.
Nie Yan was being sucked closer and closer to the center of the vortex, to Plenty. If it were an ordinary player, they would've probably passed out from dizziness.
However, Nie Yan's eyes were firmly locked onto Plenty, like a predator stalking its prey. His gaze spelled murder.
"Within my nebula, I am the master! Die! I'll peel away your flesh one piece at a time and offer it to the eternal darkness!" Plenty's eyes flashed with a sinister light. His expression contained all the dark forces: pestilence, wrath, fear, death…
Plenty reached out with his hand. A giant hand made out of darkness energy pierced through the endless void to grab Nie Yan.
Even before this sinister energy reached him, Nie Yan felt like it was going to corrode everything in existence.
Nie Yan felt his body slowly being melted away by this corrosive darkness. Kalenna's Guardian Barrier was on the verge of collapse.
The Lich King Form skill was actually so powerful!
However, when he unfurled his wings, Nie Yan had already decided to go for broke. He activated Shadow Clone as his body split into two.
Adjudicator of God!
Death Sentence!
Suddenly, two enormous black hands emerged from the sky. Their target wasn't Nie Yan but rather Plenty in the middle of the nebula!
"Die!" Nie Yan's eyes flashed with determination. If he was going down, he would take Plenty down with him!
BANG! An unrivalled power slammed into Nie Yan's chest, instantly shattering Kalenna's Guardian Barrier. "GUGH!" He spat out a mouthful of blood as his entire body was sent rocketing towards the ground.
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Chapter 994 – Battle of the Pinnacle (4)
When Nie Yan was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, he felt a white light fall over him. Then, his body crashed into the ground. A damage value of more than 90,000 floated up above his head. If it weren't for Kalenna's Guardian Barrier absorbing a portion of the damage and Adjudicator of God negating the magic damage, he would already be dead. Just a small portion of the attack's physical damage had shaved away more than two-thirds of his health! He sucked in a cold breath of air.
Plenty had put all his focus into controlling the nebula and delivering that all-out attack to Nie Yan. His body was depleted of all energy as his knees wobbled violently. Seeing the two massive hands crashing down towards him, his eyes flashed with a trace of panic. He couldn't understand how Nie Yan managed to cast such a powerful magic in this situation. This was simply inconceivable!
However, reality was right before his eyes!
In order to control the nebula, Plenty had to give up everything else; he couldn't move, he couldn't cast other skills, he couldn't do anything but watch as the two hands crashed down on him.
The only reason Nie Yan used two Death Sentences was because he was afraid Plenty would dodge the first one. The second one was insurance. If he knew Plenty couldn't move, he would've only just used one!
Plenty's gaze landed on Nie Yan on the ground. He still hadn't died!
Plenty's eyes flashed with despair. However, a split-second later, they became firm with resolve. I cannot lose! He used his last skill.
Sacrifice to the Dark End!
BANG! Struck by the Death Sentence, Plenty was sent crashing into the ground. The nebula around him came to a halt and gradually dispersed.
When the howling winds stopped, Nie Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Looking in the distance, he saw Plenty's corpse on the ground.
"I won?" Nie Yan's heart relaxed. He had won by luck. Plenty's magic completely surpassed his expectations. At the end of the day, the other side had a three-year lead on him! This victory truly didn't come easily!
The spectators stared at the ground in a daze. The might of the Lich King Form was too astonishing! They all thought Nie Yan was done for. What could he possibly do to defend against that invincible nebula? Never did they imagine that he would overturn their expectations again. When the dust settled, he stood while Plenty's corpse lay on the ground.
Nie Yan was the victor!
The players from the Righteous Faction erupted into cheers.
As Nie Yan was about to turn around and leave, Plenty's corpse turned into dark energy and circled in the air, transforming into the image of a giant Lich King. The entire world was once more enveloped in a gloomy aura.
The players were taken aback, staring at the scene in disbelief. Could it be that the battle hadn't ended yet? Did Plenty have a second life?
Nie Yan's heart sank. He sensed an unrivalled power, far beyond what he'd come across from a player before. This was the presence of a deity level NPC!
The Lich King! Nie Yan seemed to realize what was going on. According to rumours, the Lich King's real body was hidden in the depths of the underworld. He was on the same level as Archangel Tallod. The one that appeared in Necropolis was simply an apparition.
Did Plenty summoning the Lich King count as violating the match's rules?
The Lich King hovered in the air like a spectre. His body was semi-transparent. Illusory images of him covered the entire sky. A heavy pressure weighed down on the players. Some fell to their knees, while others fought their wobbling knees. No one had the strength to oppose this force.
