【 PLAY THE WAR ANTHEM 】

Facts have proven that no matter which game it was, giving out double experience rewards are always an effective way to motivate players to level up.

Ever since Evé, under the guise of Zero, ordered the players to issue a “Declaration of War” against the orcs, every player within the Elven Forest had been grinding levels like mad.

Of course, the double experience buff was a major contributing factor but even more important was the upcoming war questline.

In two days time, the largest-scale war campaign since Elven Kingdom launched was about to begin, and no one could contain their excitement.

It was touted as a war involving hundreds of thousands of participants and not just any war, but a fully immersive, virtual war.

This was unprecedented in the history of gaming on Earth.

Some games might have amassed a similar number of participants over several days of battle, but in terms of real-time player count, this was totally unheard of.

As a result, whether it was veteran beta testers or fresh-faced newer public players, everyone was eager to join in the action.

Beyond that, as Elven Kingdom continued to build its reputation, news of this massive event rippled through various online gaming community, drawing forth attention from countless netizens.

Discussions about the upcoming war dominated gaming forums, and even search engines and social media platforms were flooded with headlines like:

“Virtual Fantasy Game Elven Kingdom to Host a Hundred-Thousand-Player Battle in Real Time!”

The comment sections under these news articles were ablaze with discussion…

> “Elven Kingdom? You mean the game people are calling a revolutionary masterpiece?”

> “Seriously? You’ve never heard of Elven Kingdom? What, are you still stuck playing 2D online games?”

> “Holy crap! A hundred-thousand-player event? That sounds insane! I played Mount & Blade 5 and even a two-thousand-man battle felt overwhelming…”

> “You can’t compare those two! Those hundred thousand are all players! I’m a public beta ElvKing player, and according to insider info, the AI-controlled army alone has at least three hundred thousand troops!”

> “Three hundred thousand?! Lol That war gotta be a lag-fest…”

> “Not just that! In ElvKing, every NPC has its own highly intelligent AI. Think about that for a second…”

> “Lmao… I can practically hear my CPU screaming already.”

> “This is gonna be epic. Just imagining it gives me chills!”

Players, especially those who loved large-scale war games, were thrilled beyond words.

Of course, some remained skeptical…

> “Hundreds of thousands? This has to be exaggerated, right?”

But comments like these were swiftly drowned out by the game’s fans.

> “Exaggerated? ElvKing doesn’t do exaggerations!”

> “Clearly, you don’t know much about Elven Kingdom. I won’t even bring up the mind acceleration and true sensory immersion features of the game as those are practically in the realm of sci-fi already. But just look at the past events. ElvKing already hosted a ten-thousand-player war campaign before. Just search it up, there are still videos of it online! Lol, go see for yourself.”

And so, the stream recordings from two of the game’s past battle events which were the Black Dragon Fortress Siege and the Underground War resurfaced once more…

With these videos making rounds again, the game reach the trending topic once again.

The sheer scale, the breathtaking visuals, and the blood-pumping background music in these videos made anyone who watched it felt an uncontrollable surge of excitement.

> “Is this really a game? Not a movie?”

> “Lol no… even a movie couldn’t capture this level of realism and grandeur…”

> “This is amazing! Now I want to play this game so badly!”

> “Heh, that depends on your luck. The game has limited slots. The public beta just started recently with only a hundred thousand available slots, and who knows when they’ll release more… Better start praying to the Goddess Eve.”

> “Goddess Eve?”

> “Yeah, the player’s faction leader. Here’s an image of her.”

> “Wait… isn’t she that meme from that popular emote pack? You’re telling me the ‘Face-Swap Goddess’ is actually her? Damn, I’m in.”

> “Heh, pretty sure I’ve seen her in some doujins before…”

> “…Hey, can you guys stop sullying the Goddess?”

> “Hahahahaha…”

> “…”

Meanwhile, every content creator who was lucky enough to become a player of Elven Kingdom was also prepared to broadcast the entire event live and posted early announcements on their personal homepage on the video platforms early on.

Of course, this only applied to the forty thousand unfortunate souls who hadn’t reached upper Iron-rank yet, since the game’s time acceleration made livestreaming impossible for outsiders. Therefore, non-player viewers would have to settle for recordings instead.

With double experience and the impending war, players were pushing themselves harder than ever.

As a result, the overall level of players was improving at a staggering pace, changing dramatically from one day to the next.

Then, on the second-to-last day before the war, the leveling frenzy reached an all-new peak.

Why?

Because Evé had just released another batch of Silver-rank advancement slots.

This time, she unlocked a whopping 350 advancement slots, bringing the total number of Silver-rank players to 500.

This was adjusted according to the orcs’ strength, as, based on Evé’s calculations, the total number of Silver-rank warriors among the entire orc race should not exceed two thousand.

This was their racial limitation. Since no matter how much Uller forcibly enhanced his believers’ strength, he could not defy the Orcs fundamental restriction.

