Night fell, casting shifting shadows through the forest. Shimoji and his team moved swiftly through the dense woods. Kawakita glanced back toward the dungeon's direction and sneered. "This is the strength of US players? Hmph, they didn't even dare to chase us."
"Don't get careless," Shimoji cautioned. "Some of them were quite capable. Even if we disregard their mechanics, their skills and equipment rival ours."
The group moved like a team of assassins in the night. They had meticulously prepared for this cross-server raid. Each member carried a wide array of items for handling emergencies, and they were equipped with movement-boosting skills and gear, allowing them to outpace normal players easily.
Even in the event of death, as long as the ancient teleportation array remained active, they could continue infiltrating the Light Dragon Empire in waves. Weakening the Godslayer guild was only part of their objective. This was a battle to establish dominance for the UJ server.
Behind Shimoji and his group stood powerful financial backers and national interests. The emergence of an undefeated champion from the Light Dragon Empire was something they couldn't allow.
"Equipment stats alone won't determine the outcome. As long as we don't run into those ancient enigmas, even without Naoko stepping in, taking down the US triple champions isn't a problem!" Kawakita said smugly.
Before the release of Infinite Dimensions, UJ had gathered its top players for rigorous training in a simulation game called Realm of Virtual Gods, whose combat system mirrored that of Infinite Dimensions. This gave UJ players a significant advantage when the game launched. SS-ranked summoner Naoko had trained there as well, and she wasn't even among the strongest from the UJ region.
Meanwhile, at a crossroads in the forest…
SirLagsALot: "Wait a second… those guys… are UJ players? Why are they in our server?"
Lies: "Kill those bastards! Damn it, kill them all!"
Players en route to a public dungeon froze in place. They had seen world chat warnings about UJ invaders but didn't expect to encounter them firsthand.
"Do we kill them? Just a bunch of players from small guilds," Kawakita asked coldly, glancing at Shimoji.
"They're coming our way. Take them out quickly," Shimoji ordered after a brief look. The enemy group had about fifty players but was mostly below level 30.
Without another word, a massive ice dragon manifested from magical energy and slammed into the players.
"Damn it! That damage is insane!"
"Are you kidding me? These UJ players are playing a completely different game!"
US players were wiped out en masse, with only a few heavily armored knights forming a desperate defensive line.
Shadow Annihilation: Merciless Execution!
Shimoji's expression turned icy as he vanished into the darkness, reappearing above the knights' shields. His body split into nine shadowy clones, all leaping high before plunging their daggers into the ground. In perfect synchronization, the shadows unleashed eerie, arcing slashes.
In the blink of an eye, a level-29 elite knight was slain, and Shimoji's team, composed of UJ's top players, annihilated the small US battalion with precision. Even their healers dealt devastating damage.
SirLagsALot: "Damn it… I surrender! I'm just a translator! Don't kill me!" The remaining US players were paralyzed with fear. The disparity in skill and equipment was overwhelming.
One player, known as SirLagsALot, clutched his staff and fled in a panic. He veered off onto a side path from a previously completed side quest, hoping to escape.
"No survivors," Shimoji ordered coldly. "We can't risk US players regrouping and interfering with our operation."
Without hesitation, the squad dispatched two members to pursue the fleeing mage.
Elsewhere in the forest…
SirLagsALot let out a yelp as he collided with a shadowy figure. Scrambling to his feet, he was about to curse when he stopped abruptly. The figure—a mage in imperial robes—looked oddly familiar.
"Wait… Imperial Fire Mage? Orsix?" SirLagsALot's mind raced. Why did this NPC look so… familiar?
"Are you a player from Newbie Village 4396?" Orsix asked politely.
SirLagsALot: "Huh? How do you know that? NPCs are this smart now?"
Orsix nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, I am your village's guardian. All residents of Village 4396 are responsible for repelling external invaders."
Guardian of the Newbie Village?
Holy crap, that's OP!
SirLagsALot: "Then go kill them! Cast a forbidden spell! Take those UJ bastards out!"
Orsix shook his head, frowning. "I do not know forbidden spells."
"What? You don't? Then just run with me! Those guys will probably kill NPCs too," SirLagsALot said in frustration, grabbing the "helpful NPC" to flee together.
Orsix tilted his head thoughtfully before speaking again. "I recall the villagers had another name for me."
"What name? I don't care—damn it, I don't want to lose my gear!" SirLagsALot glanced back, spotting the UJ players chasing him. He stumbled and turned to sprint toward Purple Thunder Fortress.
Before he could get far, Orsix grabbed him by the collar. Pulling back his hood, Orsix's smile twisted into something far more sinister. "They called me the Tower of Destruction."
SirLagsALot's jaw dropped as his body was lifted into the air—not by Orsix but by a massive, terrifying creature.
Orsix's once-blue name tag turned blood red. Crimson Butcher – Orgod.
"Well, friends from afar," Orsix said with a booming laugh, "the cherry blossoms in your homeland are blooming. Don't you want to return and see them?"
SirLagsALot's scalp tingled as he looked at Orsix, whose gaze now burned with lethal intent. In the next instant, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the forest below.
The pursuing UJ warriors froze as a massive shadow took shape in the sky above them. "What… is that? A dragon?"
A-rank Spell: Brahma's Divine Flame
The faint glimmer condensed to its limit before detonating in a fiery explosion.
A tidal wave of flames surged through the forest, consuming trees and players alike.
The UJ players didn't even have time to react. The fiery tsunami swallowed them whole, leaving behind nothing but ashes.
Orsix dusted off his hands, smiling with satisfaction. "That suits their tradition well."