Da da da--
Gunfire relentlessly pursued Dafis's figure, blasting massive craters into the city. Wherever it passed, towering skyscrapers crumbled and collapsed, turning into a chaotic wasteland. Flames erupted everywhere, and screams and cries of agony echoed throughout the city.
Amidst a barrage of firepower, airdrop pods rained down from the sky, crashing through buildings like meteorites and embedding themselves in the ground with a deafening roar, scattering debris everywhere.
The hatch swung open, and Gods Guild players surged out like a black tidal wave, surrounding Dafis, and the two sides once again engaged in a fierce battle.
The planetary defense fleet seemed startled and hurriedly opened fire on the guild fleet. The two sides engaged in fierce combat in outer space, and the planet's orbital anti-aircraft weapons were activated one after another, with dense electromagnetic railguns shooting towards the guild fleet. From high above, one could see anti-gravity vehicles being launched from the garrison bases near the attacked city, carrying ground troops to stop the battle in the city.
Although Planet Birger is a low-level colony, it still possesses a certain level of military defense capabilities. However, in terms of individual strength, the strongest Guardian is only Grade B. After all, the Feni Civilization is only a star system level, with only a dozen or so Calamity Grade beings under its command. It is not extravagant enough to have a Calamity Grade- level being guarded on such a marginal colony for many years; that would be no different from being exiled.
On the guild's flagship's communication screen, Planet Birger's expression changed drastically, filled with shock and anger. He was about to question:
"How dare you violate the Peace Treaty! Do you intend to become enemies of the Feni Civilization?! I demand that you cease operations immediately..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jupiter slammed the button and hung up the call.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared:
"All reserve squads! Get to the assault pods and use a boarding maneuver to seize the entire defense fleet of this planet! Anyone who dares to block our way, we'll shoot them down!"
Having made up his mind, he decided to go all the way and attack the colony forces as well, eliminating all obstacles that would prevent the guild from achieving the first kill.
Although the guild's number of warships cannot compare to that of the planetary defense forces, their greatest advantage lies in individual combat power. As long as one or two players board an enemy warship, they can go on a rampage, wipe out all the crew members, seize the enemy ship, and even use the war to sustain the war effort. After all, such a low-level colony cannot afford to send a Grade B superhuman to oversee every warship.
"He's getting anxious, he's really getting anxious..."
Poseidon muttered under his breath, echoing the sentiments of the guild leaders present.
Jupiter abruptly turned his head, staring intently at him, a dangerous glint in his eyes, and said, word by word:
"What did you say?"
"Brothers, let's charge! Charge! Charge!"
Poseidon's facial features instantly hardened, and with a wave of his hand, he led a group of elites to the assault pod. His the Sight of Father's Back exuded an aura of "the wind howls and the Yi River is cold," and his emotional shift was perfectly executed.
Soon, assault pods carrying players were launched like drill missiles, locking onto enemy ships. Defensive warships fell rapidly into the control of the Gods Guild, which then turned back to provide fire support to the ground, making Dafis's situation increasingly Danger at Every Turn.
Some airdrop pods were also dropped directly onto the base controlling the orbital anti-aircraft weapons, with squads of players going to cripple the armed forces of Planet Birger.
Outer space and the planet's surface were divided into many battlefields, with continuous explosions and cities turning into ruins one after another. Chaos reigned both in the sky and on the ground.
Planet Birger was both furious and panicked. He quickly sought help from the nearest interstellar garrison base and simultaneously uploaded intelligence about the planet's attack to the Feni Civilization's intelligent hub via the emergency military channel, which was also forwarded to several key departments.
Just two or three minutes later, he received a serious phone call from a higher-up.
What exactly happened? Who was the enemy?!
"The enemy is a group of Immortals. According to the security team's report, they claim to be from the Black Star Army and are Pursuit a Calamity Grade..." Planet Birger hurriedly explained the situation, stating that it started when he received a message from an envoy asking him to protect Dafis.
He wasn't clear about the relationship between Dafis and the Feni Civilization, but since the envoy had a higher level of authority, he had no choice but to obey, implying in his words that he was simply following orders and had no ulterior motives.
