Chapter 76: The Feint Gambit
While leading Alistair Thorne to the designated location, Liam asked, "Who’s in charge of the counter-offensive on Blackwind City? Is it Arthur Thorne?"
"That’s right. It’s him."
Liam nodded and immediately sent a message to Monty.
Monty, head over to Arthur Thorne with Barney. He’s leading a counter-attack on Blackwind City. You should be able to pick up the quest from him. Just remember: do not take the siege tasks. Only accept the kill quests.
Got it, Liam, Monty replied.
After sending the message, Liam led Alistair through the streets until they reached The Talisman Emporium.
Inside the shop stood a figure.
It was a man who looked exactly like Liam.
"This is..."
Alistair looked on in surprise, though the person’s nickname was currently hidden.
Liam scanned the surroundings. Seeing no one nearby, he commanded his Phantom Double to reveal its name: Frost Monarch!
"Frost... Frost Monarch!"
"The exact same appearance, the exact same name... This is your Phantom Double."
Liam nodded. "Precisely. You’ll stay here and keep watch over him. That way, you’ll have something to report back to King Abraham."
"Understood."
With Alistair settled, Liam wasted no time and headed straight out of the Astral Capital.
Once outside the city gates, Liam found a secluded corner to don the camouflage of The Black-Robed One. Disguised, he began his trek toward Blackwind City.
At Blackwind City, Liam successfully secured a meeting with The Veiled Overseer.
The Overseer was clearly in high spirits after capturing the city. When he saw Liam, a broad smile spread across his face.
"Frost Monarch, you’ve arrived."
Liam took a seat nearby. "King Abraham has ordered Arthur Thorne to lead an army to retake Blackwind City."
The Veiled Overseer frowned. "Is that so?"
He paused, then added, "However, after the last battle for Blackwind City, Arthur must have already guessed your identity. He will certainly take measures against you this time."
Liam nodded. "Correct. Abraham even sent Alistair Thorne to keep an eye on me."
The Overseer’s expression shifted. "If that’s the case, we’re in trouble."
Liam waved him off dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I’ve already handled Alistair."
The Overseer looked skeptical. "Handled? Did Alistair agree to help you? That doesn't seem right. If he fails to watch you, he won't be able to answer to the King."
Liam gave a mysterious smile. "Trust me. If I say it’s handled, it’s handled. Don’t worry about it."
"To establish a proper regime," Liam continued, "you need at least Three Cities and One Capital."
The Overseer’s eyes lit up. "Are you planning to expand further?"
"Of course."
Liam’s smile widened. "The two of us will lead the assault on the two cities surrounding Blackwind City. With those secured and Blackwind City as your capital, you can finally establish your sovereign power."
The Overseer narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. "If we do that, Blackwind City might not hold."
Liam’s lips curled into a smirk. "It’s a move I call The Feint Gambit. If two other cities are suddenly under siege, do you really think Arthur will have the peace of mind to focus on Blackwind City?"
"And even if he does take it back," Liam added, "so what? Once we capture the two neighboring cities, we can simply double back and crush Arthur’s army at our leisure."
The Overseer remained silent for a moment, weighing the feasibility of Liam’s plan. After a brief hesitation, he gave a firm nod.
"Fine. We’ll do it your way."
"Time is of the essence, so let’s not waste any more of it. We break Frostfall City first, then Crimsonpeak City!"
Liam’s grin sharpened. Alongside The Veiled Overseer, he set out to launch the attack on Frostfall City.
Upon arriving at Frostfall City, Liam didn't hesitate for a second. He struck immediately.
Feathered arrows sliced through the air. Two members of The City Guard at the gates collapsed before they could even draw their weapons.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
"Close the gates! Fast!!"
Alarms blared across Frostfall City as the garrison scrambled into combat positions.
Liam remained perfectly calm. Arrows whistled through the air in a constant stream, rapidly harvesting the lives of the guards near the gate.
Seeing Liam’s devastating combat prowess, The Veiled Overseer let out a savage laugh and charged into the fray.
As one of the three great leaders of The Demon's Den, his strength was in no way inferior to Arthur Thorne’s. His entry into the battle was like a wolf among sheep, sending The City Guard into a panicked retreat.
Frostlys, the Castellan of Frostfall City, wore an expression of pure vitriol. "These bastards from The Demon's Den... I can't believe they targeted Frostfall City so quickly. Send word to Arthur Thorne immediately!"
