Game of the World Tree
chapter-317

If one were to ask the players why they enjoy playing Elven Kingdom, they may encounter various responses.

Some might speak of its lifelike graphics, while others may cite its intricate and expansive storyline, or perhaps, they could also attribute their enjoyment to the vivid portrayal of NPCs that seamlessly resemble their real-world counterparts.

Some may even mention the game’s unparalleled freedom to explore vast open worlds, engage in endless quests, and shape their own unique adventures.

But regardless of each player’s own respective reasons, if one were to inquire about their favorite aspect of the game, the vast majority would likely choose the questlines that involve war scenarios.

For instance, the recent questline involving the half-orcs during the summer event have already made many people addicted to such kinds of bloody battles.

These massive war campaigns, involving thousands of participants, hold a fatal allure for players who never experienced this kind of bloodshed in the real world.

After all, in the virtual world of Elven Kingdom, these wars transcend the typical gaming experience.

Players don’t just observe the battlefield from an outsiders perspective; they too will become part of it…

Experience it firsthand.

They would feel the raw carnal frenzy, spine tingling thrill, epic heroism, and massive adrenaline rush as if they were really there, far surpassing those of mere virtual simulations offered by some other less capable games.

Moreover, what truly highlights the grand scale of Elven Kingdom is its real-like portrayal of war.

The more participants there are, the more exhilarating the spectacle will be, which in turn makes one feel more adrenaline rush coursing through their veins.

The sheer realism, epic scale, and unparalleled immersion, coupled with the thrill of pursuing enemy NPCs under the Goddess’s buffs, engaging in close combat, and experiencing the tense excitement of ranged attacks filled with dazzling fireworks-like spells, collectively captivate many players, making it impossible for them to resist once they have experienced a taste of it.

Of course, besides these subjective experiences, another reason for the popularity of these war-related quests is undoubtedly because anyone who participates in these events usually experiences a rapid increase of their levels.

In every battle, there’s always a group of lucky individuals who will level up like crazy, while at the same time also rake in a lot of money throughout the entirety of the event.

What might take weeks of tediously grinding for EXP and contribution points on a regular basis can be achieved in just a single battle!

So… upon learning that another major battle was looming on the horizon, almost all players went ballistic with excitement.

In just a short span after it was announced, almost Everyone in the server spread the word, eagerly opting to join the fray.

As a result, Black Dragon Castle, which is usually not a very popular location amongst the playerbase, has been gathering more and more crowd as time goes by.

It even got to a point that some anxious players had gone so far as to camp in the castle in advance, fearing they might miss out on the optimal opportunity to secure their spot.

And at this moment, although the high-end top players are still in Maple Leaf City or hiding amongst the mercenaries, the rest of the players who stayed in Elven Forest are no longer what they used to be.

Following a period of dedicated effort, those intermediate and low-leveled players have also made breakthroughs one after another…

Level 21 had essentially become the median level across the server, while at the same time, many 2nd-beta players as well as a few lucky 3rd-beta players had gradually reached the threshold of Iron-rank strength.

Without a doubt, after this questline, they will successfully advanced to Peak Iron-rank and enter the top echelon of the playerbase.

As such, it wouldn’t be long before many players will be able reach the current level cap of Elven Kingdom, which is level 40.

Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming event with eager anticipation, as their eyes glow with excitement, prompting even Alice and some other native elves to sigh in resigned exasperation.

“These chosen ones… are really too aggressive.”

Divine Matriarch, have you perhaps also infused the Chosen Ones with the blood of orcs?

Such questions swirled in the minds of many natives.

Meanwhile, as players were spiritedly gearing up themselves, the mercenary group gradually approached the vicinity of the Dark Mountains…

Even before setting off for this hunting operation, almost every mercenary already knew the approximate location of the Black Dragon’s lair based on the information circulating in Maple Leaf City.

Everyone knew that the dragon’s lair was situated in an abandoned castle at the border of Dark Mountains and the Elven Forest!

