Players

"Whoosh—"

A blinding white light flashed.

When Steamed Bun opened his eyes again, he was already in the world of Erezege, experiencing that familiar sensation that was indistinguishable from reality.

"Awesome!"

He looked around and suddenly realized—he was right there at the military parade in the trailer! "Boom—"

Wyvern filled the sky, Steam Tank rumbled, cannons roared, and gunfire shook the heavens as the Empire Expeditionary Force, arriving from various dimensions, stood ready for battle.

Flame Wyvern flapped their wings, fire Fire Lizard raised their spears, Skeletal Dragon Snake snaked and slithered, and Dire Beast roared with their heads held high. On both sides of the Military Exercise Field, countless imperial citizens were filled with fervor, raising their arms and shouting, "Long Live the Empire!" "Long Keosius!" The shouts surged like waves, one after another.

Along with Steamed Bun, tens of thousands of players also came here, including not only veteran players but also many newcomers who had just entered the game.

Keep in mind that this was only a few minutes after the server opened, and the number of players in the venue was still surging.

Looking at this spectacular sight, they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Holy crap? It looks exactly like the promotional video!"

"It's on fire!"

"Long Live the Empire!"

"Aaaaaaahh...

"Long live His Your Majesty Keosius! For the Empire!"

The military music was stirring and passionate. Even Steamed Bun was infected by the fervent atmosphere. He raised his hands and shouted at the top of his lungs, "For the Empire!"

In the distance, the Red Dragon Emperor stood on a giant rock platform, spreading his broad wings and looking down at everything with his pale golden eyes.

He seemed to notice the players who had appeared on the plains and cast a scrutinizing glance at them.

Then, the gaping maw, covered in sharp fangs, slowly opened, emitting a clear and calm sound.

"Welcome back, Starfallers."

Hearing the greeting from the Faction Leader reignited, even ignited, the players' emotions, making them even more excited.

"Long live His Your Majesty Keosius!"

"Ke Emperor is invincible!"

"I want to touch His Your Majesty Keosius."

The Steamed Bun looked up at the Red Dragon in the distance, placed its fist over its heart, and performed a standard "Loyalty Salute".

"This sense of belonging is off the charts!"

"Aww~~"

A familiar roar came from the sky, Steamed Bun immediately raised his head in surprise and shouted, "Noodles!"

The Wyvern raised its long neck and let out a cheerful whistle. It circled in the air a few times before landing easily.

It gripped the ground with its claws, obediently lowered its head, and lay prostrate in front of the Steamed Bun.

"Long time no see, Noodles."

The saying goes that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this applies to mounts as well.

"The food is pretty good, and I've even gained a little weight."

Steamed Bun affectionately stroked the long neck of the Wyvern, then grabbed the handle of the Dragon Saddle, flipped over and leaped onto its back.

"Noodles, take off!"

"Aww—"

The Wyvern suddenly leaped up, flapping its wings, circling and climbing in mid-air, letting out a loud howl.

As Steamed Bun gazed at the magnificent Istaria City in the distance, he felt a surge of emotion, as if a thousand chasms were welling up in his heart.

"Erezege, I'm back!" The new player stared at the Steamed Bun in the sky, pointing at the Wyvern he rode, and exclaimed, "Holy crap, how can he ride a dragon?"

Another new player said, "I heard him say something, and then he got to ride the Wyvern. I think it was... Noodles?"

"Wow? Wow, there's such a password!"

"Noodles-- "

"Noodles! Noodles!"

"Noodles! Why isn't this command working?"

In an instant, many new players began shouting at the top of their lungs, their eyes filled with anticipation as they watched the Wyvern circling high in the sky.

The veteran players nearby glanced at them sideways, giving them a look as if they were idiots. "That's the Red Scale Conqueror's mount!"

"They're calling out their mounts' names, what are you shouting for?"

"Huh?"

The Wyvern high in the sky tilted its head, looked at the players on the ground, and let out a low growl of confusion.

"So realistic!"

"You can still feel pain?"

"Hahaha! It actually works that you can take your pants off!"

"After waiting a year, I finally get to play Erezege! Don't stop me, I'm not crazy!"

