Online Game: Starting with an SSS-Level Plundering Talent

149  Chapter 149: Establishing the Faction, Monster Tide Incoming

The next day, many experts of the Saint Martial Sect gathered.

The elves, the Undying Legion of the Gates Empire, and the Beast Clan army.

Even the elite forces of RitchieFlame City had all been brought in.

To fend off the impending monster tide attacking the newly established faction, John summoned all of his forces, making thorough preparations.

"Brother-in-law, is it time to upgrade the city?" Armstrong asked while holding two Altar Upgrade Stones.

John nodded, "Go ahead." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Alright." Without hesitation, Armstrong used the Altar Upgrade Stones to upgrade the city.

[Ding, Saint Martial City upgraded to a Level 4 City.]

[Ding, Saint Martial City upgraded to a Level 5 City.]

[Announcement: Saint Martial City has initiated the Faction Challenge. In the next 12 hours, a monster tide will attack. Successfully defend the city to unlock the Faction System.]

...

Two system notifications about the upgrade of Saint Martial City, followed by three announcements, immediately caused a massive uproar in the world of Gods.

"Another Faction System is being activated?"

"Saint Martial City? Isn't that a player-built city? Does this mean players can also unlock the Faction System?"

"I recall Saint Martial City is tied to the Ancient Martial Arts Family, probably related to the Godslayer."

"Let's form a group and head to Saint Martial City. Anyone know the coordinates?"

"Saint Martial City is in the Eternal Forest, where the monsters are formidable. I'd advise adventurers below Tier 4 not to get involved. Tier 4 players can barely make it through."

"Tier 4? Are the monsters that strong there? Do you think Godslayer can hold them off?"

"Not sure. This is the first time a player is establishing a faction, so the monster tide will definitely be tougher than when building a city."

"Does anyone know how to join the Saint Martial Sect?"

"Same question!"

"Does anyone know how to join the Saint Martial Sect?"

"Same question!"

"Maybe after they successfully establish the faction, they'll invite regular players to join."

...

The world chat channel buzzed with discussions, with many players forming groups to head toward the Eternal Forest.

This system announcement not only reached the players of the world of Gods but also triggered strong reactions from various races and forces.

City of Angels.

"They're unlocking the Faction System so soon?" Elsa frowned, muttering angrily, "That girl's talent is terrible, and she hasn't even reached the tenth level of cultivation yet!"

She knew John would establish a faction, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Her plan was to wait until Tracy had cultivated the Godpath technique to the tenth level. Then, she'd have full confidence in killing the Godslayer.

But now, Tracy was still in seclusion, and Elsa found herself hesitating—should she try to stop the Saint Martial Sect from establishing their faction?

The powerful beings of various factions, those of tier eight and below, were able to descend into the world of Gods to prevent the establishment of a faction.

However, even tier eight angels couldn't completely erase players. Even if they managed to kill Godslayer in the world of Gods, he could still resurrect, and there was no guarantee that he would drop the Death Worm's Nest secret area scroll.

Elsa had gone through so much effort to activate the Faction System for the sole purpose of reclaiming the Death Worm's Nest scroll from John's hands.

"Even if I don't act, the Dark Humans and Orcs will. I should at least send a few Two-Winged Angels to investigate this human," she decided. She ordered a seven-man squad of Two-Winged Angels to descend into the world of Gods.

...

Saint Martial Sect.

Not long after the system announcement, loud rumbling echoed through the forest, trees were toppled, and countless monsters surged forth.

Furious tree monsters, venomous tree monsters, jungle bears, death spiders…

All of them were powerful tier four and tier five monsters, swarming like a tide, rushing toward them in droves.

John stood atop the city wall, not in a hurry to make a move.

These tier four and five monsters could be barely handled by the players. It was better to let the disciples of Saint Martial Sect and the soldiers of the Flame Legion hunt them down and grow stronger.

"Everyone, prepare for battle! Maintain formation, no chaos! If any player falls, immediately cover for them!" Ritchie calmly commanded the army.

Even the one hundred thousand elite disciples of the Saint Martial Sect were under his unified command.

"Understood!" The army shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens. The surge of battle spirit was so intense that even John felt his blood boil.

In this life, he was full of confidence.

Although the players were still weak, once they grew, they would be more than capable of standing against the Dark Humans.

"Ranged classes, prepare!" Ritchie raised his hand, clenching his fist, calculating the distance of the approaching monster tide.

"Attack!" At his command, countless arrows were launched from the city walls, and magic spells filled the sky, crashing into the monster tide army.

Roar...

Roar after roar filled the air as the monstrous army suffered heavy casualties.

But soon, more monsters swarmed from behind, like an endless tide, pressing forward without end.

Seeing this, Ritchie frowned. At this rate, the monster tide would reach the foot of the city walls in no time.

"Knights, warriors, charge!" he ordered through gritted teeth. This move was practically sending the knights and warrior players to their deaths, but it was the only way to slow the advance of the monster tide.

