Chapter 66: Can't Beat Them? Then Join Them!

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Faced with the sudden appearance of three level 35 Dark Dragon Lords, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned.

He was only level 26. Any one of these level 35 bosses could easily kill him, let alone three at once, 'How am I supposed to survive this?'

Just as Zhang Yue braced himself, thinking the three dragon lords would attack, one of them actually spoke.

"The Light Clan is destined to fall. Standing with them will only lead to your death."

"You seem strong. I'll give you a chance to switch sides. Join the Dark Clan, and we'll spare your life."

Zhang Yue hesitated for just a moment before responding decisively: "Alright, I'll join you."

'Can't beat them? Then join them.'

Three level 35 Dragon Lords? Who was he kidding thinking he could fight them?

Now it all made sense why the hidden quest had such a high difficulty rating. It was all a trap set by the Dark Dragons.

Zhang Yue quickly calculated his odds: if he resisted, he'd not only get killed but also fail the mission and suffer double penalties. On the other hand, switching sides would at least save his life and avoid the level-down penalty.

Seeing that Zhang Yue agreed to join them, the three dragon lords relaxed their guard.

"Follow us."

One of the dragons spread its massive wings and flew ahead, leading the way toward the ancient ruins. The other two followed closely behind Zhang Yue, as if to ensure he didn't try to escape.

Zhang Yue left the ruins, following the lead dragon.

After about ten minutes, with the three dragons guiding him, Zhang Yue passed through a rift in the mountainside and emerged in a domain resembling the Light Hall—except everything here was shrouded in darkness.

The towering buildings mirrored those of the Light Clan, but this was clearly the realm of the Dark Clan. Dozens of Dark Dragons circled in the sky above.

At that moment, a figure clad in dark armor emerged from one of the grand halls and approached Zhang Yue.

"Welcome to the Dark Hall," the Dark Dragon Knight said. "Serve us well, and together we will destroy the hypocritical Light Clan and rule all of Dragon Valley."

As the knight finished speaking, a system notification sounded in Zhang Yue's ear:

[Ding~ Dark Clan leader Dark Dragon Knight Goya has invited you to join the Dark Clan faction. (Note: Joining the Dark Clan means you will no longer be able to enter the Light Hall or accept missions from Light Clan NPCs.) Do you accept?]

Simultaneously, another system message appeared:

[Ding~ Unfortunately, your hidden mission Crush the Darkness has failed due to exceeding the time limit. You have received the following penalties: Level -1, Trust with all Light Clan NPCs -300]

'So, this is forcing me to join the Dark Clan, huh?'

'Well, it doesn't really matter. As long as I can complete the world mission, it makes no difference which side I am on.'

Zhang Yue smiled at Goya. "Fine, I'll assist the Dark Clan's rise."

[Ding~ You have joined the Dark Clan. From now on, the Dark Hall will serve as your respawn point and login/logout location for the Fourth World.]

The level 35, four-star boss Dark Dragon Knight Goya let out a hearty laugh. "Welcome to the team."

As Zhang Yue processed the events, he recalled something from the world's history.

In all the years since the alternate world's descent, not a single player had ever defected from the Light Clan to join the Dark Clan in the Fourth World.

Zhang Yue was the first.

'So be it.'

No sooner had Zhang Yue joined the Dark Clan than Goya assigned him a mission. "To prove your loyalty, go into the Light Clan's territory and kill some of their dragons."

[Ding~ Do you accept the mission [Destroy Their Morale 5]?]

'Well, well...'

Not only could he receive missions from the Dark Clan, but the rewards were even better than those from the Light Clan.

For the Light Hall, their leader wasn't an NPC you could receive missions from. Players had to rely on regular dragon knights to get quests.

Zhang Yue accepted the mission and left the Dark Hall.

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[Destroy Their Morale 5] (Standard Mission)

Difficulty Rating: 370

Description: The Light Clan is the Dark Clan's sworn enemy. Go to the Light Clan's Sacred Light Camp and kill 300 Light Dragons to weaken their morale.

Rewards: EXP +150,000, Energy +22,500, Trust +30, Random 3-Star Equipment +1, Silver Coins +60

Time Limit: 2 days

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'The difficulty rating is the same as the Boosting Morale 5 mission from this morning, but the Dark Clan's rewards are 50% better.'

