A Total Mess

In the square in front of the cathedral, as more and more garrison troops and adventurers joined the battle, the Shadow of Galax finally couldn't hold on any longer. After all, he was just an otherworldly projection. Although he made quite a show of force, his combat power was no match for his true form. After wreaking havoc and burning down all the flowers, plants, and trees in the cathedral's green belt, he hadn't killed many players or NPCs, while his health was rapidly depleting.

Although killing some people vented some of his anger, the frustration in his heart was indescribable. Not only did he fail to obtain the Seed of Elements, but he also inexplicably got beaten up. Even burning the little Goblin to ashes did not relieve his anger. Moreover, these people in front of him appeared out of nowhere, and each one was more difficult to deal with than the last. He had been burning for a long time but had not even burned many to death.

Although the death of the clone would not endanger its life, it would still have a certain impact on its own strength. So this time, he could be said to have lost more than he gained.

With his health bar almost depleted, he thought to himself, "I might as well just self-destruct."

Body-Burning Blast! Almost everyone knows this ultimate move for fire elementals, and since it's just a clone, it's not a big deal for Galax to explode it.

Phoenix was staring at the chaotic battlefield, her mind a jumble of thoughts. What had just happened was far beyond her expectations. Clearly, the Goblin disguised as a human was after Long Ao Jiutian, and his conversation with her was likely just a pretense. Now, her biggest problem was how to explain herself.

She could just say she didn't know that person at all, but the problem was she wasn't even sure she could say that, since many people had seen how familiar they had seemed before.

Moreover, no matter how much she looked down on Han Feng was, after all, the future successor of Qingyang Group, and her own future was not looking good.

Just as she was in a daze, Galax's voice rang out above her head.

Shadow of Galax (Avatar of the Firelord): "Humble ants, you think you can defeat me? How naive! Let me show you the true power of the Fire Source!"

Phoenix looked up and saw the Flame Demon Lord suddenly emitting a dazzling light. Phoenix immediately realized something was wrong. She had experienced this before and could tell that this guy was about to self-destruct. She had survived back then thanks to the Divine Shield, while Long Ao Jiutian, with tens of thousands of health points, was killed by the explosion. This showed how powerful the explosion was.

"Watch out! Everyone, retreat immediately!" she shouted to her men.

In fact, some of the Light of Dawn members had already realized what was happening, having learned from the previous experience. So, as soon as they saw things were going wrong, they started to retreat. However, those players who came to join the battle just to watch the excitement didn't have that same awareness and kept rushing forward.

Phoenix thought to herself that she couldn't care less about that now. Shouting, she charged forward instead of retreating towards the Balrog Lord. Since the resurrection ritual had already failed, she might as well take advantage of the story event to gain some reputation points.

It's hard for her to clear herself of responsibility now, so she might as well ignore it and focus on building up her reputation first. As long as she has enough value, it won't be easy for Han Feng to touch her.

Greater Divine Shield! Phoenix's body is enveloped in Holy Light, granting him immunity to all damage for 15 seconds (the Adventurer's Divine Shield lasts only 7 seconds, and damage is reduced during this time).

Wings of Holy Light! Phoenix leaped into the air, Holy Light coalescing behind Phoenix into the shape of two wings, propelling her into mid-air. She then thrust the Sword of Holy Light Judgment in her hand towards the chest of the Shadow of Galax, embedding it deep into the hilt with a soft thud.

-1752, this sword strike dealt considerable damage, but it wasn't fatal given the remaining health of the Shadow of Galax. It just so happened to self-destruct, resulting in a loud bang.

As Phoenix was blasted away, a system notification sounded in his ear.

[System Notification: You have gained 275 reputation points for participating in the kill of the Shadow of Galax (an avatar of the Firelord).]

Phoenix landed heavily on the ground and stood up. Thanks to the protection of the Holy Light, she was unharmed. However, the other adventurers and NPC soldiers around her were not so lucky. Looking around, they saw a scene of devastation. Only a few quick-thinking individuals managed to save their lives by using life-saving spells like Ice Block and Divine Shield. There were at least two or three hundred soldiers and adventurers who had been killed in the explosion.

A moment of utter silence fell over the horrific scene before them, but that silence was soon shattered.

"Look, there's equipment on the ground!" someone shouted. Indeed, due to the large number of deaths, the ground was now littered with equipment. In the Sky World, equipment dropped during battles in the wild is directly displayed on the ground, and NPC soldiers also drop equipment. Even the equipment dropped by the Knights of the Holy Light who were blown up was quite good, as they were elite-level NPCs who could procure excellent or even top-tier equipment. Seeing the equipment scattered all over the ground, the players' eyes turned red, and they rushed forward to grab it. Some even started fighting over the equipment. The surviving guards naturally tried to stop them, but they were also drawn into the battle, and chaos ensued.

"A bunch of idiots!" Phoenix shook her head. She wasn't so low as to go and fight over equipment. Just as she was about to leave, a muffled explosion came from the port area.

Phoenix was immediately taken aback, wondering what was going on.

Just then, a messenger ran over, "It's bad, Lord Phoenix! King's Harbor is under attack by an unidentified Galleon. Admiral Taylor, the naval commander, requests reinforcements."

Phoenix is a hero archetype, so she's considered a prominent figure in Stormwind City. Yet, this NPC immediately sought her help upon seeing her.

Phoenix said, "I'll go right away. You hurry to Stormwind City Defense Center and continue reporting."

"President, what do we do now?"

A member asked in a panic.

Now you remember I'm the president, huh? What were you doing before? Phoenix's face was gloomy. Everyone, follow me, we're going to the dock area.

When she led a group of people to the urban area near the port, she saw countless civilians fleeing in panic.

"What happened?!" she asked, grabbing a civilian player.

"It's the Horde! The Horde's fleet has invaded Stormwind City!"

"They're not Horde, they're pirates. I saw they were flying skull and crossbones flags," another civilian said.

The common people had all sorts of opinions, and while Phoenix was getting annoyed, the answer just popped up on its own.

[System Announcement: In the year 1375 of the Azure Era, the Defias Brotherhood and the Defias Brotherhood launched a major invasion of Stormwind City. They successfully breached the city walls. Baron Bolvar, the Stormwind City Garrison Commander, has called upon all adventurers and mercenaries of Stormwind City to join the defense of the Stormwind City.]

The Defias Brotherhood? Phoenix was stunned by this answer. Wasn't that a bandit group from Westfall? She clearly remembered that Westfall was only a leveling area for levels 15-25. How dare monsters of that level attack Stormwind City?