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Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Ambush Battle
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War breaks out.
The massive NPC army owned by the guild Spaceking launches a raid on the northern region of the Deferonta Empire.
Spaceking's ambush.
And Fullminak swiftly countering the sudden dawn raid.
"Commence attack!"
Spaceking's NPC army charging into the canyon slams into Fullminak's defensive wall.
The front lines collide.
Kwa—ang!! Ku-kwaang—!!!
The NPC army consists of units raised in the territories captured by various guilds during siege wars.
The NPCs fight desperately at the vanguard.
A chaotic barrage begins from NPC heroes on both sides wielding mid-to-long-range skills.
Swoooosh, kwa-bang—!!
Kwa-kwa-kwa-bang—!!
Mid-to-long-range damage slices through the air, while NPCs at the forefront of the shield wall engage in fierce close-quarters combat.
User supporters aiding the NPCs from the rear are breathless.
"Heal No. 1! Double heal on No. 9!!"
"Casualties mounting on No. 18!"
"No. 21's front line is breaking! Send reinforcements!"
"Emergency shield on No. 9's sector—!!"
Kuku-kung!
A powerful AoE skill blasts from Spaceking's side, shaking Fullminak's lines hard.
The front line is marked from 1 to 30 with fluorescent indicators for quick support.
Fullminak users spread across front and rear check the battle situation, pouring heals and buffs to support their allied NPCs.
Fullminak guild members chatter away.
["Damn. Isn't this ambush battle insane? I quit rear support ages ago 'cause it was just endless healing."]
["We gotta hold out till War Mode kicks in."]
This is a war fought solely with prepared armies—meaning NPCs.
In simple terms, it's a battle of troops.
The official siege war system for users, 'War Mode,' hasn't opened yet.
Killing in a non-War Mode state racks up massive karma, and that karma becomes a huge liability in official sieges.
Of course, guilds had cleared their karma ahead of the siege.
In other words, too much killing here turns them into dead weight.
Plus, users who die before War Mode get locked out of the game for a full 24 hours.
So users have no choice but to hold back.
Enkar chimes in over voice chat.
["Look at the scale of Spaceking's NPC army they've been building. Good thing they didn't save this ambush for the endgame. Whew, are those NPCs or an ant swarm?"]
It'd wipe out Goldbunker and Fullminak with plenty to spare.
If they'd slacked on raising NPCs in their territories, they'd get steamrolled here.
This time, Mino speaks up.
["Whoa, seriously. Good thing our front line's backed by a military empire. We pooled all our forces ahead of the siege."]
Fullminak fortunately boasts strong NPC forces.
NPC troops are drafted from the countless territories and nations under guild control.
NPC armies keep marching in from distant territories.
Core Fullminak members and allied guild users log in one after another.
The moment they connect, they look for the guild master.
["Where's the GM?"]
["Kali-nim just went to relay the message."]
["What the hell's this lightning bolt at dawn?"]
Current time: 3 a.m.
Mino, Fullminak's main member directing the scene on-site, suddenly looks up at the sky.
"!"
Kieee—
Chilling shrieks accompany pitch-black dragons casting shadows over the ground. Riding them are Spaceking guild members.
[Dragons emit their presence.]
Whoosh. Fwoosh.
Threatening wingbeats whip up massive winds, blanketing the ground in enormous shadows.
[NPCs are gripped by fear.]
Fullminak guild member Mino shouts loudly.
"[Focus on the front!]"
NPCs, faces pale as they gaze upward, snap their heads back into position.
[Wirentia's Blessing]
[NPC Exclusive Skill lv99]
[NPCs' fear diminishes.]
[NPCs' morale rises.]
Mino activates voice chat.
"Hey, Enkar! Do something about those dragons! Even with constant buffs, NPC morale keeps tanking!"
Enkar, fighting near Fullminak's command center [Crimson Airship Armada], responds.
"Hey! I'm swamped here too!"
A tense aerial standoff rages above the battlefield.
Users exchange petty threats with minor attacks without fully killing to avoid karma buildup—a razor-sharp balance.
The game's official siege start is 7 p.m. today.
It's 3 a.m. now, with kickoff at 19:00.
A mad ambush.
Enduring the hassle of NPC-only fights for a preemptive strike means the ambushing guild gains some advantage.
For reference, Spaceking has plenty of regular NPC troops, but their hero NPCs outnumber everyone else's by a landslide.
That's why the ambush.
[Dragons emit their presence.]
Another dragon presence wave sends troops into panic, and Mino explodes.
["Enkar, you bastard! Do something!!"]
"Argh! Fine, you punk!"
That jerk's definitely mad 'cause I headlocked him earlier.
Enkar grumbles inwardly.
Enkar, mid-air battle, lands atop Fullminak's fleet and glances sideways.
The bearer of the shining honor of Biwa Ranking No. 2 leans against the airship's hull, blankly staring at the fierce war unfolding.
Unable to stand it, Enkar asks.
"Uh, you're here at the ambush for once. As a guild member, how about pitching in a bit?"
"Kaisha-nim isn't here yet. Why should I?"
"Oh, right."
"They're staring all pissy."
"G-Got it."
"...."
Abyss's eyebrow twitches irritably at Enkar's sarcasm.
He seems to ponder for a moment.
"Karma doesn't matter, right?"
