Linde gazed northwards.
Even with his vision far exceeding that of ordinary people, all he could see was an endless expanse of black.
Just as the players could use forums to connect with each other and learn about the Ghoul Eater nest north of Star Dragon Outpost, so too could Linde.
Seeking out trouble himself wasn't his style, at least not until he had sufficient strength. He clearly understood the advantages of both himself and the players. Given enough time to develop, the so-called Ghoul Eaters wouldn't even be a problem. The players, with their monster-hunting, level-grinding nature, wouldn't let those Ghoul Eaters off the hook anyway.
With the passage of time and exploration, the Ghoul Eaters would naturally be dealt with.
If the players hadn't discovered that the Ghoul Eaters were secretly approaching Star Dragon Outpost, Linde wouldn't have been so quick to let the players investigate.
The feeling of being watched was unpleasant.
He needed stable growth.
If there were any destabilizing factors, he would eliminate them and then continue to develop steadily.
This time, the players' role wasn't that of scouts, but of bait.
He was also very curious to know why the low-intelligence Ghoul Eaters would choose to reconnoiter and tail them.
Perhaps a highly intelligent, advanced Calamity creature was controlling the Ghoul Eaters from behind. That would be very bad news!
"Sir!"
The soldiers had gathered.
The well-made Lander infantry armor gleamed in the moonlight. Even after years of service, the soldiers, including Linde himself, cherished their armor, meticulously maintaining it every day.
Armor not only provided the best protection for the body but was also a symbol of status.
They had once been the elite of the Lander Kingdom!
What sustained them in this barren, apocalyptic world was not only the desire for life but also honor. Especially after the collapse of faith, honor became all the more precious.
They had longswords, hatchets, and quiver of crossbow bolts hanging from their waists and shields on their backs.
Leaving behind old Pete, who was getting on in years, and the relatively quick-witted Rio, the remaining seven men, fully equipped, looked at Linde, ready to go.
Their pupils burned with fire as they watched Linde.
Linde could almost see the elite Lander soldiers of his memories, invincible on the battlefield.
The blood in his veins began to burn.
There was no pre-battle speech, because everyone knew this was a fight they had to face.
"Move out!" Linde's voice was strong and resonant, like a lion's roar.
The biting wind was cold, but it couldn't extinguish the burning desire to survive.
The gates of Star Dragon Outpost slowly opened.
The elite team of eight plunged into the frigid wind, solely to protect this last bastion of ideal civilization.
Old Pete and Rio stood at the gate, watching the team disappear into the darkness, offering the highest respect by striking their chests with a fist.
Near the vegetable garden, the eight women and children who were aware of what was happening didn't come out. They obediently huddled in their tents, shivering.
The heated discussions about the "Ghoul Eaters" had reached them, so the purpose of this emergency operation was self-evident.
The women hugged their children, their eyes fixed on the direction of the city gate, as if their eyes could penetrate the tent and send prayers to the lord who had gone on a journey.
The aroma of the meat in the pot had long since dissipated.
Two children eagerly asked, "Will we still have meat tomorrow?"
No one answered. The women simply prayed silently in their hearts.
Were they praying for the tent, buffeted by the wind but still sturdy? For the lord who didn't prey on them? Or for that pot of meat stew? They didn't even know who to pray to, or what to pray for.
They simply prayed.
In one of the rooms, the old nun, sitting on the bed, lowered her eyelids, rehearsing the lines Linde had given her.
"We have no gods to pray to... Even so, we hope you will return victorious..."
...
...
"Just as I expected. Letting the players go out to investigate was bound to lead to a fight."
Linde was used to it by now.
After all, he was an NPC without much power. Tagging along was okay, but he didn't have a say.
But from the forum posts on the official website, he could also see that the players' "system" wasn't all-powerful either. When facing many NPCs, dialogue boxes didn't pop up, and many tasks were given verbally, so he wasn't at too much of a disadvantage.
