Cannon Fodder NPC Won't Be Intercepted

A massive new magical projection was cast into the air above the cave lair, the image moving in sync with several envoys dispatched by the "Bishop."

The normally lazy and bored "Bishop" seemed to perk up with a flicker of interest.

She sat up slightly straighter in her seat, leaning forward just a bit. Even her bishop's robe couldn't fully conceal the two deliberately exposed, slender white legs, now crossed one over the other, swinging rhythmically as she tapped her foot.

As if she knew exactly how tempting this was—or rather, as if she was doing it on purpose.

"Like what you see?" the Bishop asked, turning toward an iron cage dangling from the cave wall not far from her chair, suspended in midair.

"Pah! I warn you, let us out now, or later we'll—" The leader of the group in the cage didn't even finish his threat before his head vanished.

The woman withdrew her hand, which had just blasted someone's head off with a single spell, as if it were the most trivial thing.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Even stranger, the headless corpse in the cage began to rapidly fade and blur, vanishing into thin air. A few seconds later, the very same man who had just died reappeared out of nowhere, full of life!

"You filthy bitch! You only bully us because we're low-level right now! I'm telling you, I've memorized your face! Once the open beta starts, I'll bring my whole guild and **** you a thousand **** times over!"

A soundproofing spell enveloped the cage, instantly silencing the furious curses. The cave fell quiet again.

"So these Outlanders really can revive infinitely," the woman on the Bishop's chair mused thoughtfully.

"Is it a blessing? Or magic? Or perhaps... a curse?"

She tried to ponder it for a moment, then immediately gave up.

"Forget it. Whatever. What does it have to do with me anyway?"

"But tsk tsk—who would've thought? Since the legendary immortal Outlanders have already appeared, it seems that old geezer's prophecy might not be fake after all."

The woman crossed her legs in a different position, and with each shift, she clearly sensed several gazes from the cage fixating on her again.

She didn't mind at all. Instead, a smirk curled at her lips, and she exaggerated her movements even more, as if mocking them in silence.

"Look at you losers! Never seen a woman before?!" the player leader in the cage, named Chang Lu Man Man, scolded the four or five underlings locked up with him.

"B-but boss, you were looking too, and the hardest," one clueless underling muttered under his breath, only to get a sharp knock on the head.

"I'm just trying to get our money's worth! We've been locked up here for over a day, and beta time is precious. What's wrong with a few glances? What do you know?!"

"Boss, that's just an excuse. You're hogging it all to yourself, you—"

"Tch! You're asking for it, aren't you? I can't handle that NPC woman outside, but I can sure handle a brat like you!"

"I'm wrong, I'm wrong! Don't hit the face, don't hit the face, boss! Ouch!"

Watching them—clearly imprisoned, clearly in a life-or-death situation, where any normal person would be pissing their pants, crying and begging for mercy—these Outlanders were still bickering and joking around, as if they didn't take their predicament seriously at all.

Interesting.

"Heh, that's more like it. The world ruled by those nine bastards was way too boring. Let it burn, it was about time. The more chaos, the better! Hehehehe."

Withdrawing her attention from the cage, the woman, now in a good mood, turned her gaze back to the magical screen.

On it, the envoys racing through the forest could already see their target in the distance.

A group of four people.

No.

Three people and a wolf.

The woman on the Bishop's chair narrowed her eyes, focusing on the young girl leading the group. In her arms, she held a pitch-black wolf cub, its eyes closed as if dozing off.

Though the magical screen only showed transmitted images, her instincts told her this little black wolf was no ordinary beast—it was a monster.

One even she couldn't identify.

A Spellcaster leading a... monster?

Could this girl, clearly from some backwater village, be a...

Summoner?

That was what the woman on the Bishop's chair initially thought. But what happened next made even her lose composure, rising from her seat with a surprised gasp.

"You..." Vivian was forced to stop, her hands trembling slightly as she held the little wolf. Liao Zixuan could feel the girl's nervous tension.

"Who are you?"

The girl forced herself to stay calm, addressing the group of gray-robed figures who had appeared silently ahead, blocking their path.

But instead of answering, they spread out, encircling the trio and the wolf in the center.

"We... we just want to collect a medicinal herb deep in the forest. My little brother is sick and urgently needs it to recover." Vivian tried to reason with them.

Yet after forming the encirclement, without a word, they pulled spiked weapons from behind their backs.

Clearly, they couldn't be bothered with small talk and charged straight at Vivian and the others.

"What the hell?! What's going on?!" The two players flanking the girl were startled too.

It wasn't the sudden appearance of enemies that shocked them—after all, minutes ago, Liao Zixuan had hinted at it through the quest "Protect Vivian."

What really made Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic jump was the information they got after using "Inspect" on these murderous gray-robed figures.

[Fanatic Fire God Follower]

[Level: 10]

[Status: Poisoned (???), Mental Hypnosis]

[Main Class: Assassin Lv3]

[Sub-Classes: Fire God Follower Lv5, Missionary Lv3, Fire Controller Lv1]

[Danger Level: Medium]

(Note: A group of Fire God Cult members from Huodian City who have devoted their lives to the Fire God, fanatical believers in the Fire God)

Huodian City!

Shit, official forces of justice had come to hunt the witch this fast?

Meanwhile, back in the Claw Nest, the players of Chang Lu Man Man's group, imprisoned in iron cages, were also watching the battle outside through the magical projection in the center.

Then

Another "Holy shit!"

The natives of the Fall of the Gods world couldn't see it, but as fellow players, they could instantly spot the conspicuous nicknames floating above each head.

"Boss, look! Isn't that Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic?"

"Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic?" Chang Lu Man Man didn't immediately register who those two were.

"They're the ones who went viral on the forums, the ones who leveled up by cheating!" the lackey beside him quickly reminded.

"Holy shit, it really is them!?"

Chang Lu Man Man snapped to attention. Clearly, Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic had already made a name for themselves in the closed beta player circle.

But just as they were pulling out of the excitement of meeting fellow countrymen, Chang Lu Man Man's expression suddenly darkened.

Shit!