Crimson sun met the horizon as the night drew closer. It was a spectacular sight on the cyan ocean.
Shores of the Pisces archipelago were filled with fluorescent microorganisms. And when they awoke with the approaching night, it looked like glowing waves were crashing against the golden sand.
However, the players weren't in the mood to appreciate the nature’s wonder.
They could see the hordes of red eyes staring at them from the forest. Nearly a thousand bats were eying the encampment with wild fervor.
To be precise, they were eying the fluttering flag placed on the red log.
“Begin the preparations,” Zyrus commanded as he looked at the far horizon. He didn’t rest unlike the others in the past few hours.
He had placed the ophidian warriors at the borders. With the help of hundreds of players who released their pure mana, the entire beach was tainted with the abyssal attribute.
It was difficult to control the mana on the island. However, it was a different case for mana released by the players.
“All set,” Ria replied once she relayed his commands. Shield warriors and trolls formed the first ring of defense behind the makeshift boundary. Swordsman and Spearman stood behind them as the main line of attack.
Archers, thieves, and assassins were tasked with long-range attacks. And last but not least were the mages who were stationed at the center. It was the safest location since they were protected by the bears and ogres.
The only mobile units were Zyrus who rode on Franken and the goblin riders. They were tasked with handling any unforeseen situations and providing backup.
As for the rats and specter scorpions, Zyrus didn’t let them participate. It was more important to monitor the underground.
*Kiiikiki*
*Kiiiekek*
The fruit bats became excited as only a tenth of the sun was above the ocean. The players were trembling in nervousness despite their experience in the first ring.
“Remember what I said, believe in the totem. I want Zero causalities in the battle, so you better not die,” Zyrus was trying to motivate the fidgety players, but his words only made them more frightened.
Rather than dying, they were more afraid of what Zyrus would do with their corpse. Their wild imaginations were off the mark, but it helped them firm their will nonetheless.
“You’re quite a charming leader,”
“It’s the end result that matters,” Zyrus shrugged Lauren’s sarcastic remarks and walked towards Jacob.
“I’m ready,”
“Good. Release your spell once they come closer,” Zyrus nodded at Jacob and channeled his mana as well.
Fruit bats had a huge advantage with their airborne mobility. Thus, he had to level the playing field before anything else.
<{Warning! Monsters are attacking your camp}>
<{Repel the invaders to improve your flag’s tier}>
<{Additional rewards will be given based on your performance!}>
The same text appeared before every player.
*KIkiiiihhi*
“Fire!” Zyrus shouted from the top of his lungs. And in the very next instance, fiery arrows flew in all directions.
The arrows weren’t enough to fend off the fruit bats, but that wasn’t his goal to begin with. He had created a boundary with wood and dry leaves for a reason.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
It was useless against flying bats, but they were more than enough to set off prairie fire.
Walls of orange flame arose at the same instance when the fiery arrows were about to fall. The entire camp was enshrouded in a dome of flame.
This was the moment Zyrus was waiting for.
“Expand,”
Blue stands of mana surged from his outstretched arms and flew towards the wall of flames. He didn’t have enough mana to form a vortex that could cover their campsite.
However, even an incomplete conjuror’s spell had its uses.
*Swiiiiiish*
The water droplets in the blue threads were devoured by the wall of flames. White fumes erupted from the fusion of the two attributes.
Although it was a complex process, Zyrus and his troops had pulled it off in a couple of breaths. Hundreds of bats were unable to stop before they barged into the high-temperature steam.
“This is our chance, hit them before they gather again,” Ria ordered with the conductor’s tiara. It was impossible for normal steam to remain in the sky, but this was a result of mana.
Jacob, Zyrus, and the archers had used all of their MP to launch this attack. It was more than enough to last for half an hour.
“Go to the center and recover your mana,” Zyrus spoke to Jacob and gave him a mana recovery potion.
