【 YOUR MAJESTY! SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED! 】

Jiang Shang wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with online gaming competitions.

In fact, for a game as high-quality and well-received as Elven Kingdom, a grand prize of 30,000 RMB didn’t seem all that extravagant.

At first glance, this announcement didn’t seem like that much of a big deal, despite how much Akai made it out to be.

After all, typically in these world-renowned, phenomenal games, tournament prizes can easily reach millions and sometimes even tens of millions, with winners in such tournaments often walking away with half or more of the total prize pool.

For anyone who won in these competitions, calling them “overnight millionaires” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Of course, the players who are capable of winning in these events were generally famous pro gamers who had hefty net worths to their names already.

Some of them didn’t even care much about the prize money, as it was merely a bonus in their eyes. The prestige and fame gained from becoming the winner were often far more valuable for them.

However, that level of prize pool was usually limited to competitions held on a national or international scale.

From the moment Jiang Shang saw this event announcement, he immediately understood what the developers were aiming for. This Player War Tournament was something entirely different from those massive esports competitions reserved for the best of the best.

Based on the announcement’s description, this seemed more like a regularly scheduled in-game event open to all players in which anyone, regardless of their status or skill level, could participate.

And for a routine event like that, a prize pool of 30,000 RMB was nothing to scoff at as it was already higher than the monthly salary of most working adults.

Considering the developers of Elven Kingdom and their usual approach to organizing events, coupled with the game’s accelerated in-game time, competitions of this nature rarely lasted more than a week in real-world time.

For other online games, this would basically be considered just a minor official event.

But for players who were able to win that much within a week, it was definitely enough to attract a huge crowd.

Especially considering the rapid pace at which players could earn such a sizable amount.

But what really made Jiang Shang’s hands itch wasn’t just the 30,000 RMB prize…

It was actually the added note right next to the prize money.

That small detail held more significance than any amount of cash could convey.

25 Silver-rankers and 25 Iron-rankers will be eligible to win the first prize, for a grand total of 50 winners!

Jiang Shang swallowed hard.

If the first prize were limited to only one or two winners, Jiang Shang would have simply watched the competition from the sidelines.

After all, the ranks of Elven Kingdom were filled with players far stronger than he was, some of whom were well-known figures in the game’s competitive scene.

Take Boxlunch, Jasmine Under the Moon, or Stir-Fried Tomato, for instance. These were players who had established themselves as top elites in the game, each with a reputation that preceded them. He couldn’t even imagine having the confidence to defeat any of them. The gap between their skills and his own was wide, and the idea of challenging them felt like an impossible feat.

But with the devs offering 50 slots for winners, the odds suddenly seemed more favorable.

Jiang Shang felt he had a real shot at this!

After all, the level and stats mechanics within Elven Kingdom were somewhat fuzzy, and unless he ran into a bugged-out player like Little Salty Cat, the gap between players wasn’t usually that overwhelming.

Moreover, being strong didn’t necessarily mean you’d score the most points in the war event.

So despite only being at level 41, Jiang Shang firmly believed that as long as he worked hard enough and grinded relentlessly, then perhaps he might just pull off an incredible feat and outperform others in the competition!

Still, when Jiang Shang saw that there were separate category for Iron-rank players, he couldn’t help but pause and think:

“I didn’t expect Iron-rank players wouldn’t have to compete against Silver-rankers… Huh… Maybe I should’ve delayed my rank advancement. I might’ve had an even better chance at winning the first prize. After all, when I was level 40, I was pretty much at the top among Iron-rank players.”

“Then again… it’s not absolute. There are only a few hundred Silver-rank players in total, but over 100,000 Iron-rank players, of which 10,000 have already reached level capped in the Iron-rank category. The competitive pressure on the latter is on a whole different scale.”

“Heh… come to think of it, it’s kinda like the Silver-rankers are the developer’s favorites!”

Jiang Shang chuckled.

From this perspective, it really did seem like Silver-rank players had the advantage.

And that wasn’t even the end of it…

Second Prize — 10,000 RMB, 50 slots for the Silver-rank category, while 50 slots for Iron-rank category.

Third Prize — 3,000 RMB, 100 slots for the Silver-rank category, 200 slots for Iron-rank category.

Jiang Shang swallowed again.

“Judging by the odds… as long as I participate, I’ve got a pretty good chance of winning something! Even getting third prize would be amazing as it’d cover my living expenses for the entire month!”

Jiang Shang’s heart began to race with excitement.

“All things considered, the total prize pool is around 4 million RMB? Damn… for a routine event, this amount really is a massive payout. Especially since the whole server only has about 100,000 players.”

