The Monster is Coming

Chapter 432 Steel Frenzy, Prelude to the Counterattack

At the edge of the sky, ink stains the ground.

The shadows will cover the land to the north of the Land of the Sun.

The sharp whistling sound grew louder as it approached, eventually turning into a continuous roar as it struck the earth.

Space beacon spears were driven into the soil, and a ghostly blue light emerged from the shattered spear shafts, tearing through space.

In the torrential rain, the basic war units of the mechanical legion seemed to multiply rapidly, emerging in a frenzy.

They quickly coalesced into an ever-expanding tide of steel, advancing into the heart of the Land of the Sun.

Along the way, the towering dead trees were instantly swallowed up by the torrent of steel, turning into fragments and disappearing into the metal.

Traces of player activity are gradually erased in the process.

A player is cornering a Stonetooth Beast deep into a crevice, about to throw his spear.

Suddenly, a piercing shriek cut through the air. Turning around in astonishment, I saw a cold, mechanical monster surging towards me.

The next second, he and his prey were swallowed up by the surging waves of metal.

Further away, under an ancient tree, three players were sitting around a campfire.

Fragrant game meat roasts over the fire, and a man laughs as he raises his wine glass.

Suddenly, shadows enveloped his joyful face.

Before they could even look up, the beacon spear fell with a piercing whistle.

puff!
After a soft thud, the spatial beacon spear had pinned him to the ground.

The campfire was overturned by the shockwave, sparks and chunks of flesh flying everywhere. His companion's expression froze in horror before being engulfed by more falling black spears and the mechanical war units that followed.

Whether players are fighting, resting, or exploring, they are all indiscriminately swept up in the mechanical frenzy at this moment.

This also includes members of the Gold Coin Alliance.

Before any domain nodes were discovered, the members of the Gold Coin Warband were divided into 28 sub-bands, each developing in different areas of the map.

The sudden attack by the mechanical legion hit the Gold Coin Alliance first.

A large number of players were overwhelmed by the mechanical torrent, turning into mist and returning to the Emperor's Mausoleum.

In the combined battle group channel, death information flooded the screen like a waterfall.

Amidst the chaos, a voice rang out through the Allied Battle Group chat channel, reaching the ears of every member.

"All fallen brothers, after the resurrection cooldown is over, wait at the Sunburst Land space node. Surviving members retreat to the space node. Logistics personnel use guild funds to purchase various enhancement potions needed for the war and distribute them to all main combat personnel according to the highest war standards, awaiting the counterattack order."

The speaker was none other than the current guild leader of the Gold Coin Alliance, personally selected by A-Lan, whose game ID was: Moonshadow.

After the order was given, the players still in the Sunburst Land scene abandoned the battle and began to retreat.

The remaining players who were on resurrection cooldown communicated with their guild members, and those not on the quota list began to purchase various potions on their own.

Once the resurrection cooldown is over, they will join the main force in launching an attack.

After one hour.

The teleportation array in the Land of the Sun ceaselessly emitted white light, and the resurrected warriors quickly rejoined their ranks, gathering in the direction of the spatial exit.

Logistics personnel with warehouse access began distributing various enhancement potions to the main force of the battle group.

On the Warband plugin in Moonshadow's Eyes.

You can clearly see the information of each player.

This includes the amount of medicine they carry in their backpacks and bags.

When the green indicator on the plugin lit up, all members' potions were ready, and Moonshadow pressed the "Ready" button on the plugin.

Immediately, a prompt appeared in the minds of all players in the battle group, requiring them to check the "OK" box.

[Plugin notification: Raid leader "Moonshadow" has initiated preparation confirmation.]

Players who received the notification responded one after another.

The green dots on the plugin interface lit up rapidly, like a star map.

1…1000…28045…75019….

[Readiness Confirmed: Players 123847 are ready.]

Upon receiving the feedback, Moonshadow immediately said in a deep voice:

"Increase in price, get ready to enter the market."

