Chapter 444: Starting the Level 6 Monster Tide, Requiem Guild Members
[Do you wish to evolve your Stronghold to Level 6?]
[Note: The Monster Tide will begin in 15 minutes to give you time to take your positions.]
Cavin didn’t even hesitate, and with a thundering voice that echoed across the entire stronghold, he spoke, "FOR THE REQUIEM GUILD, YES!"
The moment the word left his mouth, all of the crystals were used up, their energy flying into the sky to merge with the vortex, which grew larger and more unstable with each passing second.
[Level 6 Monster Tide will start in 15 minutes.]
This was the final words that many people read as the vortex in the sky grew more and more, hundreds of breaches appearing in it, each one crackling with malevolent energy that promised the arrival of something terrible.
"THOSE WHO WISH TO FIGHT, HEAD OUTSIDE AND DEFEND THE WALLS, THOSE WHO WANNA REMAIN INSIDE, FEEL FREE TO DO SO!" Cavin shouted as he flexed his muscles, his voice carrying over the crowd.
Then he and the 19 other requiem guild members blitzed out of their position to go fight, disappearing in a blur of motion that left the crowd gasping.
Following them were tens of thousands of other players who all headed to the exit of the stronghold, their weapons drawn and their faces set with determination.
"Alright," Leon got up calmly, "Lets make sure to take advantage of this as much as we can."
He teleported the group right outside the Requiem Stronghold, appearing in the open field beyond the walls.
As Leon turned around, he noticed dozens on guards standing on the towers of the walls though, each of them commanding some weird structure that seemed to hum with magical energy.
’These are the defenses I guess,’ he thought, noting their positions.
Thanks to the teleportation, Leon, Celeste, Violet and Emilia were the very first to arrive at the battlefield.
Or so Leon thought, because as he turned his gaze to the left, he saw them: the Requiem Guild members who had somehow arrived even faster.
"Hey there, Celestial," Cavin grinned widely, his eyes gleaming with amusement, "I knew you wouldn’t let us down, not that you had a choice anyway."
"Sure," Leon replied, his voice flat.
"Don’t die too quick," Empress, the silver-haired girl said coldly, her eyes narrowing, "We still need you and the others as meat shields to draw the monsters’ attention."
Leon tried to stop himself from chuckling at that moment, but indeed, it was as he expected.
That grand speech from Cavin was nothing but a way to motivate everyone to jump to their deaths, a clever manipulation to thin out the population.
But seriously, why would the leaders of the stronghold want most of their inhabitants to rush to their death?
After all, if a stronghold lost the majority of its inhabitants so quickly, it wouldn’t be able to function normally or maintain its defenses.
In addition to that, while he still had thirteen minutes, Leon was finally able to check out the rest of the Requiem Guild members in detail, his eyes scanning each of them with keen interest.
First, there was Cavin himself, the Oni leader with his golden horns and crimson skin, his massive frame radiating power that made the air around him shimmer.
He carried no visible weapon, but his fists crackled with energy, suggesting he was a master of unarmed combat, and his eyes held the cold intelligence of a predator who had outlived many foes.
Beside him stood Empress, the silver-haired woman with crystal scales covering her body, a long spear in her hands that seemed to be made of pure diamond.
Her movements were fluid and graceful, like a dancer, but her eyes held a cold, ruthless edge that spoke of countless kills.
She was clearly the second-in-command, and her loyalty to Cavin was absolute.
Behind them stood a massive, brutish man with skin like granite, his body covered in thick plates of stone that seemed to grow from his flesh.
He carried a massive greatsword that was as tall as he was, and his expression was one of barely contained violence, as if he was always ready to explode into action.
His name, according to what the others said, was Granite, and he was the guild’s primary tank.
Next to Granite was a slender, almost skeletal figure wrapped in dark robes, his face hidden beneath a hood.
He carried a staff topped with a glowing skull, and a faint aura of death surrounded him, suggesting he was a necromancer or some kind of dark mage.
His name was Mortis, and he was the guild’s strategist and support.
Then there was a pair of twins, a man and a woman, both with fiery red hair and eyes that burned like embers.
They wore matching sets of light armor and carried twin blades that seemed to flicker with heat.
They moved in perfect sync, their bodies mirroring each other’s movements, and their names were Blaze and Ember.
And so the list continued, each member more powerful and imposing than the last.
There was a massive, hulking beastman with a wolf’s head and fur-covered body, his claws as long as daggers, and his eyes glowing with a feral intelligence.
There was a slender, ethereal woman who floated above the ground, her body translucent like a ghost, and she carried no weapon, but her hands crackled with pure mana.
There was a man in heavy plate armor, his face hidden behind a visor, who carried a massive tower shield and a mace, standing like an immovable wall.
There was a woman with wings like a bat and a forked tongue, her body covered in scales, and she carried a long whip that crackled with lightning.
There was a dwarf with a massive axe and a beard that reached his knees, his eyes burning with a fierce battle lust.
There was a man with mechanical limbs, his body covered in metallic plates, and he carried a massive cannon on his shoulder.
There was a woman with skin like obsidian and eyes like burning coals, her body covered in volcanic cracks that leaked molten lava.
There was a man with a blindfold over his eyes, but he moved with perfect awareness, his sword held at the ready.
There was a massive turtle-like being, his shell covered in spikes, and he carried a massive hammer.
Each of them radiated power that made the air around them feel heavy, and Leon knew that even with his new strength, he would struggle against any one of them in a one-on-one fight.
Against all of them at once, he would stand absolutely no chance.
But before he could think further, the vortex above them began to pulse violently, and from its depths, a massive lightning strike erupted.
It hit a spot several miles away from the Requiem Stronghold, but the moment it did, a massive rift opened.
And then, without warning, hundreds of monsters began pouring out, their forms twisted and monstrous, their eyes filled with nothing but the desire to destroy.
"Here we go," Cavin cracked his neck as he got ready to fight, "Lets get this over with."
...
A/N
I am very excited about this, Leon and the girls need to become much stronger, and this will be their opportunity.
The Requiem Guild are also my favorite "antagonists" yet, though they’re not on the level of the gods, not even close actually.