“Oh, what’s this? There’s also a consolation prize? 30,000 Contribution Points? And that’s not limited by category either but a total of 5,000 slots across the whole server…”

Jiang Shang muttered.

“Too bad… if this were back when the game just launched, that would’ve been fantastic. But now? Contribution Points are practically flooding the market.”

Jiang Shang shook his head.

Contribution Points were the official currency of the game.

During the closed beta, Jiang Shang had even heard rumors that the exchange rate between Contribution Points and RMB had once reached a terrifying 1:1 ratio.

But like any online game, the in-game economy was always shifting…

Items were the most expensive when they first appeared, but once the supply increased, the prices gradually dropped.

The value of Contribution Points was no exception.

Although the value of various items in the Exchange Store hadn’t changed much since the game’s release, the real-world exchange value of Contribution Points had steadily decreased as more and more players flooded the game…

It was foreseeable that, as time went on, the exchange rate would only continue to drop.

Meanwhile, housing prices in the Elven Forest were soaring higher and higher, especially in the central district of Chosen City, wherein they were reaching absurd levels.

Thinking of the sky-high real estate property prices in Chosen City, Jiang Shang couldn’t help but sigh.

“Seriously… why does playing a game have to come with the pressure of buying a house too?”

Whilst shaking his head, Jiang Shang turned his attention back to the competition event page.

With the first three rewards being offered in the two categories, he had completely lost interest in the consolation prizes.

Right now, his entire focus was drawn to the grand prize.

“Thirty thousand RMB… I have to win this for sure! I’m gonna grind like crazy this week!”

Jiang Shang clenched his fists.

With that thought in mind, he quickly sent a message to his best friend:

“Akai! Wanna team up and grind? It says the competition starts today!”

Akai shortly replied a minute later.

“Wake up, dude. We’ve got a full day of classes.”

“Well, I guess I’m skipping them!”

Akai: “…”

“You’re hopeless.”

༺⟐༻

Just as Evé had anticipated, the war competitive event she posted on the official website was like pouring fuel onto an already blazing fire.

It sent the players’ excitement to an entirely new level.

Both the forums and the game itself buzzed with heated discussion about the event.

“Damn! 30,000 RMB?!”

“30,000? That’s not that much, honestly…”

“Are you serious? Did you even read the details? This is a routine event! It’s not even a long-term one! And just look at how many potential winners there are…”

“Whoa… that many? Hold on… aren’t our chances actually pretty good with those odds?!”

“That’s really impressive… throwing around hundreds of thousands like it’s nothing. Have the game developers even broken even yet?”

“Who knows…”

“I’m grinding nonstop! Even if I have to take time off this week, I’m definitely pushing myself hard!”

“Hey man, be careful, or you’ll get fired for that.”

The players’ excitement had been completely ignited, their competitive spirits burning brighter than ever. Almost every player signed up for the event, eager to claim their share of the rewards.

Moreover, when Monday morning came around in the real world, although the number of concurrent players had dropped slightly, it still held steady at around 120,000.

Normally speaking, on a typical weekday morning, the online player count would be cut in half, but the excitement surrounding the Player War Tournament had clearly kept a large number of players logged in. Even those who would typically be at work or school were finding ways to sneak in a few hours of grinding, keeping the server bustling with activity.

Looking at the online data displayed in the game system, Evé shook their head.

“The power of money really is incredible…”

This event had basically cost her over half of this month’s membership revenue, but judging by the results, it was well worth it.

“Hm… I should hold more of these events in the future. At least one every month. Not only does it keep players motivated, but it’ll also help me cultivate a group of full-time players…”

“Unfortunately, the current player base is still limited, so the prize pool I’m able to offer isn’t that big. Otherwise, I could give out even more.”

Evé shook their head again.

“Once this war ends and the first batch of public-beta players fully adapts to the game’s atmosphere, I’ll reopen the game for the second batch.”

༺⟐༻

Desert of Death, Sandstorm City.

Currently, heavily armed orc warriors patrolled the city streets, and the entire city was shrouded in an atmosphere of tension.

As news spread of the approaching elven army laying siege to their city, the mood of its inhabitants grew increasingly solemn.

However, despite the heavy atmosphere, the expressions of the city’s residents remained calm.

After all, the ones living here were either orcs who treated war as casually as eating a meal or outlaws with nothing to lose.

Moreover, Sandstorm City was surrounded by mountains on three sides, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. Its fortified walls, massive army, and underground supply routes connecting to the underworld all gave the residents great confidence in withstanding the war.

Not only was this city the economic heart of the Desert, but it was also its most impenetrable fortress.

In the heart of Sandstorm City stood the towering Spire Tower. A remarkable relic from the Dwarven era, the Spire Tower was both the city’s most iconic landmark and a grand observation post.

