Vrock

"What a carefree bunch of newbies."

On a hilltop high above the village, Lonely as Snow lit a cigarette, gazing at the carefree newbie players, and sighed deeply.

He was once a novice player full of ambition, but now he is a qualified tank.

At this moment, Lonely as Snow was clad in heavy Adamantine Armor and wielded an absurdly large-caliber Steam Shotgun. With each step she took, a section of the ground beneath her feet would collapse, making her no less than a human tank.

"But this mission is probably not going to be easy."

"Taking so many newbie players to the front lines, it looks like they're just cannon fodder filling in the gaps, doesn't it?"

Then, Lonely as Snow scratched her head and looked at her panel.

Main Quest: Slay the Demon!

Demons come from the Abyss; they hate all things in the world, spreading chaos and evil, attempting to plunge the entire universe into chaos.

The first target of these greedy and insane individuals was the newly rising nation on the Anzeta Great Wasteland — the Embers of the Burned Empire.

Therefore, the "Embers of the Burned Emperor" Keosius was furious. He issued a call to action, urging the use of all available resources to annihilate the demons. And you, the Starfallers, will come to the front line and become the first line of defense for the empire against the Demon Invasion.

Warriors, slay the demons! Mission objective: Hold the line and slay the demons.

Quest Rewards: Players will receive corresponding Faction Contribution and Gold Coin based on the demon's strength.

Note: Quasit = 5 Faction Contribution, 25 Silver Ginar

Quasit = 20 Faction Contribution, 1 Ginar

Barbed Devil = 500 Faction Contribution, 20 Ginar

Vrock = 1500 contribution points, 50 Ginar

One Balor = 1.25 million Faction Contribution, 200,000 Ginar

It still maintains the standard imperial style, listing all kinds of rewards with clear prices.

Seeing the generous reward, Lonely as Snow's eyes lit up.

"Holy crap? So many? If I could kill just one Balor, wouldn't I be financially independent instantly?"

As he pondered this in his mind, he wiped the rough barrel of his Steam Shotgun and gazed at the dense forest not far away. "Whatever, so what if I'm cannon fodder? As long as I get contribution points and money, I'll take it all!"

Inside Leo Village, players were busy everywhere.

However, they weren't building fortifications; instead, they were looting, or rather, buying things for free—which is the greatest joy for RPG players!

"It's a box! Quick, open it and see!"

"What the hell? A low-quality iron hoe, what good is that?!"

"And this too, the widow's undergarments from the east end of the village, who would want something like that!"

What's in the cupboard?

"It's Organic Paste, and half a piece of black bread. I'm speechless. Is it really worth hiding such a small amount of stuff so well?"

"Let's check the basement again. I refuse to believe we won't find anything good!"

"Smash that jar! I feel like we're about to ship it!"

"Is this some kind of hidden equipment? No, damn it, it's a pickled cucumber!"

In just over ten minutes, the players had turned the entire village upside down. All the cabinets and cellars in the villagers' homes were opened, and they wanted to lift up the floorboards to see everything.

Unfortunately, the villagers' homes contained only ordinary household items, and anything slightly more valuable had already been taken away by the villagers.

This result greatly disappointed the players.

"Damn it, isn't it reasonable for a villager to find a demon-slaying artifact in his house? At the very least, it should have yielded several hundred Gold Coin!"

"I've already said it, Erezege's main selling point is authenticity. Use your brain, do you think the villagers in your hometown keep AK47s in their homes all year round?"

"Hmph, I still suspect the official team left a hidden perk. I'll go check it out again!"

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open.

A newcomer dressed in simple clothes, nicknamed "Dou Feng," shouted excitedly, "Open the door, room check!"

"Holy crap?"

He raised his hand and gave a French military salute.

The old man, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, raised his hunting rifle. His weathered eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if he were about to pull the trigger without hesitation at any moment.

This is Old White's home! No matter what it is— the Starfallers, demons, or anything else—it won't change that. Anyone who dares to break in, we'll fight them to the death!

Staring at the dark muzzle of the gun, Dou Feng rooted to the spot like a wooden stake, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

These villagers are truly full of martial spirit!

He kept his hand raised, a stiff smile on his face, "Fellow villager, it's really a misunderstanding! I thought there was no one in here, that's why I dared to barge in. If I had known you were here..."

Old White raised his gun and said, "Get out and tell them, no one is allowed to break into my house! Otherwise, my bullets won't have eyes!"

"Ah, then I won't bother you any longer, I'll be going now."

Dou Feng chuckled and agreed repeatedly, then ran off as if his life depended on it.

"Bang."

The door was closed gently.

Old White put down his gun; the hand that had been holding it was actually trembling slightly, but he hadn't shown any fear during the standoff.

Despite his mental preparation, the opponent was, after all, the legendary "undying Fighter".