Comparing it to the mission rewards he received earlier at the Light Hall, Zhang Yue was convinced he had made the right choice.

The location of the Dark Hall was well hidden.

Zhang Yue passed through the spatial rift and emerged from the mountains, where the entrance immediately vanished behind him. The portal to the Dark Hall would only reappear if Zhang Yue consciously summoned it.

Carrying the mission, Zhang Yue headed to the level 31 Sacred Light Camp, located just north of the Light Hall.

This was where the Light Clan trained their war dragons.

Countless level 31 Light Dragons soared above the camp.

"Sorry, but I've been forced into this," Zhang Yue muttered as he raised his Necromancer Staff and pointed it at the Light Dragons.

The level 31 Light Dragons were evenly matched in strength with the Dark Dragons he had faced earlier in the Dark Mountains.

So Zhang Yue had no trouble dealing with them.

With the help of his Dark Skeleton King and Skeleton Warriors, Zhang Yue completed the mission in just four hours, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., killing 300 Light Dragons in the process.

Returning to the Dark Hall, Zhang Yue reported back to Dragon Knight Goya and submitted the mission.

The generous reward of 150,000 experience points instantly restored Zhang Yue's lost level, bringing him back to level 26.

On top of that, Zhang Yue received a 3-star item: Black Dragon Boots.

However, since this was Fourth World gear, it required level 30 to use. For now, Zhang Yue's level 25 Necromancer set was still sufficient, so he stored the boots away until he leveled up.

By now, it was dinner time.

Using the Dark Hall as his logout point, Zhang Yue logged off from the alternate world.

Back in reality, Zhang Yue pushed open the door to his room and was greeted by the aroma of food.

Looking up, he noticed a note stuck to his door:

"I'm really sorry about last night. I made dinner and left you some in the microwave. If you don't mind... don't worry, it's not poisoned."

Zhang Yue opened the microwave in the living room and found a steaming plate of stir-fried pork with green peppers over rice.

It smelled delicious.

Touched by the gesture, Zhang Yue paused for a moment, then dumped the entire meal into the trash downstairs. Instead, he headed to a nearby diner and ordered two dishes and a soup.

'You say it's not poisoned? Ha, yeah right. Like I'd believe you.'

After dinner, Zhang Yue returned to his room, locked the door, and logged back into the game.

[Ding~ Welcome back to the Fourth World, Dragon Valley. You are currently in the Dark Hall (Note: The Dark Hall is not a safe zone and serves only as your login/logout and respawn point).]

Zhang Yue sought out the Dark Clan leader, Dragon Knight Goya, and accepted his next mission.

Perhaps because Goya was the faction's leader, this new mission was even more challenging than the last.

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[Confronting the Light 6] (Standard Mission)

Difficulty Rating: 400

Description: The City of Destruction has long been a battleground between the Light and Dark Clans. Go to the City of Destruction and assist the Dark Clan in defeating the Light Clan by killing 360 Flame Battle Dragons.

Rewards: EXP +180,000, Energy +24,000, Random 3-Star Equipment +1, Goya's Trust +36, Silver Coins +75

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If Zhang Yue recalled correctly, this mission from the Light Clan's side was called Confronting the Dark.

Now, everything was truly reversed.

After stocking up on supplies at the Dark Hall's marketplace, Zhang Yue prepared to set off for the City of Destruction.

Just as he was about to leave, a message popped up on Feixin.

Zhang Yue opened it.

Sweet Bunny: "C-could you help me with a mission?"

Zhang Yue replied: "Didn't you say you just needed me to help you through the City-level qualifiers?"

A moment later, Sweet Bunny responded: "This mission is really tough… I-I'll pay you. Will 560 yuan do? Help me finish it, and I'll give you the money."

560 yuan…

"Why 560?" Zhang Yue asked, curious about the oddly specific number.

There was a pause before Sweet Bunny replied, seemingly embarrassed: "It's all I have left…"

Zhang Yue was about to close Feixin and ignore her request altogether when another message came through.

"If you help me, I'll tell you another secret about Shura."

Zhang Yue's eyebrows twitched slightly.

He opened the input field: "Location?"

Sweet Bunny quickly replied: "City of Death."

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