Nie Yan plummeted rapidly, nearing the ground. He extended his left hand and activated a skill from the Ring of the Weaver, shooting a strand of spider silk that adhered to the plant-covered cliff wall. The silk caught Nie Yan mid-fall, stretching like an elastic band until reaching its maximum length.
The tension on the silk increased dramatically.
Nie Yan’s downward momentum exceeded 200 pounds. With a snap, the silk broke, pulling many plants off the cliff wall.
However, this strand of silk significantly slowed Nie Yan’s descent.
Thud! Nie Yan landed, taking -56 damage—a relatively low number within his tolerance range.
Under normal circumstances, without the buffer of the silk, he would have certainly died!
This location was not far from Link Town. Prioritizing safety, Nie Yan activated stealth, crushed an acceleration scroll, and dashed toward Link Town through the semi-arid shrubland. A populated town should provide some protection.
The Order Warden’s initial strike failed. It flapped its wings and halted midair, while Nie Yan had already fallen into the canyon below, vanishing into stealth.
With over one hundred yards separating them, even with a significant level gap, the Order Warden couldn’t penetrate Nie Yan’s stealth from such a distance.
Nie Yan was confident, based on the stealth distance formula involving level differences, perception, and observation, that as long as he remained over one hundred yards from the Order Warden, he was absolutely safe. Even the perception and scouting ability of a level 100 elite creature couldn’t reach such a distance.
Nie Yan glanced back. The Order Warden hadn’t left but was instead pursuing in his direction.
He quickly hid behind a large rock and held his breath.
The Order Warden flapped its wings, gliding overhead while scanning the area below. Finding nothing, it circled above.
The hunter and the hunted—the Order Warden resembled a hawk in the sky, while Nie Yan was like prey on the ground.
Link Town was still over six hundred yards away. Under the Order Warden’s watchful gaze, there was no way he could safely traverse that distance.
Another option was to use a recall scroll.
He could use a recall scroll here, but it required a full twenty seconds to activate. The scroll’s glow would attract the Order Warden.
At the Order Warden’s flying speed, it would take less than ten seconds to spot him and kill him.
The Order Warden gradually descended, drawing closer to Nie Yan.
“This is troublesome,” Nie Yan thought anxiously. If the Order Warden approached within one hundred yards, it might detect his hiding place. Danger was drawing nearer.
With no way to avoid it, he had no choice but to keep running, unsure if he could cover the six hundred yards.
As the Order Warden prepared to dive downward, three arrows whistled from a distance, aiming at its heart, head, and throat. The Order Warden dodged sideways, and all three arrows missed.
Atop a distant massive dead tree stood a tall NPC archer clad in silver-scaled armor. He drew his bow again, releasing three more arrows in quick succession.
The Order Warden let out a low screech, seemingly displeased by the provocation from these lowly creatures, and charged toward the NPC.
“General Nisod, the defenses are ready. Please issue the command!” several fully armed Holy Crusader soldiers reported from nearby.
“It’s coming. We retreat into Link Town and let these foolish, evil dragons face the judgment of the Holy Crusaders!” Nisod glanced at the approaching Order Warden, sheathed his bow, leaped from the tree top, and landed gracefully.
Distracted by the NPC, the Order Warden flew over Nie Yan and headed toward Link Town.
System: Town level alert, dragon invasion!
“Dhgus!” (Dragon tongue): Fiery Meteor.
The Order Warden waved its staff, summoning a massive flaming fireball that fell from the sky toward Link Town.
The fireball engulfed a 50×50 yard area.
“Activate the basic protective barrier!” Nisod ascended the tallest tower in Link Town, standing atop it and issuing orders below.
A blue barrier activated, shielding Link Town.
Boom! The fireball exploded against the barrier, scattering sparks. The barrier violently trembled, and every player inside felt the shockwave as searing heat rushed toward them.
“Attack!” Nisod commanded. All ballistae within the town targeted the airborne Order Warden, launching countless arrows skyward.
The magic users and archers among the thousands of players also attacked the Order Warden in the sky.
The Order Warden continuously cast spells. Under its assault, the barrier developed a crack, then shattered with a loud bang. The Order Warden charged into the town, crushing a house beneath its foot, sending shattered bricks and tiles flying.
The Order Warden’s arrival caused chaos among the town’s players.
“Damn, it’s a level 100 elite. Tanks, don’t engage!”
“Wizards, wizards, all fire!”
“Sh*t! All misses! Too big a level gap!”
Players in Link Town scrambled in disorder. Over a dozen heavily armored Holy Crusader guards charged forward, surrounding the Order Warden, attacking relentlessly.
The Order Warden ignited with scorching flames, a terrifying destroyer. Each swing of its staff sent a Holy Crusader guard flying. Wherever it went, houses collapsed, the ground scorched and turned to ruins.
“Glory of the Holy Crusader… In the name of General Nisod, I pass judgment upon this wicked dragon. Penetrating Shot!” After enunciating three full syllables, General Nisod placed his hand upon the bowstring, roared, drew the bow taut like a full moon, and released. A spinning arrow shot forth with a biting gust of wind. Boom! It pierced straight through the Order Warden’s body. -87,829 floated above its head—a staggering damage number.
The intense pain caused the Order Warden to roar furiously, raising its staff high, surrounding itself with destructive flames forming a blazing whirlwind.
The battle in Link Town intensified. Meanwhile, Nie Yan secretly rejoiced that the town’s garrison had drawn the Order Warden away. Otherwise, he would have certainly died.
Nie Yan lingered at the outskirts of Link Town. Under the fierce assault of numerous high-rank guards, the Order Warden wouldn’t last much longer. Nie Yan wondered whether such a high-level creature might drop good gear. Thinking this, he felt slightly hopeful and edged closer, now about sixty yards away, hiding behind the ruins.
While waiting, Nie Yan retrieved a dagger called Assassin’s Doctrine from his backpack and used Super Insight to appraise it.
Assassin’s Doctrine (Gold): Off-hand weapon, required level 5.
Attributes: Attack 26-29, Strength +16, Accuracy +12.
Attack Speed: 2.5
Weight: 3 lbs.
Restriction: All factions can use.
It was an off-hand weapon. Indeed, worthy of a gold-tier item, with over thirty attack at level 5. Once he learned dual-wielding at level five, he could use it. With such equipment, his attack power would significantly increase. Nie Yan stored Assassin’s Doctrine away.
Nie Yan didn’t hold high hopes for the Order Warden dropping gear. The Order Warden was merely a guardian, existing to protect the Codex of Order. Such creatures often didn’t drop gear, though exceptions existed.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage