Chapter 163: The Empire’s Counterattack (2)
‘Under Games’, a broadcasting channel specializing in games, came across a piece of information about Elder Lord’s hottest topic, the ‘War Maestro’ Rommel and the Heaven and Earth Clan. It was big news that they had begun their large-scale quest, and that quest was no ordinary raid quest. It was a war.
It was content that was rarely seen on the peaceful continent. It was not like those clan battles disguised as a war. A huge army was on the move, sparking the flames of war to a large-scale, close-quarters war.
The Heaven and Earth Clan, which recently had close relations with the kingdom, continued to carry out punitive expeditions. Now, however, they were marching with the Empire’s army. It was a real war.
The ‘Under Games’ channel, which had grown rapidly through Elder Lord, did not want to miss out on such an event.
Thus, they postponed the broadcast of the PvP competition and decided to organize a special program that covered the Heaven and Earth Clan’s quest progression in real time. They negotiated with the Heaven and Earth Clan, agreeing to pay huge amounts of royalties to stream the quest progression in a separate broadcast from Heaven and Earth’s streamer.
This allowed them to launch a new online program channel with a separate group of commentators, Throughout Heaven and Earth, Only I Reign Supreme:[1]Episode 0—The Empire’s Counterattack.
It was a title they came up with by putting words that looked cool together, but such a childish name worked in their favor and caught people’s attention. Just like that, the live stream began. It was a hardcore program, tracking the movements of the Heaven and Earth Clan twenty-four hours in real-time. There was already a huge amount of storytelling work composed behind the scenes by the writers.
They were knights under the orders of the emperor, fighting for the revival of the empire. On the other side, there were rebel forces revolting against the empire. The empire’s knights and the members of the Heaven and Earth Clan drew their swords to fight against their injustice. Soon, Throughout Heaven and Earth, Only I Reign Supreme became the talk of the town.
“Aren’t they just slaughtering the weak?” Some people were saying so, but their opinions were ignored.
Human rights belong to mankind. They were NPCs. Therefore, the audience was excited over the movement of the Heaven and Earth Clan.
***
“Our goal is to occupy Demetern, located at the entrance of Espada,” Rommel said.
“If needed, annihilate them.”
-As expected, Rommel is amazing. Look at his charisma. Even the almighty NPCs dare not raise their heads and are under his command. That’s what you call dignity of a general.
-They say that honor changes manners, but that’s not the case for Rommel. He was that kind of person from the very beginning. When Player Choi Han-Sung was a professional gamer in the past, he was already the same back then. He was always a confident fellow. I knew he would make it big.
The military officers nodded slowly at Choi Han-Sung’s words. Cainz, standing next to him, chuckled as he took a bite out of an apple.
“Those with rebellious ideas will do rebellious acts even under the rule of the Empire. We should nip them in the bud. So, let’s exclude conciliation from our options.”
“Even for those who do not resist?”
“Stop putting up an innocent front. We’ve already given them enough opportunities. They will have to pay for their own choices.”
“Ehem. Understood.”
-That’s Cainz, the Heaven and Earth Clan’s Vice Master. He used to be the Leader of the Haedong Balhae Clan, which has disbanded. If Rommel is the Heaven and Earth Clan’s field commander, Cainz is the brains. The Zhuge Liang of Elder Lord! Aren’t they commonly referred to as General Rom and Zhuge Cainz? LOL!
-General Rom! Zhuge Cainz! I don’t know who made the nickname up, but it suits them very well. Hahaha.
“And as for Crockta, before he comes, let’s show him clearly how many people are dying because of him,” Cainz said while taking another bite of the apple.
-Crockta! He is now rebelling against the Empire. Although he is a delightful NPC to the people, it would probably be a disaster since the opponent is the Heaven and Earth Clan.
-What a pity. It is hard to jump to conclusions, but there is too stark of a difference between an individual and an army. Objectively speaking, it is a fact that there is a difference in numbers. I think Crockta’s legend will probably end here... It’s a pity. What would it have been if Crockta was on the same side as the Heaven and Earth Clan? What if he were human? I keep feeling that it is such a pity.
The knight captains and infantry captains nodded before stepping back. Now, only Cainz and Rommel were left in the tent. The two looked at each other.
“In the end, we’ve come this far.”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go out with a bang. This is only the beginning.”
“Hoho.”
Rommel and Cainz fist bumped.
“Heaven and Earth.”
“The war begins.”
-Kyahhhh. That’s so cool. Heaven and Earth, the war begins!
-It’s Heaven and Earth clan’s motto. This is a war initiated by the Heaven and Earth clan. When it comes to a war, the Heaven and Earth Clan can’t miss out. Such confidence from their end.
Although it was obviously a scripted scene, the viewers did not notice it as they were already hooked on their character. After their chant, the screen slowly faded out. It was break time for the broadcast.
-When it comes to Elder Lord, of course, it’s realism! Since it is a game that maximizes the sense of reality, there are some difficulties in streaming all of it.
-Kuhaha, yes, sorry. I was just making a fuss, pfft. Anyway, that’s why they have a lot of things to do. They have to work even while going to the bathroom. That’s why they are taking a short break. Until they continue the live stream, we will play some highlight videos of the Heaven and Earth Clan’s achievements so that our viewers will not be bored.
-We will be right back after the break.
The screen transitioned to a recorded broadcast. Rommel appeared on the screen, with the clan members moving in perfect order under his command. It was a video recorded when the Heaven and Earth Clan was completing the bandit subjugation quest. They were systematically overpowering the enemies like well-trained soldiers. This fighting style was the reason why people loved the Heaven and Earth Clan.
***
“The commentary is so biased.”
Yoon Bo-Ra’s face turned sour as she watched the broadcast.
“Wait and see. Crockta will destroy the Heaven and Earth Clan, whatever they are called.”
“Did you not see the sheer number of soldiers just now?”
“Hey, he conquered the northern region by himself, didn’t he? Don’t you know Crockta?”
“Well, we don’t know what actually happened since we didn’t see it ourselves. No matter how strong Crockta is, he won’t be able to defeat that many people. If he could, he wouldn’t be a man, he’d be a God.”
“Crockta is a God, okay?”
“Are you stupid?”
“What did you just say to me?”
Yoon Bo-Ra and Ban Tae-Hoon bickered. Yi-Yoo took a sip of americano with an uninterested expression.
“The two of you only talk about Elder Lord whenever you meet.”
“You can do it too if you want. Ah, you were killed by a rabbit, right?”
“You’re dead meat,” Yi-Yoo said.
They were waiting for Park Jung-Tae. During school holidays, he went abroad to do volunteer work. He recently returned to South Korea, so they organized a meeting session among themselves for the first time in a while. He was the only member of the group who had an interesting school holiday.
“Ah, right. I heard you all ate something delicious without me.”
“Yes, it was freaking awesome. I thought kimchi and doenjang[2] are everything for Korean food.”
“You guys are so cheap. How could you go without me?” Park Jung-Tae replied.
“Hehe. If you’re jealous, you can complain to Yi-Yoo’s Oppa-nim.”
“What Oppa-nim?”
“He is Oppa-nim to me now.” Yoon Bo-Ra said and looked at Yi-Yoo.
“But are you okay with what happened?” Yoon Bo-Ra asked Yi-Yoo.
“Yes. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“That’s a relief.”
Ban Tae-Hoon butted in, “Hey, Jung Yi-Yoo. Be careful of her. She’s targeting Hyung-nim. Look at her eyes.”
“Why? Can’t I do that? Are you jealous?”
“Blurgh.”
“I should be the one puking. Control yourself.”
Meanwhile, Park Jung-Tae was seen approaching from afar. His face was tanned black as he had been to Africa. He was looking around and when he discovered Yi-Yoo and the others, he walked over with a smile.
“It’s been a while.”
“Ohhhh, Jung-Tae.”
“How are you?”
He sat next to Ban Tae-Hoon. The two of them fist-bumped and did their bromance greeting where they slapped each other’s palms and shoulders while rolling their fingers strangely.
“Yo, man.”
“Wassup man.”
“Rong ta-im no shee.[3]”
“Gooten tak.[4]”
Yoon Bo-Ra shook her head at the sight of the two of them blabbering away. They briefly hugged and their greeting ceremony ended.
“How was the volunteer work?”
“Oh, it was fun.”
He had just returned from a house-building volunteer program, where they built houses for the poor neighborhoods in Africa. In other words, he just came back from doing hard labor. That was why his body looked sturdy and his face was tanned, giving off the feel of an athlete. As Park Jung-Tae described the things that happened while he was doing volunteer work, the others nodded in admiration.
“You really worked hard.”
“Great job.”
Park Jung-Tae smiled brightly at Yi-Yoo’s praise.
“We should have a drink later, right?” Jung-Tae said.
“Did you not drink alcohol there? Didn’t you drink any African snake-infused alcohol?”
“We weren’t able to drink there.”
After finishing a brief conversation, they got up from their seats in the cafe.
***
“Heaven and Earth.”
“The war begins.”
The knights on horseback advanced in the forefront and broke through the enemy camp. The enemy’s formation was torn apart, and the Heaven and Earth Clan’s members followed after and charged forward.
Soon, two infantry units collided. The clan members chanted their slogan and brandished their weapons. The rebel forces fell in confusion due to the cavalry breakthrough and could not fend off their attacks. Like a dike collapsing, the clan members tore apart the enemy’s formation.
It was a close-quarters war, which sent everything into disarray. Even so, they kept going, staring at the imperial flag being waved by the knights from afar.
-This is what I’m talking about. This is the power of cavalries. The opponent tried to stop their advances by barricading them with spears, but the Empire’s knights are not easy opponents.
-The Heaven and Earth Clan’s members are also amazing. The enemies are being swept through like fallen leaves.
-Not long ago, players could not stand a chance against NPCs, right? That has changed. With the appearance of the Heaven and Earth Clan, it is no exaggeration that things have slowly begun to change.
The broadcasting screen floated up and displayed the overall situation of the war. The rebels’ formation was surrounded by cavalry from left to right, and every time the knights galloped on horseback, the rebel soldiers were trampled and fell apart.
The infantries and the Heaven and Earth Clan members were like erasers cleaning up the remaining enemies. At the scene where the cavalries had rampaged past, they laid the remaining enemies to rest.
Occasionally, the wizards also launched their magic spells. As the rebel soldiers were set ablaze and screamed, they clung to each other, causing the flames to spread and bodies to pile up.
-That’s amazing.
-The whole world is watching the Heaven and Earth Clan’s fight. The number of viewers on Under Games’ overseas channels is also huge.
Rommel was the person leading all of this. He waved at the sight of the battlefield. With his control over the battlefield, everything was within his sight.
-War Maestro Rommel! He has already looked at the entire battlefield.
The commentators said with pride.
***
Yoon Bo-Ra gulped beer and said, “Is that even a war?”
Yi-Yoo, watching the broadcast beside her calmly, tilted her head.
“I know, right? Aren’t the opponents just villagers, not soldiers?”
“Right? They are even wearing shabby clothes. The difference is huge.”
The rebels were behind the imperial army in terms of numbers and equipment. From their attire, it seemed like they’d been farmers all their lives. They crafted war weapons and were wielding them poorly. No doubt they were killed one after another by the well-trained imperial army.
“It’s so cruel.”
“Who cares? They’re just NPCs.”
“Still...”
Yoon Bo-Ra clicked open the chat window. The comments were a mixture of doubt and praise.
「DRFresh: What kind of war is this? I was looking forward to it, but it’s boring.
Shimabukuro: It’s so much fun, isn’t it? How is it boring? Would we be able to witness such a war if not for the Heaven and Earth Clan? It’s freaking awesome.