Immediately, the players present took out enhancement potions from their inventory.

The crisp sound of potions being opened echoed one after another, followed by halos of attribute enhancement lighting up in the army formation.

The plugin confirmed that the amplification was complete, and Moonshadow's voice once again echoed through the battleband channel:

"All regiments, take your positions. The wounded regiment will lead the way, advance 300 meters, and establish a forward line. Regiments 2, 3, and 4 will follow up on my instructions to assist in the advance. The remaining regiments will enter the field in the third batch."

"Now, support team, give the damage dealer a Blood Burn."

After the command was given, a blazing light rose from the array of the auxiliary regiment.

A crimson stream of light surged from the support's hand, transforming into a creek that precisely flowed into the body of the player taking damage in front of them.

The injured player's muscles bulged instantly, and all attributes received a significant boost.

After glancing at the information on the plugin, Moonshadow issued another command:

"Three seconds countdown, 3, 2, 1, the group with the most damage enters the fray, full speed ahead."

The players in the front row who were taking damage instantly transformed into burning crimson meteors, crashing violently into the entrance and exit barriers.

Emerging from the independent spatial node, one officially enters the scene of the Land of the Sun.

The moment their feet touched the scorched earth of the Sun Chasing Land, a roar of advance erupted.

"Keep up!" the wounded captain roared, charging ahead and completely ignoring the torrent of machines in front of him.

With the most ruthless attitude, it launched a head-on charge towards the dense horde of mechanical warriors in front of it.

The wind-breaking aura then activated.

Multiple halos joined together, tinging the damage-bearing array with a pale golden glow.

At the same time, the mechanical legion's probes swept across the player lines.

The electronic eye instantly locked onto the suddenly appearing source of blood and qi energy. The originally scattered mechanical torrent immediately changed direction, surging in like a swarm of sharks that had smelled blood.

The distance between the two torrents shortened rapidly.

Eight hundred meters.

Five hundred meters.

Three hundred meters.

boom!boom!boom!boom!
The moment the basic combat units of the mechanical legion came into contact with this muscular city wall burning with blood, they disintegrated instantly, like porcelain struck by a heavy hammer.

Metal fragments flew everywhere as the machine pushed across.

Players who absorb damage under the Blood Burn buff use their muscles to demonstrate the purest form of power.

A gap was torn open in the mechanical tide, extending ever forward.

"Second Regiment, Third Regiment, Fourth Regiment, advance and follow up with the injured forwards." Yueying issued the order again.

Immediately, three squads of warrior players quickly entered the field, forming a second wave of charging, launching a counterattack against the mechanical legion with the most violent momentum.

Subsequently, the support group and the magic group followed suit in turn.

The battle line opened up by the injured player was quickly filled with players' figures, and Moonshadow began issuing a new round of commands.

"Command, cover fire, target: 383 meters ahead of the front line, watch my marking signal."

"Marksman group, play freely, use burst fire to eliminate high-combat-power units, the first choice is the Mechanical Reaper."

"Assassins are on standby in the second line, ready to follow the front line and cut in."

After a series of commands were issued, the "Blazing Blizzard," a combination of three rule elements—gravity vortex, ice mist breath, and ink flame—burst forth in the middle of the mechanical torrent, creating a large-scale stagnation zone with extreme cold and heat.

Countless mechanical legions were deformed and their speed drastically reduced during the baptism of ice and fire.

Immediately afterwards, a dense barrage of arrows and a massive bombardment began.

"Pay attention to the damage-carrying group's health. The support team should prioritize protecting the damage-carrying group and keep an eye on the damage-carrying brothers in the same group. If the health can't be kept up, use Life Link to absorb damage."

"12th Regiment on the right flank, rotate 15 degrees clockwise, look at the location I marked, and begin the lateral charge."

"The rest of you who did not hear the order, follow the instructions of the platoon leader."

