Chapter 120
"Prerequisite quest creation... isn't that DLC that came out later in the game?"
In Empress Online, you can change other characters to hidden classes. However, sometimes the new class you discover is not the same as the character you want to change to. So the game company released a pre-release DLC to make money.
In reality, it's pretty useless. It just saves players a little time from having to go back and forth. And yet they dare to release it separately. Can't this be considered game optimization?
Ryan clicked on the prerequisite task creation.
Please note that you cannot Create New Character before completing the prerequisite quests. If you abandon the quest, you will no longer be able to obtain that class through the prerequisite quests. Please choose carefully.
"Tch, who are you trying to scare? You can't wipe your butt before you've finished pooping, huh?"
With so many hidden classes, Ryan never expected to get them all; having even one more would be a bonus.
Ryan confirmed the prerequisite options.
[Class Quest Locked - Prerequisite Quest Confirmed: Echoes of the Deep Sea Hunter]
Deep Sea Hunter are a group of Wandering Soul dwell in the tranquil seas. They disguise themselves as Bounty Hunter and roam the continent. Each Deep Sea Hunter is a master of their craft, and their deity, whose name is passed down from ancient times, 'King of the Wild Hunt,' possessed power that once instilled fear in countless Old Gods.
Please travel to Meld Town and find the lost 'Black Sword Fragment'.
"Deep Sea Hunter? Race God?"
Ryan was taken aback.
The name Deep Sea Hunter was both familiar and quite unfamiliar to him. He was certain he had seen it before, but he couldn't recall any related information.
However, the King of the Wild Hunt is not a god from any particular Faith Path, but Race God, a fact he had seen in the official information about gods.
So this quest is about finding fragments and then summoning a class? What the hell is this Holy Grail War?
"What's wrong?"
"I can't believe it," asked Caslathdi was sitting across from me drinking tea.
Ryan seemed to be deep in thought with his head down since just now. Could it be that there will be a change in the battle of Silver Peak City?
"Your Highness, have you heard of Meld Town?"
"Melder? I've only ever heard of Count Melder."
"Uh... that shouldn't be it. Have you heard of the Deep Sea Hunter?"
"Ah?"
"It's alright now."
Ryan waved his hand, deciding to go back and check the information first. Since he was Bounty Hunter, there would surely be some information left behind, which was much more reliable than searching the world for hidden professions.
After her chat with Caslathdi ended, that afternoon, with Haino's consent, she released the relevant information. The printing presses at the Berman City newspaper were smoking from printing so much. According to the mayor's instructions, there wasn't enough space to put it all up on the streets!
This explosive news didn't even require Ryan's instructions; the news agencies had already worked through the night to produce it, and by the next day it had spread almost throughout the entire Southern Territory.
Although some people had doubts, the newspapers still had a photo of Caslathdi and Haino together, which couldn't be faked. The vice dean of Saint Marian's was in Berman City at the moment. If she didn't agree, how could she allow Caslathdi to do this?
Of course, most people don't understand the significance of doing this. Isn't he just the vice principal of a prestigious school? How could he possibly influence the competition for the crown prince position in the empire?
However, news from the front lines confirmed that this was indeed effective. The Second Prince's Crimson Tiger Guard were supposed to arrive at Silver Peak City first, but they suddenly stayed in place for half a day, thus losing the initiative and allowing 'Vainay' to lead her men to occupy the city first.
Finally, the two armies formed a stalemate with the territory of Silver Peak City as the boundary, and battle was imminent.
Ryan guessed that the Second Prince was also feeling uneasy. Suddenly having a Vice Dean as an opponent must have made him feel terrible.
But this war still needs to be fought; what else can be done? He certainly wouldn't be willing to hand over the Southern Territory so easily.
While the two armies were locked in a standoff, Ryan had already boarded a train bound for the Western Territory.
In the past few days Lin Qi has repeatedly tested the waters with his attacks, confirming that the secret realm of the Chaos Realm is only a barrier to entry. Of the dozen or so paladins who have tried, only one wandered around inside in a daze for two days before coming out. He was not injured, but he was a little mentally confused and so hungry that he didn't even have the strength to speak.
Although two days is not a long time, being in a tense state the whole time was too exhausting.
With the path paved by predecessors, the rest of the journey proceeded. Once it was confirmed that there was no danger, Ryan simply ran forward. In any case, 'Ina' was guarding the house, and 'Shally' and 'Vainay' were keeping an eye on the front lines, so he could go and handle other matters.