Paper Cup Duo: Tsk tsk, I’m starting to wonder about the standards of those who think the Heaven and Earth Clan is cool after seeing this...
Toothbrush n Perfume: Shoutout to General Rom!! General Rom-nim!!
I'm Hungry Sob: Well done General Rom and Zhuge Cainz duo
Dune Multitab: LOL. It looks like the Empire is slaughtering the villagers. How is this cool? LOL. Don’t fan the flames for these murderers.
White Keyboard: Dune Multitab// Calling people who play games murderers. Just goes to show how low class you are keke. Who cares if they are villagers as long as it’s interesting
Lucatgrayam: The commentators’ expressions are quite exaggerated lol. The opponents are too weak
SevenERs: If it gets on your nerves, just don’t watch it. There’s so much grumbling lol. Tsk tsk. Is your PTSD relapsing after seeing someone being hit in games because you were also bullied in real life? LOL.
StorageMistakeFK: The guy commenting on top is describing his own life. Let it go」
“Ugh, let’s not watch it anymore.”
Yoon Bo-Ra looked away from the screen. Park Jung-Tae and Ban Tae-Hoon were not in their seats.
“Boys always follow the ones going out for a smoke even when they don’t smoke themselves.”
They were enjoying chicken and beer at a pub. Ban Tae-Hoon left to smoke, and Park Jung-Tae followed him out despite being a non-smoker. They stood side by side at the pub’s entrance and were chatting about something.
“Tsk tsk.”
Yi-Yoo and Yoon Bo-Ra made a toast.
“Yi-Yoo, you said your Oppa plays Elder Lord too, right?”
“Yes. He’s been playing a lot lately.”
“I wonder if he is watching this show?”
“I think Oppa...” Yi-Yoo pondered.
On the battlefield, there were many scenes where people died. Moreover, it was not an evenly matched fight, but rather a one-sided battle.
Yi-Yoo shook her head, “I think Oppa hates this kind of stuff a lot?”
***
Crockta stood at the ruined land, once known as Demetern. There was nothing left. The imperial army dug a pit and threw the dead bodies in, setting it on fire. Now, only ashes and scorched marks remained.
“...”
Adantadore was silent while standing behind Crockta.
As far as he knew, the Emperor issued an order to eliminate Crockta. That was why he hurriedly went looking for Crockta. It was because if Crockta died, he would not have known the identity of the unknown light forever.
However, Rommel invaded the Espada territory instead. He knew Crockta well.
“What a clever bastard.”
When Crockta’s group heard the news, they rushed over hurriedly. Be that as it may, Demetern was already in ruins.
“It hasn’t been long since they left.” Alex, one of the members of Praise the Orc, said.
The imperial army advanced into Espada after devastating Demetern. They destroyed everything in their way.
Crockta suddenly found a piece of burning cloth lying on the floor. It was a flag. It was hard to discern, but the words ‘There is no Emperor in the South’ were written on it. The resistance forces probably swung these flags.
“...Let’s go!” Crockta said not long after.
“What do you mean let’s go?”
“Let’s hurry before they do something like this again.”
The Praise the Orc members nodded.
Adantadore scratched his head. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Over the course of a few days, he had gotten close to Crockta, but he couldn’t turn his back on his country.
“It’s fine if you want to leave, Adantadore,” Crockta said.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“It’s none of your business anyway. I understand if you want to go.”
Adantadore sighed, “Thank you for saying that.”
“But let me just tell you one thing,” Crockta turned and looked at him.
Adantadore flinched. He could sense the anger burning within Crockta’s eyes.
“If we meet as enemies on the battlefield, I will not hesitate to strike you down.”
1. In Chinese, it means天上天下唯我独尊. In Buddhist legend, it is the phrase that Buddha uttered right after he was born and on his feet taking seven steps about, pointing at heaven with his right hand and at earth with his left. ?
2. Doenjang or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. ?
3. It’s Long time no see but in broken english. ?
4. It means hello, good day, or good afternoon, but in broken German. ?
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