Chapter 214 : The Offline Interactions of the Big Shots! The Skeleton Sea Encircles Sanxiang Ancient City!
Chapter 214: The Offline Interactions of the Big Shots! The Skeleton Sea Encircles Sanxiang Ancient City!
Official Forum.
The appearance of a certain thread attracted considerable attention.
Thread Title: *Live Coverage of the Closed Beta Big Shots’ Offline Summit!*
The offline exchange conference in the Magic Capital had already drawn widespread attention.
When the identities of the game’s most outstanding and influential players were revealed, it immediately caused a sensation throughout the forums.
Replies like the following quickly appeared beneath the thread.
“Holy crap, no way! Boss Ye Li Meng is actually Ye Meng, the famous domestic entrepreneur and investment tycoon!”
“Ye Meng? Isn't he already over sixty years old?”
“Shocking! Boss Little Bell is actually an underage little girl!”
“Double shocking! Sister Dawn is actually a super academic genius and currently an assistant professor at Yanda University!”
“Triple shocking! Boss Cleaving Through an Entire Street is actually a refined and gentle handsome doctor in real life!”
“Top-tier warlock Brother Ma—I recognized that bastard! He used to be the CEO of a famous game company and made plenty of predatory games!”
“Wow! Wraith Sister finally revealed herself. Her real-life appearance is actually that beautiful? She could totally become an internet celebrity!”
“Artist Boss Pai, that explosive maniac, is actually a lawyer. Can you believe it?”
“...”
Most of the players invited to this event were veteran players from the first beta test.
Examples included Black Pupil Sharp Brother, Ye Li Meng, Lone Boat, and others.
There were also a few exceptionally outstanding rising stars such as Raising a Cup to the Moon.
The total attendance exceeded one hundred people.
Many of them had real-world ages, occupations, or appearances that differed so dramatically from their in-game personas that countless people were left dumbfounded.
Ye Meng walked up to Zhao Rui.
“Brother Rui, I finally get to meet you in person. Truly a hero emerges from youth!”
The two top legion commanders shook hands.
Ye Meng noticed two young men standing behind Zhao Rui.
One wore glasses and looked refined and handsome, almost like a high school student.
The other was thin, with dyed yellow hair, looking very much like a street punk.
“And these two are?”
“Zhang Xiaoyu. Just call me by my in-game name, Salty Fish Thrust.”
The bespectacled young man said shyly.
At the same time, the yellow-haired youth stepped forward and extended his hand.
“Old Ye, it’s me, Old Pig! Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me!”
“Old Pig? Midnight Pig Slayer!”
Ye Li Meng stared at the skinny youth in astonishment.
“You don’t look fat at all. Why is your game character...”
The yellow-haired youth laughed.
“I’ve had health issues since childhood and suffered long-term malnutrition. No matter how much I eat, I can never gain weight. I've always looked this skinny.”
“So I always wanted to become a fat guy.”
“And I finally achieved that dream in the game!”
As expected.
The game and reality were very different.
Zhang Xiaoyu, the shy and scholarly young man with glasses, was actually Salty Fish Thrust, the famous Wings of Freedom member who specialized in stabbing people's backsides and called himself the Calamity Army's Zhao Zilong.
As for Midnight Pig Slayer, the top monk player who constantly referred to himself as fat, he was actually a skinny young man named Zhu Hou in real life.
In truth, Zhao Rui, Zhang Xiaoyu, and Zhu Hou were equally shocked by Ye Li Meng's real identity.
They had always known he was wealthy.
But they never imagined his background was this extraordinary.
Little Bell, Dawn, and Chi Mei Wang Liang, the three senior members of Divine Feather Palace, had also arrived.
All three were exceptionally beautiful women.
Naturally, they became the center of many conversations and attracted substantial attention.
Little Bell was the cute loli type.
Dawn possessed the elegance of an intellectual beauty.
However, the most surprising was Chi Mei Wang Liang.
Her in-game face customization was completely ordinary.
Combined with her ID, most people assumed she was a strength-focused player who didn't care about appearances.
