Main Quest: War!

Yet it was not just Singo; the various guilds had also noticed the anomalies around Dragon Valley. Wangquan was currently the most renowned powerhouse guild. With over eighty members and strict admission standards, most of its roster consisted of professional players. They had even erected a rudimentary castle inside the City of Baator to serve as their guild headquarters, naming it the "Hall of Wangquan." The guild master was the famous wealthy pro player "Bazhe," a tall, burly Paladin of Conquest. At this moment, inside the Hall of Wangquan, the guild's core members were gathered together. Seated at the head of the table, Bazhe asked, "So, if the intel is accurate, we're about to face a war?" The vice guild master, "Fengyun," replied, "That's right. According to reports from our informants in Northwind Keep, the enemy is an allied army from the northern realms. Three prestigious ducal houses are taking part. They've reportedly assembled an army of nearly thirty thousand, which will mass in the Storm Heights region." Bibo Jianyu spoke up, "Can we even win this? If we can't beat them, can we switch sides and defect to the other team?" Fengyun shook his head. "I wouldn't advise defecting. Our guild's roots are firmly planted in the City of Baator. We've already monopolized the city's liquor brewing and wall-building industries. If we switch factions now, all our investments go down the drain. We'd have to start from scratch on equal footing with everyone else, losing every advantage we hold. We can't afford that cost." Bazhe asked, "What's the assessment of our side's strength?" Fengyun pondered for a moment before answering, "Hard to say. On paper, it should be fairly close. While we might be at a numerical disadvantage, these dragon-blooded monsters are likely far stronger than ordinary human soldiers." He paused. "However, there are too many uncertain variables. For example, the enemy's spellcasters, and... our faction leader." "You mean the red dragon?" "Yes. Up until now, we've only seen his avatars and statues. Ordinary players can't even enter his lair in Dragon Valley, making it very difficult to gauge the role he'll play in the war." Bazhe made the call: "Then we fight with everything we've got. If we do well, there'll definitely be Contribution Points to reap. Even if we lose, it doesn't matter much. If they breach the city, we can just turn collaborator and flip sides on the spot. After all, our characters are all human. Even if the northern coalition takes over, we can still establish ourselves as the local kingpins in the City of Baator." Fengyun agreed. "My thoughts exactly." Bazhe turned to the elite fighter player beside him, "Dadao," and asked, "How many Contribution Points do you have now? When can you get Redscale Conqueror?" Dadao answered clearly, "Already at 9,300. I should be able to redeem it by tomorrow. It's just that I still need to buy some wyvern-taming supplies from Sing-dog." Bazhe nodded. "Very good. I plan to use the Mysterious Invitation tomorrow. Let's get all our money and contribution ready so we can buy everything we need in one trip." Off to the side, a civil-engineering bro with the ID "Run with the Bucket" chimed in meekly, "Since we're going to war, shouldn't we cook up some special weapons...?" "We definitely shou—" Just as Bazhe was about to reply, a colossal roar echoed from the sky. Unlike the raspy screech of a wyvern, this roar was deep, resonant, and brimmed with majestic authority, instilling an involuntary urge to drop to one's knees and submit. Fengyun asked in confusion, "What's going on?" A guild member guarding the door burst in, shouting breathlessly, "Come quick!" "The faction leader has arrived!" Bazhe said hastily, "Let's go. Let's take a look." The Wangquan members in the hall followed Bazhe out toward the hillside district of the City of Baator. "Roaaar—" Another protracted roar rang out. A massive crowd of players had gathered in the hillside district, joined by tiefling residents. The tiefling guard led by Mezrolash had assembled there as well. A colossal silhouette appeared in the sky, casting a vast shadow over the crowd. Immediately after, the crimson figure plummeted from the heavens and landed with a thunderous crash atop the highest crag of the hillside district. Dust billowed outward as the ground itself shuddered beneath the impact. The crowd looked up in astonishment. Once the dust and smoke settled, they could finally see the newcomer's true appearance—a terrifying red dragon. His colossal form rippled with immense power, clad from head to tail in crimson scales like armor plating, and his sweeping horns crowned his head like a regal diadem. Perched upon the rock, Cassius spread his wings—spanning dozens of meters—draping the crowd in the City of Baator beneath a vast shadow. He looked down from on high, majestic light gleaming in his golden eyes as an invisible aura radiated outward. The onlookers instantly felt a visceral terror toward this mighty creature welling up from the depths of their hearts. They could not help but lower their heads, experiencing firsthand the dread known as Frightful Presence. Only then did Cassius speak, his rumbling voice rolling like thunder: "My subjects, war is at hand." His voice echoed across the entirety of the City of Baator. "An allied host of the northern realms is gathering. They will march on the Storm Heights, seeking to destroy my city, slaughter my kin, and plunder my wealth. "Yet my power will prove to them that all of this is nothing more than delusion. Everything they possess shall be reduced to ash beneath my flames. "Subjects, make all necessary preparations! Prove your loyalty to me with blood and fire! The crucible of slaughter is about to begin, and we shall crush the feeble armies of the northern realms without fail." "For the Cinder Nest!" "For the City of Baator!" "For the great red dragon!" "For... revenge!" Mezrolash was the first to raise his sword and cry out, followed immediately by the tiefling guard thrusting their spears skyward in unison. More and more joined in, their shouts surging like waves of fanatic fervor. The people of the City of Baator roared with fierce excitement, vowing to crush the invading army into dust. The players swept into the fever pitch as well, though they snuck in their own chants: "For dragon girls!" "For EXP!" "For succubi!" Fortunately, the tieflings had long grown accustomed to them and simply acted as if they hadn't heard. Gazing up at the red dragon's massive, sky-blotting wings, Bazhe couldn't help but marvel, "What kind of Challenge Rating is this guy? Even if our whole guild threw ourselves at him, we probably wouldn't last a few minutes." Fengyun murmured, "No idea. But I do know one thing." "This war... we shouldn't be losing it." New information refreshed on the players' panels: Main Quest: Start of the War [With the continuous expansion of the Cinder Nest led by Cassius, the "Dragon of Flying Flame," the red dragon's insatiable greed has alarmed three northern duchies: Lakeman, Bosque, and Knott. Consequently, they have assembled an allied army of over thirty thousand troops, preparing to march upon the Storm Heights to eradicate this evil power in one fell swoop. You may freely choose your faction in the war and strive for your side's victory. For every enemy slain, you will receive 150 Faction Contribution Points. The quest will officially begin in approximately 30 days. Please make all necessary preparations to face the impending war.]