Many shared news of the new teleportation point on the forums, instantly drawing a massive influx of players. The crowd beside the boundary marker swelled at a terrifying rate, reaching six figures in just a few minutes.
They wore all manner of bizarre outfits: some clad in spiked scale armor, some cosplaying various comical characters, and others streaking completely in the buff. The players mobbed the boundary marker in a surging sea of bodies, triggering stampedes.
Right about then, players discovered that this place was free from the restrictions of imperial law. They could even attack one another without worrying about rules.
Naturally, the scene devolved into deeper chaos, filled with a deafening cacophony of shouts, arguments, and curses.
"Stop pushing!"
"Which prick of a wizard cast Thorns on himself? I brushed past him and half my health bar vanished!"
"I can't see! Who popped a Fog Cloud? Damn it, may your spells misfire forever!"
*Boom!*
A deafening roar erupted as blinding fire burst from the crowd. Glowing-red shrapnel tore across the area amid acrid black smoke, blasting over a dozen players into the air.
Those at ground zero were shredded by shrapnel and killed instantly, while the survivors fared little better, scorched black, riddled with wounds, and thoroughly battered.
"Grenade! Some dumbass threw a grenade into the crowd! Drag that bastard out!"
"Catch him! Look at the guy in red robes—it really is an Ordo Reductor lunatic!"
"Get him!"
Players swarmed forward, surrounding and tackling the robe-wearing Ordo Reductor player on the spot.
"What do we do with him?"
"Kill him! There's no law to stop us anyway!"
"Damn it, the gear I just bought got blown to pieces by this guy!"
Pinned to the ground, the player showed no fear at all. He threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "Hahaha! I've been wanting to do this for ages! True art really is an explosion!
"And remember my handle: I am the Jade-Faced Grenade King!"
With a roar, he yanked his robe wide open—revealing dozens of grenades strapped closely beneath!
The moment his robe flew open, the pins pulled simultaneously in a cascade, trailing plumes of bluish-gray smoke.
"Lunatic!"
"He's completely insane!"
Amid his roaring laughter, the surrounding players screamed in horror and scrambled to scatter—yet it was already too late. The high-explosive fragmentation grenades detonated.
*Boom!*
An earth-shattering blast engulfed over a hundred nearby players in fiery destruction. Smoke and dust rocketed skyward as a violent shockwave rippled out, knocking players off their feet even hundreds of meters away.
Pungent smoke rolled across the wasteland. A blackened crater scarred the ground, littered with twisted shrapnel, charred remains, and singed rags...
"Why are people fighting?"
"Heard someone from the Ordo Reductor blew himself up..."
"Holy crap, that looks awesome! Such a rare opportunity—why don't we throw down too?"
"A bastard stole my kill two days ago, and I see him right over there. Come on, let's settle the score!"
Players were creatures of this nature: once a single player sparked mayhem and no rules held them back, everyone else rushed to follow suit, purely for the thrill of it.
Individual skirmishes soon snowballed into a mass riot of ever-growing proportions.
Once everyone realized they could attack one another here without penalty, the land dissolved into absolute pandemonium, and a grand free-for-all melee erupted.
Spellfire clashed with the roar of heavy ordnance. Bullets, shells, and energy rays crisscrossed the air while countless players brawled hand-to-hand, fists thudding against flesh as strikes rained down with lethal intent.
Major guilds launched organized assaults against rival factions, and solo players with longstanding grudges threw themselves into bloody vendettas, reveling in unbridled vengeance.
"Crossed Shaolin Temple and think you can run?"
*Bang!*
A monk player with a benign, gentle face suddenly threw a brutal punch, smashing the fleeing rogue's head into red mist and spattering gore across his own face.
Others noticed the infernal legion stationed not far away and pointed at the devil soldiers: "Look over there! What are those? Hell's army?"
"Red skin, horns on their heads—they must be devils!"
"Are they enemies? Is our mission to storm the Bronze Citadel and conquer Avernus?"
"Awesome, another war to fight!"
Combat junkies were already pumped, rolling up their sleeves and itching to dive into a thrilling war.
"So exciting! I want to keep an imp as a pet and make it my combat companion!"
"Me too, I want an erinyes for a pet so we can fight side by side, hehehe..."
"Is that pet 'wholesome'?"
"..."
"So many devils... If we wipe them all out, how much EXP would that give?"
The devils tensely watched the players butcher one another in manic frenzy, cold sweat beading on their brows.
"Those are our reinforcements? The immortal legion?"
"They're a bunch of... lunatics."
"Yeah, they're even eyeing us like targets. Can these mortals really be trusted?"
"Count me out. Who knows if these madmen will blow themselves up without warning?"
The devils muttered among themselves, eyeing the players warily to guard against a sudden ambush.
The devils of the Nine Hells had always hated and schemed against each other, with backstabbing and intrigue being daily fare—so long as they adhered to outward order and maintained a veneer of civility.
Yet even infernal infighting never reached the wanton, shameless brutality of this brawl.
Though wrapped in human skin, their utter disregard for life bore no resemblance to normal mortals.
Were it not for the absence of abyssal corruption, the devils might have mistaken them for demons disguised as men.
Even Bel wore a strange expression as he glanced at Cassius, murmuring, "Your Majesty Cassius, these... are the million reinforcements you promised?
"Are you certain they won't slaughter each other down to the last man before the Blood War even begins?"
"Of course not."
Though somewhat at a loss inside, Cassius merely smiled and shook his head. "They are the Empire's most loyal and valiant soldiers.
"Trust me, when the time comes, they will unleash power that even astonishes me."
Hearing this, Bel looked back at the players, who were gleefully butchering one another, searching for the admirable virtues Cassius spoke of, only to lapse into silence once more.
During the coup that brought down Zariel, Bel had worked alongside these "Soulless Ones." Bold and mercurial as they were, they had at least obeyed orders with terrifying efficiency.
But the crowd before him now?
Aside from slaughtering each other, they hadn't done a single thing. What had this mob of lunatics come here to do? Were they just here as a joke?
Or was this another plot by the Cinder Emperor, planting a host of demon-like beings inside Hell?
*Boom!*
Another thunderous blast erupted as another player hurled a bomb into the densest throng, killing dozens more in one fell swoop.
Cassius did not bother explaining further, offering only a dry chuckle.
Snapping his broad wings, the red dragon kicked up a scorching gale and soared into the sky, looking down imperiously upon the players below.
Faint light shimmered in his golden slit pupils as an overwhelming aura of majesty radiated from him. His dragon fear descended, demanding subservience from all living things. Even the brawling players ground to a halt, turning their heads skyward in unison.
"I can't move! Looks like we're locked into a cutscene again."
"Damn it, what bad luck! I was an inch away from finishing off that bastard who ninja'd my loot."
"So badass! Emperor Cass really is the guy—no, the male dragon—with built-in cutscenes..."
Cassius swept his piercing gaze across the players, wings beating slowly as he parted his great jaws. A booming, solemn voice rolled out like thunder: "My loyal subjects... As you well know, our Empire harbors an irreconcilable feud with the Abyss. Those filthy mongrels once dared invade imperial lands, only to be driven back by our valiant fighters.
"Now, those abyssal mongrels seek to invade Avernus, delusional enough to believe they can master Hell itself! I once said that we shall fight the demons on the wastelands, upon the mountains, across the skies and seas—and even across the planes!
"And now, we shall join this endless Blood War that has raged for millennia, standing shoulder to shoulder with the devils of Avernus to become the new masters of this ancient battleground.
"Demons are filthy vermin, twisted abominations fit only to rot in the universe's darkest corners! Drive them back into the Abyss!"
"For the Empire!"
"Drive them back into the Abyss!"
Countless players raised their arms and cheered in feverish excitement, their voices surging like a tidal wave—eager to farm favor before their faction's supreme leader.
Before Cassius's voice even faded, quest prompts surfaced on the interfaces of every player present.
