60 Defend the Keep
A short while later, QJ and Ringo had ascended the Keep's central tower. Nearby, Chainy and the rest of OP's Riders were finishing the Sniper nest. In essence, it reinforced four separate prone shooting lanes overlooking the perimeter of their territory.
The white-haired Rider approached when she noticed them. "The shooting lanes are mostly clear; there's a stand of trees along with a few geographical oddities that could be used as cover by our enemy."
"We should have them removed," QJ brought up his hud; a moment later, Serli Jol's face appeared in front of them.
The dark elf woman smiled at her grandson. "I'm at your service, Vice-Leader."
QJ got straight to the point. "I need some engineers. There are a few points of cover that can be used to approach the Keep."
Serli made a gesture with her hand before speaking in a tongue that QJ couldn't even begin to translate. "I'm sending Ulyn Sai over; he's the artisan that oversaw the exterior portion of Briar Rose's rebuild."
"Thank you, Gram. Have him meet Unchained at the front gate." QJ closed comm and then glanced at Chainy. "You got it?"
"Yes." Chainy flashed him a smile. "I like the way you do things, QJ."
"The moat is going to be a difficult obstacle," Ringo guessed. She had been forced to exchange her vampire armor after QJ helped her with the cure. "How would you overcome it?"
"Well... We did it once already, so we know the easiest method." QJ had stealthed across the moat and opened the gate to let their forces into Thunder Keep. "We had the advantage of surprise; they won't have that."
"Did your source give you the class breakdown on the two hundred Striker bands?" Ringo asked.
"Yes, they're heavy on dps and heals." QJ sent the list to Ringo's hud. "Their Riders will be equipped with Exodus Advanced Enfield Rifles, effective range 600 meters."
Gunslinger (24)
Range Rider (24)
Brave (14)
Tracker (14)
Medic (30)
Shaman (12)
Wrangler (10)
Scout (12)
Heavy Cavalry (20)
Gambler (8)
Raider (12)
Commanchero (20)
"Six hundred meters?" Ringo frowned. "They can hit targets on the walls."
QJ nodded in agreement. "We can use the battlements as cover, but our movement will be hampered until we deal with those shooters.
"This Striker Force should be our priority," Ringo decided. "Riders and Healers first, then slingers and everyone else."
"I agree. Our shooters will have to target theirs. We have range and elevation on our side; they have numbers and levels on theirs." QJ grinned suddenly. On the surface, it looked bad, but in reality, it was nothing more than a shooting gallery. "We'll be fine. What's next?"
Ringo made some adjustments to her hud before she answered. "Stealth teams, they'll have 12 Scouts, 70 level operatives with melee or mid-range damage."
"Our Ba'Avriel should be able to deal with them," QJ decided to fight stealth with stealth. "Our fliers are 2nd Gen, but they are all mid-levels, 45-60ish."
"They see thermal signatures, right?" Ringo had a small understanding of them through previous discussions with QJ. They were best used in an ambush scenario. "What kind of numbers?"
"We have thirty-six Ba'Avriel assigned to the Keep," QJ replied. He focused on the expanse of water surrounding them. "The enemy won't be able to hide, whether it's stealth or night time, none of that matters to thermal vision."
[OP: QJ] When you four are finished with the Sniper's nest, drop off War, Famine, Death, and Pestilence. I'll upgrade them when I'm done here.
[OP: Junzo] Really? Awesome!
"What else?" Ringo brought up a list of the Keep's NPC.
"Cleo, of course." QJ smiled broadly when Ringo gave him a confused stare. Instead of answering, he held out one hand. "Come..."
An instant later, Cleo's gold face appeared in front of them. Her feet hovered above the ground, accompanied by a steady humming sound. She wore the yellow vampire armor from the Briar Rose raid while playfully swaying her 'prop' wand in one hand. Feelings of warmth washed over QJ, similar to what the Shadowfiends produced.
"QJ!" Cleo glanced around the Keep, noticing that everyone seemed to be working on defensive countermeasures. "What's going on?"
