BXBX NOVEL Chapter 124: The Embodiment of World Will
The effect of [Coughing Blood] was simple: players had to kill NPCs to survive!
The surroundings were desolate, and the only place with NPCs was atop the high wall guarding the Netherworld water. But everyone knew that charging the wall was pure suicide!
Most of the players present would likely die or be severely injured before achieving a pyrrhic victory!
However, the players\' pleas and curses were in vain. Richard\'s expression remained unchanged as he coldly watched everything unfold.
Of course, he couldn\'t enter the Netherworld, or his power would permanently drop to second class. Thus, he had no choice but to ignore the players\' offenses.
Richard silently noted those who verbally attacked him: "Once we leave the Netherworld, I will trigger the Divine Power of the goddess within them."
"The Alliance cannot be insulted!"
He waited in silence.
Awaiting the only opportunity to strike when the world collapses...
...
The players\' chaos didn\'t last long, not because they quickly adjusted their mindset, but because the [Coughing Blood] buff had already taken effect!
Many felt waves of pain surging through their bodies. This time, it didn\'t matter whether they had the Lunar Mark or not!
All players descended into madness!
Some had bloodshot eyes, scratching themselves incessantly, craving slaughter.
In the end, many lost their sanity and screamed, "To hell with it! I\'m taking a few down with me before I die!" Then, they charged towards the city wall.
Once someone took the lead, the rest of the players couldn\'t suppress the ever-growing desire from the Coughing Blood effect and also rushed towards the Netherworld water\'s location!
In a fleeting moment, everything went as the Dark Moon Alliance intended, with players turning into cannon fodder, forcefully attacking the city!
Among the chaotic crowd, Faye showed a slight hint of reluctance. She wasn\'t going to have a saintly outburst, but she hesitated and closed her eyes, asking, "Ancestor, what should we do? Should we still try to obtain the other portion of the Netherworld water?"
"Of course, we should give up!" Felicia said irritably.
"It seems like the Dark Moon Alliance is determined to sacrifice all the players and forcefully destroy the Netherworld realm."
"Remember, these second-class players might not mean much to the Dark Moon Alliance now, but they are the backbone of the alliance\'s next hundred years."
"If they\'re all lost, the Dark Moon Alliance will face a long period of decline. Gloria must see some significant benefit from this action, or she wouldn\'t have lost her mind like this!"
"And sacrificing these potential second-class players isn\'t something Richard can decide on his own."
"The downfall of the Netherworld realm this time must have Gloria herself behind it." Felicia analyzed. "As for this third portion of the Netherworld water, we\'ll leave it to fate. If we can get it, we get it. If not, we\'ll act as if nothing happened. Just keep your escape scroll ready at all times."
"Understood, Ancestor." Faye clenched her fists and nodded vigorously.
While Faye still held some compassion, Sterl outright laughed gleefully. "Perfect!"
"Let them all die! Die until none are left!"
Initially, he was worried that the players wouldn\'t engage in combat with the NPCs, which would have been awkward.
If Sterl couldn\'t max out his Moon Law growth points to 1000 in the Netherworld realm and advance to the perfect level, he\'d have to wait until he reached legendary strength to continue enhancing this law power.
That could take years!
Sterl couldn\'t wait that long!
Fortunately, with Richard taking the initiative, Sterl\'s problem was alleviated.
"One day, when I kill you, I\'ll make it quick." Sterl muttered to himself.
He bore a grudge against the Dark Moon Alliance. Without the point-adding system, he could not have easily broken free from that goddess\'s restrictions.
Sterl would have been one of those unlucky players rushing to their deaths!
In other words, the Dark Moon Alliance almost screwed him over too!
How could he not seek revenge for that?
Sterl, emotionally charged, shifted his gaze—
And started to enjoy the show.
Sure enough, a bloody battle unfolded.
Driven by frenzied emotions, the players lost all fear of death and charged desperately towards the high wall!
Previously, they might have been hindered by rolling stones and poison, getting controlled and falling off the wall.
But this time, the Coughing Blood buff provided them with some resilience against control effects. Ignoring their injuries, they charged forward with wild howls!
Sterl could clearly see players whose heads were half-severed, still laughing maniacally as they charged ahead.
"Hahaha! Die! Die!"
They were so frenzied that what Sterl initially thought would be a costly victory took only a few minutes before players were on the wall!
Despite being severely injured and nearly unable to fight, one player crazily lunged at a lightly armored NPC, shouting, "Die with me!"
This warrior-like player unleashed a self-destructive move, igniting in flames and then—
Boom!
With a loud explosion, the life-burning attack of the second-class player blasted a small gap in the massive city wall.
Although the gap wasn\'t enough to significantly ease the assault for other players, it did kill over ten nearby NPCs, leaving them in a gruesome state!
Remarkably, the player still had half a head left, brain matter scorched dry, and an eyeball dangling by a nerve, landing on the rubble. "Hahaha!"
"Nice!"
He laughed maniacally.
Until a stoic-faced NPC decapitated him with a single strike.
It was evident that even after killing NPCs, the Coughing Blood buff on the players was not dispelled.
This scene was extremely eerie and instilled a sense of inexplicable fear!
Even Sterl frowned slightly, but the players below, upon witnessing this scene, became even more frenzied!
They pounced on the NPCs like zombies from a horror movie Sterl had seen in his previous life, disregarding their own lives!
Soon, the weaker warrior and tank-type players were all dead, their bodies forcibly creating a path!
The high wall was now piled with various flesh and blood, resembling a hellish landscape!
But the combatants on both sides were starkly different. One side was madmen empowered by Divine Power, while the other, influenced by the world\'s will, were cold and unfeeling machines unafraid of death!
After a terrifying exchange of lives, both sides maintained their full morale and continued fighting relentlessly!!
The sounds of battle cries, clashing swords, and various elemental explosions filled the air.
Even the mage and priest-type players had climbed the wall, and they were utterly insane. Whenever the battle turned unfavorable or they were surrounded, they would self-destruct!
They ignited all their internal energy, dragging enemies to death with them!
This hysterical way of fighting significantly reduced the players\' casualties, leading to a resounding defeat for the NPCs!
From his distant vantage point, Sterl could vaguely see two spectral figures above the battling sides. One was a robed, veiled woman whose appearance was obscured, exuding an aura of irresistible beauty and charm!
Though Sterl and the few players still maintaining their sanity had never seen her before, they instinctively knew who she was.
It was the Dark Moon Goddess, Gloria!
On the other side was a figure simultaneously displaying old, young, and youthful faces—a man representing the God of Heaven Water!
The same thoughts gathered in the minds of the players who could still think clearly.
Though they didn\'t know much about this Heaven Water God, they guessed he was likely a native deity of the Netherworld realm, seemingly merged with the world\'s will!
But it was evident that this god had long since fallen, appearing devoid of life, more like a puppet compared to Gloria\'s figure.
The players at the base of the wall who remained clear-headed couldn\'t help but exclaim, "Is this a battle between gods? We second-class players actually get to be part of this. It feels worth it, even if we die!"
Sterl didn\'t know the speaker, but it seemed that a few players beside him were discussing the person.
Sterl vaguely heard that the speaker was Spike, a double S-rank player from the Principality of Morrow.
Many players echoed Spike\'s sentiments.
"At least we\'re dying gloriously!"
"So that\'s the Dark Moon Alliance\'s goddess?? Bitch! One day, I\'ll fuck you to death!"
The players vented their emotions freely, with some even daring to curse at the goddess!
Everyone knew that facing god-level combat, a mere second-class player had little chance of survival. They might as well curse to their heart\'s content!
Sterl, blending in, pretended to mutter a few things, "This isn\'t a loss!", "Even if I can\'t log into [Transcendence] anymore, I can brag about this!", "I\'ll write a memoir after logging off!"
Meanwhile, he struggled to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
The spectral figure of the Dark Moon Goddess, though imposing, remained outside the world\'s boundaries and couldn\'t exert any direct influence on the battlefield. Her impact, if any, lay elsewhere...
In contrast, the appearance of the Heaven Water God\'s specter caused a sudden surge in the world\'s will!
As a result, the Divine Power and the will within the Law Powers spilling from the fallen players around were rapidly eroded.
Sterl didn\'t have to do a thing. The surrounding Divine Power and Law Powers automatically flowed into his body!