After hearing the explanation, the high-ranking officials of the Feni Civilization had a conflicted expression, but solemnly said, "I understand the situation. Now, you hold the attackers back, and the nearest military base will be dispatched immediately to capture them!"
After hanging up the communication, Planet Birger breathed a sigh of relief and, under the protection of his bodyguards, hurried to the safe bunker while signaling his secretary to contact Dafis.
Meanwhile, in the city that had become a battlefield, Dafis was suppressing his inner shock as he fought fiercely with the players of the Gods Guild. To avoid the cannon fire raining down from the sky, he was forced to fight on tenterhooks and was already considering retreating.
He was shocked by the players' lawless behavior, and in his opinion, continuing to harass these lunatics would be extremely unwise.
As the saying goes, the tough are afraid of the stubborn, and the stubborn are afraid of the reckless. Dafis increasingly regretted provoking this group of people.
Just then, the mech's built-in communication suddenly rang. It was a call from the Star Commander's secretary, relaying the Star Commander's message.
After listening, Dafis's eyes flashed, and he repeated what the other person meant:
"You said the regular army is already on its way, so you want me to stay here and try to hold off these Immortals while we wait for reinforcements to arrive and wipe out these thugs?"
"Yes, the higher-ups have already mobilized the garrison; reinforcements will arrive soon."
The secretary was respectful. Although this matter was brought about by Dafis, he was the only Calamity Grade being present, and also Feni Race. Planet Birger needed his help for the time being.
"... Okay, then I'll hold them off."
Dafis hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed.
It wouldn't be easy for him to escape now. The mech's speed couldn't keep up with the guild fleet. If he left Planet Birger without any help, the risks would actually increase. He felt it was better to stay here and cooperate with the Feni Civilization, waiting for the regular army to intervene and wipe out this group of Immortals in one fell swoop.
Anyway, he's still in relatively good condition, and these enemies won't threaten his life for the time being. Besides, he's lost a lot of his men and is in a fit of rage, so his desire to retaliate is hard to suppress.
After hanging up the communication, Dafis no longer cared about retreating. With a loud shout, he swung his mechanical whip-axe and charged into the players' formation. Lightning crackled everywhere, and blood gushed out wherever it passed.
At the same time, in the Black Star Army's territory, at the SWY-001 Research Institute.
"Master, something's happened!"
Han Xiao, who was studying the nervous system of SWY-001, received a message from Phillip, looked up from the experimental report, and turned to look at Phillip.
What happened?
"In the Endless Nebula Star Field, a legion of Immortals is attacking a colony planet of a galaxy-level civilization..." Phillip switched to the monitoring screen and quickly reported the situation.
"What? They spontaneously went to challenge Calamity Grade?"
After hearing the whole story, Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhat complicated.
The day has finally come...
He had long known that as the average strength of players increased, they would eventually challenge the Calamity Grade on their own; this was an inevitable trend.
Players are always the epitome of chaos; the stronger they become, the more uncontrollable they become, gradually ignoring all constraints. The reason they have been relatively well-behaved all along is twofold: firstly, their previous strength was insufficient to bear too much subjective initiative, and secondly, they have managed themselves well.
Until the current 5.0 version, players' compliance has finally reached its limit, and a tendency towards chaos has begun to emerge.
In his past life, this was one of the major triggers for the Super Calamity. Even now, with its own influence, it is impossible to change the nature of the "player".
"Tsk, this is going to be difficult..."
Han Xiao shook his head helplessly.
He already knew the cause and effect; the other party was an enemy who was preventing the players from taking over the black market. There was nothing wrong with the players banding together to take him down, so Han Xiao naturally wouldn't object.
But now they're openly violating the conventions of interstellar society, and that's what's really bothering him... When you're fighting the BOSS, at least be mindful of the impact!
In this way, both rewards and punishments have drawbacks. The former will make players more reckless, while the latter will damage the feelings of the players and their sense of belonging to the faction. Neither of these is the result he wants to see.
Han Xiao's biggest anger right now isn't directed at anyone else, but at that good-for-nothing Jupiter...
"You say you need to do things for the Black Star Army, so please give me some face?" You're even more shameless than me; you've also benefited from receiving favors?!