Main Quest: The Blood War
Duration: Indefinite!
[The war between devils and demons has raged for hundreds of thousands of years. None know when it began, and none know when it will end—perhaps at the end of the universe itself?
These two breeds of fiends butcher one another endlessly across the battlefields of the multiverse, from Avernus to the Plain of Infinite Portals, without a moment of peace.
The Blood War is widely regarded as a cosmic cataclysm, the tangible manifestation of the eternal struggle between Chaos and Order in the multiverse's dark underbelly.
Now, the Cinder Emperor has joined hands with Bel, interim lord of Avernus, to repel the abyssal legions invading the plane. Starfallen, you shall fight alongside the devils and take your place in this grand Blood War.
Warriors, for the Empire, and for the ultimate order of the cosmos—drive the demons back into the Abyss!]
Quest Objective: Hold Avernus, slay demons, and claim victory in this Blood War.
Quest Rewards: Based on demon strength and contributions to defending Avernus, players will receive corresponding Faction Contribution, gold coins, and Merit.
Merit can be exchanged for infernal contracts granting the power to summon devils.
Furthermore, guilds participating in organized collective operations will receive Faction Standing based on ranking, raising their guild's rank within the imperial hierarchy.
"Isn't this an upgraded version of the demon-slaying main quest?"
"This quest again!"
"An open-ended quest! This place is an absolute grinding paradise—with this many demons, think of all the EXP we can farm!"
"We can even trade for infernal contracts! Big Sister Erinyes, here I come!"
"The Blood War! Hell yeah!"
"Hahaha, we're finally part of a multiverse-tier event!"
Checking their quest panels, veterans of the Abyssal War rejoiced. Demon-slaying quests offered massive rewards, enormous EXP pools, and chances to hone their combat skills.
It beat hauling bricks and slaving away inside the Empire by a mile!
Guild players looked at the Faction Standing rewards with blazing excitement. Top-tier guilds were especially determined, some issuing strict orders to claim the top spot at all costs.
Under the Empire's rigid hierarchy, clear gulfs separated organizations of differing ranks. Elevating a guild's standing within the imperial system meant rapid growth, priority access, and bountiful perks for every member.
"Long live the Empire!"
"Hahaha, awesome! Long live the Blood War!"
Driven by immediate gains, players cheered wildly. No one wasted time killing their own comrades anymore; everyone threw themselves into preparations for the coming war.
"Stop fighting, get to work!"
Players who had just been slashing each other to ribbons like mortal enemies made peace on the spot and began coordinating.
Digging trenches, erecting fortifications, hauling arms and ammunition... They threw themselves into the labor with frantic energy and terrifying efficiency, a complete contrast to the raving madmen who had just been butchering one another.
Following the quest announcement, player numbers exploded further, breaching one million in barely ten minutes.
The devils stared dumbfounded, unable to believe their eyes.
"Lord of the Nine Hells above... are these the same lunatics from a moment ago?"
"Are we under an illusion spell?"
Even the archdevil Bel, who had lived for thousands of years, felt his mouth twitch in disbelief.
Yet something even more astonishing occurred.
With a ripple in space, a hundred-meter-long aerospace airship belonging to the Machine Cult materialized in the skies over Avernus, casting a colossal shadow that blanketed the masses below.
"What is that...?"
A massive metal gangway connected the airship to the ground. Towering, imposing humanoid mechs and specialized vehicles poured from its cargo bays, carrying immense stockpiles of supplies down to the wasteland.
"Move it! This mission is urgent, the Machine Cult must take first place!"
"Squads Two and Three, handle fort construction and logistics! The rest of us move up to fortify the frontline!"
Before long, through the ceaseless, around-the-clock labor of the Machine Cult's engineering corps, countless small pillboxes sprouted across the defensive lines like bamboo shoots after rain, and an imposing steel fortress rose from the scorched earth.
In merely a few days, clusters of buildings sprang up in the rear of the concession, ringed by towering walls that marked the embryonic outline of an entire city.
This was the so-called "Imperial Speed"!
Chapter 727