At that moment, Arthur had already reached the outskirts of Blackwind City and was preparing the order to attack.
"General, a message from Castellan Frostlys of Frostfall City. They are under surprise attack by The Demon's Den and are requesting immediate reinforcements."
Arthur’s face darkened. "The Demon's Den just took Blackwind City. Their foundations aren't even stable yet, and they already dare to strike Frostfall City?"
"Tell Frostlys to hold her ground. Once I take Blackwind City, I will move to reinforce her immediately."
Back at Frostfall City!
Liam was like a god of slaughter descended upon the mortal realm, reaping lives in every direction. Everywhere his arrows flew, a City Guard fell.
The guards on the walls attempted to retaliate, pouring a rain of arrows down on Liam. A thousand shafts, interspersed with mage spells, saturated the air.
Liam’s movement speed was staggering. While he couldn't dodge every single projectile, he managed to evade the brunt of the assault. The dozen or so arrows that did find their mark were nothing more than a nuisance; his health bar refilled almost instantly through life-steal.
The Veiled Overseer led the charge, completely shattering the defensive formations of Frostfall City.
"Activate the City Defense Array!" Frostlys roared.
She swung her staff, summoning a massive formation above Liam's head. Countless icicles began to rain down with lethal force.
Immune.
Immune!
Frostlys stared in utter disbelief at the text popping up over Liam’s head.
"How... how is he doing that?!"
She couldn't believe her eyes.
"Is it a skill... or is he completely immune to ice damage?"
If it were a temporary skill, she could almost accept it. But if he was truly immune to ice, she was powerless against him.
"Glacial Vortex!"
Frostlys swung her staff again, unleashing a powerful offensive spell at Liam.
Unfortunately for her, the result was the same.
Immune!
Immune!
"How is this possible?!"
Her face twisted in shock. She continued her barrage, but the outcome was undeniable.
Immunity. Total immunity.
"How? How can he be immune to ice? That’s the ultimate Divine Blessing of Eira, the Frost Goddess!"
"Why would Eira give her ultimate Divine Blessing to one of The Night-Walkers?!"
While Frostlys was lost in her shock, Liam’s arrows were already hurtling toward her.
"Castellan, look out!"
A Guardian rushed forward, raising his shield to intercept the arrows.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Boom!
In just a dozen arrows, the Guardian’s bronze shield shattered into splinters.
Zip! Zip! Zip!
The arrows found their mark, and the Bronze-tier Warrior fell in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Frostlys immediately retreated.
"Why? Why would the Frost Goddess grant her ultimate blessing to this Night-Walker?"
Frostlys was a devout follower of Eira. But now, because of Liam, her faith was beginning to crumble.
Liam didn't care about her crisis of faith. To him, Frostfall City’s defense array was mediocre at best. Having lived through the Realm War in his past life, he knew exactly where the array's weaknesses were.
He focused his fire, unleashing a berserk barrage of arrows on the array's structural weak points.
"Retreat! Preserve as much of our strength as possible and wait for Arthur Thorne’s reinforcements!" Frostlys commanded.
She gave Liam one last, meaningful look. Murderous intent swirled in her eyes as she watched him dominate the battlefield like a god of war.
"Why... has my faith truly been misplaced?!"
Frostlys' expression turned manic. A faint, almost imperceptible flicker of Abyssal Miasma flashed through her eyes.
If a High Priest of the Light were present, they would have realized immediately—Frostlys was beginning to undergo Demonic Corruption!
Liam likely never dreamed that his ice immunity would shatter a Castellan’s faith and trigger her corruption. He had other concerns. Once they breached the walls, he began systematically clearing out the remaining guards to finalize the occupation of Frostfall City.
Next was Crimsonpeak City!
Under the relentless, frenzied assault of Liam and The Veiled Overseer, Crimsonpeak City fared no better. In less than half an hour, the city fell.
The "Three Cities, One Capital" plan was now a reality.
Now, it was time to deal with Arthur Thorne.
Liam and The Veiled Overseer raced back toward Blackwind City. By the time they arrived, the city had already been retaken by Arthur's forces.
The Overseer had expected this and had made arrangements beforehand. Most of The Night-Walkers had already evacuated, moving to secure their hold on Frostfall and Crimsonpeak.
Inside Blackwind City.
"Dammit! A bunch of useless trash!"
Arthur Thorne slammed his fist onto a table, splintering it into pieces. He had assumed Frostfall City would hold out, but he hadn't expected it to fall so quickly. And now Crimsonpeak was gone too.