Of course, that number was already terrifying in itself.

Last year, when the Lionheart King Imsh led his forces to attack Black Dragon Fortress, his entire army had barely over twenty Silver-rank warriors.

But last year was last year, and what’s happening now was a different story.

With the ongoing resurgence of mana, all sentient races were bound to experience a rapid rise in strength.

Evé didn’t even need to investigate as she could already guess that the humans, with their massive population, had likely grown even stronger…

Nonetheless, despite the increase in the orcs’ number of Silver-rank warriors, mobilizing even half of them for battle would be considered a success.

Uller’s control over his believers was nowhere near as absolute as Eve’s hold over the players.

And for an enemy like this, having five hundred Silver-ranked players would be more than enough.

Any more, and Evé would find it troublesome to resurrect them each time they died.

Meanwhile, the ambitious goal of assembling one hundred thousand players at level 30 or above was reached in record time—just three days after Eve had sent out the system announcement.

By the time the double experience event concluded, the number of players surpassing level 30 had surged past 120,000, exceeding initial projections.

Even more astonishing was the number of players who had hit the level cap of 40. Their ranks had tripled, now numbering over six thousand, forming an elite force within the army.

At this moment, the collective strength of the players had not only met but decisively surpassed Eve’s expectations.

A formidable force had emerged—an army of over a hundred thousand, with an average level of 30, fully prepared to march into battle.

Unknowingly, while the total number of players still couldn’t compare to the multimillion-player bases of some MMOs, they had already become an overwhelmingly powerful force to be reckoned with…

༺⟐༻

At the southern edge of the Dark Mountains, where they met the desolate Desert of Death, icy mountain winds howled, cutting through the air with a bone-chilling sharpness.

Under normal circumstances, this place would have been at its quietest and most desolate at this hour.

But today was different.

For this location was deemed to be the assembly point of the Elven Army.

Across the vast foothills, countless tents stood tall with each one belonging to a player.

Although a teleportation array connecting Rivendell existed here, it was far from efficient for transporting an army of a hundred thousand.

As a result, many players who had met the quest requirements had arrived early on, idling in-game at the moment while waiting for the war to officially begin.

The freezing temperatures in the area had forced them to set up tents for shelter. That said, those who opted to use tents were still in the minority, as most players simply chose to wait out in the open.

Most of them were newly arrived players, clustering in groups of three or four, engaging in idle chatter, playful sparring, or simply goofing off to pass the time. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and anticipation, with occasional bursts of laughter and the clang of weapons echoing across the encampment.

Meanwhile, at the rear, the teleportation array pulsed continuously, its glow flashing over and over as new players kept materializing out of it one after another…

From a bird’s-eye view, the rolling hills where they were stationed were now blanketed with an endless sea of players, a sprawling, ever-expanding force waiting for the signal to march.

And it wasn’t just the players who had gathered here as the area was also teeming with all sorts of magical beasts.

Ever since the familiar system was introduced, owning a magical beast had become an essential part of every player’s game experience. Not only did these creatures serve as trusted companions, but they also provided valuable support in battle. As such, for this war, many players had eagerly brought their familiars along, turning the gathering site into a veritable menagerie of magical creatures.

The variety of magical beasts was vast, each reflecting its owner’s playstyle and preferences. Even so, the most common remained the Crypt Spiders.

Second in number were the towering forest stags, native to the Elven Forest.

Beyond these, there were mountain grizzlies, lumbering yet immensely powerful; ironclad lizards, covered in thick, unyielding scales; and wind wolves, sleek and swift, their howls occasionally piercing through the chatter of the players. Each one contributed to the surreal and almost chaotic atmosphere of the war camp.

And, of course, there were the unicorns. Majestic and elegant, their radiant forms never failed to turn heads, their silvery manes flowing like liquid starlight. Once, they had been the ultimate prize among players, the pinnacle of status and admiration.

However, times had changed.

Ever since dragons had been introduced, the unicorns had been dethroned as the most coveted companion.

Now, dragons reigned supreme.

Their sheer presence commanded awe, their scales gleaming under the sun as they loomed over the battlefield. Unlike other familiars, dragons were selective, only choosing riders they deemed worthy. Because of this, those fortunate enough to be chosen held an almost VIP status among players.

Every so often, one of them would soar across the sky, the massive wings of their dragon casting immense shadows over the gathered army below.

Each time, the crowd would stop and gaze upward in admiration—or envy.

༺⟐༻

In Seigües, it was now 9:50 am in the morning.

Only ten minutes remained before the preparation phase ended, and the War against the Orcs Questline officially began.

Inside the largest tent, which belonged to the Heart of Nature guild, dozens of players had gathered, engaged in discussion.

Among them were Li Mu, Demacia, Little Salty Cat, HootyBird, Boxlunch, Stir-Fried Tomatoes, Transformer Ji Gang, and more…

These individuals included the Guildmasters of the four major guilds, as well as leaders from mid-sized guilds with over a thousand members, all assembled here.

