North Continent, Overmela Headquarters.
"Green Valley Town in the Southern Continent was attacked, and we lost this territory. The last news was an hour ago: Liu Cheng was killed in battle, and Bashas and Xiao Rui retreated. There is still no new information, and the prognosis is grim."
A beautiful crystal glass shattered on the floor, and a blooming rose pattern of red wine stained the expensive Ordifenna handmade carpet. The heavy breathing of the leader, Delo, resembled that of a bear, and his physique was indeed similar to that of a bear; his nickname was "The Overmela's White Bear."
This is Delo's study. He has a fierce and volatile temper, so the bookshelves are not filled with books, but with various types of firearms, ammunition, daggers, and swords, like a small armory.
"Who dared to harm our people?!" Delo glared angrily.
At the desk stood a tall, middle-aged man dressed in a well-tailored suit, with subtle differences and a more refined look. He also wore a single gold-rimmed spectacle with a gold-plated chain hanging from his ear. If one ignored the muscular physique that filled out his clothes, he would look like a scholar.
Xiao Jin, the second leader of Overmela.
Xiao Jin held the tablet in one hand and said calmly, "There are two enemies. One is a powerful warlord in the Southern Continent named Lü Cheng."
"I've heard of him, the armed men gathered in the Southern Continent. I'll make him pay with blood! Overmela will never forget a grudge!"
Delo slammed his fist on the table and demanded, "Who is the other person?"
"Black Phantom, a legendary assassin on the Dark Net."
"Give him..." Delo paused, realizing his mistake, his face turning grim. "How did I manage to offend him?!"
Black Phantom, a legendary assassin who appears and disappears like a ghost, is Delo is very wary of. This kind of lone wolf with no ties is the most difficult enemy to deal with. The Overmela family is large and powerful, and they are most afraid of legendary assassins like Black Phantom. If he were to launch a ruthless and crazy assassination of the family's middle-level cadres, it would be impossible to defend against.
Although Delo was impulsive, he knew who he could mess with and who he couldn't. He could deal with Lü Cheng without any worries, since Lü Cheng's power was entrenched in the Southern Continent and couldn't possibly have any impact on the Overmela headquarters in the North Continent. But Black Phantom was different. He was a lone assassin who could come to the North Continent. Even Liu Cheng had been killed. Whether the experts in the family could pose a threat to Black Phantom was still a question mark.
Moreover, the Black Phantom is elusive and lacks a vast intelligence network; it's impossible to even find its members without one. The organization it works for is the world's largest intelligence network. Having to ask the Dark Net Dark Net for help to deal with its members? Delo felt he'd probably be considered a fool.
Taking everything into consideration, making an enemy of Black Phantom would be unwise. Delo could only suppress his anger and make an excuse, saying, "Investigate why Black Phantom is involved, and don't provoke him yet."
Xiao Jin hummed in response, his face expressionless, revealing nothing of his thoughts.
Delo, with his volatile temper, became increasingly rude in his frustration, pointing at Xiao Jin's face and shouting, "You'd better settle your son's matter right now. War is coming, and I don't want to have anything to do with Germinal at a time like this."
Xiao Jin adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "He's my son. As long as we find him, he'll come back obediently."
As dawn approached, the gunfire in Green Valley Town finally ceased. All the resisting enemies had perished. Lü Cheng occupied Green Valley Town, ordered his soldiers to clean up the battlefield, and instructed his troops not to harm any residents.
The residents, who had been on edge all night, cautiously walked into the streets to listen to Lü Cheng, the town's new leader, give a speech in the square, promising the safety of everyone's lives and property and reassuring the residents.
In the "[Green Valley Town Invasion]" mission, all players who chose the defending faction failed the mission and were dejected.
Last night's battle was intense and crazy, and many players were still not satisfied.
Han Xiao also gained mission experience; even a small amount is still something. He crossed his arms and leaned against a house, waiting for Lü Cheng to finish his speech, with Frenzied Sword and Meat Bun Hits Dog by his side.
Frenzied Sword was in a bad mood; he was sad that he couldn't have Han Xiao all to himself.
Meat Bun Hits Dog leaned closer and asked curiously, "I know you. You appeared in the Galaxy Times. You're a professional gamer."
