SSG 224
by CristaeAn alliance with other guilds. Collaborating with others to achieve goals beyond their own capacity was nothing unusual.
If used well, it could yield far greater results than going it alone.
The problem was that Apollon still had other C.O.T.S players, what you might call his own side—specifically, the Python faction.
Alliances with outside guilds while his own guildmates were around? No matter how you looked at it, it was absurd.
Vesuvius felt the same.
“Still, I wonder what you’re thinking… Why ally with us rather than the other C.O.T.S members?”
“I told you before, there’s a reason.”
“So, the rumors are true? C.O.T.S’s internal situation isn’t stable?”
Apollon looked at the sly Vesuvius, his cold eyes making the latter flinch.
“And since when have we been close enough for you to pry into my guild’s inner affairs?”
“That was careless. Sorry.”
Even if they were allied for now, and even if Apollon only brought his own forces, making C.O.T.S seem split, the name’s weight was still immense.
As Vesuvius apologized, Apollon said nothing more.
For now, at least, they were allies.
Vesuvius’ Calamity was not the only one in the alliance.
Ark College. Agora. Gunwoonghoe.
A total of five guilds had allied.
The other guild leaders gathered around Apollon.
C.O.T.S’s Apollon faction, Calamity, and Ark College were of similar size. Agora and Gunwoonghoe were much weaker, and their guildmasters seemed somewhat intimidated.
Still, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility as their guilds’ faces, they tried to square their shoulders.
But to the giant guild leaders, it just looked like little kids trying to appear taller by standing on tiptoes.
“Everyone’s here.”
Apollon surveyed the gathered leaders.
“No one’s unclear about the plan, right?”
They’d already convened several times to go over it. Despite the grand name, the actual plan was simple—divvying up which guild would take responsibility for which gate.
The reason they’d met multiple times was to argue, even fight, over who would claim what spoils once Mordin was conquered.
Only after loud squabbling did the five finally reach agreement. But to get their promised share, they first had to conquer Mordin.
“Good. No one’s dumb enough to have forgotten. Move according to the plan.”
Mordin had four gates. C.O.T.S, Calamity, and Ark College would each take a gate. The last gate would be handled by the relatively weaker Agora and Gunwoonghoe together.
All except C.O.T.S started to move, heading for their assigned gates.
Since the battle hadn’t started, everyone moved with confidence and ease.
Bang!
Thud!
That was, until the head of an NPC soldier in the marching ranks suddenly snapped back.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire rang out from the walls. As if following a script, each shot sent another head snapping back, and eventually, some soldiers actually fell dead.
“Shit, fall back!”
“Sniper!”
People jumped back in fright. Gone was the relaxed mood. Even as the soldiers retreated, bullets kept flying.
Those with shields quickly took cover, but there were plenty left exposed and defenseless.
Only once the forces had withdrawn far from the walls did the gunfire stop.
“That Yuseong?”
“Most likely.”
“His range was really that far?”
“I knew it was long, but I didn’t think it’d reach this far.”
“He always fought close range with a gun, so we had no info on his sniping.”
The guild members ground their teeth. Even so, no one dared charge Yuseong on the wall. Instead, they kept a healthy distance and resumed moving to their posts.
“Hm.”
Yuseong lowered his rifle. No matter how much of a sharpshooter he was, he couldn’t hit people outside his effective range.
“Really swarming in like crazy.”
Beside Yuseong, CookingDay clicked his tongue as he watched the enemy.
“Like rats rushing for food scraps.”
“With a city like Mordin, that sort of food would make anyone lose their mind.”
“True enough.”
“You should get going, sir. The attack will start soon.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t really need your help in this fight. Supplying the explosive potions is enough.”
“You wound me, you know that?”
“It’s just reality—alchemists aren’t much use in a fight. And I know you’re not hurt by something like that.”
“I wonder where the good old obedient Yuseong went, and who this sly kid is.”
After a couple more jokes, CookingDay spoke more seriously.
“Still, you’ll be okay? Isn’t it better if we help?”
“I’ll be fine. Besides, you and the others will still be plenty of help.”
“That’s true, but…”
CookingDay looked at him with concern. But there was no hesitation in Yuseong’s eyes.