Any guild with over 1,000 members was granted a commander slot, earning them the title of Legion Commander.

Of course, the four major guilds each had over ten thousand members, making their Legion Commanders vastly different from those of the smaller guilds.

To facilitate better coordination once the battle started, the four major guilds further divided their forces based on player classes, forming specialized legions such as the Warrior Legion, the Archer Legion, and the Mage Legion, each with its own respective commander.

The entire 120,000-strong player army was split into four army groups, with each led by one of the four major guilds. The mid-sized guilds, in turn, were attached to these larger forces.

This structure was the result of discussions among the guild leaders, in which formed the backbone of the player army.

As for the supreme commander of the entire force, as always, that role fell upon the lap of Li Mu.

However, this time, he would not be leading alone as their ‘Big Sister’ Zero would also accompany him.

Li Mu would take charge of commanding the legions on the front lines, while Zero, on the other hand, would oversee the battlefield from a strategic, top-down perspective, serving as the highest authority in the war effort.

Inside the tent, aside from the players, several other authoritative figures were also present…

Godwarden Zero stood at the center, her presence commanding respect. Beside her was the ever-composed Saintess Alice, while Aél, the battle-hardened warrior, quietly observed the discussions. The dragon duo, Meryer and Tiberia, exuded an air of dominance, their piercing gazes scanning the room. Even the enigmatic Spider Queen Rose was here which was a rare sight, given her usual preference for the depths of the underground.

Despite their formidable presence, most of them remained silent, merely listening as the players deliberated over the finer details of their battle plans.

“Well then, based on our discussions, we’ll advance into the Desert of Death along the route outlined by Lady Zero. Any objections?”

Li Mu gestured toward the large map spread out in the center of the tent.

The players exchanged glances and nodded.

“No objections.”

Li Mu glanced at the time and gave the order.

“In that case, we’ll adjourn our meeting. Everyone, log into the battlefield chat channel and start organizing your guild members. Get those who are still AFK back in line. In ten minutes, we’ll finally set out.”

༺⟐༻

With the meeting concluded, each guildmasters and their vice leaders left one after another to begin gathering their members.

As the Guildmaster of Heart of Nature, Li Mu also stepped out of the tent.

He looked around at the sea of tents and the bustling players moving back and forth, his heart surging with excitement.

At some point without him even realizing it, his guild, Heart of Nature had grown to over 30,000 members, solidifying its position as the undisputed number one guild in the gamr!

Never in his life had he imagined himself leading a guild of this size.

In fact, such a massive guild was only possible because Elven Kingdom ran on a single-server model, without separate servers or regional divisions.

Of course, the game’s lack of membership cap for guilds also played a major role.

“I never thought I’d be commanding a war of this scale…”

Li Mu muttered to himself, still feeling a sense of unreality.

There was even a hint of nervousness in his voice.

He patted his cheeks, then turned his gaze downward from the hilltop.

The rest of the players were already beginning to assemble themselves.

Like an endless swarm of ants, the vast numbers of players started moving in unison, converging toward their designated positions.

This was the advantage of being in a game.

Compared to traditional warfare in reality, instant communication and minimaps that could pinpoint one’s location completely solved one of the greatest challenges of pre-modern warfare:

Maintaining army cohesion.

Of course, their formations were still somewhat loose. Some players continued to joke around, sparring with one another or making light of the situation, but the moment a battlefield command in the chat was issued, these casual atmosphere would immediately vanish and within seconds, they would all snap into position, ready for war.

However, it wasn’t just the players who were gathering.

The native elves were joining as well.

This time, they too would also participate in the battle.

That was the Goddess decision.

While they, the players were the main fighting force, the natives needed to face the trials of blood and fire as well.

Thus, a 500-strong elite elven force, led by the Primordial Elf Thranduil, had been formed. Composed of skilled warriors from both the returning Elves and Primordial Elves, they were a striking presence on the battlefield.

Nevertheless, for safety reasons, most of the natives were deployed as archers, and each was provided with a unicorn mount.

Li Mu took one look at the native elves’ formation before shifting his gaze elsewhere.

He had already decided on their position—somewhere where they could gain battle experience while remaining close enough for players to protect them if needed.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled up the battlefield chat and logged in.

At that moment, the player count displayed in the battlefield channel had already surpassed 80,000.

This meant 80,000 players were now online and ready to follow his commands.

And that number was still skyrocketing.

The chat log was a blur of rapidly scrolling messages—so many players were active that new messages disappeared in an instant, swept away in the flood of text.

Looking at the long list of familiar usernames pinned at the top, and the ever-increasing number of players joining, Li Mu couldn’t help but smiled.

“Play the war anthem.”

The moment he gave the order, a rousing, triumphant melody surged through the surroundings!

— 513 —

— —

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep