SS-Class Emergency Mission

Near a small village next to Claw Forest.

Swish, swish, swish!

Several flashes of white light appeared, followed by figures that would terrify any timid native villager. Several living people materialized out of thin air at the edge of the forest from within the white light.

"I, Hu Han San, am back!" the person at the head of the group shouted at the sky.

Chang Lu Man Man was now filled with rage.

Forced to delete his account and start over, his half a month of effort during the closed beta was all for naught, completely destroyed, and he was back to being a level one blank slate.

Although it was a closed beta, the data, items, and equipment would eventually be deleted, and character levels would be reset.

However, things like favorability with NPCs, regional reputation, and professional skills would be saved and inherited.

But he had lost all of that due to deleting his account.

"Damn it, Eugenia, right? You just wait for me!"

His in-game character had indeed become a weakling. Well, it couldn't be said that way; it seemed he wasn't that strong to begin with, but Chang Lu Man Man's influence outside the game wouldn't disappear just because he deleted his account.

If there was one most shameless tactic among this group called "players," those despicable outsiders, then "calling for a group beatdown" would definitely rank in the top three.

Previously, in the Claw Forest Lair, they had their souls locked by Eugenia, who was the Witch Bella.

Of course, that's what it was called in the game, but the actual effect for players was that they could only resurrect in place and couldn't communicate with the outside world.

That's why Chang Lu Man Man and the others couldn't use that ultimate weapon.

But now that they were free...

Opening his friend system, he saw several unread messages flashing. They were all from people who had noticed the abnormality of Chang Lu Man Man's character and were curiously inquiring.

It was important to note that being able to get a piece of the extremely limited global closed beta slots for "Fall of the Gods" meant that many of the closed beta players had notable real-life identities and reputations.

Take Chang Lu Man Man, for example. A typical rich second-generation idiot, he established guild clubs on Earth, becoming his own boss. Although not top-tier, he could still make waves in the gaming circle with his wealth, especially with his extensive network.

After all, who wouldn't want to be friends with money?

Quickly finding acquaintances in the same zone, [Huodian City], on his friend list, Chang Lu Man Man began sending messages furiously.

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, are you there! Reply quickly!

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, are you there! Reply quickly!

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, are you there! Reply quickly!

The outskirts of Huodian City.

One of the many small villages.

A handsome foreigner was enthusiastically chatting with an elderly woman at the village entrance.

Above this foreigner's head were the words "Luo Chen."

Anyone in the know would recognize this nickname.

Luo Chen, a professional player, with shiny professional certificates and so many trophies he couldn't display them all at home. He was also the guild leader of the top-tier guild [Star Pavilion], ranking in the top ten even in the fiercely competitive China region.

Coupled with his striking good looks, he was the perfect esports novel protagonist, with countless female fans.

It was a pity that if Luo Chen's female fans knew what their idol was doing at this moment, they would probably all be so angry they'd spit blood.

"Auntie, please tell me if you need anything else. My body is young and strong, I'm not afraid of getting tired!" Luo Chen said, flashing a charming smile.

"Oh my, how can I impose on you? You've already helped me with so much before," the old auntie at the village entrance said, half-welcoming, half-refusing.

Seeing the auntie's demeanor, Luo Chen gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, using his trump card.

"You speak as if we're strangers, but I feel like I've known you forever!"

"To tell you the truth..."

"You actually look a lot like my late mother. Seeing you, Auntie, feels like seeing family..."

Good grief, he'd even abandoned his mother.

But such a huge sacrifice yielded excellent results!

[Village Chief Marian's Favorability +20]

"Wuwuwu..."

"Then, then I'll think about it again. See if there's any more work in the village that I can do for you..."

Listening to the system's prompt in his mind and looking at the NPC opposite him, who was deeply moved by him, Luo Chen secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Alas, life is not easy.

The handsome guy sighed.

If it weren't for the fact that this Marian had many tasks and generous rewards, bringing in dozens of experience points each time, who would want to be a gigolo?

But then again, not everyone who wants to be a gigolo can be one.

Didn't you see how several ugly players, envious of his several hundred experience points a day, tried to get close to Marian? But this old auntie was incredibly realistic and never gave them a good look.