Alts ~ As long as you work hard, you're fine, unlike him, who has so many things to consider.
At this time.
Ryan was sitting on the train reading a book.
Besides him, there were only fifty soldiers and train staff left on the train. Master Ryan was insecure and didn't like to travel by train with strangers.
In front of him were several books, all about human geography.
He searched Meld Town for a long time but found no clues. He had discovered several people named Meld, a name that seemed as common as Zhang Wei in Chinese.
"There are so many places called Meld, but none of them seem quite right. Should we ask the great God of Wisdom?"
Ryan rubbed his head.
Common problems make it difficult to filter some information. There are tons of information about Mrs. Melder, the Melder Mountains, and the Melder Ruins. As for the Meld Town, two were found, but after checking the information, Ryan found that it was almost impossible for it to be related to the Deep Sea Hunter.
As for the Deep Sea Hunter themselves, the Hunter Guild in Berman City has no relevant information. They are a mysterious race, so mysterious that no one has even heard of the Tranquil Sea.
However, if it's the sea, the Augustus Empire doesn't have a sea at all. Ryan has been considering since last night whether this so-called 'sea' is truly literal.
On the other side.
While Ryan was heading to the Western Territory.
On the plains north of Silver Peak City.
The neatly arranged troops stood on both sides of the plain, directly in front of the Allied forces. 'Shally', clad in armor, stood before everyone, her Blood-colored Greatsword planted firmly on the ground, her hands gripping the hilt.
The Crimson Tiger Guard are stationed north of Silver Peak City and seem to have no intention of attacking in the short term. They are obviously wary of Haino's reputation. Moreover, the Second Prince has already occupied half of the Southern Territory, and he may even be considering giving up.
But 'Shally' had no intention of backing down, so she abandoned her advantage of defending the city and led her army to fight the Crimson Tiger Guard head-on.
This is a plain; there are no conspiracies, only charges.
"Do you think we can win?"
Among the crowd, an officer spoke somewhat nervously.
"We'll win... right?"
Another officer hesitated.
"We're guaranteed to win!" an officer who had followed 'Shally' in countless battles exclaimed confidently. "We have a full eight thousand men!"
"But there are nearly 20,000 on the other side."
"Eight thousand to twenty thousand, isn't that an advantage for us?"
"???"
No, brother, have you ever studied arithmetic?
Although the Allied forces advanced triumphantly, they did not fight much. Along the way, they encountered either noble territories that had already submitted or those that had seen the situation clearly and did not intend to resist.
Most of the troops in this army were private soldiers from other noble families. Their war achievements were not as great as their tempers. They were somewhat flustered by the size of this army right from the start.
At the very front.
'Shally' looked arrogant and shouted, "From Moke to Alta, the name of the Holy Blood Legion will begin to shine from this moment on!"
The Moxad Mountains are located in Kosotoya, bordering the Kainter Kingdom, while the Alta Plains lies at their feet.
The Holy Blood Legion, the name of the legion established around 'Shally', is also the core military force of Berman City —although less than half of the members of this force are veterans who fought alongside 'Shally' against the Kainter army, the rest are newly recruited soldiers.
But the Legion had reason to believe that as long as they followed 'Shally', they would be invincible!
At this moment, with their greatswords raised high, the Holy Blood Legion launched the first charge.
"Kill them!!!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The rest of the Allied forces also began their attack.
'Shally' led the way, followed by a thousand armored cavalry.
Boom!
With First Stage of Sacrifice Blood Slash, the ironclad formation set up by the Crimson Tiger Guard in the front row was blasted apart. As blood threads wrapped around them, the Blood Minions stood up one by one and launched an attack on the Crimson Tiger Guard around them.
"Don't panic, maintain formation!"
An officer from the Crimson Tiger Guard shouted.
Their front-line soldiers, armed with large shields and clad in heavy armor, were the renowned Iron Guard of the Crimson Tiger Guard.
The large shields were highly defensive and heavy, making them virtually impenetrable to ordinary cavalry. However, these soldiers also required rigorous training, so their numbers were not large within the entire Crimson Tiger Guard.
Instead of letting them face the cavalry charge head-on, the officer gave a command, and the shield infantry formation dispersed, with squads of heavily armed spearmen appearing at the forefront.
Bang bang bang!!
Behind them, Musketeers fired bullets.