Even if you're determined to take down the boss, at least don't reveal your identity!
At this sensitive juncture, to do something like this under the guise of the Legion, I'm in a really tough spot.
Han Xiao was speechless for a moment, then exhaled and slowly said:
"... That was too reckless. Regardless, we should avoid taking the blame if possible. The most urgent task is to clear up as much evidence as possible and clean up the mess for these people."
As he spoke, Han Xiao pressed his temples and entered the Quantum Network Vision. The data stream, using Phillip as a relay station, rapidly descended upon the guild warship.
The battle on Planet Birger is becoming increasingly fierce. The planet's defenses have been largely dismantled by the Gods Guild, and a large number of warships have been captured by the Gods Guild, which has actually strengthened the enemy's fleet.
The battlefield was constantly shifting across the land, and four cities had already been razed to the ground. Dafis was exhausted from running around while dealing with the relentless attacks of the guild players. His strength and stamina were greatly depleted, and he was injured. His condition was gradually declining, and his combat ability was inevitably decreasing.
Bang!
Dafis spun around and slammed a Pugilist Class player against the wall with his axe. He gasped for breath and, not daring to linger, quickly retreated, avoiding the concentrated fire of more than a dozen gunners. The spot where he had just stood was blasted into a deep crater.
Not only were his muscles aching all over, but his brain was also throbbing with pain. Mental combat was not a strong point for a mech warrior, and the team of psychic and mind magicians from the Gods Guild had made a great contribution. Every moment, invisible mental attacks were damaging Dafis's consciousness, and he had no way to dodge them. He could only take the damage head-on, which accounted for at least 60% of the damage output.
"Huff... huff... have the reinforcements not arrived yet?"
Dafis assessed his terrible condition and his face turned ashen.
The moment his performance plummeted from its peak, it was the beginning of a snowball effect, entering a vicious cycle. He was already getting fed up with the players' constant attacks.
Without personally experiencing being ganged up on by other players, it's hard to grasp the terror it evokes. Dafis is finally realizing this now—he originally thought he could hold out for a long time, but now he understands that he completely underestimated how tenacious these lunatics were and made a wrong judgment about the strength of both sides.
If we keep fighting like this and reinforcements don't arrive, I'm afraid I'll really be doomed here...
Dafis felt a chill run down his spine, and the idea of retreating resurfaced.
But just then, he suddenly sensed something, abruptly looked up at the outer space, and his face lit up with surprise.
"It's finally here!"
A massive fleet rapidly approached, its formations impeccable and its military might formidable. It was a regular military group sent by the Feni Civilization to provide support, comprising nearly two thousand warships—a scale far beyond what a guild fleet could match!
When Planet Birger, who was taking refuge in the bunker, saw the battlefield, he was overjoyed.
"The army has arrived! Hahaha, these thugs are finished!"
On the guild's flagship, Jupiter also noticed this hostile army, and his heart sank.
Oh no, this looks like the regular army of the local civilization!
It took too long. It seems I underestimated the difficulty of the boss. A free-roaming, Calamity Grade boss is really too difficult to deal with. Was this operation a bit too much of a stretch for the guild...?
Seeing the massive reinforcements, Jupiter felt a sense of despair, but then gritted his teeth and ordered the fleet to continue firing on Dafis.
"President, aren't we going to retreat yet?" Poseidon asked in the channel.
"Retreat? We've come this far, how can we give up halfway? If we leave now, all the resources we've spent will be wasted... Everyone, listen to my command! Even if we have to use up all our resurrections here today, we must kill the BOSS!"
Jupiter gritted his teeth and ordered his troops to be on high alert, ready to engage in battle with reinforcements.
However, this massive regular army suddenly stopped at the edge of the battlefield, remaining motionless, neither firing nor advancing further.
As time ticked by, players like Dafis, Planet Birger, and Jupiter gradually became bewildered.
No, did these reinforcements just come to watch the show?
The Gods Guild was completely bewildered, not knowing what was going on. Since the other side wasn't attacking them, they weren't attacking either. They quickly increased their firepower and focused their attacks on Dafis.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Planet Birger was getting anxious.
"What are they waiting for? Why aren't they suppressing the enemy?!"