In the early stages of the game, during the closed beta, one had to seize every available resource to get ahead of others!

I earned this soft life through my own abilities.

There's no shame in it!

"Enduring"

After comforting himself like this, he immediately felt much better.

Just as Luo Chen was pondering whether to fawn a bit more, [Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, you there! Quick reply!

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, you there! Quick reply!

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, you there! Quick reply!

The sudden barrage of friend message notifications almost gave Luo Chen a heart attack.

Who the hell is it!

Can't they send messages properly!

For someone at Luo Chen's level, friend slots were incredibly precious. Just as he was preparing to block this person, freeing up a slot, he glanced at the sender's ID.

Chang Lu Man Man.

The big spender.

Fine, forget it.

Luo Chen didn't particularly like Chang Lu Man Man, and he harbored a natural disdain for rich second-generation types who only had money but no skills.

But unfortunately, the guy had abundant resources and a wide network of contacts. If they really fell out, it wouldn't be good, especially in "Fall of the Gods," a new world with immense potential. Having an ally was better than having an opponent.

Besides, judging by the tone of the message, it was clear something urgent had come up.

Why is Chang Lu Man Man looking for me and not someone else?

Isn't it because he thinks I'm capable, that I'm amazing? He thought of me first when facing difficulties?

After another round of self-comfort, Luo Chen's mood instantly improved.

"Enduring"

He'd just find an excuse to decline later.

He was currently clinging to Marian's thigh, gaining dozens of experience points every minute. He didn't have time to go help others deal with trouble elsewhere.

[Luo Chen]: Brother Lu, I'm here.

[Luo Chen]: Why the rush? What happened?

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Old Chen, no time to explain! I'll send you coordinates in a bit. Hurry and bring your guild members to help me sort things out!

Sort things out?

Heh, truly smart people are busy improving themselves and exploring the world. It's only you rich second-generation types who always want to fight for face wherever you go!

You want me to abandon my devoted, fragrant older auntie and go help you sort things out?

Even a dog wouldn't do that!

[Luo Chen]: That, Brother Lu, I actually have a very urgent timed quest, so I'm afraid I...

Just as Luo Chen was about to politely refuse, about to type the final words "I'm afraid I can't help"...

[Chang Lu Man Man]: Make sure it's quick, Old Chen! Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to collect bodies for Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic later!

Luo Chen's typing hand froze.

Wait, why do those two names sound so familiar?

Then, with almost no effort, Luo Chen's mind searched, and he instantly remembered.

Holy crap!

Aren't those the two guys whose leveling speed was rumored on the forums to be like they were cheating?

Luo Chen's heart immediately burned with excitement. Many people were currently looking for Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic, trying to figure out the secret behind their rapid leveling.

He was one of them, of course.

So, is Chang Lu Man Man with them?

Before Luo Chen could confirm with Chang Lu Man Man, he threw him a coordinate location and a recorded video.

And when Luo Chen, full of confusion, clicked on the video...

He was dumbfounded.

Fire God Cult Bishop? Claw Forest Lair? Hypnotized BOSS? Purple Crystal Grass? Evil ritual? Mysterious country girl?

Flame Impact, Flame Spear Technique, Fireball, Tier 3 Magic, Magic Barrier, Flame Whip...

Who am I, where am I, are we playing the same game?

I'm here all day either looking for lost puppies or running errands for villagers, at most hunting on the edge of the forest, but you guys are already slinging magic and holding a massive ritual??

With his sharp eyes, Luo Chen spotted Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic following closely behind the mysterious country girl named "Vivian" in the video.

As for why Luo Chen still insisted on adding the word "mysterious" before the country girl.

Nonsense, have you ever seen a regular villager who could conjure a magic shield with each hand and confront a Fire God Cult bishop?

Outsiders watch the excitement, insiders watch the skill.

Chang Lu Man Man was focused on finding Eugenia for revenge, but what Luo Chen saw was...

Main quest! Hidden plot! Super NPC!

Damn it!

No wonder those two guys could level up so fast!

Turns out they were riding on a really thick thigh!

Without hesitation.

[Luo Chen]: Brother Lu, wait for me! I'm coming right over!!