Although they still didn’t know the precise location of its lair, considering the black dragon’s habit of hovering in the sky that they observed, the scouts had already roughly determined the specific coordinates of its lair based on its behavioral patterns.

And so, with the scouts’ guidance, the entire mercenary group drew closer and closer to their target with each passing day.

Keynes, the leader of the Breta mercenary group, stood atop a large stone marker, whilst furrowing his brow as he studied the map in his hand.

“In half a day at most, we’ll likely reach the Dark Mountains. So what’s up with that expression? Are you perhaps scared?”

Cynthia, whose currently standing beside him, wiped her bow with a smile.

Ignoring her ambiguous tone, Keynes merely glanced at her, and said with a grave voice:

“No, I just feel that something’s off.”

“…Off?”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow slightly before a wry chuckle escaped her lips.

“Are you worried about the black dragon’s strength? Well, considering that it’s a dragon, its power can’t be compared to ordinary silver monsters despite not being at the Golden-Rank yet. But remember, we also have over a dozen Silver-ranked experts in our group!”

“Not only that, but considering both of us outrank the majority here, I’m sure that with our combined efforts and thorough preparations, handling a mere juvenile black dragon would be within our capabilities.”

Hearing Cynthia’s words, Keynes shook his head.

“No, it’s not about the dragon.”

“Not about the dragon?”

Cynthia was puzzled for a moment before once again chuckling lightly.

“Well, if it’s not about the dragon, then is it about its slaves? What’s there to worry about? It’s just a juvenile black dragon… It’s probably only enslaved some weak goblins or kobolds at most, or perhaps some wandering half-orcs. There shouldn’t be any problem dealing with them with the combined forces of our two mercenary groups.”

Generally speaking, an adult black dragon could easily subdue thousands of lesser beings to be its slaves, but this time they were only dealing with an underage Black Dragon, so Cynthia felt that a force of 5,000 mercenaries were enough to handle it.

After speaking, she glanced at Keynes, only to find him still frowning at the map.

Sensing something amiss, Cynthia’s expression grew more serious:

“What is it? Is it not about its slaves either?”

Keynes gave her a pointed look and spoke in a low voice.

“It’s the half-orcs.”

“Half-orcs?” Cynthia furrowed her brow.

“Indeed.”

Keynes nodded, then gestured on the map:

“Based on my observations these past few days, the black dragon’s lair is most likely located here, here, and here… And these three locations should all fall under the jurisdiction of a medium-sized half-orc tribe, which is the Caverock Tribe,”

He then paused and give her a meaningful look.

“At this moment, we’ve essentially entered the territory of Caverock Tribe.”

Cynthia’s expression grew solemn.

“Caverock Tribe, was it?”

The scope of activity of her Owl Mercenary Group isn’t active in this region, so she wasn’t very familiar with the local power dynamics within this area.

Nevertheless, she had heard of the rather infamous Caverock Tribe.

It was a renowned half-orc tribe that mainly hunted elves within this region, and they often also interacted with humans, particularly passing caravans.

Though not particularly powerful, they still numbered in the thousands.

With this in mind, Cynthia also furrowed her brow:

“Now that you mention it… it does seem a bit off. According to their habits, these orcs should have already issued a warning in advance if we had already entered their territory.”

“Yet… not only have we not received any warnings at all, but there’s not even a trace of any orcs within the vicinity.”

Keynes nodded.

“Which is why I feel that something’s wrong.”

With that, he promptly closed the map.

Cynthia wanted to say more, but seeing Keynes walking away, she held her tongue.

They resumed their march and as their entire hunting group drew closer to their destination with each passing moment, their apprehension also became more prevalent.

Then, after crossing a certain mountain ahead, the two mercenary group leaders simultaneously narrowed their eyes.

What they saw wasn’t a fully functional half-orc tribe but rather:

—It was a vast expanse of dilapidated ruins.

— 317 —

【 SOMETHING’S WRONG 】

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