"Kakaka, I sense the power of eternal life. I've revived once more. My disciple, you've summoned me. I will help fulfill your wish! Wretched maggot, accept your lamentable fate!" The Lich King's enormous dark hand moved toward Nie Yan.
In the face of this absolute power, Nie Yan had no ability to resist.
Just as Nie Yan was about to be crushed to death, Karsi's silhouette blinked over from the far distance and erupted with a dazzling radiance. A barrier of light slowly expanded outward, protecting the two within.
BOOOM! The dark hand exploded after crashing into the barrier and dissipated into nothing. However, Karsi's barrier was also shattered, and the person himself was sent flying back.
In front of a deity level NPC, even a Legendary NPC like Karsi was powerless.
"A mere Legend. Is that all? You might be proud of your 1,000 years of life, but I've already existed in this world for tens of thousands of years," the Lich King said with a look of contempt.
Nie Yan glanced back at Karsi. He was badly injured, and no match for the Lich King. Blocking one attack was already his limit.
Was he really going to wait helplessly for death? After he lost, what was he going to do? March onto the forums and cry out with righteous indignation, "I didn't lose to you! I lost to the Lich King!" No. That wasn't his style! When Plenty summoned the Lich King, didn't he have a Legendary NPC like Karsi take action as well? He had still lost. What ground did he have to stand on?
"How did he summon that thing?" Nie Yan's mind flashed with an idea. Right, it had to be the Book of Chaos! That was definitely it! That was the only reason Plenty could summon the Lich King! He recalled his own Book of Order. Wasn't he able to summon an Archangel himself?
Nie Yan pulled out his skill window and scrolled down to the Summon Archangel skill.
The Book of Order and Book of Chaos were direct opposites!
"Come out! Summon Archangel!"
Another dark hand appeared in the sky and came crashing down towards Nie Yan.
The aura of death permeated outward.
As the hand approached ever closer, Nie Yan started to despair. Suddenly, a scorching white radiance enveloped him. He was like a beacon of light in the darkness. As the rays cut into the Lich King, he let out a mournful cry.
Nie Yan raised his head and saw a tall angel descending. Clad in silver-white armour with a pair of translucent wings of light flowing down his back, he wielded a large white greatsword in his hand.
Archangel Tallod!
Another deity level NPC!
A showdown between two deity level NPCs!
"I swear on my life, in the name of God, I will annihilate all darkness and illuminate the world in his light…" Archangel Tallod chanted a solemn hymn as he charged toward the Lich King while brandishing his greatsword. He was like a dazzling sun, bringing dawn to this world of eternal night.
BOOOM! A tremendous collision rang out, threatening to destroy the entire world. Even Forbidden Magic paled in comparison to this absolute strength.
The world seemed to calm to a halt as if time froze.
Those on the forums lost all colour in their faces, let alone the spectators on the scene. Just what kind of battle was this? When everyone thought the battle had ended with Nie Yan's victory, Plenty had summoned the Lich King right before his death. Even a Legendary NPC like Karsi was sent flying by the Lich King. They all thought Nie Yan was doomed for sure. Facing a deity level NPC like the Lich King, how could he possibly win? Upturning their expectations yet again, Nie Yan summoned his own deity level NPC in the form of Archangel Tallod.
This development was completely unprecedented!
Nie Yan saw a grand holy temple emerge in the sky and heard the hymns of countless angels. He could also see countless evil spirits blotting out the sky. In the end, both these things disappeared as the world descended into a deathly silence. Archangel Tallod and the Lich King vanished as if they had never appeared in the first place.
The blinding light gradually subsided. As for what happened in the end between Archangel Tallod and the Lich King, no one knew. That could only be left up to imagination. However, the match between Nie Yan and Plenty was clear. Nie Yan was the victor!
The news spread like wildfire as the spectators gradually dispersed. Not much was left of this battlefield but the traces of the battle between two deities.
Video of this final battle was saved by countless players, immortalizing this grand spectacle. In many years from now, people would still watch it in awe, a legend that was passed down from generation to generation.
After the battle ended, a full-out war between the Righteous Faction and Evil Faction broke out. With Asskickers United as a representative for the Righteous Faction, they launched a frontal assault against the Evil Faction. As for the outcome of this war, it would take years to decide. However, the Righteous Faction had an immense advantage. It would be extremely difficult for the Evil Faction to turn the tide.
Nie Yan planned to stay in Conviction as long as the servers were still up and running. The name of the Mad Rogue would forever be a part of its history and ring out across the Atlanta continent.
On the 10th anniversary of Asskickers United's founding, Nie Yan and Xie Yao announced the happy news of the birth of their first child. Hundreds of thousands of guild members gathered in real life in Huahai for a grand celebration. Those who couldn't make it were holding little parties of their own.
