Chapter 54 World Announcement
In a dimly lit room shrouded in shadows, two figures stood across from each other. Read exclusive adventures at empire
The faint glow of a phone screen cast eerie shadows on their faces.
One figure, tall and slender, wore a fox mask and tilted her head. The other, a broad-shouldered man cloaked in dark clothing, leaned against the wall. His face was obscured by the hood pulled low over his eyes.
"He canceled the buy," he muttered in irritation.
The fox-masked woman was silent for a moment. Then, with a faint sigh, she spoke with a low and calm voice. "Then we'll have to find another way to get to him."
The man's fingers scrolled across the screen before stopping. He turned the device toward her, showing a profile page on an online gaming social media platform.
It was Aleman's profile. The familiar avatar picture accompanied by a list of his past sales and sparse updates was on display.
"He's not selling anything new at the moment," the man observed with a voice accompanied by a slight edge of frustration. "How do you expect us to reach him without any bait?"
The fox-masked woman's lips curved under the mask, a hint of a smile that was neither reassuring nor warm. "There are other ways," her voice dripped with subtle menace.
The man raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "And just how do you plan on doing that?"
Without answering, she turned toward the window. Her slender yet alluring silhouette was framed by the faint moonlight filtering through the blinds.
She gazed out over the city skyline. "Aleman doesn't realize it yet, but he's caught in a web far beyond the reach of his games," she said quietly. "We'll simply pull the right strings, one by one, until he's exactly where we need him."
...
...
Back in Enders's light, the situation was getting tense.
As the Ogre Chief rallied his loyal followers, a roar of approval echoed through the chamber, soon matched by fierce snarls from the ogres who were loyal to the renegades.
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The opposing forces squared off in a vast, tense line as both sides brandished weapons, ready for the chaotic battle about to unfold.
At the center of the chamber, a glowing rune pulsed on the ground, and in between was a group of ogres chanting. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by an impenetrable barrier.
[ System Notification: Objective Update - Defeat the Renegades and Stop the Awakening. ]
August, Xyron, Aria, and the rest of their party stood side-by-side with the chief's ogres, exchanging glances and nodding in unspoken agreement. With weapons drawn, they were ready to fight.
"Listen, everyone!" August called over the din. "Our focus has to be that chanting circle! If we don't stop them, they'll finish the awakening."
Xyron cracked his knuckles as his eyes narrowed on the group chanting around the rune. "Right. Let's make this quick!"
They charged forward, throwing everything they had at the shimmering barrier around the chanting circle.
Xyron's broadsword crashed against it causing a loud metallic clang to constantly ring out.
Aria launched a Fireball that exploded upon impact but merely fizzled out. Kelvor's poison-tipped daggers and August's Ethereal Storm both failed to make a scratch.
[ System Notification: Barrier Unaffected - Mystical Item Detected. ]
"Damn it!" Xyron spat. "This thing's impenetrable!"
August scanned the surroundings, his instincts telling him they were missing something vital, but the number of ogres clashing around them made it hard to focus.
Loyal and renegade ogres clashed on all sides. The air was soon filled with the smell of sweat, blood, and dust.
The bar on the awakening rune was inching closer to completion. A visual timer counted down their remaining time.
"Wait! Let me try something!" Aria suddenly voiced out.
Casting a spell, she muttered words under her breath, her fingers tracing complex patterns in the air.
"Signature Link..."
Her eyes glowed briefly as she completed the spell.
A faint shimmer encircled her as she stared up, spotting a triangular-shaped mystical item pinned to the ceiling which was more than twenty-five feet high. "There! The barrier's connected to that artifact up there!"
Before she could take aim to destroy it, a massive ogre with a spiked club rammed into her, knocking her back and taking a substantial chunk of her HP.
[ System Notification: -1000 HP ]
"Get that thing, Aleman!" she cried while pointing to the hidden artifact above.
August barely dodged a club aimed his way, sidestepping two renegade ogres who flanked him from either side.
His hand twitched as he activated Shadow Dance. Shadows multiplied around him, creating afterimages that confused his attackers.
Using the distraction, August sprinted toward the spot below the mystical item with his gaze fixed upward.
He conjured Lightning Bolt as the air around him crackled. Just as he aimed, a sudden blow from a spiked club sent him reeling.
His HP dropped dangerously.
[ System Notification: -1200 HP ]
Through the haze of pain, August steadied himself. His gaze was still locked on the artifact above. Channeling his focus, he fired the Lightning Bolt straight up striking the mystical item with precision.
The artifact shattered in a brilliant burst of light.
[ System Notification: Barrier Dispelled. ]
With the barrier down, Xyron lunged forward with his greatsword and swung it with brute force, decapitating one of the chanters.
The chanting faltered and the spell was disrupted just as the awakening bar reached 99%.
The renegade ogres let out a collective roar of despair as they watched their ritual fail.
The energy dissipated, leaving the would-be Ogre Lord bound within his prison. The remaining loyalists fought with renewed vigor, sensing victory.
The group worked seamlessly, picking off the renegade ogres one by one, and soon, the room was filled only with the labored breathing of the victorious ogres and the players.
[ System Notification: Dungeon Cleared - Ogres' Dwelling. Congratulations! An Independent Party Has Cleared the Dungeon. ]
[ World Announcement: Congratulations to Aleman, Xyron, Aria, Kelvor, Hermes, and Thara for completing the Ogres' Dwelling Dungeon! ]
"Whoa, we got the world announcement..." One of Xyron's lackeys was shocked.
Even Aria bounced up and joy joyously, accidentally jumping into August's arms.
He laughed while catching her, before slowly putting her back down as a blush appeared on the face of her avatar.
"Sorry," she muttered.
"It's fine... I'm just as excited," It was also August's first time experiencing this.
Everything that had happened in the last twenty hours was completely unexpected.
[ System Notification: Reward Distribution Initiated. ]
[ +400,000 EXP to all Players ]
The group stood in awe as piles of loot materialized around them. Glittering weapons, shimmering potions, and various rare items littered the chamber floor.
August couldn't believe the sight—he had never seen such abundant loot in-game before. Among the rewards was a particular item that caught his eye—a tusk-like artifact, imbued with a dark, shifting glow.
[ System Notification: Acquired Ogre's Tusk - Grants Ability to Temporarily Take on Ogre Form and Conceal Player Name. ]
August marveled at the new item as the Ogre Chief approached them.
His eyes gleamed with gratitude despite his menacing looks. He bowed while voicing with a rumbling tone. "You have saved my people and prevented a terrible fate. For that, we owe you our thanks."
The chief handed each of them additional rewards, nodding with respect as he addressed each player.
"Thank you," August replied, nodding back with a smile. But his moment of triumph was short-lived, as he noticed Xyron glaring at him.
"Do not think this changes anything," Xyron sneered. "Once we're out of here, I'm taking every bit of loot you have on you."
August held his gaze, calm and unphased. "Good luck with that, Xyron. But you'll find that taking from me isn't as easy as it looks."