More importantly, it housed the city’s core underground, which was also where the shrine to the God of Winter and Hunting was, making it an almost impenetrable stronghold.

That’s right.

As a city inherited from the Dwarven age, Sandstorm City had a core system no different from those of the underground city-states, capable of activating an almost flawless divine defense barrier.

And as the heart of this defense system, the Spire Tower itself was constructed from the Desert’s famous obsidian ore. The stone, pitch-black and gleaming with an unnatural luster, was known to be utterly indestructible, its surface reflecting the harsh desert sun like a dark mirror.

This unyielding material gave the orcs a deep sense of security, reinforcing their belief that their city was unassailable, impervious to any force that might attempt to breach it.

Thus, there was even a saying that circulated throughout the Desert of Death:

“As long as the Spire Tower stands, Sandstorm City remains unshaken. But when the Tower falls, so too will the city. And when Sandstorm City crumbles, the very Desert of Death itself shall collapse.”

At this moment atop the Spire Tower.

High atop the observation deck of the tower, Oracle King, Bazaan, stood in silence, his gaze cast far across the endless dunes on the looming horizon.

In the distance, roughly twenty kilometers away from the city walls, a dark, sprawling encampment was steadily taking shape.

It was the elves’ encampment.

Four days had passed since the elven army arrived at Sandstorm City.

Yet, during these four days, the elves had not launched an assault at all. Instead, they had simply settled in, establishing their temporary camp.

This was something the orcs had not anticipated.

In Bazaan’s and Chief Shaman’s estimations, the elves, having cut through the heart of the Desert with such relentless momentum and claimed victory after victory, should have pressed their advantage, continuing their offensive without pause.

After all, this should have been the peak of their morale.

But instead… they had halted.

If it was merely to rest their forces, that would have been understandable. Even the most seasoned armies needed time to regroup after such a swift and grueling march through the Desert.

But as days passed and their scouts observed closely, the orcs discovered something truly unsettling…

The elves seemed to have no intention of attacking Sandstorm City at all!

This perplexed everyone at the Royal Court.

After all, it was the elves who had plunged their army deep into their territory. The longer they delayed their attack, the more time would work against them.

Yet their subsequent actions… were really strange.

And this strangeness stirred unease within Bazaan’s heart.

Frowning slightly, he fixed his gaze upon the elven encampment.

As a Gold-ranked warrior, his vision was sharp which were further enhanced by the spyglass he purchased from Sauron.

Through it, he could clearly observe the elves’ activities, even from such a distance.

“They’re… building walls? No… those aren’t just fences; they look like actual fortified walls! What in the world are they planning?”

“And more importantly…”

Bazaan’s brow furrowed deeper.

“Their numbers… seem to have thinned?”

Strange.

Far too strange.

Although reason told Bazaan that this standoff favored their side, he could not shake a growing sense of dread as though he had overlooked something critical.

And just as he continued his watch over the elven camp, a frantic orc warrior stumbled up the tower steps.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Bad news—No, terrible news!”

His voice was filled with panic.

Bazaan’s brow darkened, displeased at the disruption.

He set down the spyglass, turning to face the other party.

The orc warrior was drenched in sweat, his face pale with expression not only filled with terror but also a trace of confusion, as though he could scarcely believe the report he carried.

Bazaan’s frown deepened.

“Calm yourself! The sky hasn’t fallen yet.”

The warrior dropped to his knees, trembling as he begged for forgiveness.

Bazaan snorted coldly.

“Speak. What happened?”

Whilst wiping his sweat, the orc warrior stammered:

“They’ve fallen! The nearby tribes… they’ve been overrun!”

Overrun?

Bazaan’s expression froze.

“Where? What’s been overrun?”

Instinctively, he glanced at the city walls of Sandstorm City, confused.

“The Sandwind Tribe… and the Sandrock Tribe… both have fallen!”

The warrior’s voice was hoarse.

The Sandwind and Sandrock Tribes?

Bazaan’s eyes widened in shock.

These were two mid-sized tribes, situated along the nearby mountains that encircled Sandstorm City, which was beyond his line of sight.

But even so…

“How?! How could they have fallen? They’re just right behind us and the elven army is still stationed there close at our gates!”

Bazaan demanded sharply.

The warrior swallowed hard, his voice filled with both fear and awe:

“They came… from underground! The elves… their forces suddenly emerged from beneath the earth! They appeared right inside the tribes! Sandwind and Sandrock had no time to react before they were overrun from within!”

From underground?!

Bazaan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

And in that moment, a flash of realization struck him like lightning.

Fragments of intelligence from the front lines, along with those reports he had dismissed as unlikely immediately surged back into his mind.

His expression darkened.

“It’s because of that Crypt Spider…!”

— 528 —

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