On the ground, the number of players has exceeded 100,000 in just a few minutes, and it continues to grow.

They let out savage roars, and many of them even took off their clothes and ran around naked.

The solemn and majestic atmosphere of the venue suddenly became somewhat off. Fortunately, the military parade had already ended, and the people of the empire were already used to the madness of these Starfallers.

In the audience, the little girl from Tiefling looked curiously at the Starfallers and tugged at her mother's clothes.

"Mom, what are they doing?"

Tiefling's mother covered little Tiefling's eyes and said softly, "Nina, don't learn bad things from those lunatics."

Remember, be loyal to His Majesty and the Empire, just like your father who worked in the Imperial Guard. Don't take these crooked paths.

On the high platform, Keosius looked down at the venue and watched the players frolicking in the wasteland. His lips twitched slightly.

"Are there really this many players this time?"

In Keosius's memory, although "Erezege" became a hit in version 2.0, it only had a few million players online at the same time when it first launched.

Very few players choose the original map, Anzeta Great Wasteland, as their starting point, since the area has already been fully explored by players.

However, under Keosius's influence, most veteran players were tied to the Empire's war machine.

They were all unwilling to give up their original assets and status, so they could only continue to choose the empire as their birthplace.

New players, influenced by the promotional videos and guides from veteran players, have also developed a great interest in the "protagonist faction" of the Embers of the Burned Empire in version 1.0.

Keosius stared intently at the new players, exhaling a puff of Sulfur Scent white smoke.

"If the current growth trend continues, the number of players joining the Empire will likely easily reach two million."

"And the total number of players—is very likely to exceed ten million."

It's worth noting that the Clash of Kings version opened up more than 300 Respawn Point, so for one-fifth of the players to choose the Empire is already a very considerable number.

This has far exceeded Keosius's expectations.

In the previous life, most players chose the Fadlan Three Kingdoms, which were the most war-torn, based on strategy guides. They were divided into different factions and fought against each other.

Now, the Embers of the Burned Empire has undoubtedly become the faction that attracts the most players and has the greatest influence on the player community.

"Two million players can provide ample impetus for the development of the empire, but it's still a bit of a problem. It will probably cause a lot of chaos."

In the third census launched by Chief Minister Lang Pu a few months ago, the total population of the Embers of the Burned Empire reached 8.47 million.

This influx of players numbered two million, equivalent to a quarter of the Empire's total population!

Such a large number of "unemployed vagrants" will definitely have a huge impact on the empire's society, and the conflict between the Starfallers and the natives will intensify.

The competition for jobs, resistance from indigenous people, and disruption of social order are almost inevitable, and the resulting series of social problems will become increasingly serious.

For the current empire, expansion is imminent, and Keosius urgently needs to find an outlet for players' excess energy.

And the demon was his first target.

However, it is still necessary to maintain the most basic order first, so that we can better Contend Against the demons.

Thinking of this, Keosius called out softly, "Mezhuolash."

Soon, the Imperial Guard Commander-in-Chief, head of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, and leader of the Tiefling tribe appeared before the Red Dragon.

For many years, he held a high position, controlling intelligence agencies both within and outside the empire, eliminating enemies for the empire in the shadows. Now, this paladin of the Typhoon has blood on his hands, and he has become even more taciturn. He is the most low-key of the empire's three dukes, always quietly carrying out the tasks assigned by the Red Dragon.

At this moment, Mezhuolash knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Master, what are your orders?"

"You should be quite familiar with this: manage these Starfallers who have just arrived from another world and make them understand the rules of the Empire."

However, the number of Starfallers this time is relatively large, approximately two million.

Mezhuolash looked up, and a hint of astonishment, which he could not hide, appeared on his usually calm face.

He was used to controlling and hiding his emotions, but this time the numbers were truly staggering.

How many?

Two million? A full quarter of the total population! And they're all reckless lunatics!

Instantly, cold sweat streamed down the forehead of the Tiefling leader and dripped down his chin.

Despite the myriad thoughts swirling in his mind, Mezhuolash replied in a deep voice, "Yes, Master."