Golden Mountain, a large base is nestled inside the mountain, with warships and squads of mechanical guards circling overhead, providing tight defense.
This is the main base of the "Apocalypse Foundation," the largest guild alliance of the Infinite Financial Group. Sixty to seventy percent of the mountain has been transformed into mechanical defense facilities. Relying on their main base, they have been constantly clearing out small outposts in the surrounding area and expanding their territory, and have become one of the two major forces in this region.
Late on the third night of the battle, the Golden Mountain stronghold dispatched three elite forces to attack the Hex Armed Forces in Wind Hunt Valley —another large guild alliance that occupied the area, and the two sides had been vying for dominance in the region.
Hex Armed Forces Detection the enemy attack early and deployed their troops. The two sides clashed fiercely outside Wind Hunt Valley, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.
However, just as the fierce battle was raging, a guild alliance called the Reverse Crusade launched a surprise attack on the Golden Mountain stronghold.
They had planned this all along, sending troops to ambush nearby areas a day and a half in advance and setting up secret respawn points. They seized the opportunity when the main forces of both sides were engaged in fierce fighting to attack the relatively undefended base of the Apocalypse Foundation, intending to take advantage of the situation and steal their base.
The Apocalypse Foundation is caught in a disadvantageous situation of fighting on two fronts. It wanted to withdraw its troops from the campaign against Wind Hunt Valley, but the Hex Armed Forces seemed to have anticipated the appearance of the Reverse Crusade and were relentlessly entangled with the main force of the Apocalypse Foundation. Clearly, the Reverse Crusade's ambush was related to them, and the two sides may have reached some kind of strategic cooperation agreement.
At this moment, the Golden Mountain stronghold has become a fierce battlefield. A large number of artillery ships and combat robots are fighting in the air, with fireworks constantly exploding in the sky. On the ground, players are fighting each other all over the mountains and plains, and every second, large numbers of people turn into light and disappear.
The Apocalypse Foundation had sent out most of its elite troops, leaving few to defend the base. Most of its personnel were peripheral members. Faced with the attack of the Reverse Crusade, the defenses of the Golden Mountain stronghold suffered repeated defeats, and the battle line continued to advance towards the stronghold.
One unfavorable battle report after another was sent back to the main command room of the stronghold, causing "Sisyphus," the leader of the Apocalypse Foundation, a great deal of trouble.
"No wonder Hex Armed Forces deliberately provoked us this morning; they were trying to lure us into a fight, and we actually fell into their trap! Impulsiveness truly is the devil!"
Sisyphus was filled with remorse.
He hurriedly contacted the vice president leading the team to eliminate the Hex Armed Forces in the chat channel:
"You need to come back and provide support quickly, our hometown is about to collapse!"
"Boss, we can't retreat! The Hex Armed Forces are hot on our heels. We'd have to die a horrible death to get back. This is our main force! Their average casualties are already 5.14; another 1 point higher and we'll be in serious trouble. And even if we do manage to get back, all the warships and weapons we sent out will be captured by the enemy!"
"What time is it now? Let's just accept the loss; protecting our home is the priority!"
"No, the enemy is clearly prepared. If we all die and go back, they will definitely take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack on our home base and join forces with the Reverse Crusade!"
Upon hearing this, Sisyphus frantically scratched his hair in frustration.
Caught off guard, the situation is now two against one, and the Apocalypse Foundation alone cannot hold out. He has no choice but to seek help from other guild alliances that are also part of the Infinite Financial Group.
"Hopefully we can hold out until reinforcements arrive; this time the losses are definitely going to be heavy..."
With a heavy heart, he turned his gaze back to the real-time battlefield projection, but at that moment, he froze.
"What... what's going on?"
He quickly looked up at the commander and the members of the military division, and found that they all had expressions of utter astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost.
The surveillance footage showed the main battlefield outside the Golden Mountain stronghold, where one of the Reverse Crusade suicide squads had broken through the defenses and reached a group of attackers.
"Kill them instantly!"
Flames of various colors suddenly swelled, and the suicide squad used their skills, preparing to unleash a concentrated attack.
But at that very moment, their movements stopped abruptly, the light around them vanished, all their skills were interrupted, and they froze in place.
It wasn't just this suicide squad; large numbers of Reverse Crusade players experienced the same thing. It was as if they had all pressed the freeze button simultaneously, suddenly stopping their actions and causing the units to become instantly disconnected and their formations to tear apart on their own.
And all of these people simultaneously displayed the same notification.
Sorokin (possessed by a body) used [Mental Deterrence] on you!
