ch44- Urgent Siege

For the past week, the school base hadn't seen such heavy casualties. The losses were so significant that some people began feeling terrified of these assault missions and wanted to retreat, preferring to stay under the protection of others rather than participate in the next operation.

Alex seemed to sense their growing fear. His sharp gaze swept over the group, and he spoke with commanding authority, "This mission is unlike the ones before. The school base is no longer safe! If we don't capture all five resource points and build our Newbie City, we'll face stronger and more numerous monsters soon enough. Maybe you think you can hide in the base for now, but when the monsters overrun it, there'll be nowhere left to run but death!

"But seizing these resource points is different. Yes, the task is difficult, but if we succeed in establishing Newbie City, the revival pool will allow not only our recently fallen comrades to resurrect, but even those who died before. I don't need you to take on the strongest monsters—I'll handle those. I can promise you this: as long as I'm alive, we'll complete this mission in two days, and even if you die, you'll be revived."

His words stirred the crowd. Some looked terrified, still hesitant to heed his call. Others, more thoughtful, realized Alex was right. Taking the five resource points was their only hope for survival. Even though the school base hadn't suffered such heavy losses before, each day still saw dozens, if not hundreds, of people die while fighting monsters. 

The school base, which had once held a population of seven to eight thousand, was now reduced to fewer than five thousand. If they continued like this without securing a safer base, only a few would survive in the long run. But if they established Newbie City with its revival pool, not only would their safety improve, but their overall strength would see a massive boost.

In the end, whether out of understanding or fear of refusing Alex's leadership, the thousand-plus people on Grizzly Mountain agreed to follow him to the next resource point after completing the current mission.

The waiting dragged on until the afternoon, as it took nearly three hours to fully secure the resource point.

Suddenly, with a loud boom, everyone felt a strange sensation of weightlessness. When they regained their bearings, they were shocked to find themselves back at the school base! The white barrier around Grizzly Mountain had vanished, and at the foot of the mountain stood a large, bewildered crowd—schoolmates from the base, instantly recognizable by their familiar faces.

A string of task notifications soon followed:

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**[D-Level Task: Capture Grizzly Mountain]** 

Task Completion: 100% (Base Rating: F) 

Sub-task 1: Kill Red-Headed Brown Bears (10/10) 

Completion: 100% (Rating Boost to E) 

Sub-task 2: Kill Red-Headed Golden Bears (1/1) 

Completion: 1000% (Maxed, Boosted to B) 

Sub-task 3: Kill Boss 'Twin-Winged Grizzly' 

Completion: 100% (Rating Boost to A) 

Special Rating Triggers: 

1. Over 50% damage dealt to Boss (Boost to S) 

2. Over 90% damage dealt to Boss (Boost to SS) 

3. Single attack dealt 100% damage to Boss (Boost to SSS) 

Final Task Rating: SSS (Highest Possible Rating for D-Level Task)

**[SSS-Level Task Reward: 20,000 points, 12 skill points, 3 super skill points, 140% growth rate.]**

Total kills: 

- 71 Red-Headed Brown Bears (142,000 merit points) 

- 36 Red-Headed Golden Bears (216,000 merit points) 

- Boss Twin-Winged Grizzly (100% damage dealt, 360,000 merit points) 

Top contribution bonus: 50,000 points

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**[N-Level Resource Point Reward]** 

1. For contributing over 50% to the capture of Grizzly Mountain, the player receives 10% of this resource point's future revenue. 

2. For dealing 100% damage to the Boss, the player receives 3 Strength Fruits.

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From just one D-level mission, Alex received a total of 70,000 points, 710,000 merit points, 12 skill points, 3 super skill points, and a 140% growth rate bonus. Additionally, he earned 10% of the future revenue from the resource point and three Strength Fruits, which could directly boost his power.

**[Strength Fruit (N-Level): Consuming this fruit increases strength attribute below B-level.]**

Since Alex's strength attribute was already at C+, he could only use two of the fruits to raise his strength to B-level. The remaining fruit had no further effect on him. 

Adding up his total assets, Alex now had 16.49 million points, 1.3 million merit points, 20 skill points, and 9 super skill points.

Furthermore, the experience he gained from killing 71 Brown Bears gave him 142% growth, while the 36 Golden Bears granted him 720%. The Boss kill itself gave him 300% experience. This mission alone leveled him up 11 times, bringing him to level 61 with an additional 610 damage!

Compared to Alex's massive haul, the others' rewards were meager. The entire base had only 300 or so bears, with just over 50 Golden Bears. Very few managed to complete both sub-tasks. Still, they hadn't contributed as much as Alex, so even a basic mission reward was something.

After briefly sorting through his spoils, Alex decided to forego upgrading for now. The priority was to capture the remaining four resource points. With his current strength, he was confident in handling most threats.

After rallying the troops at the base, nearly two thousand people joined the operation. This was almost half of the base's population, making it the largest assault they had ever launched. The overwhelming force marched eight kilometers toward the second resource point.

With Grizzly Mountain now integrated into the base, Alex's map expanded to show a ten-kilometer radius. Within this new range, the second resource point came into view—a towering tree visible even from the school. Alex estimated that the massive tree's height rivaled that of Grizzly Mountain itself.

Aside from the giant tree, the map also revealed other nearby factions. A base was located in the People's Park, near the towering tree, as well as another near the reservoir. However, the reservoir's terrain made access difficult, so the plan was to seize the giant tree first.

Alex estimated it would take about three hours to secure the resource point, with travel and fighting likely adding another two. By the time they finished, it would be evening, and they could use the teleportation function to return to the school.

With this plan in mind, the massive group advanced swiftly. When they arrived at the base of the giant tree, they were met with an unexpected sight—a different group was already locked in a fierce battle with a horde of monsters.