"Huh? No—"
That's a no-go, you lunatic.
Abyss summons his weapon and leaps skyward. He cleanly bisects a dragon passing nearby.
Splash—
Rumble rumble crash!
Dragon blood rains onto the deck, freezing Enkar with his arm outstretched.
"...."
Sir. You can't cross that river.
[!Warning!]
[War Mode not active. Killing rapidly increases karma.]
[High karma hinders performance in War Mode.]
[[Fullminak Karma Levels]
Evil Deeds (Karma): 600,000
Good Deeds (Good Karma): 6,318,000]
The swift Abyss begins butchering dragons and Spaceking users at breakneck speed.
Kyaek, kieeeek—!!
Dragon screams echo across the field.
"!!"
Spaceking and Fullminak guild members gawk at Abyss in shock.
Voice chat erupts.
["W-What's up? Why's Abyss-nim suddenly going berserk?"]
["Did the GM arrive?"]
["Not yet?! "]
["Karma from kills skyrocketing!"]
Enkar's mind goes blank.
'We're screwed.'
Evil karma surges toward 1 million in seconds.
How could he poke the unhinged top ranker with no GM to rein him in?
Spaceking won't just watch Abyss rampage.
Shiva charges in.
[Name] Shiva (lv99)
—Korean Server Ranking 10th
Affiliation: Spaceking
Position: 1st Army
<
Kwa—ang!!
Spaceking's human nuke Shiva clashes with Fullminak's nuke Abyss mid-air.
Abyss's reckless skill spam shakes the canyon walls Fullminak guild members struggle to hold.
Bang! Crumble—
Someone hastily pins the crumbling stone wall over Fullminak's NPCs with telekinesis.
"...."
Guild members shout with grim faces.
Suicide goal?!
Amid users' confusion, Shiva and Abyss keep savagely dueling.
They scramble to keep skills from raining on ground forces.
In a word: nuke-level nuisance.
Gulp.
Enkar, hands shaking, calmly opens chat.
[Enkar: Aaaaah!! GM, big trouble!! Please log in fastㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
Eyes unfocused.
No reply from someone not even logged in.
Kali approaches Enkar, scowling.
"What the hell's this bullshit development? Who even touched that nuke? Why's it blowing up solo?"
Enkar frantically closes his mad chat tapping and replies.
"Y-Yeah! Totally!"
The culprit who set Abyss off plays innocent. Hiding his panic, he asks Kali.
"When's the GM logging in?"
"Woke her from deep sleep, so soon."
Enkar's face tightens anxiously.
Biwa Ranking No. 2.
Abyss, infamous for slicing anyone who talks to him, only listens to the guild master.
"She needs to hurry...."
Spaceking's dragons, brought to terrify Fullminak's NPCs, get massacred, throwing their forces into disarray.
Abyss and Shiva collide.
Fullminak's command ship, the crimson airship, is right here.
Guild members logging in after dawn war alert mean Fullminak's home base users overwhelmingly outnumber foes.
Spaceking members hesitate to engage, milling about confused.
Kali laughs at the sight.
"Spaceking's strategy's in tatters."
Abyss wrecking the skies instantly tilts the war toward Fullminak.
Kali looks down at the ground.
Mino's Fullminak army visibly eases up.
Infinite user buffs and NPC hero exploits maintain steady offense and defense.
Kali watches the war briefly, then acknowledges Abyss's utility.
"Not bad, actually."
"R-Right?"
Enkar quickly agrees, masking his dread at Kali's words.
Shiva has slim odds against Abyss, but his massive ego won't let him back down easy.
Fullminak's current strategy: delay. Delay at all costs.
Every stall tactic is gold.
Bang! Bang! Ka—ang!
The group air battle has turned into spectatorship for Abyss vs. Shiva 1v1.
Kali mutters.
"If he holds back on skills, we could keep this going."
"Ugh. Heart's pounding. One misdropped skill wipes our NPC army."
Abyss's skill damage isn't average.
Karma from NPC kills is bad enough, but no suicide goals at least.
Spaceking's NPC troops and heroes are too numerous now.
Thus, pre-War Mode ambushed Fullminak and Goldbunker treat every NPC life as precious.
Then, Shiva's movements suddenly halt.
"?"
Abyss, locked in combat, shows puzzlement, leading to a brief eerie silence.
A tense hush descends.
Hyunwoo, Fullminak allied guild Gentle Knights' guild master commanding them, suddenly ascends to the fleet deck.
[Name] Hyunwoo (lv99)
—Korean Server Ranking 3rd
Affiliation: Gentle Knights (Fullminak)
Position: Guild Master
<
Gentle Knights is Fullminak's allied guild, fighting under Fullminak banner in sieges.
Hyunwoo says.
"Shiva stopped, so they probably called in a top ranker."
"Huh? Top ranker?"
Enkar startles.
Fullminak and Goldbunker too, but Spaceking's siege elites are all top rankers without exception.
Shiva abruptly stops.
For hotheaded Shiva to meekly halt before Abyss means...
Enkar's pupils tremble faintly.
"No way it's him...?"
Kali scowls.
"Him who? You don't mean that damn Dart bastard, right?"
"Spot on."
The moment Enkar answers.
Thud! Kuku-kung—
The virtual graphics quake the heavens and earth, heralding the infamous northern god's arrival.