QJ smiled at his companion. "Two things. First, I won't unsummon you anymore. Find a suitable place to stay, either here at the Keep or at Briar Rose."
Cleo clapped her hands excitedly. "Which do you recommend?"
"There's an empty room across the hall from my Workshop in the Keep. You may take up residence there if you like. The second is we are preparing to be attacked." QJ brought up a hud map of the entire area. "You're advice would be appreciated."
Cleo's gold eyes studied the map; she immediately pointed to two locations. "Check here and here for any tunnels that may have been started." After marking the locations, she continued without missing a beat. "Place barriers in the moat to keep anyone from sending boat bombs into the side of the Keep."
Ringo's eyes widened. "That's a great idea."
Cleo favored her with a warm smile. "Thank you. Also, you'll require a light source in the moat. I'd recommend creating small torch platforms that you can float on the water."
"We can have a bunch of those made, something simple that we can light from a distance." QJ exchanged glances with Ringo. "You are probably wondering how Cleo knows about Keep defense?"
Ringo nodded. "That did cross my mind," she admitted.
"Tell her while I contact our engineers," QJ replied.
"My drones and I have been repeating the [Defend the Keep] instance here for the past few months," Cleo explained. "In the easiest setting, it's very basic. When you progress to Arduous, you have to choose different resource options. The Deadly Setting puts everything in your hands."
Ringo whistled softly. She had known about the instance but hadn't taken the time to try it as a guild. "The final setting is deadly? How is your progression?"
"Flawless wins through the Routine and Arduous setting, we've managed to win the last three attempts on Deadly, but suffered a forces loss of ten percent." Cleo's pretty face was etched in a frown. "Because of the limits of my drones, I'm unsure if we will be able to progress further."
Ringo tapped her chin; given Cleo's experience defending the Keep, it seemed foolish not to give her a big role in the upcoming event. "What's your take on this, QJ?"
"I've read the Rules of War (ROW) for this event. It's the same standard used for Exodus Guild wars. Any casualties will be imprisoned at a neutral location with one health point. Their comms will be disabled, and a heavy dps penalty applied if they attempt to log off to share intel." QJ purposely didn't answer her question; instead, he laid the groundwork for his proposal. "Since this is a two-part event, we can't afford to lose any of the major players."
Ringo's tanned face suddenly looked alarmed. "The casualty reset isn't until after the second part?"
QJ nodded. "I checked with Anna, who then verified with the Exodus Rules Committee. We need to hold OP forces in reserve and utilize our other options, notably the drones and Ba'Avriel. The exception is our Riders, who should be safe enough in the sniper's nest."
[One Problem Defenses Message] The Ally gate has been activated. Stand by for the arrival of your allies.
A glance into the courtyard below showed the formation of a large purple glyph about ten meters in diameter.
[OP: QJ] Security team to the center courtyard. Looks like our allies are arriving.
Ringo followed QJ at a trot as they descended the stairs of the center tower. "I assumed they were coming through the Keep portal."
"Me too," QJ admitted. His arrival into the courtyard coincided with Lotte, Sato, and Breeze.
[Lotte had been promoted to the rank of Officer.]
[Sato has been promoted to the rank of Officer.]
[Breeze has been promoted to the rank of Officer.]
[An Officer channel has been created.]
[OP/Officer: QJ] We have incoming allies.
By the time QJ and company arrived at the glyph, it was glowing with enough power to make everyone in the Keep nervous. Just when the OP officers were about to sound the alarm, a massive stone archway formed; the entrance shimmered like a calm lake, cool, dark, and mysterious.
An instant later, the peace of the archway was disturbed by movement and the sound of marching. A large man with a long saber strapped to his back was the first one through. He was dark-skinned and heavily muscled, his arms and legs corded like a massive predator. The man was naked from the waist up; scars crisscrossed his bare torso like an elaborate map. He took a dozen steps forward and then placed the ornately carved silver chest he held onto the stone courtyard.