[Judgment in progress... Judgment passed, you are temporarily unable to control your body]
[Your skill has been forcibly interrupted, and you have entered a [stunned] state.]
In an instant, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The Reverse Crusade had just seen the light at the end of the tunnel, but at this moment they suddenly slid into the abyss, experiencing a huge psychological shock.
At this moment, only the phrase "Holy crap!" can accurately express the emotions of all the players who have been affected.
They even brought up the Beyond Grade A?!
That's cheating!
Are you guys in the Infinite Financial Group's guilds sore losers?!
The brief moment of stagnation turned the tide instantly. The players from the Apocalypse Foundation didn't stop there. With a series of explosions, a concentrated barrage of fire wiped out a large number of Reverse Crusade players without taking any damage, and they regained control of the battle line.
Players from the Apocalypse Foundation were equally shocked, but not entirely because of the sudden halt in the Reverse Crusade, but also because players on the front lines received notifications on their character panels.
Sorokin (possessed by your body) has used [Mental Inspiration] on you!
[You have entered the [Inspiration] state, all attributes increase by 10%]
[Sorokin (possessed by your body) has used [Fighting Spirit Activation] on you!]
[Your damage increased by 18%, your defense increased by 12%]
"What happened?!"
"Where did this bonus come from? Did someone use a character card?"
"That's not right! Even if you use a character card, it won't change the user's name!"
The troops at the front lines couldn't understand it, nor did they have time to think about it; they quickly seized the opportunity while the enemy was caught off guard and wiped them out.
Before long, most of the Reverse Crusade ' forces were killed. Everyone thought it was a hopeless situation, but they did not expect to defeat the formidable enemy so easily.
Before Sisyphus could react, the vice president shouted in the chat channel, his tone full of surprise:
"President! We actually defeated the Hex Armed Forces forces! For some reason, their movements suddenly stopped!"
"No way?!" Sisyphus was jolted awake and quickly asked all the commanders at each level before he finally understood what had just happened, and he was completely dumbfounded.
What's going on? Sorokin's here? But we didn't invite him! Why is he showing up on his own?!
Could it be that they saw we were in danger and offered their help?
Sisyphus stared wide-eyed, his face showing no joy at his successful comeback, only fear and anger.
Normally, we might be moved, but now...
What's it to you?! Mind your own business, you're ruining our lives!!
the next day.
"Behold the clanging of iron hooves, sweeping across ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains; I stand at the forefront of the storm, firmly grasping the turning of the sun and moon."
Han Xiao hummed a tune softly as he walked out of the bathroom.
A towel was wrapped around his waist, revealing his strong and slender upper body. Water droplets slid down his firm skin, and the magic circuits on his chest shimmered like glowing dark blue tattoos with his breath.
Peak Beyond Grade A players can basically never rest, but over the years, Master Han has always emphasized the importance of balancing work and rest. He's completed seven or eight sets of Sovereign Mecha in the past few days with remarkable results, so he won't be taking a break today.
Without regulating his body temperature to evaporate the moisture, Han Xiao obediently dried himself off, lay back on the bed, and habitually opened the forum, intending to browse posts for some amusement.
However, once he entered the forum section, his expression suddenly became strange.
"The Apocalypse Foundation violated the rules by bringing in Beyond Grade A assistant? Isn't that one of the guild alliances under the Infinite Financial Group?"
Han Xiao clicked into the post and saw that the number of replies had already reached tens of millions, which was extremely exaggerated.
The post contained the condemnation of the Apocalypse Foundation by the Reverse Crusade and Hex Armed Forces. After a day of fermentation, the matter has stirred up a storm among players, with countless players filled with righteous indignation and accusing the Apocalypse Foundation of breaking the rules.
"That's outrageous! We were about to win, but the Hangman from the Apocalypse Foundation couldn't accept defeat and actually brought in their own faction leader to turn the tide with this kind of tactic. It's blatant cheating!"
"There are tons of videos and screenshots, the evidence is irrefutable. Let's see how you explain this!"
"That's right! Yesterday, some people were actually trying to defend it, saying it was an effect of the character card. Bullshit! Since when can character cards change the user's name?"
"This kind of unfair behavior must be severely punished. I propose that the Apocalypse Foundation be disqualified from participating in the war. If you can't afford to play, then don't play!"
The forum was filled with unanimous condemnation. Han Xiao glanced at it and saw that the Apocalypse Foundation had also posted a clarification.
"I am the president of the Apocalypse Foundation. Things aren't as you think. We didn't ask Sorokin for help; he did it himself. It has nothing to do with us. Please think about this: we knew the consequences of breaking the rules, so why would we deliberately disobey them!"