Apocalypse Law Ring is a game that should prioritize combat. Everything else is secondary.
If it weren't for the concepts of "leveling up" and "respawning," the Undead wouldn't really be players.
It practically takes the "Souls-like" experience to the extreme, with constant suffering.
This also leads many players to engage in useless actions. He'd seen many players going to great lengths to do things, only to be told there was no reward, and then, in a fit of anger, they'd pick a fight with an NPC and get killed.
In this apocalypse, trusting what others say means you deserve to be tricked.
The seemingly cunning Fourth Calamity players are as easy to bully as lambs here.
Only Linde understood the players' true purpose and knew how to invest in them. Therefore, he was probably the only NPC in this world who was "nice" to the players.
Letting the players act as bait was for their own good, too. He was here to help, after all.
When Linde led the team to the scene, two players were already down, near death.
Tortoise Shield, whose leg had been bitten off, was still wildly throwing punches.
And the white-stocking enthusiast, who was shouting "Three-Dog God-Slaying Formation!" and "Parry!", was now surrounded by Ghoul Eaters and in an increasingly dire situation.
"Crap crap crap!"
His fists hammered the Ghoul Eaters' heads, but it had no effect.
He was going to die, and it was going to be a pathetic death.
Not only had he failed to kill a single Ghoul Eater, but he was also being overwhelmed by the Ghoul Eaters that came after.
"Swish!" An arrow grazed his ear and accurately pierced a Ghoul Eater's eye socket. The immense penetrating force pushed the Ghoul Eater's head backward.
"Swish! Swish!" Two more arrows, like forces pushing someone off a cliff, wave after wave of power completely toppled the Ghoul Eater.
Tortoise Shield, limping on one leg, turned his head in shock, watching the usually silent soldiers of Star Dragon Outpost steadily firing their crossbows.
"So accurate!"
Two soldiers rushed forward. The soldier on the left unslung his shield and held it in front of him. When the Ghoul Eater tried to get up, he braced his shield and slammed into it sideways.
"Thump!" The Ghoul Eater, having just propped itself up, was knocked down again.
The other soldier then held his longsword with both hands, blade pointing forward – one hand gripping the hilt, the other gripping the blade. (implying he's going to use it like a spear).
He stabbed downwards with the force of driving a stake into the ground.
The sword tip pierced through the Ghoul Eater's head, entering from the left ear and exiting from the right, pinning its head and the sword together to the ground.
Tortoise Shield, sitting in the front row seat, witnessed the Ghoul Eater that had previously overwhelmed him and three others being crushed like this.
The Ghoul Eater's resistance was strong. The soldier, using his body weight to hold the shield, was nearly toppled over.
The other soldier had already abandoned the sword and quickly reached for the hatchet at his waist, raising his arm high.
The hatchet glinted in the moonlight.
He brought it down on the Ghoul Eater's neck, its head pinned to the ground.
"Crack!"
Tortoise Shield's heart twinged. How was this so cool?
"Crack!"
This is so frickin' awesome!
"Crack!"
Three hatchet blows and the Ghoul Eater's head was chopped off.
The brutal actions made Tortoise Shield's blood boil. So these NPCs are this strong!
Totally badass.
The soldier wiped the hatchet on the Ghoul Eater's body and then sheathed it back in its loop.
He raised his right foot, stepped on the Ghoul Eater's head, and pulled the sword out, doing so as casually as one might remove a skewer.
Tortoise Shield, who had witnessed everything, just felt his scalp tingle... That was so awesome!
Completely different from the games he had played before. No flashy skills, just brutal, visceral combat: every punch lands, every axe hits bone.
The most primal fire of bloodlust was ignited within him.
With a rumble, the seven soldiers didn't stop. One after another, they charged towards the Ghoul Eaters, actively rescuing the white-stocking enthusiast.
"Huff," Tortoise Shield, with only one leg, shuffled his rear end. He glanced at Linde, who hadn't moved yet. "The cutscene should be starting soon, right? But where's the boss?"