[OP/Officer: Breeze] If we have an army of these guys, we can all take a break.
A dozen more allies appeared, walking in single file; they exited the archway and then fell in beside the large man. Shortly after that, the archway darkened and then disappeared.
[OP/Officer: Sato] Maybe it's just me, but they appear a bit...
"Young," QJ finished the thought, muttering under his breath.
The twelve archers each held the same golden bow, instead of the standard recurve normally seen among the Aborigine forces; these had gears and a pulley system.
The large bare-chested man took a step forward and bowed respectfully. "Jambo."
"Jambo," QJ replied, thinking it was a greeting.
The man flashed a wide smile "No. That is my name, Jambo."
QJ struggled to keep a straight face. Jambo was the only adult in the group; the others were young girls and boys, probably between the ages of twelve and fourteen. The bows each of them held were nearly as large as they were. "Greetings, Jambo. I am QJ, the Vice-Commander of One Problem." QJ gestured toward Ringo. "This is Ringo, our Guild Leader."
Jambo ignored the introduction; his dark eyes widened before he hurriedly took a knee. "The Water King! Greetings, Faction Leader!"
The archers accompanying him all took a knee, with the exception of one who walked forward, his handsome face smiling in excitement. He extended his arm and shook hands with both Ringo and QJ. "Captain Haden greets Sandhealer Faction Leader, QJ and Guild Leader Ringo," the youth spoke formally as if addressing a royal court.
"Let's be informal, Haden. Just call me QJ."
The young man nodded happily. "Thank you, that will be fine."
Any further discussion was interrupted when Jambo picked up the chest and walked forward. Stopping directly in front of QJ, he sat it down with a loud thud before extending a scroll case in one hand. "This is a personal message from the Honorable Water Wielder, Sierra Sandhealer."
QJ took the case and immediately opened it.
QJ,
I desperately wanted to visit you, but unfortunately, I am the only one who can open the passage between our two continents. This young man is the crowned Prince, Haden. He has been sent here for battle experience; I trust that you will take good care of him. Jambo carries a gift from me. I remember the spy ring you carry and how useful it was while we were exploring the Engineer's Building. I thought that these might be very helpful to you.
yours, Ra.
(ps) I almost forgot. If it's not too inconvenient. Please ask 'Captain Haden' why we only sent one detachment of archers.
QJ stowed the scroll in his inventory and then politely cleared his throat before glancing at the young prince. "I am glad you are here, Captain. I was expecting more. Why did the Sandhealer faction only send one detachment of archers?"
Haden stood a bit straighter, raising his voice like you do when speaking to an audience. "How many suns does the sky need?"
"Just the one," QJ answered, doing his best not to laugh as the group of young archers puffed their chests out proudly. "Thank you for coming."
[OP/Officer: Ringo] There must be a story behind this.
[OP/Officer: QJ] Yep.
[OP/Officer: Breeze] Can we keep these kids? Maybe start a daycare or something?
QJ took a knee and opened the chest that Jambo had brought. Inside there were a dozen telescoping oculars.
[Starlight Ocular]
Description: Made from fluorescent crystal, these lenses enable you to see vast distances at night.
QJ held one up; it was the length of his hand but extended to nearly triple that. The metal casing started out about three inches in diameter, with each additional section being slightly smaller, enabling the device to collapse into itself. "Perfect. This is perfect! Thank you for bringing this, Jambo."
Haden gestured toward an empty space next to the wall. "I prepared a brief regarding our capabilities. Would it be okay if we set up there?"
QJ nodded, and his hud buzzed a moment later. He removed four of the telescoping oculars before closing the chest. "Ringo will get you settled; we'll talk again later today."
[OP/Officer: QJ] Can you handle things for a few hours while I upgrade the four horsemen?
[OP/Officer: Ringo] We'll continue our preparation. Sato, check on our engineers. I'll send you their last location. I'll need someone to touch base with Khadi; she's the flight leader for our Ba'Avriel. Whoever is left can report to Robin in the Keep Office.
[OP/Officer: Breeze] I'll find Khadi.
[OP/Officer: Lotte] I'll report to Robin.
QJ headed toward the Keep, his thoughts on the potential rifle upgrades as Lotte approached him. "Walk with me."
Lotte smiled and fell in step beside him. "Are these guys going to be okay? Except for Jambo, they are just kids."
"Don't worry," QJ replied. "Opening the way between continents isn't easy. If Ra sent them here, then they are certainly worth the effort."
"Did you see their bows?" Lotte asked.
QJ nodded and exited the Keep stairs to the long corridor leading to Robin's office. "I did. Some sort of compound hybrid, if I'm not mistaken."
They stopped outside of QJ's workshop. "Did you ask Ringo to make me an officer?"
QJ shook his head. "Nope. She decided those on her own." He opened the door, pausing to look at the time. "Pool for lunch?"
Lotte smiled. "It's okay if today doesn't work out."
QJ waved her off. "It works out."
As expected, the four horsemen were waiting on his workbench. He picked up the nearest and moved the others to one side.
[War]
Rifle: Masterpiece
Extended Range
+ 200 Range, +150 Accuracy.
Description: Custom rifle
built by Master Gunsmith QJ.
"No xp for this..." QJ scowled at the first rifle; unfortunately, upgrading a rifle that you already constructed resulted in no experience benefits. The rating of the rifle could only be upgraded by one level.
QJ quickly disassembled [War]. "I'll use heavier barrel stock and tighter rifling." He grabbed the heaviest barrel he could work with and locked it into the bench vise. Off to one side, he lit a small burner and started melting a large pan of beeswax.
After finding four pieces of suitable barrel stock, QJ trimmed them to thirty inches, six inches longer than the original barrels. With the extended barrels, he decided to switch from the standard 5r rifling, characterized by five gently sloping grooves, to a more accurate button grooving where a bullet-shaped tool is pushed through cold steel in a single pass.
After ensuring the rifling was free of burrs and imperfections, QJ filled all four of the barrels with beeswax before plugging them and setting them aside. He replaced the trigger assembly with lighter-weight platinum springs, effectively halving the previous pull-weight of four pounds.
Removing the solid wood stock to replace them with retractable metal chassis drastically changed the overall appearance of the four horsemen, which decreased both weight and gun recoil. The final step of stock adjustment saw the addition of bi-pods which folded nicely into the grooved aluminum forestock.
After finishing making the necessary changes, QJ moved to a smaller bench and mounted all four oculars onto an adjustable bracket. Meant for fine-tuning focus, the middle section of the device could expand or retract four centimeters. When that was complete, he added a smaller bracket to the rear of the ocular that could be used to make small adjustments laterally in either direction and elevation.
The final touch called for QJ to etch the lens with a reticule. He used a standard crosshair design, then spent a few minutes putting the scope together.
Moving back to his bench, QJ pushed a wired bore brushed to force the wax into the rifling. It required a great deal of initial force, but after three repetitions, the waxed rifling felt smooth as silk.
Assembly was done one at a time; first was War, then Famine, Pestilence, and Death. When completed, he sat all four of them in a row; each had been upgraded to a Grand Masterpiece.
[OP: QJ] The Four Horsemen are done.
[War] Unique
Rifle: Grand Masterpiece
Description: Features Night Optic Scope with the ability to target stealthed enemies, sound dampening, and a maximum range of 2km. Lightweight, collapsable stock with fold-down bi-pod supports.
Accuracy +600
All headshots score 2X damage.
Increased Critical hits.
Chance to kill any target below ten percent health.
Description: Custom rifle
built by Grand Master Gunsmith QJ.
[OP: Unchained] Holy crap! Mine!
[OP: Junzo] Are all four the same?
[OP: QJ] Of course. Pick them up at my workshop.
[OP: Maric] You the man, QJ!
[OP: Dunnie] Agreed!
[OP/Officer: QJ] It's almost lunchtime. Do any fires need putting out?
[OP/Officer: Ringo] Our engineers found a partially dug tunnel with two canoes that were packed with dynamite. What do you think?
[OP/Officer: QJ] Take the explosives and collapse the tunnel.
[OP: QJ] Logging off for lunch. Back in an hour.
QJ eased out of his VR chamber, stretching his hands overhead while kicking the door shut with his heel. Before he had a chance to do anything else, his desk hud buzzed. He was tempted to skip it until he saw Angel's ID. "Hey, Anya... About to eat lunch, so talk fast."
Angel was sitting on her throne, flanked by Keku, an elite Ant. "How much reinforcements do you require? I'm at your disposal."
QJ pondered the question for a moment while changing into his swimsuit. "Keep it minimal. We already have your drones; no need to showcase your forces. Got any diggers? Not too many, just enough for some chaos."
"Of course," Angel replied. "I can send two dozen carpenter ants. They can build tunnels, tear down buildings, whatever you need. Cleo should be able to control them."
"Perfect," QJ acknowledged. "Thanks, Anya."
"Welcome, QJ." Angel waved and then promptly cut comm.
QJ took a moment to update Ringo on Angel's reinforcements before exiting his room.
Lotte slid her forearms into the support bracket and tightened her grip on the rubber hand peg. She was just getting to her feet when QJ entered. "Don't help me; I have to be able to do it," she said before he could jump into action.
QJ nodded and held the door instead. "Keep it up. You're amazing."
Going to the pool took much longer than usual, but the young woman made it to the edge of the patio before nodding to QJ for assistance. "I'm already exhausted before we even started."
Instead of helping, he embraced her, squeezing tightly. "We'll have you running yet." QJ picked her up easily and waded into the shallow end of the pool, where he eased her down.
"Who wants a sandwich?" Nina called from the back door of the house. "I'll make us lunch."
QJ moved to the center of the pool so Lotte could do her warm-up exercises. He noticed their purple-haired roommate was all smiles with cut-off jean shorts and a white tank top. "You're in a good mood. I thought you'd be angry about not being able to play."
Nina shook her head. "The break is nice. What kind of sandwiches do you want?"
"Ham and cheese for me, or else just bring out the fixings, and I'll make my own."
"I don't mind," Nina replied before heading into the house.
Halfway through the first set of treading exercises, QJ noticed that Lotte was definitely getting stronger. Her head was held much higher out of the water where before, she struggled to keep her chin above. Not only that, but her breathing was much steadier, a sign that her conditioning was also improving.
After the first set, she leaned against him, hands on his shoulders while her legs rested.
"Just kiss him, already!" Breeze grinned at the pair in the pool. Her dark hair hung loose for once, blowing in the slight breeze as she lay back on one of the lounge chairs with a sandwich. "Sato should be here in a bit; Wu was busy researching something."
QJ wiggled his eyebrows at Lotte, instantly cutting through any awkwardness she felt from Breeze's teasing. "Maybe later?"
Lotte pushed him away and started another set without commenting. By the time Sato arrived, their pool therapy had been completed, and the roommates chatted while enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun.
Sato snapped his fingers suddenly as if remembering something important. "Our gypsy allies showed up." His pale, freckled face was already showing a bit of redness from being out in the sun.
"Really? How many and what class?" QJ asked. Romani weren't front liners; he was expecting some sort of spy or rogue offshoot class.
Sato's freckled face scrunched up. "Well... there were sixteen of them. Crap, I forgot the classes."
Breeze reached over and clicked the redhead's ear. "Didn't Ringo tell you to let QJ know?"
Sato grinned sheepishly. "That's what I'm doing! Don't click my ears..."
"They're saboteurs, QJ," Breeze stated. "Not sure what that means."
QJ considered what he already knew about the Romani and decided that could mean just about anything.
[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]
Location: One Problem Keep
Time: 1430
Server Population: 61,212 Your current level is 44.