Yet in reality, she might very well have been the most beautiful woman in Divine Feather Palace.
Although everyone had fought together online for a long time,
this was their first meeting in real life.
As a result, everything felt fresh and exciting.
Shortly after everyone had arrived,
the banquet prepared by the organizers was about to begin.
Before that—
“Greetings, elite members of the Calamity Army.”
A dignified middle-aged man with a mature temperament stepped onto the stage.
“Allow me to briefly introduce myself.”
“My name is Zhou Zhengming.”
“I am currently the staff member responsible for communicating and coordinating with everyone regarding the Strange Three Kingdoms Project.”
“We will likely be interacting frequently in the future.”
After checking in,
everyone had received a conference schedule.
The schedule detailed the activities planned over the next two days.
It also included an introduction to Zhou Zhengming.
He possessed a long list of impressive titles and held a very high rank.
As expected of a game produced by the official authorities!
On stage, Zhou Zhengming calmly and shamelessly posed as a representative of Strange Three Kingdoms.
Strictly speaking, however,
it could not entirely be called impersonation.
Anyone listening carefully to Zhou Zhengming's introduction would notice that he never explicitly stated that Strange Three Kingdoms had been developed by any government department.
Likewise, none of the official announcements or documents ever explicitly stated that Strange Three Kingdoms was related to the state.
If people misunderstood,
what did that have to do with the Special Investigation Bureau?
At present, nearly everyone believed that *This Twisted Three Kingdoms Game Is Brutally* was an officially produced game.
That was merely their own assumption.
The authorities had never admitted it.
Of course,
they had never denied it either.
Zhou Zhengming said,
“Strange Three Kingdoms is a magnificent masterpiece.”
“As a theoretically limitless, automatically generated metaverse world, it holds enormous significance for the global economy, technology, politics, business, the environment, and even humanity itself.”
“It possesses the power to bring revolutionary changes to the world.”
“Please remember this!”
“Strange Three Kingdoms is far more than a simple game!”
“From top to bottom, we attach tremendous importance to it.”
“It has already been elevated to the level of a long-term national strategy.”
“And all of you present here are pioneers of this epoch-making transformation!”
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Expressions of shock and delight appeared across every face.
Although they already knew this game was extraordinary,
the level of importance described was still shocking.
Zhou Zhengming’s words were effectively an official endorsement.
They gave everyone much greater confidence in investing themselves in the Abyssal Three Kingdoms World.
Never before had a game reached such heights.
Many people couldn't help recalling old online novels centered around traditional MMORPGs.
Back then,
those novels often featured scenarios where real-world currency could be directly exchanged with in-game currency.
Some even depicted virtual-world power struggles influencing reality itself.
At the time,
such plots seemed absurdly exaggerated.
After all,
the battles inside a virtual world were merely data and code.
How could they possibly affect reality?
Now, however,
that no longer seemed impossible.
Regardless,
Zhou Zhengming's speech reassured everyone.
Once these words spread across the internet tonight,
they would likely spark intense discussions across mainstream media and social platforms.
More major corporations, powerful organizations, and wealthy enterprises would undoubtedly notice the game and begin investing heavily.
This would create greater competition.
Greater competition would bring greater prosperity.
The commercial value generated by Strange Three Kingdoms would become unprecedented.
Naturally,
it would also trigger widespread criticism.
Traditional parents, educational circles, public intellectuals, and countless others would almost certainly launch fierce attacks against it.
As Zhou Zhengming observed the expressions of the Calamity Army members below,
he knew part of the event's objective had already been achieved.
No matter what sort of public controversy followed,
the existence of national-level endorsement would encourage more talented individuals and capital to enter the game.
Perhaps,
many people did not yet understand.
But within a year,
everyone would understand the significance of these words.
Zhou Zhengming was encouraging everyone.
He was legitimizing all players of Strange Three Kingdoms.
Without exposing the truth,
he hoped to make more people take the game seriously and invest more heavily in it,
thereby accelerating its growth and popularity.
When his speech concluded,
enthusiastic applause erupted throughout the venue.
Someone raised a question.
“Director Zhou, we'd like to know how Strange Three Kingdoms was actually created. Could you introduce the origins of the development team and the advanced technologies behind it?”
The moment this question was asked,
the entire hall fell silent.
Because everyone was interested in the answer.
Zhou Zhengming inwardly cursed.
If humanity were truly capable of creating a game like this,
it would have already achieved technological godhood or mechanical ascension.
The question was fundamentally impossible to answer.
However,
he had anticipated it.
“I'm very sorry, but we cannot disclose the answer to that question at this time.”
Zhou Zhengming deliberately adopted a mysterious tone.
“Strange Three Kingdoms involves the highest level of classified information.”
“Even I do not know all of its secrets.”
“And the portions I do know cannot currently be revealed.”
“Understood!”
“That’s called technological secrecy!”
“What if foreigners steal the technology?”
“Questions like this shouldn't be asked anymore!”
“...”
The players did not press the issue.
Instead,
they appeared very understanding of Zhou Zhengming’s difficulties.
Soon, however,
new questions followed.
Some asked whether the NPCs possessed genuine intelligence.
Others wondered whether the game's events and progression were secretly arranged by developers.
Some directly questioned lore, plot settings, and player recruitment quotas.
Zhou Zhengming replied,
“Strange Three Kingdoms is fundamentally different from any game you've encountered before.”
“This is not a pre-programmed game.”
“It is a self-generating open world.”
“From nations and worlds down to a single blade of grass or grain of sand, everything is automatically generated.”
“This includes all NPCs and story events.”
“From the moment the game began operating, every event, every piece of content, and every character's development ceased to be pre-scripted.”
“Instead, everything became the result of a gigantic chaos model combined with self-generating AI undergoing endless evolution.”
“We ourselves cannot directly interfere with its development.”
“That is why the possibilities are infinite.”
“Perhaps you shouldn't think of it as a game.”
“Instead, think of it as a metaverse.”
“As for the Lord and the territory...”
“They are the foundation upon which the entire metaverse rests.”
“As long as the Lord and territory remain intact, this world can theoretically expand forever.”
“One day, it may become large enough to accommodate the entire nation—or even all humanity.”
So that was it!
Everyone suddenly understood.
Many had already suspected as much.
Yet hearing confirmation from an official figure was still astonishing.
This truly was a great game.
The entire world functioned like an unimaginably vast and intricate sandbox.
Every player's actions could potentially affect it.
“Director Zhou!”
Feng Ying suddenly rushed onto the stage.
She interrupted her leader's stream of nonsense.
Zhou Zhengming was confused.
“What happened?”
Feng Ying looked anxious.
“The situation in Wo Niu Mountain has suddenly deteriorated!”
“Sanxiang Ancient City has been surrounded!”
“What?”
Zhou Zhengming was shocked.
Wasn't Zhou Cang leading troops to retake Huangmei Hamlet?
How had the enemy suddenly advanced all the way to Sanxiang Ancient City?
That shouldn't have been possible.
What exactly had happened?
At the same time,
all the legion leaders and players present also received notifications.
The development was so sudden that it caught everyone off guard.
“This is bad!”
“Emergency situation!”
“The territory is in danger!”
“We need to reinforce the territory!”
“Now isn't the time for meetings!”
“...”
Although nobody yet understood the exact circumstances,
the moment they learned the territory might be threatened,
the elite members of the Calamity Army immediately stood up.
“Everyone, please remain calm!”
Zhou Zhengming shouted through the microphone.
“We prepared contingency plans for situations like this long ago!”
“The hall next door has already been equipped with a large number of state-of-the-art gaming pods.”
“You can enter the game directly through those devices!”
Everyone's spirits lifted.
The official arrangements were remarkably thoughtful.
Gaming pods differed from gaming helmets.
Helmets only supported several hours of continuous play.
Gaming pods, however,
could theoretically sustain continuous gameplay for twenty to thirty hours without eating, drinking, or logging out.
For major battles,
gaming pods were clearly superior.
Everyone immediately rushed into the neighboring hall,
entered the gaming pods,
and logged into the game.
