Chapter 46: Battle Begins!
The four Scholars present all nodded in agreement, finding Meng Yuan's suggestion reasonable and constructive. But none of them spoke up. Those who cleared the Scholar trial would certainly have solid knowledge of history; reciting a single line, or even memorizing ten or more poems, was no issue for them. However… reciting poetry in a solemn, righteous tone here? It felt a bit too embarrassing.
The real barrier was not their knowledge, but their sense of shame.
Meng Yuan couldn't push them further. He had guided them as much as he could, but if he forced it more, he'd risk revealing himself as a game insider. Hopefully, once the fight started, the players would quickly get into character.
Meng Yuan scanned the scene. There were over twenty players present, the highest number at any of the event sites. On paper, these players should be enough to handle the demons crossing over from the historical slice. But whether the players would live up to their potential remained to be seen.
At this moment, all the registered players had received their equipment and were in battle-ready mode. Du Gang had long since sealed off the entire venue, barring any further entries. Afterward, he joined the other "staff" to observe the players from the perimeter.
They saw that as soon as the players put on their glasses, armor and weapons suddenly appeared on them out of nowhere! The players assumed these were visuals transmitted through consciousness, but in reality, they were real.
Unlike the relaxed players, Du Gang and his colleagues were highly tense. Each was armed, ready to shoot if things went out of control—they absolutely would not let any demon break through the perimeter. Despite years of duty, this was their first time actually facing "demons" in battle, and hearing they might even have mental attacks was nerve-wracking.
They could only hope everything would go smoothly, and that the players could indeed use the Orderer's powers to swiftly dispatch these demons.
Time passed.
Du Gang glanced at his watch, and it finally hit 1:37 PM—the precise moment that "Beichen" had said the historical slice and reality would overlap. The players were all on high alert, arranged in specific formations.
There were more than twenty players present. The Warriors, being the largest group, held the front line, with shields in their left hands and various weapons in their right. Some wielded swords, others spears. Weapon choice was flexible, but the Warriors agreed a shield provided extra security. Some even opted for longbows as ranged weapons.
The Assassins moved around the flanks, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. The Rangers were scattered throughout, prepared to fill any gaps or intercept any enemies that slipped through, ensuring the Scholars at the rear remained safe.
As for the four Scholars, they still weren't sure what to do exactly. Meng Yuan, a Ranger himself, stayed close to them. In any case, the players had spontaneously arranged themselves into a well-structured line, just waiting for the demons to appear.
But after two minutes, nothing happened.
"Has the event started?"
"Isn't this supposed to be a demon invasion? Where are the demons?"
Some players at the front grew impatient, glancing around, wondering if there was a bug.
Just then, the space in the center of the players' formation began to ripple, the air vibrating intensely. Suddenly, a squad of East Yi raiders, resembling the ones shown in Dark Sands' promotional images, appeared!
In the middle was an East Yi general, mounted on a warhorse, wielding a cross-shaped spear. A long Yi sword hung at his waist, and his armor, crafted from metal and bamboo plates, was painted blood red, with a demon-like mask that looked fiercely menacing. Around him were East Yi raiders clad in either crude leather or bamboo armor, along with two shadow assassins dressed in black.
One general, two shadow assassins, and six raiders—nine foes in total. Yet their bloodlust, honed from countless kills, felt almost tangible.
Standing at the front, Zhao Haiping locked eyes with the East Yi general and found his breath catch. The oppressive aura was overwhelming! Though he'd fought many Northern Barbarian soldiers in the Warrior trial, he felt suddenly vulnerable, almost like when he first entered the Warrior instance.
Before the players could fully process the situation, the East Yi general raised his cross spear and issued a chilling command from behind his mask: "Kill!"
Though it was in ancient East Yi dialect, the players understood its meaning perfectly.
The raiders immediately shouted in response, raising their swords and spears, and charged toward the players! Zhao Haiping quickly raised his shield, the force of the raiders' sword strikes vibrating through it, even making him stumble slightly.
"This event's monster difficulty is way too high!" Zhao Haiping instinctively compared the strength of these raiders to the Barbarian soldiers in the instance, and found these raiders were clearly stronger. The difference wasn't just in strength but also in spirit—their bloodlust as they charged was almost palpable, causing Zhao's resolve to falter, even though he thought he'd already conquered such fears in the Warrior trial.
The players outnumbered the raiders three-to-one, but the initial assault was enough to make them feel on the verge of collapse.
"We can't retreat! It's just a game—let's take them down!"
Zhao Haiping was the first to react. Blocking the raider's sword with his shield, he countered with his own blade. These hardcore players couldn't let themselves get intimidated by in-game monsters, right? They had to fight back!
The combat experience from the Warrior trial kicked in, and Zhao blocked attacks with his shield while slashing back with his sword, determined not to give an inch.
Just then, he heard a shout nearby. Turning his head, he saw the East Yi general charging at a Warrior player, his cross spear disarming the player's shield with a single blow! The impact sent the player flying, rolling across the ground.
Zhao and the other players were stunned.
This game was insanely realistic! How did this MR setup simulate someone flying through the air so convincingly?
They guessed that what they saw was a VR transmission trick, with all visuals, sounds, and sensations generated by the headsets. In reality, maybe the player had only taken a few steps back.
But with the East Yi raiders bearing down on them, there was no time to ponder such details. If they hesitated any longer, the raiders' weapons would find their mark.
A Ranger player rushed to aid the Warrior who'd been disarmed and knocked down. But just then, he sensed something flying toward him. His reflexes, honed by countless deaths in the Ranger trial, made him dodge instinctively, yet something still struck his left shoulder.
"Ow!" He saw what had hit him: a cross-shaped throwing blade, an iconic weapon of the East Yi shadow assassins. It even glowed faintly green.
Before he could react, a sword glinted in the air, slashing down at him.
The throwing blade hadn't been meant to kill directly—it was a distraction, a classic tactic to break focus and create an opening for close-quarters strikes. Just like in many martial arts stories where a hero shouts "watch the projectile" before throwing, it wasn't just about honor; announcing the move could actually make the target drop their guard, setting up the perfect opportunity for a follow-up attack.
The shadow assassin had timed his throw precisely when the Ranger was focused on helping the disarmed Warrior, hoping to strike a fatal blow.