“Well, you’ll handle it, I’m sure. I’ll go. Take care later.”
“Of course. I’ll count on you then.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll benefit me and the others, too. I want those spoils as much as anyone, so I’ll take care of it, trust me.”
With that, CookingDay went down below.
Yuseong, rifle on his shoulder, watched the distant enemy forces. Unlike the other guilds who were on the move, the C.O.T.S troops stood perfectly still.
His finger twitched, as if itching to pull the trigger.
“Waaaaaah!”
“Take the fortress!”
With thunderous shouts, the alliance surged toward Mordin. Players led the charge.
“Don’t get killed!”
“If you’re even a little bit in trouble, don’t hesitate—drink a potion! One death and you’re out of this war!”
Once a player dies in war, they can’t participate again.
Since players were far stronger than NPC soldiers, losing them was a huge blow and could easily turn the war.
But that didn’t mean they could send NPCs out as cannon fodder.
“Protect the NPCs as much as possible!”
“They only die once! If too many die, the city gets much weaker!”
With it getting harder to rescue refugees, each NPC was precious—wasting them in war wasn’t an option.
They had to fight this war by keeping both players and NPCs alive—a set of rules that almost made you wonder if the war was possible at all, but the players did their best for one reason:
The profit from conquering Mordin.
As they neared the walls, suddenly a ball of fire formed atop the ramparts.
“What the—?!”
“Magic!”
The fireball dropped right into the center of the charging army.
Boom!
“Aaugh!”
“Gaaah!”
Roaring flames burned everything near. NPCs, bodies on fire, screamed.
Unlike the charging front-line players, the guildmaster of Ark College, standing back as a commander, frowned.
“IncenDiary, huh.”
“Of all people…”
The vice-guildmaster beside him groaned.
IncenDiary of the Wild Ones—when people named the top fire mages in Ark, she took first place. She was peerless.
Now, that person stood in their way, casting spells like some fairy-tale witch during a siege.
“So we drew the short straw.”
“We’re really out of luck.”
It wasn’t strange that other Wild Ones were in Mordin. Earlier, when the alliance moved, there’d been no sign of a major teleport into the city.
But among the Wild Ones, IncenDiary was the single worst opponent to face during a city siege.
Each of the five allied guilds had hoped not to run into her. But someone had to be unlucky, and for Ark College, they were it.
“Oh well. We can’t give up. And besides, the other Wild Ones are tough too. At least the others are suffering along with us.”
He pressed his troops harder. Ark College’s forces surged at the walls. Arrows rained down, while both Ark College’s players and NPCs attacked in force.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting flared at the other gates as well.
“Hrrrah!”
Barbarian swung his massive axe. NPC soldiers climbing the battlements were cut down in two.
Clang!
But his axe, which had swept aside all before, was suddenly blocked by a sword.
“Tch!”
Barbarian clicked his tongue and backed up a little.
His opponent was geared and armed unlike any NPC. Barbarian tensed.
He was a top-ranking player; confident even against strong players. But behind the one who blocked him, more players stood ready.
Even he couldn’t take several high-level enemies at once.
‘And if you die here, it’s all over too.’
Above all, he remembered Yuseong’s instruction to stay alive.
What happened to Barbarian was repeated at every gate.
Aiden, Western Garden, Beauty Art, and Lucky Guy each held back the attacking enemies.
But there were just too many. Even Mordin—with its top-quality forces and massive scale—looked undermanned with four gates to defend.
The number of defenders on the wall was visibly smaller than the attackers.
Still, their quality and the skill of their commanders kept them holding—barely.
Boom!
A gate was breached. Western Garden, who’d been fending off waves of attackers atop the wall, glanced quickly at the gate.
“Fall back!”
She barked and lunged toward the enemy players again, trying to hold them as long as possible.
She too prioritized survival, never pushing too far.
The Mordin troops followed her command, pulling back all at once.
But it wasn’t a rout. Some tied down the enemy, while the rest withdrew in an orderly fashion.
That discipline and quality of force, combined with capable leaders, made the difference.
It wasn’t only on the west side. Word spread and other gates began pulling back as well.
The battleground moved, step by step, to the inner walls of the citadel.