After sending the message, Luo Chen turned to leave. He checked the location coordinates; it wasn't far from him. If he rushed at full speed, he could get there in less than ten minutes!

"Hey? Little Luo, why are you leaving? I just found you a new job, don't you want it?" The old aunt, seeing the handsome young man about to leave, became anxious.

"There were a few other outsiders like you who asked me to find them. If you leave, I'll have to give them to others," the old aunt's voice carried a threat.

"No need, thank you, Auntie!"

Luo Chen waved his hand without looking back, leaving Marian standing at the village entrance, trembling with anger as she watched Luo Chen's retreating figure.

Gr-Grand Auntie?!

Didn't she just say he looked like her mother, and now he's a grand auntie??

This couldn't be blamed on Luo Chen for changing his tune like flipping a book.

After all, in Chang Lu Man Man's video, there were two important NPC characters: one was a tall, leggy older sister bishop, and the other was a petite, mysterious girl who was suspected to be a key figure in the main storyline.

If given a choice, who wouldn't prefer them over the old aunt?

Clearly, Luo Chen wasn't the only one with this thought.

After Chang Lu Man Man deliberately used the video he recorded of Vivian confronting Eugenia as bait, no player could refuse.

Following Luo Chen, Chang Lu Man Man called everyone with a bit of influence within the range of Huodian City.

Thus, a mighty army of players was converging on Claw Forest from all directions.

"Boss, do you think this will work?"

"What if even more of us just end up being fodder for others?" one of Chang Lu Man Man's subordinates asked worriedly.

Unlike the players who were lured in by watching the video, they had personally experienced and felt the terrifying power of Bishop Eugenia.

"Hmph, even ants can gnaw an elephant to death if there are enough of them. Before I was locked up, I secretly used my scout skill to check Eugenia's stats; she was only just over level 30. Moreover, it's not like we don't have high-level combat power on our side. Isn't my goddess right here?"

"That's true, but... Boss, I'm just afraid your goddess won't hold out until we get there to support her." Chang Lu Man Man's subordinates seemed to be masters of conversation.

"Sigh, I wonder how Vivian is doing now, and what the situation is like in the lair..."

He sighed to himself, and then noticed his boss's darkened face because of his comment.

Seeing that he was about to get hit again, the subordinate suddenly seemed to recall something and quickly said before Chang Lu Man Man could slap him:

"Boss! Boss! Wait a moment! Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic are still in the lair, right? If we contact them, we can find out the situation!"

Unfortunately, his brilliant idea didn't save him from a rap on the head.

"Nonsense, do you think I'm stupid? They already blocked friend requests. Where am I supposed to contact them?" Chang Lu Man Man thought irritably.

Because of the previous leveling controversy, too many people had sought them out for secrets, so Big Watermelon and the other had long since disabled their communication and hadn't reopened it yet.

However, a twist of fate occurred.

"You are stupid, Boss! Did you forget about the regional channel? We're in Claw Forest right now, we can shout to them through the regional channel!"

"They blocked friends, but they didn't block the regional channel!"

Woc!

After being reminded by his subordinate, Chang Lu Man Man smacked his forehead. Damn, how could he forget this method!

Because the number of players in the Fall of the Gods beta test was extremely small, extremely small in the context of the entire Fall of the Gods world, the number of people in a regional channel was pitifully low, and no one ever spoke.

Excitedly, Chang Lu Man Man opened the regional channel and was frantically typing, inputting countless exclamation marks in an attempt to get Big Watermelon and Melee God of Magic's attention when...

To his utter surprise, in the empty Claw Forest regional channel, someone had posted a message before him, and the sender was none other than Big Watermelon.

The message was short.

It only contained two words.

"Run!!"

At the same time, a slightly sharp system notification sounded in the minds of all beta testers whose current area was centered around Huodian City.

[Ding]

[Your current area has triggered the SS-Class Emergency Mission "Demon Tide Incoming." Please decide within 30 minutes whether to participate in defending Huodian City.]

[00:29:59]

An SS-Class Emergency Mission?

Demon Tide Incoming?

Defend Huodian City??

Looking at the prominent red countdown on the mission log, Chang Lu Man Man was completely stunned.

What in the world

happened??