Main Quest: Frost Calamity!

Seeing that the newcomer was Langlibaitiao, Mantou couldn't care less about official rank and mocked him mercilessly. After all, during that quest at Lakeman Castle, Langlibaitiao's despicable act of abandoning his benefactor and running away had been indelibly etched into his mind. "Yo, isn't this Langlibaitiao, the Grand Chief Eunuch of our Eastern Depot?" "Or should I call you... the Vampire's Favorite Concubine?" "Why are you always skulking around in the dark corners? Come out and get some sun." These few remarks struck right at Langlibaitiao's sore spots, landing like heavy blows and infuriating him until he fumed. In particular, the jab about the "vampire's favorite concubine" instantly shattered his composure. After all, even now, that thread titled "The Unspeakable Thirty Seconds Between an Old Vampire and the Lang-Beast" remained immensely popular on the forums. Busybody players constantly checked in and commented, bumping it past ten thousand replies until it became a veritable forum landmark. Langlibaitiao sneered. "Hmph, you're just jealous of my high rank and raw power! My vampire template is mini-boss level at the very least. Even if three of you ganged up, you probably couldn't beat me." "How about we head outside the city and test that?" "Let's bet three hundred gold coins, Lang-beast. Today, it's either you die or I survive!" Mantou patted the neck of the wyvern beneath him. Noodles caught on immediately, glaring at Langlibaitiao with bared fangs while letting out a low, guttural hiss. Langlibaitiao staggered back several paces in fright and hastily said: "Don't you come any closer! I'm telling you, fighting in the city is against the law—they'll blow your head right off! "I'm a busy man with a thousand things to handle every day. I didn't come here to shoot the breeze with you. Singo has serious business with you." Only then did Mantou pat the back of the wyvern's neck to calm it down. "What is it?" "You'll know once you get there. It's at the Redscale Garrison." "Fine, but don't try to play me, or I'll smash your dog head in." "Tsk, it's not like it's decided who beats whom." "Hiss, hisss—" "Holy crap, don't let your stinking lizard bite me! I take it back, alright?!" ... Northwestern district of Northwind Keep, Redscale Garrison. This was a massive building located on the outskirts of the district, constructed after the Kingdom of Cinders took over Northwind Keep. It was still under construction, with immensely strong ogre laborers bustling back and forth inside, though the main framework had long been completed. Over twenty meters tall, the edifice looked somewhat startling for this era. Built with state-of-the-art construction techniques, it boasted statues of knights mounted on wyverns by the entrance, and the main gate was carved with the emblem unique to the Kingdom of Cinders—a golden vertical pupil wreathed in flames. At the very top of the building was an exceptionally flat and expansive platform marked with neat symbols, where numerous wyverns were perched. This was the Redscale Garrison, headquarters of the Redscale Conquerors, where wyvern knights returning from patrol would land to rest and await their next mission assignments. Mantou had originally been a member of the patrol squadron, but he found the patrols grueling and the rewards underwhelming, so he had returned to the city to live comfortably as a peace officer. Only Singo had stayed with the patrol, having now risen to squad leader—the highest-ranking Redscale Conqueror beneath Alger. Mantou parked his wyvern near the entrance and stepped into the main hall alongside Langlibaitiao, who skulked in the shadows. "Yo, Sing-dog, long time no see." "You took too long." Across the hall, Singo looked visibly excited. Singo clapped him on the shoulder and said eagerly, "Mantou, stop slacking off in the city! There's only one month left before the closed beta ends. This is our chance to overtake everyone on the curve, so by the time the official launch rolls around, we'll be miles ahead." Mantou was somewhat puzzled. "What kind of quest could there even be right now? Hasn't the closed beta entered the coasting phase? "Aside from those obsessed zealots in the Machine Cult who are still frantically climbing the tech tree—I can't even tell what they're up to—most other players have just started doing daily quests..." Mantou's recent videos hadn't stirred up much buzz, consisting of little more than city patrol vlogs. His last viral hit had been "Exploring Lakeman Castle"—especially the thirty seconds featuring Langlibaitiao and the old vampire, which had earned him tens of thousands of bullet comments and made Langlibaitiao hold a bitter grudge ever since. Singo cast him a scornful look. "How can common sparrows understand the ambitions of swans? Those people are the same—terrible game sense." "Then you tell me, what else is there to do?" Calling up his interface panel, Singo said, "I told you long ago that you had to join the Redscale Patrol. It wasn't just for those measly rewards, but to get your hands on the latest intel. If not for me, there's no way you'd know about the main quest for this final month ahead of time." Mantou's eyes widened. "You found another main quest?" "What main quest?" A crisp, pleasant female voice drifted from behind them. It was Xiaye Qiuyu who had arrived, with Tiansheng Zhankuang following close behind. Both had received word from Singo and dropped their current tasks to hurry over. Singo said nonchalantly, "See for yourselves. I triggered it while patrolling Storm Heights." A translucent public information screen materialized before them. Main Quest: Frost Calamity [Every few decades, the frost giants from the "Frozen Forbidden Land" of the Vahara Glacier sound their war horns and begin a forced march from their glacial home, sweeping forth accompanied by howling blizzards. Wherever they pass, towns and villages are reduced to snow-covered ruins, and the unfortunates caught in the giants' path are left as nothing more than looted corpses.] [This terrifying phenomenon is known to the natives of the Northlands as the "Frost Calamity." And now, the Frost Calamity rises once again, only this time the frost giants' objective is far clearer—the Kingdom of Cinders. They intend to plunder everything here and reclaim their ancestral glory, ruthlessly crushing anyone who stands in their way.] [Brave warriors, take up your blades to withstand the blizzard and halt this Frost Calamity!] "Frost giants..." Xiaye Qiuyu furrowed her delicate brows, seemingly reminded of an unpleasant memory. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Are they the same type of monster as the hill giants we fought before?" Tiansheng Zhankuang rubbed his bald head and chuckled. "That'd be awesome. That giant from before was packed with treasures from head to toe—even its toenails could be brewed into potions." Xiaye Qiuyu: "..." That was precisely why she hadn't wanted to remember it. Singo replied calmly, "Indeed. I used my authority and rank to look up relevant books. These monsters all fall under the broader giant category, but frost giants are of a vastly higher tier than hill giants. What's more, they very likely possess frost-related spell-like abilities." Mantou rubbed his chin. "That's going to be tough to fight... With our red dragon bloodline, none of us have high cold resistance." Singo nodded. "Which is why we need to make every preparation for this quest as early as possible."