The moment the system notification faded from their minds, the entire Yan Country War Zone seemed to spring to life like a dormant war machine.
The open ground nearest the entrance to the City of Mist was already packed with players from the major guilds.
"Charge! The first wave of monsters will be the easiest points we'll ever get!"
"Madmen Guild, listen up! Advance according to Plan One! Mages fall back, tanks take the front, and assassins pick your own targets!"
"Don't be afraid, independent players! Stick behind the Iron Blood Alliance. We'll take the meat, but there'll be some soup for you too! Just don't pull the boss!"
Shouts, cheers, and the clang of metal blended into a deafening roar.
Greed and excitement gleamed in countless players' eyes.
The Trial of the Gods!
The Hall of Heroes!
A wish granted by a god!
Those words were fuel poured onto the desires burning in every heart.
Danger? Stronger monsters? The removal of safe zones?
With one free resurrection guaranteed, those warnings carried little weight.
At worst, they would die once. Eighteen seconds later, they would be back on their feet!
It wasn't just the top guilds thinking that way. Large numbers of low-level players had come running at the news, too.
I Can Pick Up Leaks, an assassin in his thirties, activated stealth and crept along the shadows at the forest's edge, muttering to himself.
"Heh. You lot can fight to the death. I'll gather herbs around the edges. If I get lucky and an elite monster spawns after you've nearly killed it, I can land the final blow and pocket the points."
He was far from the only one with that idea.
Hundreds, then thousands of independent players swarmed toward the edges of the trial zones like hyenas catching