“I can pull off another one in an hour,”
“It won't work twice,”
The bats weren’t stupid like the monsters in the first ring. It would be a miracle if they killed a hundred with a cheap trick like this.
‘At least the momentum is in our favor,’
Zyrus ran around the campsite without attacking any bats. He simply ordered the goblin riders to shoot down the injured bats and observed his troops.
Although they fought well, he could tell that they hadn’t placed their beliefs in the totem.
‘Looks like my plan won't work unless they face a death threat,’
Having a totem was crucial to survive on the Pisces archipelago. He didn’t mind sacrificing some players to achieve his goals.
“You’re a real sucmbag, y’know?”
“At least I’m not a bastard who plays with others fate,”
“Heh, I wonder how long you’ll keep up your stubborn beliefs,” Franken scoffed as he ran around the campsite.
“Do you think my beliefs are stubborn?” Zyrus asked as he thought about the floating shard besides the cube.
“No, they are not. You’re just too weak to uphold them,”
Although it stung his sore spot, Zyrus couldn’t help but admit his companion’s blunt remark.
Half an hour passed by as the duo surveyed the campsite. Looking at the players’ tired faces, he knew that he didn’t have the luxury to think about other matters.
“Kyle, Lauren, and Shi kun, move out to the front,” Zyrus commanded when the steam was about to vanish.
The players had performed better than his expectations. More than 100 bats were killed without a causality.
‘But the real fight starts now,’
Zyrus led the goblin riders and moved towards the forest. There were still 900 bats left, not to mention they didn’t have the steam’s advantage.
This was the reason why Zyrus wanted to create an army. He could kill dozens of bats with his power, but the low-level monsters moved in hordes. Although some were without a group, it wasn’t something he could fight without sufficient strength.
Thus, a large group was necessary if one wanted to level up faster.
“Shi kun and I will draw their aggro, you two deal with the offense,”
“Never thought you’d take the tanking role,” Shi kun spoke as he bumped his fists in excitement. Unlike the normal players, all of them had acquired a special class.
“It’s temporary. I need to see your skills before we fix the roles.”
*Kiikieki*
A loud shirk almost blasted their ears apart. The battlefield quietened down as everyone looked at the gigantic bat.
A brown-colored monster was rushing from the forest. It flapped its 10-meter-wide wings and hovered towards the campsite.
“Would you look at that, we managed to draw a field boss on our first day,” Zyrus’s words broke the silence.
Even he didn’t expect such a scenario.
‘Now they have no choice but to believe in the totem,’
What else could the players do when faced against someone way above their level? It was just a matter of time before they clutch at the last straw.
<{Warning! Field boss Camazotz is attacking your base}>
<{Defeat the invader to obtain rewards}>
<{Each participant will receive an equipment and HP recovery potion upon success!}>
The rewards were far better than the fight against Tauranox.
And that proved just how difficult the fight would be.
“That fucker should be at lv 35, leave him to me,” Zyrus didn’t wait for Shi kun’s reply and rushed towards the approaching Camazotz.
Reddish black mana surged from his heart and merged with the darkening sky. He wanted to use shackles of nihility to immobilize the bats, but that won’t cut it against a lv 35 field boss.
[Malediction]
Zyrus launched his abyssal domain without waiting for the enemy’s moves. He wasn’t in a rush to fight against a powerful opponent.
“How clever, you’re using this thing to pressure your troops,”
“It’s necessary if they want to follow me without becoming my burden,”
*KIIIIIIki*
“What a noisy fellow! I’ll just help the others,”
“Suite yourself,” Zyrus replied as he jumped off from Franken's back. Camazotz was already trapped in a black fog. Even for a field boss it wasn’t easy to escape the abyssal domain.
Besides, the one-eyed reindeer was the only one who could fly among his troops. It was more suitable for him to rescue the injured players.
While Zyrus and his troops were about to welcome a chaotic night, their reinforcements were flying on a ship.
He had won 2000 monsters from Aiden Martinez, and they were on their way to the Pisces archipelago.