Chapter 2454: Chapter 819: Stop Now, Mentor! The Fourth Calamity Is Everywhere Outside!
The Player Corps’ assault on the Cultist Base went awry from the very beginning.
In their original plan, they anticipated facing the evil Spiritual Energy, cursed creatures, and world-ending evil rituals within the base, so the players thoroughly prepared for these aspects.
Each person prepared two sets of rune stones that could defend against curses and spiritual attacks.
But after they actually broke in, aside from the freaks of the Wam Brothers Society who were already frenzied and constantly shouting strange noises like "quack," "cackle," or "hey," everyone was startled by the strange things continuously emerging before them.
Well, the expected "earth-shattering power" was indeed present in this place, but its manifestation was somewhat peculiar.
For example, the rune stones they had prepared to defend against spiritual attacks were certainly ineffective against the fully automatic defense turrets streaming from the base corridors, and the scrolls for countering curses were insufficient against the self-destructing drones flying about.
Especially for players directly facing those unleashed biological weapons, they felt extremely exhausted by these bizarre things.
Frankenstein and tentacle monsters...
Enough is enough!
Ten minutes into the assault, all the players were complaining that they weren’t attacking a magic medieval cultist fortress at all, but had stepped into a 22nd-century military fortress.
This damned place even had the unscientific electromagnetic cannon, which had just blasted the shell of the Electronic Snail from the student faction to smithereens a few seconds ago.
It seems that even a seasoned Silver-tier warrior is no match for a metal projectile accelerated to ten Mach when taken head-on.
But after all, this place is a research base, not a true military base used by the Dusk to research apocalyptic weapons. The defensive firepower, barely repaired by the base’s autonomous robots, was still limited. Under the players’ various strategic advances, especially after two Golden Ones joined the battle, the base defense system quickly fell into paralysis.
The heretics now had no choice but to face off directly with the Transia Barbarians.
However, the players couldn’t immediately reach the base’s lower levels due to the large number of servants and apprentices here, and as a research base for the Ratman project, it hosted numerous enhanced Ratmen. Although individually they couldn’t withstand the Transia invaders, they were excellent at stalling for time.
"They’re buying time; this won’t work! I suspect these heretics are up to something big. Lady Shui, activate Plan B quickly!"
Brother Meow activated the power of War Red, developing a bizarrely odd Army of Bloodthirsty Plants while he was slaughtering Ratmen. He commanded the Bloodwood Treemen to charge forward and called out to Lady Shui, who was fighting in another area, using his Adventure Assistant:
"Deploy our warriors, infiltrate the deepest layer, and stop whatever those guys are doing!"
"Roger that."
Lady Shui responded and quickly got in touch with the demons of the Eight Elites waiting outside the base, the Locus Dwarves, and the eighteen elite knights gathered by the Rushing River Knights Group.
The reason they’re called Plan B is that they can circumvent the upper levels of the base using unconventional methods.
"Quick, quick, quick! Earth Shamans, prepare your spells!"
Locus Firehammer turned to shout at a group of dwarven players behind him after receiving orders:
"Prepare the Earth Walking Technique, and send us to the enemy’s rear."
"The underground here isn’t made of soil, it’s steel—damn it, our Earth Walking Technique can’t penetrate steel. I can only send us to the closest possible underground area. The earth here has been torn open, and there are some holes we can pass through!"
The Shield Dwarf Shaman with the ID "Rock Stormhammer" was planting his newly crafted totem on the ground while informing the others:
"When we go in, we may encounter danger. Everyone be prepared."
"Cut the chatter."
Locus Earthhammer called out holding two war hammers:
"For others, this is just a random mission, but for us Shield Dwarf players, this is the main racial quest! Lord Hether was forced to break the seal by these bastards, and now she’s floating in the Star Realm. I reckon she’s given up on thinking altogether.
Mother Gaia longs for revenge, and we are the fists of the earth’s vengeance.
Living or dying doesn’t matter!
What’s important is avenging Mother Earth!"
"Earthhammer is right, get to work, Stormhammer!"
Rock Stone Hammer, carrying a battle axe, urged, prompting Rock Stormhammer to stop talking and concentrate on casting spells. Nearby, the Earth Demon Lok, Fire Demon Sanctus, Wind Demon Howl, and Water Demon Basha, who also doubled as Shamans, assisted.
These guys occupied one each of wind, earth, water, and fire, practically the chosen ones of the Shaman profession.
That’s the main reason they were assigned to Plan B; currently, the number of Shaman players is few, and only these few are truly capable.
Shamanic spells don’t require Spiritual Energy and instead use more ancient and orthodox elemental power, making the elemental magic cast by players hard to detect. In this surprise attack scenario, they naturally became the primary force for backstabbing infiltration.
"But why are your surnames so strange!"