When the roommates logged into the Keep a short while later, the first thing QJ noticed was the server population. It was the highest he'd ever seen on Phoenix. "Looks like we have a big audience."
Lotte, Breeze, Sato, and QJ walked up the Keep steps; the fort had turned into a bustling hive of activity. A group of dark-clothed Romani sat along the wall, watching everything with darting eyes. One stood when he recognized QJ.
"You guys go ahead," QJ separated himself from his roommates and waited while the gypsy approached.
"Hey, Boss..." The man was short and slim; he had olive-colored skin, two days of stubble, and a bright smile. "I am Rigori, at your service."
"Well met, " QJ acknowledged. "Time is short; I need a quick run-down on saboteur abilities."
"We disrupt things. Leader assassinations, poisoning water or food supplies, makings things blow up." Rigori's face grew animated as he described their skill set.
"Blow things up?" QJ's glance went to Cleo, who was hovering above a small group of carpenter ants. "Follow me."
Meanwhile, Ringo, Robin, and most of the Songbirds stood on the Commandant's balcony, overlooking the swarming activity below. The orange-haired Songbird's lips curved in a smile when she spotted QJ.
"The show is about to start; you five enjoy your game," Ringo said while keeping a straight face. With the exception of Ori, all of the Songbirds 'happened' to show up to play cards in Robin's office. Anyone unfortunate enough to make it this far would be relieved of their lives.
[OP: Junzo] Movement in the north.
[Guild Quest: Main Event (Part One)]
Objective: Your investigation into the King's Murder has drawn the attention of those behind the act. They wish to silence you and erase your existence from the Berg Continent. Defend the Keep!
Information: This Quest was activated this morning at 0800 hours. The enemy has 24 hours to begin their assault. Once first blood is drawn, One Problem Keep must last 90 minutes. This battle is considered lost if one of two requirements is met.
1) One Problem's Guild Flag is captured.
2) One Problem's Defenders has lost more than 2/3 of its forces.
One Problem will be considered victorious if neither of these happens within 90 minutes of first blood.
[OP: QJ] All One Problem members, with the exception of our Riders, report to the conference room. You'll be sitting out for the first part of this quest.
QJ arrived at the Keep Conference room a few moments later. Nearly everyone was seated; somehow, Dave managed another delivery of baked goods. "Activate Base Defense Hud. Project current focus onto the Guild Viewing Screen."
The center section of the horseshoe-shaped table lit up in a three-dimensional image of the Keep and its territory. The Keep was clearly visible, but the surrounding areas were blanketed with the fog of war.
[OP Defense Assets]
200 Dark Elf guards: (Tysol Jol)
36 Ba'Avriel Assassins: (Khadi)
16 Romani Saboteurs: (Rigori)
24 Carpenter Ants (Cleo)
1000 Drones (Cleo)
12 One Sun Archers (Haden)
1,000 Freeborn Guard (Dagmae)
4 OP Riders. (Chainy)
[OP Defense: QJ] Khadi, have your people scout the area. No engaging yet!
[OP Defense: Khadi] Understood.
The darkness surrounding the keep began to fade away, exposing the enemy forces. QJ watched the Defense hud as the number of combatants waiting outside began to climb.
[Known Enemy Troops]
(200 Strikers, 70 level.)
Gunslinger (24)
Range Rider (24
Brave (14)
Tracker (14)
Medic (30)
Shaman (12)
Wrangler (10)
Scout (12)
Heavy Cavalry (20)
Gambler (8)
Raider (12)
Commanchero (20)
[Righteous Hand] 186 members.
[Unknown Players within OP territory, 1288.]
[Maelstrom Royal Guard, 2,000]
"Place a grid overlay on our territory." QJ waited while a hundred-squared grid was placed over the map. "Increase grid coverage to one thousand squares." The numbered grid squares shrank accordingly.
[OP Defense: Khadi] Scouting complete, updating the battle map.
[OP Defense: Chainy] We have 12 Striker scouts approaching the Moat.
[OP Territory Announcement: Vice Commander QJ] All persons currently within OP territory will be considered hostile.
Ringo exchanged glances with QJ; he'd already mentioned his intention to fight stealth with stealth. "Sending in the Ba'Avriel?"
QJ shook his head. "I have better intel now."
[OP Defense: QJ] Sniper nest, prepare to engage the stealthed targets.
[OP Defense: Chainy] They'll scatter when we do.
[OP Defense: QJ] Haden, target grid N255. Show them the One Sun.
QJ chuckled at Chainy's reply. "Will they? Focus view on Captain Haden."
The dark youth was lined up with the other archers ten meters behind the tall walls of the Keep. He angled his bow, aiming skyward as he drew the string slowly backward. Haden glowed like a lightbulb until he released the arrow upward. A stream of golden light followed the projectile as it climbed high into the air before stopping suddenly in a release of power that caused those below to shield their eyes.
Instead of fading away, the stream of light coming from the bow maintained a connection to the glowing orb that hung high above grid N255. Anyone who targeted the mini-sun received the same message.
[The One Sun]
Battlefield debuff: AoE Slow
All enemy caught under the One Sun receives a movement and action penalty of ten percent. (Range ten square meters]
One by one, the other archers fired into the air until 12 separate streams of light fed the orb. With each added stream, the sun grew larger, and its coverage expanded. QJ brought up the description after all the archers were engaged. The AoE expanded until it reached five hundred square meters, and the slow increased to sixty percent; it spanned nearly the entire battlefield.
[OP Defense: QJ] Sniper nest, take down those scouts.
Chainy placed the crosshairs squarely on the head of the furthest scout. "Work in pairs. Maric, you're with me. Attack my target; countdown from three."
Maric smiled and switched to Chainy's target. "Ready in 3...2...1...Fire!"
[Snipe]
(Headshot Bonus)
Chainy has hit the target for 57,988 damage; bonus hit 57,988 damage.
[Snipe]
(Headshot Bonus)
Maric has hit the target for 54, 877 damage: bonus hit 54,877 damage.
[An enemy Scout has been slain.]
Within a few seconds, two of the Strikers were down, while the rest started to retreat.
QJ touched the grid in three different locations and sent the coordinates to Cleo.
[OP Defense: QJ] Send our tunnelers to these locations. Tell them to stop three meters from the surface. Rigori, prepare a suitable welcome gift for our friends.
[OP Defense: Cleo] Understood!
[OP Defense: Rigori] Two bundles?
[OP Defense: QJ] Better use three; let me know when you're ready.
[OP Defense: Khadi] A battle has broken out within the backlines of the unidentified guilds.
[OP Defense: QJ] Get me a close-up on the backlines.
The screen was suddenly alive with an all-out melee. Three teams of very disciplined players were tearing through enemy guilds. At the center was a woman with bright red hair and oversized shoes; she was flanked on either side by wolfmen.
Breeze slammed the table loudly, causing those nearby to jump. "It's Chupa Lupa!"
[OP Defense: QJ] Until further notice, Chupa Lupa are friendlies. Khadi, I want you to target the Striker Healers at grid N87.
[OP Defense: Khadi] We can do that. Keep in mind, once we attack, we'll take heavy damage from those nearby.
[OP Defense: QJ] Who said anything about attacking? I want you to show them the bird's eye view of the battlefield.
Ringo laughed at the tactic. "Will stealth break if they pick someone up?"
QJ shook his head. "No. I'm hoping they won't open fire for fear of hitting the medics. Bring up Khadi's viewpoint on the screen."
Khadi targetted one of the medics while circling high overhead. A message popped up on his hud, notifying him that all the targets had been acquired. He banked suddenly, spiraling a hundred eighty degrees before coming about in a steep dive. Air rushed toward him as the enemy medic watched the battle before him. With barely a pause, he swooped down, gripping his target from behind before lifting away with a flap of his brown wings. In the chaos of the buffeting windstorm and kicking medics, all but two were brought into the air, their screams getting fainter as the Ba'Avriel climbed steadily upward.