"These so-called Starfallers are nothing special."

However, for some reason, more and more figures gathered outside the door, and Old White felt uneasy again, especially since he couldn't understand the conversations between these Starfallers at all.

"I heard there's an old man with a gun in there?"

"Maybe he's a hidden NPC? Should someone try to contact him again?"

"Could this be a hidden master, one of those newbie village bosses who gives me a divine sword as a reward for completing a quest?"

"Wow, you're right! He's the only person in this village, and it's about to be Demon Invasion. There's definitely something fishy going on!"

"What does this mean? This guy might be a master who can take on a demon single-handedly!"

"Squeak—"

The door was opened carefully.

Old White immediately gripped his shotgun tightly, his nerves on edge.

Unexpectedly, a fawning smile appeared through the crack in the door, "Sir, do you need any help?"

Old White hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Go get me some firewood?"

"Okay!"

The player readily accepted the quest and turned to leave.

"Go and repair the bridge in the village."

"Go grind the flour."

"Go and cook."

"You go."

As players left one by one, Old White became increasingly adept at assigning tasks, easily dismissing them with a few words.

In the eyes of the players, this is clearly a manifestation of the confidence of a hidden master.

When Old White left the house, indicating that he would no longer issue quests, the players who hadn't received any quests were particularly disappointed, while the players who went to do odd jobs were smug.

"This is Erezege! Such an opportunity won't come again!"

"Sir, could you send me another task?"

"I cried, I've been waiting in line for so long!"

"Please, let me do one more task."

So this is what these Starfallers are like? Are they all so "helpful"? Hearing the players calling out behind him, White sneezed and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"In all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen people scrambling to do odd jobs."

What a bunch of weirdos.

Old White carried his gun and walked along the road leading to the woods south of the village.

"I hope I can catch a deer today, or at the very least a rabbit."

Old White said this.

Every day at this time, he would go hunting in the mountains and forests, and he would often bring back a lot of prey. This had become a habit over the decades.

Following the familiar path, Old White ventured deep into the dense forest.

"Rustle."

A soft rustling sound appeared.

Old White looked around warily, his brow furrowing involuntarily.

"Something is wrong here."

He muttered to himself.

This is an old hunter's intuition.

White has walked this path thousands of times. He knows the location of every tree and every stone by heart. Entering the woodland is like coming home to him.

But today, this woodland felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.

He always felt that the leaves and weeds were covered with a murky light, and the branches stretched out like withered arms, as if reaching out to grab him.

There were also snake-like vines that twined around the branches and hung down, almost touching Old White's shoulder several times.

The forest was eerily quiet; not a bird could be heard singing.

"Gah, gah, gah"

Several enormous crows flew overhead, cawing hoarsely and casting swirling shadows in the dense forest.

Old White looked up at the crows and had a strange feeling—that they were watching him.

Those eyes, gleaming eerily in the darkness, revealed a sinister smile, a greedy, thirsty look—the kind of eyes that scrutinize fresh food.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered sharp, protruding fangs between the bird's beaks, with mottled bloodstains on them.

"Damn it, this isn't a crow at all!"

"This is a monster!"

Old White let out a gasp, his hand gripping the shotgun trembling slightly, yet he still skillfully aimed at the flock of crows.

"Bang!"

"Gah, gah, gah"

A loud gunshot rang out.

The "crows" flapped their wings, continuing their noisy and piercing cries, before disappearing into the shadows of the dense forest, leaving only a few black feathers drifting slowly down.

The feathers fell to the ground, corroding the surface and soil, creating jagged holes in the ground.

"What exactly happened here?"

Old White's face was ashen, his back soaked with sweat, as he stared intently at the road he had walked countless times.

This woodland—so unfamiliar to him—frightened him somewhat, as if it had come alive.

The vines swayed in the wind like arms hanging in mid-air, and an overwhelming sense of malice and twisted oppression came from all directions, making Old White feel terrified.

"Shh shh shh"

The leaves rustled, and a blurry black shadow appeared in the dense forest, which was spotted by the sharp-eyed Old White.

"Who?"

Old White suddenly turned around, only to find nothing but the now terrifying dense forest.

He stood there, took a cigarette out of his pocket, and lit it shakily.

"Call--"

"Calm down, no, don't be nervous."

Suddenly, Old White held his breath, his whole body tensing up.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the spear, the sweat from his palms making the surface of the wooden barrel somewhat sticky.

Old White suddenly realized that there was a huge projection on the ground in front of him—spread-out, ferocious wings.

The experienced Old White immediately recognized that it was neither a vulture, nor a giant eagle, nor any kind of bird that had ever appeared in Anzeta.

In this extraordinary time, there is only one possibility—the devil.

"This is."

