BXBX NOVEL Chapter 101: The Dark Moon Alliance
The current mission was to head to The Netherworld.
"I have something valuable hidden in The Netherworld." Felicia mused. "I can\'t use it anymore, but it can elevate your talents and profession to a higher level."
"At the very least, it could give you a sliver of a chance to ascend to godhood."
"If you follow the same path I did, becoming a demigod and then fortifying your foundation, the chances are too slim, and there\'s always the risk of someone else stealing it." Felicia continued.
In the mental space, Faye clenched her fists, "Yes, Master! I will not disappoint you!"
"Not disappoint me..." Felicia sighed. "Listen, if you run into David again, make sure to build a good relationship with him. I need to have a backup plan."
"If you could have become a demigod and helped me restore my physical body, it would have been great. It would have been even more perfect if, in the future, you could have become a god and solved the issues with the resurrection spell for me."
"If that doesn\'t work out, David seems to have more potential than you under normal circumstances. Getting him to help me resurrect would be another option." Felicia said casually.
To her surprise, Faye hesitated, "I think David and I are already friends. There\'s no need to be so utilitarian about it."
"Huh?" Felicia, who had seemed so confident a moment ago, felt a sudden pang of unease. Something didn\'t add up. My dear disciple... something\'s wrong!
Weren\'t we supposed to get close to David for our benefit? Why does it seem like Faye is taking this seriously?
Wouldn\'t that mean I\'m at a total loss, giving away my precious disciple without gaining any resources?
Felicia\'s mind became a chaotic mess, and she couldn\'t maintain her possession. She retreated back into the mental sea.
She realized she might have made a grave mistake.
By forcing Faye to befriend David and even pretending to be dead to avoid offering any help, she had inadvertently made Faye believe that David was her first real friend in life. Faye\'s loyalty seemed to be shifting.
"Damn, I totally messed this up!" Felicia resolved.
"I need to have a serious talk with this foolish disciple..."
Felicia was about to continue her thoughts when the shuttle suddenly experienced a few violent jolts and then gradually came to a halt.
Faye looked out the window with delight. "Ancestor, we\'ve arrived!"
Seeing Faye\'s adorable excitement, Felicia decided against giving her a lecture. "Alright, let her enjoy this moment." she thought.
...
As the shuttle slowly came to a stop, Sterl was the first to rush out.
He stood on the open ground, eagerly surveying his surroundings. Already, several other shuttles were hovering in mid-air.
Top second-class players from over 70 countries had gathered here.
Sterl activated his Star Insight ability and noticed that many of them had A-grade professions and A-grade talents.
In contrast, the players selected by the Divine Mountain Empire included many with only A-grade talents but B-grade professions.
Sterl couldn\'t help but lament once again how the Earth human race seemed to be struggling, even in choosing their imperial allies.
As Sterl continued to observe, he realized that not only were the Divine Mountain Empire players relatively weaker, but their numbers were also significantly fewer.
He saw that other countries\' shuttles had landed, and one shuttle alone had over 160 players disembark, each one no weaker than those from the Divine Mountain Empire.
At a minimum, they had B-grade professions, with over a third possessing A-grade professions and talents no lower than A-grade.
It was no exaggeration to say that the gathering of elite talents from over 70 countries left Sterl somewhat awestruck.
At this moment, the Fourth Prince and Faye arrived behind Sterl.
"David, long time no see." Faye said, visibly cheerful, her happiness evident on her face.
The Fourth Prince, however, looked around cautiously. "David, I know you\'re very strong, but this time the Dark Moon Alliance has gathered talents from over 70 countries. You need to be careful."
"There might be some who can pose a threat to you."
"And whatever you do, don\'t provoke anyone from the Dark Moon Alliance. Theoretically, they can kill us at will without facing any consequences."
Seeing both Faye and Sterl nodding solemnly, the Fourth Prince visibly relaxed. He waved to the dozen or so players behind him, saying, "Next, let\'s head to the temporary structures set up by the Dark Moon Alliance to establish your connections."
In NPC terms, "establishing connections" meant starting the relevant faction\'s reputation and contribution points.
