Chapter 9: Holy Light and Blood Moon

  Under Cerluva’s devastating downpour, players not only saw their characters’ flesh rot away but also witnessed Asterith’s once-impenetrable walls beginning to crack. The Erosion effect slowly ate away at the city's defenses, making them decay as if centuries had passed in mere moments.

  Boom!!!

  From beneath the ground, Bhaeta tore through space-time, ramming into the fortress walls with unstoppable force. The earth trembled violently, quaking as though it would shatter under the god’s wrath.

  Crash!!!

  From the sky, Arcturus transformed into a streak of white flame, plummeting like a cataclysmic comet. Upon impact with Asterith, the comet exploded into a colossal frozen blossom, which swiftly expanded before erupting into a brilliant, blinding inferno that illuminated the heavens.

  “The city of Asterith has fallen.”

  That thought crossed Helen’s mind—and the minds of all who bore witness to the apocalyptic scene.

  Aegis Imperium!!!

  At that very moment, a colossal beam of divine light pierced through the dark clouds, enveloping Asterith. The once silver-white city now gleamed with golden radiance. The luminous aura surrounding it not only shielded against the three divine attacks but also reversed the damage they had inflicted.

  The entire Zephranian faction was left in shock.

  The Estapha faction erupted in triumphant cheers. At the most critical moment, the Queen of Estapha had entered the battle.

  ===

  “Estapha’s stream!”

  “Helena, turn on Estapha’s stream!”

  “The official Estapha stream!”

  …

  The chat’s frantic messages snapped Helen out of her daze. She quickly switched tabs, searching for Estapha’s official broadcast. Within seconds of its start, more than ten million viewers had flooded in, and the number continued to surge.

  “People of Estapha!!!”

  A voice as clear as an angel’s proclamation resonated through the screen, backlit by a blinding white glow. As the radiance faded, a regal figure emerged.

  Standing amidst the divine light was a warrior queen, draped in a flowing white dress adorned with golden trims, accented by silver armor that shimmered like the sun. Her golden hair cascaded in waves, framing a pristine ivory crown—modest in design yet exuding absolute authority. Before her chest rested the Lux Veritas Crossblade, a Divine-tier weapon pulsing with arcane energy.

  “I am Elenora, Queen of Estapha!!! I speak to you from our capital, Estaphalia.”

  Helen didn’t even need to look at the chat to know it was exploding. Players from both factions reacted with fervor, swept away by the sheer presence of Elenora. Even though she was merely a game character, her aura—and that of the person controlling her—was undeniable: unwavering determination, righteousness, and strength concealed beneath her serene and saintly visage.

  “I extend my deepest gratitude to all warriors who have given their all to defend Estapha. I thank you for your unwavering support. The God has witnessed your bravery and valor. Stay strong, warriors, for we shall triumph in this battle! I offer my blessings to you all. Holy Light God Lafieii, watch over us. Sanctumn Aeternum!!!”

  Elenora raised the Lux Veritas Crossblade high. The hilt, embedded with emerald gemstones, emitted a surge of mystical energy that shot into the sky.

  On the battlefield of Asterith, countless beams of divine light rained down upon every Estapha player. Their screens, bathed in a silver-green glow, displayed the effects—negative statuses were cleansed, and their HP bars steadily recovered.

  ===

  "Chaargeeee!!!!!!!"

  Henry was the first to call out in the chat channel. With only a sliver of red health left, he showed no fear as he charged forward to face the monster that had just handed him a brutal defeat.

  "For the Queen!"

  "For Estapha!"

  "The enemy has lost three Summoners! Victory is ours!"

  "Let's go, everyone!!!"

  The Estapha warriors, who had been drowning in despair, were now ablaze with renewed fighting spirit. Their overwhelming determination seemed to surge through the screens, transmitting into the virtual world, turning the Estapha army into a raging torrent that surged forward like a flood.

  “Just two of the Queen's exclusive skills, yet the impact is beyond imagination!” Helen tabbed back to the Asterith battlefield. “No! It’s her words of encouragement that revived the spirit of every player. Even though she rarely appears and keeps a low profile, Elenora's influence over Estapha is undeniable. Zephrania is in chaos; they've suffered a major loss. Three Mighty Summoners have burned all their Spirit Points and achieved nothing. Asterith still stands strong. This gamble... it seems they didn’t calculate it carefully enough…”

  "Spirit Point refresh is in 20 days."

  "They went all in!"

  "Hard to say. They've been sieging the city for 14 days straight. Their forces were bound to weaken. Zephrania players have jobs and school too, you know?"

  "I still think it was too hasty."

  "Was this Ignis Flamma’s plan? I think he was close to pulling it off, though."

  "If they had caught Estapha off guard, Queen Elenora wouldn’t have been able to buff Asterith in time."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Yeah, everyone knows she isn’t great at in-game mechanics. If she had panicked for even a second, she might not have made it in time."

  "Regardless, in the end, they failed. Losing three Summoners... that's rough..."

  "Elenora might not be good at playing the game, but she’s still Estapha’s leader. Her exclusive skills are even more overpowered than a Mighty Summoner’s. The timing of her appearance was perfect too—now she’s igniting Estapha’s morale. They might even turn the tables."

  "Could they push forward and reclaim Vastaj?"

  "If that happens, Zephrania will suffer massive losses! Not to mention, if Operation Esta-doom fails, their reputation will take a huge hit. Many people invested in Zephrania because they believed in ‘Ignis’s miracles.’"

  "Did Ignis actually choke?"

  ===

  "Who’s small now, huh, you bastard?!!!"

  Henry charged in ferociously. Winning a solo duel wasn’t a big deal—he was here to protect Estapha. Estapha was winning; everyone could see it. And that was his victory as well.

  Faced with Henry’s relentless pressure, Ignis Flamma was forced back toward the cliff’s edge. Henry used Charge to dash forward, raising his sword to strike. But to his surprise, Ignis let himself fall.

  "This might be the last time we meet, little Paladin."

  Graghhh!!!!

  From below the cliff, a dragon shot upward, catching Ignis Flamma before flapping its wings and soaring into the sky.

  "Where the hell do you think you're running, coward?!"

  Henry roared in frustration, watching helplessly as Ignis Flamma led a squad of Wyvern Riders toward Asterith.

  Helen rushed over. Something felt wrong.

  "Why... why is Ignis leading a flying squad toward Asterith? Asterith is under Aegis Imperium’s protection—it's completely invulnerable! I thought he would retreat in this situation. Flying straight into Asterith is suicide, isn’t it? Unless…"

  Helen couldn't finish her sentence. Could it be that everything—from the beginning of Operation Esta-doom until this very moment—sacrificing three Mighty Summoners just to force Elenora to reveal herself—

  No, that didn't make sense. Elenora was in Estaphalia. She could cast her skills across the entire map. Forcing her to appear wouldn’t change anything. This was Asterith…

  Asterith was under an invulnerability buff, but Estaphalia wasn’t…

  Helen's eyes widened in horror. She had only just begun to grasp something—something that could change this battle entirely, perhaps even end it once and for all. She frantically switched tabs, searching for Steve in her friend list.

  "Steve!!!! Steveeee!!!!!!!!!"

  She bet that he was overwhelmed with chat messages and voice calls. It took him a moment to notice her.

  "What now, lady?"

  "Get the Pegasus Knights and Sniper squads to intercept the Wyvern Riders heading toward Asterith!"

  "Oh, so now you're my commander, too?! Do you have any idea how many Wyverns we’ve shot down today?"

  "This time is different! Don't let them reach Asterith!"

  ===

  Stephen was in charge of the defense team on the western tower. He wasn’t a top-tier player in terms of mechanics, but his observation and coordination skills were exceptional. While others were losing their minds from the sheer scale and intensity of the siege, Stephen remained calm and composed.

  As he had said, his tower had been doing an excellent job intercepting Wyvern Riders. Like Pegasus Knights, Wyvern Riders were mounted aerial units, but instead of swift Pegasi, they rode the Stormrake mountain dragons. These dragons were slower and less agile but had thicker health bars and fire-breathing attacks.

  In a siege, Wyvern Riders were a persistent threat, constantly harassing defenses and causing havoc. Naturally, Stephen kept a close eye on them. He commanded a battle-hardened squad of Pegasus Knights for interception and long-range Snipers with incredible attack range. On top of that, Asterith had defensive relics—giant ballistae called Vormir. The Snipers used Dragon Sight to aim the ballistae, launching supersonic arrows capable of one-shotting any reckless Wyvern.

  Just then, another chat window buzzed open.

  It was Jin, the leader of Knights of Gale. He had been taken down by the Summoner’s elite guards and was waiting to respawn. In the meantime, his ghostly character roamed the battlefield, still observing the fight.

  "Shoot down those Wyverns, Steve! Something’s not right!"

  ===

  A squad of Pegasus Knights launched from the western tower.

  The Vormir ballistae fired their deadly bolts.

  Yet, the Wyvern Riders led by Ignis pressed forward undeterred. They evaded some Vormir shots, but strangely, they ignored the Pegasus Knights completely. They dodged what damage they could, but instead of retreating, they charged toward Asterith with reckless determination.

  A suicide run? Helen frowned. But a suicide attack should involve some kind of bomb—bombs???!!!

  Before long, the Wyvern Riders reached Asterith, and three figures leaped from their dragons.

  "Those are the three remaining Mighty Summoners!" Helen shouted in shock.

  BOOOOOOM!!!! BOOOOOOM!!!! BOOOOOOM!!!!

  Before anyone could even recognize their summoned gods or the spells they cast, three massive explosions rocked the battlefield.

  "What the hell?!"

  Stephen struggled to keep his character steady as the city walls trembled violently. Aegis Imperium’s protective barrier stood firm against the enormous damage, like an angel spreading its wings to shield the city and its people.

  "They’re trying to burn through Elenora’s Mana!" Helen screamed, not noticing that several newsroom staff had gathered around her in alarm.

  Graghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Suddenly, darkness enveloped the surroundings. A massive shadow loomed overhead.

  A dragon—larger than any Wyvern but not as colossal as Arcturus—swooped across Helen’s field of view at unimaginable speed.

  With wings so vast they cast a shadow over the battlefield, glowing crimson eyes like smoldering embers, and obsidian-black scales that seemed to absorb light, it tore through the sky, heading straight for Asterith.

  "Nyxarion? That means—"

  "Nyxarion?!"

  "The Black Night Dragon King?!"

  "That’s the Emperor’s dragon!"

  "And riding on its back..."

  "It's Emperor Drarkarr!"

  ===

  "Focus all firepower!" Stephen shouted until his voice was hoarse. "Kill him now! He's the enemy's Boss! That bastard dares to show himself on the battlefield?! Unleash everything on him!!!"

  Immediately, the Pegasus Knights formed a formation to block Nyxarion's flight path. All Mages, Archers, and Snipers raised their weapons, locked onto the massive black dragon soaring arrogantly towards them, and held their breath.

  "Attack!!!!!"

  The moment the command rang out, twenty Pegasus Knights from the western tower tore through the wind, charging forward. Magic and skills erupted, their dazzling lights filling the sky.

  Amidst the storm of attacks, a proud figure stood atop the dragon, his crimson cape billowing wildly in the wind. In his right hand, he gripped a scythe as dark red as blood.

  Slash!

  Scarlet Eclipse!

  Everyone on the battlefield instinctively looked up. In the night sky, a crescent-shaped blood moon suddenly appeared—cold and merciless, like an omen of death.

  Twenty Pegasus Knights and their mounts exploded simultaneously into crimson blossoms, painting the sky red. No screams escaped, no resistance was of any significance. Spells, skills, arrows—all vanished into nothingness, as if they had never existed.

  Before the Emperor's overwhelming power, these weaklings were nothing but nameless dust, swept away without leaving a trace.

  Nyxarion continued gliding through the air, neither changing direction nor slowing down. And Emperor Drarkarr, ruler of the mighty Empire, did not even glance back at those trembling within their fortress. He had no need to concern himself with weeds clinging to a faint and delusional hope.

  His target was singular—Estaphalia.

  To end Elenora, crush this feeble Kingdom, and claim victory.