World Bloc only kept expanding. It formed an official alliance with the Dragonsoar Financial Group, Glory Financial Group, and many other famous financial groups. Their reach spread across the entire world, surpassing even the Brutus Capital Group. It got to the point where even the federation couldn't do anything to them.
Among its many ventures, World Bloc also joined the bidding process for the rights to develop the newest virtual reality game in collaboration with the federation. It would be built on better technology than Conviction and receive far larger funding. As to how long this project would take to complete, no one knew.
Another several years later, the Brutus Capital Group was slowly pushed to the background. World Bloc won the rights to create the next virtual reality game, but there was no news on when it would be released yet.
There was no one who could touch World Bloc anymore. Nie Yan could finally relax as his wish of two lifetimes had been fully realized.
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Chapter 995 – Past Life, This Life (Fin)
Huahai, the Moro River Banquet Hall. This establishment was bustling, with a steady stream of people coming and going. A total of 6,000 people were invited for tonight's celebrations.
The gathering was quite secretive. No one from the public knew why they were here.
The guests came from all walks of life. There were the CEOs of large financial groups as well as ordinary shop owners you would find in your everyday corner store. There were bureaucrats and white-collar workers. Some were even freelancers with no particular job. However, none of them seemed to care about any of this. They chatted merrily, shoulder to shoulder as if they were close brothers.
If other players from Conviction were here, they would be shocked speechless. The names these people were calling each other were the most famous characters in the game.
The top few floors of the Moro River Banquet Hall were merged together. 600 people were gathered together across 40 tables. They were chatting happily and toasting to each other.
On both sides of the hall were 60 waitresses dressed in elegant qipaos.
"Scoundrel, aren't you quite the playboy in Conviction? You always have a beautiful girl around your arm! I didn't expect you to be so timid. When that waitress poured a drink for you just now, your face was bright red," Tang Yao teased.
"W-well… you know, it's different! That's inside the game!" Scoundrel refuted in embarrassment.
Everyone erupted into laughter. Who knew Undying Scoundrel had such an interesting side to him?
"The boss is coming!"
The 600 people stirred, standing up one after another as their faces lit up with excitement. Even the waitresses couldn't help but shoot curious gazes over. They also played Conviction and naturally knew Nie Yan's name, not to mention he was also the Xie Family's son-in-law.
Nie Yan was dressed in a well-ironed western suit. He looked dignified and suave. Next to him was Xie Yao in a white evening dress, her long hair worn up in a bun. Her beautiful figure was perfectly accentuated. Many of the guests couldn't help but sigh in admiration. What a lovely couple!
"Nie Yan, you lil' punk! You've made us wait! Get over here and toast with us, or are you going to let us all down?" Bladelight walked over. He looked like a bear with his large, hulking figure. Sure enough, he lived up to his reputation even in real life.
Following Bladelight's words, everyone heckled jokingly.
Nie Yan swept his eyes over the crowd. These fellows were all a bunch of troublemakers, wishing nothing more than to stir up chaos. They were his old comrades who'd followed him through countless campaigns. So, there were no misunderstandings between each other, and they all spoke fairly frankly.
"I had to pay a visit to the guys below. So, I ended up being a little late. Alright, a toast to you all! I'll down the first drink!" Nie Yan raised the glass from his table and downed his drink in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Today was the largest gathering they've had since the start of the game. Asskickers United's core members were all here, Young Seven, Smoke Stub, Sun, and so on. Not only Asskickers United, but Holy Empire, Radiant Sacred Flame, Sapphire Shrine, the War God Tribe, they were all here as well. Naturally, Sleepy Fox, Fa Lan, and Nightbreak Trickster were among the crowd.
"Big Bro!" Sun walked up to Nie Yan with an excited expression.
Looking at Sun's juvenile face, it was hard to imagine that he was one of the most ruthless and decisive killers in the game. Nie Yan chuckled, "Today's a school night, isn't it? Don't tell me you're planning on playing hooky tomorrow? Remember to study hard! Don't let Asskickers United lose face!"
Sun rolled his eyes. How was skipping school related to the face of the guild?
Seeing Sun's crumbling expression, Xie Yao couldn't help but giggle. Convincing this mischievous kid to study hard wasn't easy!
"Did everyone make it?" Nie Yan asked, looking around.
"Yeah, everyone's here. This is our biggest gathering yet," Paladin of the Elegy said.
"That's great! I didn't expect so many people to turn up. Tonight, we're going to drink until everyone's piss drunk!" Nie Yan declared.
The entire banquet hall erupted into cheers.
"Yeah, piss drunk!"