"Elves, get ready!" At that moment, Anna stepped forward, commanding the elf army to hold off the monster tide.

"Robin," Ada looked at the commander of the Undying Legion and said, "Go, and be careful."

"Yes, Your Highness, don't worry!" he responded, brandishing his spear and leading the Undying Legion into battle.

"We're going too." Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix charged out as well, leading the Beast Clan army into the fray.

With the addition of the elf army, the Undying Legion, and the Beast Clan forces, the pressure on Ritchie and the others was greatly reduced, allowing them to fend off the monster tide's attack.

On the city walls, only a few powerful tier-eight warriors, like Black Turtle, remained.

"These humans' combat capabilities are truly impressive," Bonnie remarked, watching the fierce battle between the players and monsters below, unable to hide her admiration.

Sara and the others nodded in agreement.

Though the players' strength was relatively weak, their coordination was flawless. If they were on par with the monster tide army in terms of power, they could easily handle the attack on their own.

"Godslayer, do you need us to step in?" Behemoth asked eagerly, watching the battle below, his fists clenched, clearly itching for a fight.

John shook his head, "No rush for now. They can handle it."

At that moment, Black Turtle spoke up, "Kid, when you have time, help me establish a city too. The Beast Clan needs its own faction."

Hearing his words, everyone's eyes lit up with interest. Especially Bonnie.

As a dark elf, she had made many enemies in the world of Gods. Now that the Faction System had opened and powerful beings from all races were descending, some of those enemies were bound to be among them.

If she could establish her own faction and gather the dark elves, it would be much easier to protect them.

"Sure," John agreed without hesitation, then looked at the others and added, "Anyone else who wants to establish a faction, I can help you build a city."

Bonnie was the first to speak, "Count me in, Godslayer."

"I'll pass," Behemoth hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the idea.

Although the Behemoth race was powerful, their numbers were few. It had been a long time since Behemoth had seen another of his kind. He even suspected that the rest of his species might have already gone extinct.

Black Turtle immediately said, "You can always join the Beast Clan faction."

"You?" Behemoth glanced at Black Turtle with disdain.

Though both were tier-eight, there was a vast difference in strength. Behemoth was a legendary-class warrior, while Black Turtle was merely an epic-class. The gap between them was immense.

Black Turtle, clearly displeased, retorted, "Don't forget, the Beast Clan has Tony and Ben backing us up."

"Hmm, that's something to consider," Behemoth's attitude shifted instantly. With the protection of two peak tier-nine warriors, he would be much safer.

"Dear, which faction are you in? I want to join yours," Sara looked at John with affection in her eyes.

"Well..." John hesitated, unsure how to answer. He honestly didn't know which faction to belong to.

The Saint Martial Sect, Gates City, the Beast Clan, and the dark elf faction Bonnie wanted to establish—all were under his influence.

Choosing a single faction to join left him momentarily unsure of which to pick.

He looked at Sara and said, "All of these factions are mine. You can join whichever one you like."

Black Turtle immediately chimed in, "Lady Sara, why not join the Beast Clan? After all, we share the same roots."

"Join my faction!" Bonnie shot him a glare and snapped.

Black Turtle chuckled awkwardly and wisely shut his mouth. With his lesser strength, he didn't dare offend Bonnie.

"The dark elves, huh? That's actually a good choice," Sara nodded in agreement.

She had been trapped in the Abyss for a thousand years and had long mastered dark affinity. The dark elves also belonged to the forces of darkness, and their faction would naturally have a dark blessing that could enhance her cultivation.

John didn't involve himself in their conversation, instead observing the battlefield.

The battle had lasted for over five hours, and no more monsters were emerging from the forest, signaling that the tide seemed to be nearing its end.

However, John didn't think it was over.

This monster tide was likely just the first wave. Stronger enemies were surely coming next.

Roar!

With a final, dying wail, the last tier-five Death Spider was shot down by the elves, bringing a temporary calm to the battlefield.

"Hurry! Tend to the wounded and clear the field!" Ritchie glanced at the time and immediately gave the order.

The monster tide attack was only halfway through. Now was no time to relax.

The players efficiently began cleaning up the battlefield.

"Attack!" Suddenly, shouts of battle echoed through the forest.

But this time, it wasn't monsters that appeared—it was powerful warriors from various races.

Demons, minotaurs, barbarians, undead…

There were even several races John had never encountered before. Their numbers dwarfed the previous monster tide, and their strength was far superior.

"Everyone, looks like I'll need your help this time," John said, turning to his companions.

With so many strong warriors from various races, the players wouldn't be able to hold the line. Even with the elves and Beast Clan, it would be tough to defend against this assault.

The group nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, Godslayer. Leave it to me," Behemoth said eagerly, his excitement barely contained.

"Wait," Sara quickly stopped him, pointing toward the approaching army. "Bonnie, look, there are dark elves!"

Within the demon army was a contingent of thousands of dark elves, led by none other than the dark elf saintess, Tanya.

If you didn't look carefully, you wouldn't have noticed them at all.