Just moments earlier,
they had been drinking, chatting, and giving speeches in the banquet hall.
Within minutes,
every single person had disappeared into the game to fight a war.
The abrupt change was so dramatic that the attending media reporters were left speechless.
At the same time,
inside a suite elsewhere in the hotel.
The room was filled with scientific instruments and electronic equipment.
More than twenty researchers in white lab coats were busily working.
Zhou Zhengming approached an elderly man.
“How are things progressing?”
Academician Xia adjusted his glasses.
“Although this crisis was unexpected, it arrived at the perfect time.”
“We have already installed the most advanced scanning and monitoring systems inside these gaming pods.”
“We can gather all necessary data without the players realizing it.”
“Excellent.”
Zhou Zhengming nodded with satisfaction.
One of the primary reasons they had gathered so many players here
was to obtain more test samples.
The collected data would help the Special Investigation Bureau better understand the effects Strange Three Kingdoms had on the human body.
They might even be able to predict the rate at which these changes developed.
Or determine whether a full-scale transformation of humanity was possible.
“This unexpected crisis has actually helped us.”
“It provides enough time to complete data collection.”
“And the players will never notice.”
Although satisfied,
Zhou Zhengming remained puzzled.
He wasn't a player,
but he constantly monitored the territory's situation.
Why had things suddenly deteriorated so rapidly?
What exactly had happened in Wo Niu Mountain over the last few hours?
…………
To understand the answer,
one had to rewind the clock two or three hours.
At that time,
Zhou Cang was leading one hundred Azure Dragon Guards and one thousand newly recruited Calamity Army soldiers.
They were preparing to depart Sanxiang Ancient City and head directly toward Huangmei Hamlet.
“General Zhou, be careful.”
Wen Pin warned.
“After all, we are facing a Star Lord.”
Zhou Cang laughed.
“Even among Star Lords, none can compare to our Lord.”
“As far as I know, the enemy is merely a group of lowly skeletons.”
Wen Pin shook his head.
“Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit.”
“Any race capable of becoming a Star Lord is extraordinary.”
“Please exercise extreme caution and avoid falling into the enemy’s trap.”
“A fair point!”
Zhou Cang accepted the advice.
He cupped his fists.
“Then Sanxiang Ancient City is in your hands, General Wen.”
Wen Pin replied confidently,
“With Wen here defending the city, even the strongest enemy will return empty-handed.”
With that,
the expedition officially began.
The Calamity Army players were extremely excited.
“The Lord actually sent Wen Pin here too!”
“He’s an incredibly powerful NPC!”
“Hahaha! With Zhou Cang and Wen Pin both present, how could the foreign-race invasion possibly succeed?”
“Exactly!”
“The invading race is only a bunch of skeletons.”
“Based on strength alone, they’re probably weaker than the Dragon Lizard Clan we fought before.”
“With our territory’s current lineup, there’s no way we lose.”
“...”
The Calamity Army was brimming with confidence.
Thanks to their spirit mounts,
they reached the Huangmei Hamlet region in less than an hour.
The village remained shrouded in cold white mist.
“So this is the area occupied by the foreign race?”
Arthur King swept his gaze across the battlefield.
“The scale doesn't seem particularly large.”
There were relatively few members from the four major legions among the players present.
Most senior leaders from those legions were either resting or attending the offline conference in the Magic Capital.
As a result,
they had missed the mission.
However,
many players from the fifth-ranked legion, Ragnarok, were present.
Their leader, Arthur King, was among them.
Arthur King had already become a highly famous player leader.
He had reached Level 20.
His equipment was extremely luxurious.
Dozens of elite players gathered around him.
Although most were from Europe and America,
there were also players from Sakura, Heavenly India, and Bang Nation.
Not all of them respected Arthur King.
Many hoped to establish legions representing their own nations.
Unfortunately,
their numbers and strength were still insufficient.
For now,
they could only shelter under Ragnarok alongside other non-Xia Kingdom players.
A Level 12 Sakura ranger named Battousai said,
“I heard the rewards for killing foreign races are incredible.”
Dark Lucifer replied,
“That information has already been confirmed.”