Old White turned around stiffly, his eyes widening and his mouth agape, the cigarette falling to the ground.

It was a gaunt, humanoid creature with large patches of bare skin covered in black down, and sharp claws on all Limbs.

Dark wings unfurled behind him, casting a massive shadow that enveloped Old White entirely.

What is most chilling is its head, which resembles the head of a rotting crow, with a twisted smile and a cruel light shining from its dull pupils.

—This is a Vrock.

In Old White's eyes, the creature before him was beyond his imagination. Its twisted, irregular body exuded a chaotic aura, and just seeing it filled him with endless malice.

"Evil, demon!"

In a state of extreme fear, Old White mustered his last bit of courage and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

Gunshots rang out, and crow feathers fell.

The Vrock flapped its wings, easily dodging the bullets, and came to Old White's side.

The fanged beak slowly opened, the corners of its mouth slightly upturned, and a deep sound came from its bare, wrinkled throat.

"Humanity."

How pitiful! Your resistance is like the wailing of lambs to the slaughter—fragile and powerless.

Old White collapsed to the ground, crawling backward on all fours, trying to get away from this terrifying presence. "No, no, you monster!"

At this moment, the instinct for survival reaches its peak.

"I... I want to go back."

Old White struggled to his feet and ran desperately along that familiar road.

"Gah, gah gah!"

Countless decaying crows surged out of the dense forest, cawing noisily, and followed White like a black tide.

The vines and branches twisted and turned, blocking White's escape route and leaving scratches on his body.

"Hehehe"

"Run, run for your life—and then be killed by me in utter terror."

A low, hoarse sound echoed through the woods.

The Vrock was in the sky behind them, flapping its wings like a ghost, its enormous projection constantly enveloping humanity.

"Heh. Humans are so vulnerable. Jezal Slack's task is easy."

Vrock enjoyed this feeling.

He enjoys playing this cat-and-mouse game, letting his prey be killed by him in extreme fear, or even scared to death.

Moreover, the escape of humans could lead it to human settlements, allowing it to carry out a massacre that would terrify the entire empire.

"Let these humans feel fear!"

Vrock thought expectantly.

It knows these humans all too well; faced with the invasion of the Abyss, they can only tremble like lambs to the slaughter.

Vrock had even imagined how those humans would be swallowed by him amidst screams and wails.

Soon, Old White was covered in wounds and his flesh was mangled and bloody. Under the power of chaos, the exposed flesh had even begun to rot.

But at this moment, he finally reached the exit of the dense forest and saw a glimmer of hope.

Leo Village is just ahead.

His home.

Old White took a few shaky steps, but then another corrupted crow came forward, tore off large chunks of flesh from his leg, and even swallowed them with relish.

"Thump."

He finally couldn't hold on any longer and suddenly knelt down.

By this time, Old White was almost tortured beyond recognition, with only a strong belief sustaining him.

Let the Starfallers kill this demon, kill this creature that polluted this land and turned the familiar woodland beyond recognition.

Old White raised his head and, with his last ounce of strength, shouted, "Demon!"

Vrock flapped its wings and sneered, "What good will it do? They can't escape now. Your family and friends will be swallowed by the Abyss in fear."

Your wife will be torn to shreds by claws, your children will be crushed by fangs, your friends will have their eyes gouged out, and you, hah, I'll make you witness it all firsthand.

However, the village did not present the scene of wailing and fleeing everywhere that Vrock had anticipated.

Hundreds of players surged in from all directions, armed with outdated firearms and dressed in rough cloth.

Instead of fear, their faces shone with fervor and joy, like hunters spotting a deer.

"Holy crap? There's a huge monster!"

"It's Vrock!"

"This thing is worth a full 1500 contribution points plus 50 Ginar. Whoever kills it will make a fortune!"

"Brothers, let's go! Today is the day we make our fortune!"

"Awooo—For the Empire!"

The mocking smile on Vrock's face froze instantly, then gradually faded away—things seemed to be not quite what he had expected.

How dare these audacious humans treat a Abyssal Devil like this? They have every right to be afraid!

Thinking this, Vrock opened his fang-filled beak and let out a low, hoarse voice. "Ignorant humans, you don't know what you're facing."

"Bang!"

Gunshots rang out.

One player muttered under his breath, "This thing talks so rudely, let's kill it quickly, it's making me uncomfortable."

"Indeed, I really don't know how it got posted; it looks like someone scratched a blackboard with their fingernail."

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and kill it! I want both the contribution points and the Gold Coin!"

Vrock was instantly enraged and could hardly contain himself: "You bunch—"

"Bang! Bang!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, a barrage of gunfire erupted, bullets raining down as hundreds of players fired at the Vrock in mid-air.

"Disgusting guy"

Old White gave a mocking laugh, then collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The battle between the players and the demons has only just begun.