Planet Birger was bewildered and tried many times to contact reinforcements, but all signals went unanswered.
On the battlefield, the joy on Dafis's face gradually froze, replaced by surprise and disbelief at what was happening before him.
Shocked, he couldn't help but let his mind wander, his imagination running wild.
Why didn't the reinforcements open fire?
There's a big problem here!
If it weren't for waiting for reinforcements, he might not have stayed to hold off the enemy. Now that the reinforcements have arrived, he's just standing by, watching coldly, with no intention of intervening... Could this be a scheme by the Feni Civilization, deliberately using this excuse to keep him here, killing two birds with one stone, and using the Immortals to eliminate me?
Could it be that they think I know too much and have lost my usefulness, so they're deliberately leaving me to die?!
Dafis was startled by his own guess, and his composure was immediately thrown into disarray!
"No, if we keep fighting, we're finished. The Feni Civilization is unreliable; I can't stay here!"
Dafis gritted his teeth and unleashed Overload, his surging power sending nearby players flying. He bravely withstood a barrage of concentrated fire, then soared into the sky. His mech thrusters operated at full power, transforming him into a streak of light as he flew towards outer space, attempting to escape the battlefield.
However, at that moment, the Feni Civilization reinforcements located on the edge of the battlefield suddenly opened fire, targeting none other than Dafis had just escaped the atmosphere!
"What?!"
Dafis was shocked and hurriedly activated his shield.
The next moment, his figure was engulfed by artillery fire, and he took a full hit of damage.
Bang bang bang!
After a series of explosions, it plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar, kicking up clouds of dust.
Karakara...
The already severely damaged mech could no longer withstand the strain and crumbled into pieces scattered all over the ground. Dafis lay on his back in the center of the crater, blood gushing from his mouth and nose. He had extensive burns all over his body, many parts of which were charred and emitting billowing white smoke. His bones and organs were a complete mess, and he had suffered severe injuries.
A large group of players rushed over from afar and surrounded him. Seeing this, Dafis gritted his teeth and dragged his heavily injured body to his feet, swaying unsteadily. He hadn't recovered from the stun of the Heavy Strike and was already a little unsteady on his feet.
As he watched the ever-growing number of Immortals, Dafis assessed his terrible physical condition and a bitter smile appeared on his disfigured face.
"Ahem... I never expected that we'd end up being outmaneuvered by the Feni Civilization..."
Dafis coughed painfully, knowing that today might be his death day.
When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked!
Thinking of the bright future promised to him by the Feni Civilization civilization, Dafis was filled with regret.
In the end, it was all for naught...
Taking a deep breath, Dafis felt like a hero at the end of his rope, his heart filled with tragic grandeur, and he roared at the surrounding Immortals:
"You want my life? Then come at me! I won't stand idly by..."
Before he could finish speaking, the players present attacked, with various attacks coming from all directions.
Rumble--
A series of explosions instantly engulfed Dafis.
In the instant he lost consciousness, Dafis was left with only a deep sense of resentment.
Couldn't you... wait until I finished saying my last words?!
The explosion lasted for more than ten seconds before everyone stopped. As the dust settled and visibility returned, they saw a charred body lying on the ground, showing no signs of life.
Upon seeing this, many players paused for a second, then suddenly cheered and jumped for joy.
"Damn! We finally killed him!"
"We've got the first kill! The first kill!"
"I'm exhausted! Damn it, this boss even adds his own dramatic moments; it almost made me dizzy."
"Who recorded the whole thing? Send me a copy!"
On the guild's flagship, Jupiter witnessed the guild kill Dafis, and only then did he finally feel relieved. The anger he had been holding in was finally released, and he was no longer acting impulsively.
Securing the guild's first kill was worthwhile; all the resources spent were finally put to good use!
Then, Jupiter looked at the regular army of the Feni Civilization, whose target was unknown, and his frown returned.
They recklessly took down the boss, but the consequences seem serious. Now they need to consider escaping; this regular army probably won't just stand by and watch them get away...
Just thinking about it made him realize that the chances of escaping were ridiculously low.
Jupiter scratched his head.
Or... should we just all die suddenly?