Sisyphus offered a lengthy explanation in the post, but it was utterly unconvincing to the enraged players and instead drew ridicule and sarcasm.
"Hehe, keep making this up."
"So, getting Beyond Grade A agent to help is as simple as saying afterwards that we didn't hire them, and we can clear ourselves of responsibility. I've learned something new!"
"What, so you're the only one with Beyond Grade A? Who do you think you are!"
"Trying to pull this stunt, huh? Someone, quickly go and fetch Patriarch Black Star!"
Most people didn't believe this claim, but the players of Infinite Financial Group Front believed it to a large extent, causing an uproar and great anxiety.
"No way, does that bastard Sorokin cause so much trouble? This is a disaster!"
"This is a ticking time bomb! If it hits us, will we be disqualified too?!"
"Just wondering, is it too late to switch factions now...?"
"Level 150 Psychic Master, all core skills are level 7 or higher, looking for a guild to join!"
Sorokin's actions have thoroughly terrified the players of the Infinite Financial Group. Some even considered switching factions in order to continue participating in the national war, no longer daring to stay in this faction that could collapse at any moment.
After reading the post, Han Xiao finally understood what was going on.
"This guild is probably not lying. Sorokin likely took all this on his own initiative. As for his goal... hmm, I remember he's always been keen on recruiting players. Could it be that he figured out a pattern from my actions and wants to imitate it to increase his faction's attractiveness?"
After figuring out the cause and effect, Han Xiao tried to guess Sorokin's logic and almost burst out laughing.
"So that's how it is... This guy thought he was being very discreet, only using some auxiliary mental abilities, trying to make others think it was Infinite Financial Group player going into overdrive, or using some special mental weapon. Normally, people wouldn't easily associate it with him... But the combat information has already betrayed you, you brat."
Han Xiao smiled inwardly.
Little Sorokin, you've shot yourself in the foot this time. Little Sorokin used the wrong methods at the wrong time. You were trying to gain reputation, but now it's backfired and you've ruined your reputation among players.
And what's worse is that this guy can't see the forum and is still completely unaware that he's being verbally abused by players.
"This is the advantage of information asymmetry..."
Han Xiao's mind raced.
Sorokin's move will definitely cause some players from the Infinite Financial Group to leave. Perfect, when these players are feeling empty, lonely, and cold, he can use his thick chest muscles to warm them up and recruit them into the legion. No matter how many he recruits, it's a profit.
"Little Sorokin, it's not that I deliberately stole your leeks; you delivered them to me yourself this time..."
Han Xiao chuckled.
The feeling of sitting at home doing nothing and just watching the enemy ruin themselves... is actually quite comfortable.
Since intervening yesterday, Sorokin has been closely monitoring the situation, but he has not seen the expected outcome, which has left him puzzled.
Logically, the Apocalypse Foundation, with his help, had turned the tide of battle, which should have caused other Immortals to marvel at the strength of the Infinite Financial Group. So why didn't any of them react?
It wasn't until the next day that he saw the Apocalypse Foundation react. Instead of pressing their advantage as he had expected, they abandoned the base, and all their personnel boarded warships and left the planet, withdrawing from the battlefield.
"Strange, what kind of reaction is this?"
In his office, Sorokin watched the live broadcasts from the front lines, somewhat bewildered.
Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, Sorokin suddenly received a pop-up report from his AI. After just one glance, his heart skipped a beat.
The report was filled with resignation notices from the Immortals, and the number was increasing rapidly.
"What's going on? Why are they withdrawing from the Infinite Financial Group?!"
Sorokin looked stunned, then suddenly realized something and quickly turned to look at the news broadcast screen.
In the scene, groups of Immortals belonging to the Infinite Financial Group flew out of the stronghold and scattered. Some went to visit other neutral factions, but many more went directly to the three main factions, including the Black Star Army Legion. The rules do not restrict players from switching factions on the spot. The major guild alliances guarantee players' right to choose freely. As long as there are no external factors, it is permissible for me to fight you today and join you tomorrow.
The Infinite Financial Group is an interstellar consortium, and for players, it doesn't have much factional cohesion to begin with. People join for the high benefits, so switching factions isn't something they'd be reluctant to do. But now, the first global server war is destined to be recorded in the Galaxy Chronicles, and once this opportunity is missed, it's gone forever. In order to avoid being inexplicably disqualified, some Infinite Financial Group players didn't hesitate to defect on the spot.
"This..."
Sorokin was dumbfounded when he saw this.
I used the same methods and principles as Black Star, so why did I get the opposite effect?!
Wait a minute, that's not how the script was written!!