As the Fourth Prince spoke, the group moved towards a newly constructed building made of strange purple crystals in the open area.
Under the guidance of an NPC dressed in a long robe with a star-and-moon-shaped crystal embedded in his forehead, notifications flashed in the players\' vision.
[You have begun the faction: the Dark Moon Alliance]
[Current Reputation: (Indifferent 0/2000)]
[Current Contribution Points: 0]
The NPC then handed each player a ring.
[Eye of the Moon]
[Description: A ring infused with a trace of Gloria\'s power.]
[Effect: When you enter The Netherworld, the ring will automatically shatter, applying a buff to you.]
Sterl raised an eyebrow, realizing that this was likely how the Dark Moon Alliance would impose restrictions on players entering the other world.
The packaging was clever, phrasing it as applying a buff.
He looked around and saw that most people, upon receiving the ring, were beaming with joy, believing that a ring with a trace of the goddess\'s power had to be a good thing.
Sterl, however, had long planned to exploit the point system to gain divine power without cost, so he quietly slipped the ring onto his finger.
At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, Sterl noticed Faye using some trick to lightly brush the ring and then store it in her backpack.
The NPC from the Dark Moon Alliance didn\'t react to this maneuver. In fact, several players hadn\'t immediately put on the rings, but the NPC seemed unfazed.
To pass through the portal to The Netherworld, wearing the ring was mandatory.
That was the authority of a deity-backed organization.
After receiving their rings, Sterl and his group quickly returned to the open area where they had been before.
The Fourth Prince suggested, "We have about half a day before we officially enter The Netherworld. How about we go back to the shuttle and rest for a bit?"
This was what most countries\' representatives were doing. Entering another world would undoubtedly be a fierce battle, so they needed to rest and recover now.
Just as Sterl\'s group was about to nod in agreement, they heard a loud explosion.
Boom!!
A terrifying shockwave swept down from the sky, causing several players to stumble, nearly getting blown away. But this was just the beginning.
The next moment, a giant airship appeared, bringing with it a horrifying gust of wind. Players standing too close were caught in the turbulence, their bodies torn apart and severely injured in an instant.
No one present could react in time...
Or rather, Sterl did react, but he didn\'t want to reveal his ability to generate shields through healing skills, so he chose not to intervene.
Felicia also reacted. She took over Faye\'s body immediately, creating a water shield that protected only herself.
Faye, coming to her senses, tried to cast a shield on Sterl, only to find that "David" had already dodged to the side.
The Fourth Prince, meanwhile, rolled several times on the ground in a very undignified manner. After getting up, he looked at the giant airship with extreme anger in his voice. "The bastards of the Atlantic Empire!"
"Are you insane, flying the airship this low?" he shouted furiously.
However, the door of the airship slowly opened, and a handsome young man, dressed in an opulent outfit embedded with multicolored diamonds, sneered, "Aren\'t these the people from the Divine Mountain Empire? Why are you kneeling on the ground as if you\'re so eager to welcome us? We really can\'t handle such enthusiasm."
"You!" The Fourth Prince was enraged but could only glare at the other party.
The reality was that the Atlantic Empire\'s airship was the largest around, indicating that their combat power far exceeded that of the Divine Mountain Empire.
The Fourth Prince had no choice but to swallow his anger.
Sterl, standing nearby, also frowned as he observed the scene.
Could the Atlantic Empire really be the strongest country under the Dark Moon Alliance?
Just at the entrance of the shuttle, Sterl could see nearly 200 players from the Atlantic Empire. However, after using Star Insight to examine them, he felt more at ease.
The Atlantic Empire had a larger number of players, but their overall strength was only average. Most players had A-grade talents paired with B-grade professions, and only a few had A-grade professions. There were no S-grade professions and only one with an S-grade talent.
Still...
Sterl was puzzled, "If the Atlantic Empire\'s strength isn\'t that high, how did they bring so many people?"
At this moment, the Divine Mountain Empire\'s people were in a sorry state, while the players from the Atlantic Empire above were laughing and loudly mocking.
Due to the distance, their words were not entirely clear, but the scorn was evident.