Iron Fist Johnson said,
“Then this is a golden opportunity to get rich.”
“We can't let it slip away.”
Athena added,
“Let's request permission from General Zhou!”
Arthur King immediately led the group to Zhou Cang.
They requested that the Calamity Army be allowed to serve as the vanguard.
Zhou Cang agreed without hesitation.
He knew that despite their numerous factions,
all Calamity Army soldiers had personally received blessings from the Lord.
They generated greater loot from kills.
Combined with their immortality,
their value was extraordinary.
Even if they died,
nothing was truly lost.
That was why,
despite their relatively limited strength,
the Calamity Army had always served as the territory’s primary exploration force.
Arthur King was overjoyed after receiving approval.
As one of the highest-level and strongest players present,
and the only legion commander in the force,
he naturally became the temporary commander.
The opportunity thrilled him.
He had always believed he was no weaker than Ye Li Meng or Black Pupil Sharp Brother.
Those people only enjoyed their current prestige because they had entered earlier.
Now that they were absent,
he finally had a chance to act as a Calamity Army leader himself.
“Move out!”
Arthur King quickly arranged the formation.
Rangers would serve as scouts and shock troops.
Warriors would establish defensive lines.
Warlocks would provide fire support.
Monks would offer assistance.
The assault on Huangmei Hamlet began.
The moment the Calamity Army entered the icy mist,
they encountered resistance from the skeleton forces.
However,
these skeletons were generally only around Level 10.
Only a few possessed Tier-Two strength.
Against the organized offensive of the Calamity Army,
they stood little chance.
Within a short time,
one or two hundred skeletons had been destroyed.
Meanwhile,
the Calamity Army had suffered only slightly more than ten casualties.
【You have collected loot: Abyssal Essence +4000, Magic Crystal +20, Skeleton Greatsword (Bone Skeleton) +1, Skeleton Helmet (Bone Skeleton) +1!】
【You have collected loot: Abyssal Essence +4000, Magic Crystal +20, Skeleton Crossbow (Bone Skeleton) +1, Skeleton Bracer (Bone Skeleton) +1!】
【...】
“Holy crap!”
“The Essence and Magic Crystal drops are insane!”
“Keep pushing!”
“There have to be at least eighteen hundred skeletons here!”
“Wipe them all out!”
“Hahaha!”
“This run is pure profit!”
“...”
Morale surged.
The Calamity Army continued advancing.
However,
the closer they approached Huangmei Hamlet's Blessing Point,
the stronger the skeletons became.
The wandering skeletons on the outskirts were mostly Level 10 Tier-One units.
Only a few Tier-Two skeletons appeared among them.
That was why the fighting had been so easy.
Near the Blessing Point,
the situation changed completely.
Almost every skeleton possessed Tier-Two strength.
Most ranged between Level 11 and Level 15.
Powerful units such as skeleton cavalry also began appearing.
Even for the Calamity Army,
breaking through became significantly more difficult.
At the same time,
players noticed that the ruined village had already been remodeled.
A towering ring of bone walls surrounded the settlement.
Several Star-powered towers stood within.
A complete defensive system had already been established.
Breaking through would not be easy.
“Don't get dragged into an attrition battle!”
“Take the Blessing Point first!”
Arthur King immediately issued the order.
One of the mission objectives was to reclaim the Blessing Point.
Once captured,
the mission would be completed.
More importantly,
reinforcements could be teleported directly through it.
Even if the assault stalled,
troops could be transferred from Sanxiang Ancient City.
Just as the players launched their breakthrough toward the village—
A pale blade-light suddenly swept across the battlefield.
Three or four Tier-Two players were instantly killed.
“Not good!”
“A powerful enemy!”
“Fall back!”
The Calamity Army immediately withdrew.
The skeleton ranks slowly parted.
A massive and imposing skeleton knight emerged.
He wore black armor that sharply contrasted with his pale bones.
Blue ghostly flames flowed between the gaps of his skeleton.
In his hand was a huge polearm blade.
【Bone Skeleton General: Zhang Shuo】, Level 21 Commander Unit...