Asskickers United's peak experts all made toasts to Nie Yan one after the other, downing several dozen glasses in the process. Despite Nie Yan's shocking alcohol tolerance, he also started showing signs of getting tipsy.
The celebrations in the Moro River Banquet Hall continued all night.
No one could imagine that these 6,000 people had changed the history of Conviction as well as the world. In real life, they were ordinary civilians, working hard everyday for a livelihood. However, with the escape of the game, they'd all played out their own respective legendary stories and became existences that countless players revered.
Seeing this rag-tag bunch of people, all from varying backgrounds and social circles, Nie Yan couldn't help but recall a certain phrase, "The stage is as wide as your heart makes it!"
As he thought back to the last 10 years since his reincarnation, Nie Yan couldn't help but express his thanks to the heavens for giving him another opportunity at life. Finding love with Xie Yao and coming to know this amazing group of brothers was the best thing in the world to have happened to him. Life was no longer lonesome!
After partying into the early morning, at around 5 AM, everyone retired to their respective suites.
Nie Yan staggered into the room, Xie Yao supporting him with her shoulder. His vision was hazy from all the alcohol. Looking at her delicate face, he could tell she had also drank a few glasses. Her flushed cheeks looked particularly charming.
"Xie Yao, thank you. Hic… Y-you know… The most fortunate thing to happen in my life is bumping into you on that fateful day in Ningjiang. I… Hic, I thought I'd pass away with that regret in my heart. Who knew the heavens would give me another chance?" Nie Yan slurred. He was completely drunk.
Xie Yao thought Nie Yan was referring to the time he was shot in the heart. Her eyes brimmed red with tears. When the news had reached her, she felt like her whole world was collapsing as all the colour drained away from her life. Thankfully, that had all passed.
"Come, let me bring you somewhere." Nie Yan pulled Xie Yao into the bedroom. There were two game capsules set up. He'd already prepared them in advance.
"This late? Where are we going?" Xie Yao asked in confusion.
Nie Yan's gaze fell on Xie Yao's body. Her skin-tight white dress revealed her perfect curves. She was like an angel descended from heaven, the most beautiful spark to his life. Her jet-black hair draped down over her shoulders, her picturesque face you could only find in the magnum-opus of a painter. Everything about her carried an indescribable, otherworldly charm.
"The game!" Nie Yan said. Focusing his gaze on Xie Yao, countless memories gushed forth like a spring. His heart was beating wildly.
Xie Yao was skeptical. Why did Nie Yan want to play Conviction with her now of all times?
The two stepped into the game capsule. Nie Yan teleported to an underground dungeon using Instant Transmission. He appeared in a stone chamber. It was completely sealed while the remains of disarmed boobytraps could be found all around the entrance. They were enough to blow up anyone.
「It's safe now. Use the ring to teleport to me,」Nie Yan said.
With a flash of light, Xie Yao apepared by Nie Yan's side. She looked around in a daze. What was this place? Why did Nie Yan bring her here?
The room was clean without a speck of dust in sight. On the walls were various murals, giving off a mysterious feeling.
"Yeeek!" Xie Yao cried out. Nie Yan's rugged arms had latched onto her waist.
The two locked bodies. Sensing Nie Yan's heavy breathing, Xie Yao's heart couldn't help but beat wildly. Did Nie Yan really plan to… here of all places?
This stone chamber was unfamiliar to Xie Yao. She couldn't help but worry that a stranger might walk in on them.
Nie Yan was drunk. His hands mischeviously groped Xie Yao's body, delving into her robes and caressing her fair white skin. She felt an electric shock run through her from head to toe.
Nie Yan was behaving particularly wild tonight. Xie Yao couldn't help but bashfully close her eyes, letting him devour her.
Xie Yao's robes dropped to the ground, revealing a beautiful, fair figure, as if she were the most perfect statue carved by God himself. Her slender shoulders trembled lightly. This was her first time doing it in the game. She felt like she'd returned to their first time. Her stomach was filled with butterflies as well as a hint of expectation.
Nie Yan couldn't help but recall his past life. Back then, Yao Yao had exposed herself to him, resembling a goddess that had come down from the heavens. It was after that fated night that the two of them slowly drifted apart as she left his world.
Nie Yan felt his hands tremble. The scene before him wasn't a dream. The tragedies of his past life were nothing more than that, relics of a history that would never repeat.
Nie Yan gently nibbled Xie Yao's ear, his heart filled with a slight ache as he relived the memories of that fateful night. His voice trembled as he whispered, "Tonight, you're Yao Yao."
Xie Yao's eyes trembled as she felt a mysterious aching in her heart. She didn't understand. After all, Yao Yao was her, and she was Yao Yao.
No longer thinking about it, the two lost themselves in each other's embrace.
Fin.
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