"Oh." Frenzied Sword responded indifferently.
"Have you been following Black Phantom?" Meat Bun Hits Dog asked curiously.
Frenzied Sword initially didn't want to pay attention to the Meat Bun Hits Dog" incident, but as a professional gamer, he had to maintain his image and couldn't be too aloof, so he nodded.
Do you know his background?
"His real name is Han Xiao..." Frenzied Sword said casually, then realized what he meant and quickly turned his head. Seeing that Han Xiao next to him did not react, he continued with relief, "He used to serve in Stardragon. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that he has ties with a faction called Stardragon Homeland Strategic Defense Bureau."
Meat Bun Hits Dog's eyes lit up. His task was to investigate the origins of the Black Phantom. Frenzied Sword were his longest-standing followers and knew important materials that others didn't. He took it very seriously and smiled, "Let me introduce myself, I'm a game video creator..."
Frenzied Sword was taken aback. Only after hearing this did he realize why the ID "Meat Bun Hits Dog" looked familiar. It turned out that he was the author of the "XX Adventure Diary" series. He had also read Meat Bun Hits Dog's "Swordsman" Adventure Diary when he played "Swordsman" before. Roubao Dagou was a somewhat famous video creator.
"So it was you." Frenzied Sword's expression turned serious, and he put away his impatience. At the same time, he received Meat Bun's friend request and immediately accepted it.
Status and fame are what make people take you seriously. If you're just an ordinary casual player, you won't care about "Frenzied Sword," but it's different if you're famous.
Meat Bun Hits Dog: "I'm planning to switch to Galaxy and make a series. The first episode will focus on the origins of Black Phantom, exploring his experiences and identity. I hope you can give me some material and also appear in the video to make the show together." Han Xiao never talks about his origins, Meat Bun Hits Dog focuses on Frenzied Sword.
"Okay." Frenzied Sword agreed. It was a win-win situation; professional gamers participating in the show could also promote their fame and increase their exposure.
Listening to the two discussing behind him, Han Xiao did not stop them. Frenzied Sword knew only a limited amount about him, and this information was information that could be revealed. It would also arouse more players' curiosity about him. Just using mystery to whet their appetite was not enough. He had to give them some solid information from time to time. This was the purpose of Meat Bun Hits Dog.
After calming the residents of Green Valley Town, Lü Cheng handed over his duties to his deputy and approached Han Xiao, saying sincerely, "Black Phantom, thank you for your help. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to take Green Valley Town. It's a pity that Bashas escaped."
"Oh, I killed him."
Lü Cheng's face froze, a chill running down his spine. He slowly nodded, "I'm very grateful. You... really don't want any reward?"
Han Xiao chuckled and changed the subject, "Have you noticed anything strange about the refugees?"
Upon hearing this, Lü Cheng's expression became extremely interesting. He said incredulously, "These refugees can all come back to life! It's unbelievable! I thought they were just ordinary people. The world is truly full of wonders!"
Lü Cheng initially didn't want the refugees to join the battle, but the players acted spontaneously, and he quickly discovered their ability to resurrect. He was shocked and realized what Han Xiao meant earlier. These people were extraordinary; he had underestimated them. He understood why they were so fearless—because they simply couldn't die.
The man next to him Meat Bun Hits Dog, suddenly found the conversation a bit strange. "Refugees? Does that refer to the players? Why would NPCs find it odd that players are resurrecting? Aren't they supposed to ignore it?"
Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he pulled Lü Cheng aside. He didn't want the players to hear the conversation that was about to begin.
"Black Phantom, do you know where these refugees come from?" Lü Cheng asked in surprise.
Han Xiao replied casually, "I don't know, but I know they are hardworking and profit-driven. Didn't you take over Green Valley Town? You need people to build it up, and these refugees are the best labor force. You can give them as many tasks as you like... work."
"But some of these refugees were my enemies before; they are my enemies..."
"Their help to Bashas isn't out of loyalty; you can think of them as mercenaries."
Hearing this, Lü Cheng understood and hesitated, "Then I'll try... You really don't know what's going on with them? They can all be resurrected, are they all superpowered? I wonder where Bashas found this group of people."