[OP Defense: Cleo] My diggers have finished the tunnel.
[OP Defense: QJ] Drop off the packages, Rigori.
QJ tried not to laugh when the Ba'Avriel released the medics. The air was filled with flailing limbs and screamed curses before twenty-eight of them bounced on rocks.
[OP Defense: QJ] Sniper nest, prepare to take the Riders.
"Switch to Rigori's viewpoint." QJ watched the main screen as the view changed to Rigori's display. He was running bent low while holding three bundles of 12-stick charges. Two additional saboteurs were running behind him, easily navigating the meter-diameter tunnel made by the carpenter ants. All three Romani wore [Lightbringer] bracelets, and after a few minutes, two of them branched off into separate tunnels.
Breeze stared at the battlefield hud on display in the center. "Why aren't they coming yet?" She wore her black set armor, even though she was aware that she wouldn't be seeing any action.
"It's the One Sun," Sato guessed. He glanced up at QJ for confirmation.
QJ nodded and used his personal hud to send Bobo a personal message. The Chupa Lupa clown's grinning face popped up a moment later. "Thanks for the help, Bobo."
"Chupa Lupa won't stand idly by when someone goes after our friends," the clown's painted smile widened considerably.
QJ sent her the coordinates of the care packages that Rigori was delivering. "Avoid these three locations; bad things are about to happen!"
"You got it! Stay alive, OP!" Boboa waved her hand, and the hud closed. Several of the OP members were grinning at the interaction.
A glance at the main screen showed the Rigori was already on his way back.
[OP Defense: QJ] Detonate when you are cleared.
QJ's words were echoed by three powerful explosions that shook the battlefield, throwing rocks, ground, and mangled body parts high into the air. In the aftermath, three large craters replaced nearly two thousand enemies. Panic swept over the smaller guilds as they began to retreat. At the same time, Righteous Hand coordinated with the remaining Strikers to charge at the Keep.
[OP Defense: QJ] Sniper nest, take out the Riders. After that, hit anything that moves!
[OP Defense: QJ] Cleo, turning it over to you. Dagmae is on standby near the Lake entrance.
[OP Defense: Cleo] Understood. I have command.
Cleo sent her drones west and east in a flanking maneuver. The Palace guard had lost more than half of their number and was hesitating to join the charge.
[OP Defense: Cleo] Dagmae, hit the Palace Guard from the rear.
QJ switched the display to show the Lake entrance; a large platform rose up out of the water as the black-armored Freeborn waded through the shallows. Within a few minutes, they were formed up on the lake shore.
A series of five more explosions shook the Keep as additional presents that the Saboteurs left in the tunnels began to detonate.
Amid the chaos, Cleo directed her Drones to close the pincer movement while Dagmae's group charged into the ranks of the Palace Guard. With nowhere left to retreat, the battle turned ugly as both sides incurred heavy losses.
Three large canoes carried by the remaining Strikers made it onto the moat; unfortunately, they were immediately ripped to pieces by the barriers hidden beneath the surface.
In the Aftermath, the last two Strikers died in the moat. Not a single one of them managed to touch the walls of the Keep. The Drone and Freeborn suffered losses of fifteen and thirty percent, respectively. Part one of the quest ended in a rout.
[Quest Updated]
The map of the Battlefield faded away to be replaced by Annabelle. She was dressed in black leather and was hidden deep in the shadows. "QJ! Thank goodness you're alive. I was so worried. The Princess has managed to summon the House of Lords! You must gather more proof and present it to them.
[Guild Quest: Main Event (Part Two)]
Objective: Gather whatever remaining evidence you can find and present it to the House of Lords. Failure to link the Queen to the crime will still clear your name; however, you will have made a powerful enemy.
[Bonus Option]
Find proof that Queen Iya is behind
the assassination of King Quilyn.