"General, it was that Archer in the black robe. His offensive was too fierce."
Arthur’s face twisted. "Alistair Thorne... my dear brother. You really are trying to rebel, aren't you?!"
Arthur was absolutely certain that the black-robed archer was Frost Monarch. Since the Archer had appeared elsewhere, he naturally assumed Alistair had failed—or succeeded in letting him go.
"Fine. I was looking for a way to take you down anyway. Letting Frost Monarch escape... let’s see how you explain this one."
Before Arthur could enjoy his petty victory, news arrived from outside.
"General! The black-robed archer is here with reinforcements. They’re attacking Blackwind City!"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. If he lost Blackwind City right after taking it back, he wouldn't be able to face the King. After a moment of hesitation, he sent a message to King Abraham.
"Your Majesty, we must initiate the Realm War. Otherwise, we won't be able to hold them off."
However, the declaration of a Realm War didn't come. Instead, a reply arrived: "I have sent an elite specialist to assist you in dealing with The Night-Walkers."
Arthur’s eyes brightened. He already had a good guess as to who the King had sent.
As Liam pressed the attack on Blackwind City, Arthur didn't shrink back. He led his men out to meet them.
Liam squinted, tracking Arthur’s position. Arthur appeared to be outside of his attack range, but in reality, thanks to his Basic Reach, Liam could already hit him.
After a moment's hesitation, Liam decided not to fire.
He knew that the extra range from Basic Reach was a hidden trump card. He needed to save it for the most critical moment—like the moment he took King Abraham’s life.
As Liam calculated his moves, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He felt a prickle of danger.
Ding! You have been afflicted by a Curse. Attack Speed reduced by 5%, Movement Speed reduced by 5%, Damage reduced by 5%.
Liam’s eyes narrowed. He was equipped with the Purifying Jade Amulet, which reduced negative effects by ninety percent.
In other words, the base debuff for this curse was a staggering fifty percent!
"How is that possible?"
Liam was genuinely shocked. Even a Tier 3 powerhouse shouldn't have such an absurdly powerful debuff at this stage of the game, let alone a Tier 2. Curse-type skills were rare and powerful, but this was on another level entirely.
Liam looked up and spotted a figure dressed in long black robes.
It was a player.
A player!
What the hell?
If it had been a Tier 3 monster like Arthur, he could accept it. But a player? This was beyond ridiculous; it was outright insane. Liam searched his memories, but he couldn't recall anyone this powerful appearing this early in his previous life.
"Did my presence trigger a Butterfly Effect? But what kind of effect could create a skill this broken?"
A fifty percent reduction to speed and damage? That shouldn't even exist at this level.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Liam fired a volley, but the player seemed to anticipate it. His body began to turn translucent, becoming ethereal. The arrows passed straight through him without dealing a single point of damage.
"Ethereal Invincibility?"
Liam sucked in a sharp breath.
He recognized both the Curse and the Ethereal Invincibility. He even knew who had possessed those skills in his past life.
But the timing was all wrong. The game had been live for less than twenty days!
Liam’s mind raced. He abandoned his attack on the mysterious player and turned his focus back to the City Guards. However, that player had left a deep impression. If possible, Liam wanted to find out who he was. A powerhouse like that would be an incredible asset to his guild.
The player had hidden his nickname, but someone that skilled wouldn't stay anonymous for long.
Suddenly, Liam heard the whistle of something cutting through the air.
Driven by pure instinct, he spun around and fired an arrow.
Clang!
Liam’s arrow was sliced clean in half by a flying dagger, which continued its trajectory toward his forehead.
Liam performed a backflip, narrowly evading the blade. But the moment he landed, a sense of dread washed over him. He threw himself to the side.
The dagger had curved mid-air, returning like a boomerang. If his reactions hadn't been lightning-fast, the blade would have buried itself in the back of his skull.
"It’s you!!"
Liam’s pupils dilated as he saw his attacker.
"Frost Monarch. I told you we’d meet again. And this time, I will defeat you."
Liam checked the stranger’s attributes.
Chief Wang (Platinum Grade)
Level: ???
HP: ???
Attack: ???
Skills: ???
Chief Wang. Liam had fought him back in the Novice Village. Back then, Chief Wang had already begun transforming into a monster. Although Liam had gained much from their encounter, he hadn't been able to finish him off. Now, his old rival had returned.