Introduction: Once a famous general of Jiangxia Commandery. He has since been transformed into a follower by a Star Lord and now serves as one of the Lord’s Skeleton Generals.
The flames within Zhang Shuo’s empty eye sockets flickered.
A gloomy voice emerged from his body.
“A human lord?”
“What the hell is that?”
“That looks like a boss!”
“How can a skeleton talk?”
“Judging from his name, he doesn't seem to be a Star hero unit.”
“He was probably a general from Jiangxia Commandery during the Three Kingdoms era.”
“How did he become like this?”
“It's probably connected to the Lord behind him!”
“He defected to a foreign-race Star Lord!”
“So he's a traitor!”
“...”
The players had never encountered someone like him before.
Zhang Shuo was not demonized.
Not a trace of Abyssal energy emanated from him.
Instead,
he radiated pure Star energy.
The only explanation was that his race had been fundamentally transformed.
Zhang Shuo swept his gaze across the Calamity Army.
His attention eventually settled on Zhou Cang,
who had yet to take action.
“You've fallen into a trap.”
“What do you mean?”
Arthur King and the others immediately changed expression.
Zhang Shuo released a sinister laugh.
“Our target is Sanxiang Ancient City.”
“Huangmei Hamlet is merely bait used to draw away your forces.”
“The battle at Sanxiang Ancient City should already have begun.”
Everyone was shocked.
If his words were true,
then Sanxiang Ancient City was in grave danger.
Zhou Cang had brought away the elite Azure Dragon Guards.
Only local defenders remained in the city.
Their combat power was limited.
If the Bone Skeleton army launched a full-scale assault,
Sanxiang Ancient City's defenses would struggle to hold.
And if Sanxiang Ancient City fell,
Wo Niu Mountain's most important strategic stronghold would be lost.
The entire region might have to be abandoned.
The losses would be devastating.
“Don't listen to his nonsense!”
“If a massive army had really moved toward Sanxiang Ancient City, we would have seen it!”
“Unless the entire army can turn invisible!”
“Good point!”
“Take him down first!”
Whether Zhang Shuo was telling the truth or not,
it was already too late to retreat.
Rather than panic,
they needed to intensify the assault.
As long as the Blessing Point was reclaimed,
they could immediately return to Sanxiang Ancient City.
…………
Inside the Lord's Castle,
Hang Yu observed the unfolding situation.
Zhang Shuo's words were not a bluff.
At this very moment,
the land surrounding Sanxiang Ancient City was changing.
The entire ground gradually turned dark purple.
It writhed like a giant swamp.
Then something astonishing happened.
Thousands upon thousands of skeletons were expelled from the dark-purple mire.
Their numbers were overwhelming.
Endless.
Dense.
Like an ocean of skeletons.
The moment Hang Yu saw this,
he understood what was happening.
Just as Zhang Shuo had said,
Huangmei Hamlet had only been a decoy.
The enemy lord's true target was Sanxiang Ancient City.
They had likely used some kind of earth-escape secret technique.
A massive force had been secretly transported underground and hidden near Sanxiang Ancient City.
Only after establishing the ambush had they occupied Huangmei Hamlet.
The goal was obvious.
Draw away Sanxiang Ancient City's defenders.
Then launch a sudden assault before Hang Yu could react.
If successful,
they could capture the city and gain influence over the entire Wo Niu Mountain region.
The plan was clever.
But it underestimated Hang Yu.
Although Zhou Cang had departed with the elite Azure Dragon Guard and Calamity Army,
leaving only native defenders behind,
the city was far from vulnerable.
The reason was simple.
For safety,
Hang Yu had already stationed Wen Pin there.
With Wen Pin defending the city,
breaking through would be far easier said than done.
At the same time,
news of Sanxiang Ancient City being surrounded spread rapidly.
The Calamity Army elites who had been resting or attending the offline event immediately logged into the game.
They prepared to reinforce the city.
Meanwhile,
Hang Yu remained motionless.
He was the territory's final safeguard.
Until the enemy lord personally revealed himself,
too many uncertainties remained.
He could not afford to enter the battlefield prematurely.