NOVPUBThree days later.
🔔 [Ding! Announcement to all Lords in ranks F, E, and D.
The "Resource War" event is about to begin.
The "Central Resource Production Facility" has appeared.
Whichever Lord holds the "Central Resource Production Facility" for the longest duration within the specified time will claim it as their own.
Preparation Time: Five days. (Note: During the preparation phase, the 1,000-meter radius around the "Central Resource Production Facility" is a peace zone—combat is disabled.)
Battle Duration: 24 hours. During these 24 hours, the Lord who occupies the "Central Resource Production Facility" for the longest period will become its rightful owner.
Special Reward: The winner will also receive a mysterious bonus prize.
Lords, please prepare accordingly.] 🔔
Caleb and Austin took a deep breath as they read the announcement in front of them.
If their Master were here, bringing with him the resources they had stockpiled, this announcement would be of no concern to them.
But at the moment, their Master was still missing—without a trace.
On top of that, they were running critically low on resources. They had neither the means to build nor the materials to summon more troops.
If the rank D Lords managed to claim that area, their already formidable power would only grow faster and stronger.
"What should we do now?" Austin asked, breaking the silence.
Caleb furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before responding, "If our Master were here, we definitely wouldn't care about this event."
"But now things are different. Without resources, we can't do anything at all."
"Besides, if they acquire enough resources, they definitely won't spare us. Sooner or later, they'll wipe out every low-rank Lord like us."
"That's why… whether we want to or not, we have to take part in this war."
"Not just to limit their power, but also to reclaim our resources and reassert control over our territory."
"If they end up dominating our region, then we'll be nothing more than fish on the chopping board."
Hearing that, Austin burst out laughing, "Hahaha… That's right. So what if they're rank D Lords? We still have a bunch of rank D monsters that our Master left us."
Caleb shook his head. "You're forgetting one thing… Rank D Lords can summon rank C monsters. If they actually bring out a rank C monster, do you really think we stand a chance?"
"Ack! That… I…" Austin scratched his head, suddenly embarrassed. He had completely forgotten that rank D Lords had the ability to summon rank C monsters. "So what do we do now?"
Hearing Austin's question, Caleb furrowed his brows, rubbing his chin as he thought deeply for a moment before saying, "We have no choice but to fight."
"However, we still have five days. During that time, we can scout the area and search for additional help. We still have the 'Hellfire' left behind by our Master."
"Ah!" Austin immediately remembered the towering pillar of flame burning in the distant sky. "Hahaha… I almost forgot about the 'Hellfire'. I'm sure Malrik has what it takes to crush those rank D Lords."
Caleb shook his head. "That's only if Malrik agrees to help us. If not, we might have no support other than the monsters our Master lent us."
Austin looked like he was on the verge of tears. "What the hell? So we just sit here and wait for death to come knocking?"
Caleb sighed, then said, "There's one more way… but the risk is enormous."
"What way?" Austin latched onto the faint glimmer of hope and asked eagerly.
"Do you remember that young man from before? The one with terrifying physical strength?" Caleb asked.
Austin nodded. "Of course I remember. I think his name was…"
"Alex," Caleb said. "We might be able to form an alliance with him."
"Huh?! You think he'd agree to work with us? Is he even still alive?" Austin asked, clearly doubtful.
"We'll try," Caleb replied, voice filled with fatigue. "We have to try everything. Even if there's only a one in a billion chance of winning—we have to take it."
…
Meanwhile, in the territory of a rank D Lord.
Maisy sat in her chair, her gaze calmly sweeping over the members of her management team.
"I assume all of you have seen the System's announcement by now?" she said softly—her voice carrying no trace of emotion.
"Hahaha… is there even anything to think about?" said Garek, a tall, muscular man who burst into laughter. "Just a bunch of rank F and E Lords. What can they do besides scream in despair?"
"Don't get too cocky," someone else interjected. "Remember, the one who cleared the 10th floor of the Trial Tower was a rank F Lord. The one who ranked first in the 'Zombie Wave' event was a rank E+ Lord."
"Exactly," a woman sitting next to the speaker chimed in. "We shouldn't get overconfident—it'll only put us in danger. I think we should pool all our strength together and eliminate the other Lords in surrounding areas as fast as possible."
"Huh! Cowards," Garek scoffed. "You're afraid of some low-rank nobodies? Just crush them with brute strength."
"They only passed those challenges because they got lucky," said a young man sitting next to Garek. "Don't forget—the difficulty of the 'Zombie Wave' is scaled based on the power level of the Lords in that region."
"The weaker you are, the easier the 'Zombie Wave' event becomes. A bunch of rank F and E Lords naturally faced a simple version of the event—of course they'd come out on top."
"Then how do you explain a rank F Lord clearing the 10th floor of the Trial Tower?" a girl asked, her voice filled with annoyance.
"Like I said," the young man continued, "pure luck. The Trial Tower operates on a similar scaling mechanism—the weaker the challenger, the weaker the monsters inside."
"Ah, right. I forgot—you haven't even reached level 4 yet. Once you get there, you'll understand exactly what I mean."
"Of course, I'm not underestimating anyone. Just like Garek said, all we need to do is concentrate our strength and crush those low-rank Lords."
"You—" the girl across from him began to protest, clearly furious, but a voice rang out.
"Enough," Maisy said calmly, her gaze sweeping the room. "Everyone makes valid points. We won't be overconfident, but we won't cower either."
"And besides, the 'Central Resource Production Facility' is too important for us. We must claim it—at all costs."
"That's why, this time, we fight seriously. Of course, Garek will be leading the combat efforts."
Garek stood up with a laugh. "Hahaha… Thank you, Captain. I won't let you down."
Maisy continued, "Besides that, I have a few questions for you."
"Ah!" Garek scratched his head, as if he already knew what she was about to ask. "You mean the pillar of fire in that area, right?"
"Correct," Maisy nodded.
Everyone immediately turned their attention to listen. They'd all seen the towering, 200-meter flame in the distance—and the fear and cold dread that kept them from approaching it.
"I… I only got close for a moment," Garek said with embarrassment. "But if my level had been higher, I might have—"
"Get to the point, Garek," Maisy interrupted coldly.
Garek took a deep breath, restraining his irritation, then explained, "Captain, that place is… strange. It's surrounded by a bluish-green flame, but it doesn't give off heat or a blinding glow."
"On the contrary, the flame is cold and emits a gloomy light. As I approached, I could hear the screams of countless people."
"The closer I got, the stronger the discomfort grew—like a mountain pressing down on my back."
"I even tried to go a bit closer. This is the result…"
Garek waved his hand, and two young men entered the room carrying a stretcher. On it lay someone completely motionless. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
"What the hell is that?"
"Garek, what the hell are you doing? Get that corpse out of here."
"Yeah, it reeks! You trying to make us vomit or what?!"
Unlike the others, Maisy silently stared at the decaying body on the stretcher. Then she turned her gaze to Garek.
"He's still alive," Garek said.
