Re: Apocalypse Game
chapter-173

Alan swiftly opened the rare box, revealing its contents with excitement. Inside, he found a remarkable item—a white shield adorned with a prominent red cross in its center. Its attributes were impressive:

[Name: Shield of White Knight]

[Type: Other]

[Rarity: Superior]

[Attributes: Defense +15]

[Effects: Magic Resistance 30%]

[Able to Bring Outside the Game: No]

[Remarks: Shield previously owned by Galahad the white knight of Brittania]

This finding held a touch of irony, for Alan was now the owner of a precious offhand item despite having only one hand. Nevertheless, the shield's remarkable magic resistance properties made it a valuable asset, so he decided to stow it away in his inventory.

The [Knight sword] he acquired held its own significance. It was a quest item, providing standard stats but also serving as the key to a special quest. This quest was exclusively offered to those who managed to retrieve the sword left behind by one of Artorius' fallen champion knights.

In his past life, Alan had been fortunate enough to pick up the sword and claim the quest's rewards. However, this time, it proved different. The quest item was only activated for those who had the [knight] job class. Alan's plan was clear: he intended to keep the sword and give it to a certain girl he had convinced to take up the knight class for this precise purpose.

With the Revenant vanquished, the group's challenges were far from over. They still had to navigate their way through hordes of relentless undead. Artorius, the fearless frontline leader, inspired the knights, their spirits high as they carved a path through the sea of the undead. Alan, positioned in the center of the group, played a crucial support role. He intermittently cast healing spells to mend their wounds and received passive experience points for his efforts. Amid the chaos of battle, Rose occasionally lent a hand by expertly dispatching enemies with her precise bullets.

As the battle raged on, the notifications appeared in Alan's interface, indicating his gains from the fights.

[You have received 40 Survival Points and 80 XP]

[You have received 50 Survival Points and 100 XP]

After their hard-fought journey, they finally reached the relative safety of a corner on the battlefield. Only 15 individuals, including Alan, remained. Gasping for a moment of respite, they had scarcely caught their breath when an unexpected challenge loomed.

A group of 20 horse riders approached, all part of the French player faction. Among them, Alan spotted Cachelos Black Sand's group, along with a few familiar faces from the ranks of veteran French players. These players were part of an elite group, forged from the mercenaries of the two servers. Their presence was a surprise, and Alan's gaze held a mixture of recognition and tension.

Knew this group was the one that betrayed them, Artorius and his knights prepared to confront them, ready for battle. However, Alan stepped forward and placed himself between the two groups. He locked eyes with Cachelos and asked "Are you here to finish us?"

Cachelos, the Hispanic mercenary leader, responded, "Alan, you and the others can leave, but Artorius must stay."

Alan stood his ground, his resolve unshaken, and replied, "You know they will not leave their commander, and neither will I."

A moment later, a small group of riders, which included Merle, Rose, and the rednecks, arrived at the scene. They had brought several stray horses with them. Rose, with her sniper rifle in hand, remained vigilant.

"Are you sure about this, Alan?" Cachellos inquired.

Alan paused to evaluate the situation, his eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield that stretched before him. Amidst the ongoing chaos, he noticed the grim toll the battle had taken on the 500 Egyptian players. Around 50 of them had fallen, their life forces extinguished by the relentless assault of the undead horde.

While the figure of 50 might appear relatively small in the grand scheme of the massive conflict, the consequences of their defeat were anything but insignificant. The fallen players had now been transformed into [Ghouls - rank D]. These undead entities retained their combat prowess and had become formidable adversaries. As if it wasn't dire enough, one [Revenant] had risen from the remains of a veteran player from the Cairo server.

He turned back to Cachelos, addressing the chaotic state of the battlefield. "It's such a mess, don't you think? If you let Axel in charge, more players will fall." Alan implored Cachelos to reconsider their actions. "I suggest you go and help them now rather than wasting time-fighting us here."

Cachelos' hesitation hung in the air, but Alan, keenly aware of the delicate situation, decided to remind him of a crucial fact. He leaned in and emphasized, "Trust me, you don't want to fight an undead that has risen from a legendary NPC."

The gravity of his words was not lost on those present. Alan was referring to Artoriuss himself, the revered leader of their group. While facing a [Revenant] was already a formidable challenge, the thought of Artorius becoming an undead abomination was a chilling one. The mere imagination of the kind of monster Artorius might become if they killed him sent shivers down the spine of every veteran player.

These arguments were enough to sow seeds of discord among the elite veteran group. The tension in the air was palpable as they grappled with the decision at hand. However, Cachelos, with a resolute gaze, looked directly at Alan and delivered a final statement, "You can take him, but you might be too late already."

With those ominous words, Cachelos issued a decisive command. He ordered the group to charge toward the battlefield, their horses thundering forward as they plunged into the heart of the chaos.

In response to the tense situation, Alan quickly issued orders for everyone to mount up on the available horses and make their escape. Once they were safely mounted on their steeds, Artorius, expressed his gratitude "Thank you for saving us; Britannia is in your debt."

A notification flashed on his game interface.

[You have completed a bonus quest - Saving Artorius life]

[You received E rank reward x1]

[You received 1000 survival points, 1000 XP]

[Your relationship status with NPC has increased from Friendly to Elated]

After riding for a tense 20 minutes, they began to notice an ominous sight up ahead. A vivid, flickering light illuminated the sky, and dense smoke veiled the once serene forest, carrying with it a foul, acrid stench. Artorius, their valiant leader, instinctively tightened his grip on the reins of his horse as a sense of foreboding gripped him. When they finally returned to the battlefield, it became painfully evident that Cachelos's earlier warning had not been without merit.

The sight before them was one of devastation. Massive fires raged at the heart of the battlefield, indiscriminately consuming undead, Romans, and barbarians alike. The once tumultuous battleground had been reduced to a blazing inferno, leaving behind a scene of utter destruction.