Their target was the cavalry formation behind 'Shally'.
Using spearmen to stop cavalry charges is more effective than simple defense, and the Crimson Tiger Guard's muskets are extremely powerful, posing a considerable threat to heavily armored cavalry.
Before the armored cavalry even got close, a large number of soldiers had already fallen from their horses.
After breaking through the formation with her first strike, 'Shally' was immediately blocked by the Supernatural Being from the Crimson Tiger Guard. The other side dispatched more than ten Supernatural Being to besiege 'Shally'. Fortunately, Gruk and others arrived in time, and the two sides immediately engaged in a battle between Supernatural Being.
A Supernatural Being wielding a bow and arrow leaped high into the air, drew his bow, and released an arrow that split in mid-air, transforming into a rain of arrows that fell to the ground.
Rumble rumble rumble~~
The arrow's power was comparable to that of a fierce cannon, creating a loud bang on the ground.
"Fourth Tier?"
Although it was an area-of-effect attack, 'Shally's' health bar immediately dropped by nearly one-eighth.
Ryan's expression was solemn. He knew that 'Shally' was a tank. Even without the 30% health boost from Blood Intent, her current attributes were no weaker than those of Fourth Tier.
All I can say is that the opponent is a superhuman class skilled in attack.
At this moment, 'Shally' in the scene did not engage in a direct confrontation with this group of Supernatural Being, but instead charged towards the Crimson Tiger Guard's formation.
Before the Blood Intent has accumulated, the effects of the War Domain require kills to build up, so engaging in a general-to-general game with the opponent at this point offers no advantage.
However, the other Supernatural Being was clearly targeting her. The archer was in pursuit from behind, and while hiding in the shadows, a shadow suddenly rushed out and attacked 'Shally' who was on the run.
Once the Assassin class reaches a higher rank, their unpredictable abilities become a major headache even for warriors. Instead of defending, 'Shally' used a stomp skill on the spot. Before the opponent's sword could strike her, the stun effect of the stomp took hold.
'Shally' pressed her advantage, Blood-colored Greatsword, but it was blocked by an arrow.
This assassin-type Supernatural Being was also at the Fourth Tier. The stun effect lasted for less than a second. After regaining consciousness, he did not attack 'Shally', but immediately went into stealth mode.
Seeing this, Ryan knew that the other party was a cunning old fox.
A qualified assassin never engages in direct combat, even if he has the advantage in strength.
A single, deadly strike followed by a swift escape—an assassin in stealth mode is the most terrifying, placing immense psychological pressure on their enemies.
However, 'Shally' had a very strong mentality. Even if she failed, she turned around and left. After misleading her opponents with her Blood Clone, she rushed into the Crimson Tiger Guard and slaughtered them. As the Blood Mist gradually spread across the battlefield, the battle of the Blood Knight had just begun.
Blood God's Blessing!
Blood Control enhanced!
War Domain buff!
Finally—the sacrifice!
Ryan never expected that the all-attribute buff from sacrificing 888 would be so easy. When he first obtained this skill, he even prepared to lose 10% of all attributes every month, since killing 888 people was indeed a bit too much... So, Blood Knight should be in the battlefield!
The 35% super buff boosted 'Shally's' attributes to a new level, and as the war continued, the effect of the Blood Mist buff became stronger and stronger.
After stacking up her Blood Intent, 'Shally' charged at the archer, but the guy was as agile as a monkey. Although he couldn't fly, 'Shally' dodged several of her attacks.
The assassin was even more so; he had likely become Shadow Hunter, the same class as Blood Robe, belonging to the Supernatural Being Faith Path.
The advantages of this profession are flexibility, unpredictability, and explosive power; the disadvantage is that they are fragile, which is a common trait of assassins.
The two classes' characteristics are very effective against Blood Knight. Blood Knight has high stats, high health and high defense, and can also leech life. It can deal burst damage with area-of-effect attacks. Its only weakness is a lack of control and pursuit skills.
Its stomp range is too small, it's not good at speed, and it doesn't have a stealth skill like 'Lin Qi', so it's generally only suitable for face-to-face numerical battles.
Even with her professional characteristics being targeted, 'Shally' was still able to hold her own against two Fourth Tier Supernatural Being thanks to her professional abilities. What Ryan didn't know was that the other party was also mentally devastated, because 'Shally' couldn't get hurt, she could only lose health!
"Holy crap! Is this guy invincible?"