During the command process, Moonshadow's eagle-headed demonic perception continued to expand.

And the command system he used, even the plugins.

It was from the united battle group formed by the God-King.

This is the most mature model at present, and it has been optimized through a long-term war against local bullies.

Before the rules are mastered and a completely new command system is developed, the status of this system cannot be shaken.

Apart from joint battle groups that follow a special legion route, newly emerging guilds generally adopt this model.

At this moment, under Moonshadow's command, the Gold Coin Alliance Legion operated efficiently, like a unified entity with a single will.

The mechanical legion's offensive was fierce, but it was like hitting a rock covered with spikes, and it was broken down layer by layer in front of the tight formation.

However, the mechanical legion's defining characteristic is its optimized warfare capabilities.

Every destroyed mechanical unit on the front line was providing data streams to the command nodes at the rear.

Analysis results show that the performance parameters of the Wolf-level basic unit are significantly outmatched by the enemy's strength, and its efficiency in conventional attrition tactics is below the threshold.

The instant this conclusion was reached, an invisible command traversed space and returned to the heavens.

Before long, the sky above the players was once again torn apart by a shrill shriek.

The second wave of "spear rain" is coming.

This time, the number of falling black spears was drastically reduced, but each one was several times thicker.

The spear, shimmering with blue spatial runes, slammed into the ground with terrifying kinetic energy, burying several wounded units who couldn't dodge in time, along with the surrounding mechanical units, deep into the earth.

boom! boom! boom!
In the massive impact crater, spatial rifts were instantly created.

The positioning of each beacon spear is more like a spatial baggage, or an independent small storage device.

Instead of favoring teleportation arrays.

As each beacon spear shatters, the internal spatial barrier also breaks, revealing warriors stored in their own separate spaces.

This system takes a different approach, mitigating the disadvantages in space technology.

It also avoids the risk of being "blocked at the door," and hostile forces cannot affect the teleportation environment by interfering with spatial coordinates.

Each beacon spear can be viewed as an independent "military capsule".

Before the capsule is opened, hostile forces cannot detect what type of combat units are stored inside, and therefore cannot accurately assess the threat level.

If any one of them successfully lands, a temporary combat node can be established immediately in the enemy's heartland, completing a round of flanking harassment.

Accompanied by heavy footsteps, a dense array of imposing figures slowly rose from the crater.

They have streamlined armor, with energy blades protruding from multiple joints, and a dark red core on their chest that pulsates like a beating heart.

It is the Iron Soul-level combat unit that left behind an "undefeated legend" in the Emperor's Tomb Mountains, as recorded in the player database.

These mechanical warriors are humanoid in shape, about 2.5 meters tall, and use both melee beam swords and energy hand cannons.

The body can be reassembled through "living metal" to switch between different combat forms.

Each beacon spear releases hundreds or thousands of Iron Soul combat units, which emerge from the impact crater and quickly form a steel defense line. As the living metal flows, cannon barrels are generated, and they glow simultaneously.

Back then, neither players nor evil beings could stand a chance against these mechanical beings.

But this time, times have changed.

Moonshadow quickly issued the command.

Light shields, blood walls, and ice barriers... quickly formed in front of the battle formation, neutralizing the countless light particles released by the Iron Soul Legion's first volley. "Control Group 7, Blood Soul Pull, throw the members of the Damaged 2nd Regiment over there."

"The 2nd Regiment, which has sustained injuries, is preparing for the slow-moving zone."

Moonshadow's command rang out clearly in the Legion channel.

As the order was given, the soldiers controlling Group 7 clenched their fists.

A surge of vital energy erupted from his body, condensing into a dark red chain of vital energy in the center of his palm, which he then swung toward the waist of the injured player.

After they were entangled, they all roared.

"go!"

The warrior player's muscles bulged, and he suddenly exerted force using his waist as the axis.

The members of the wounded squad were like boulders launched by a catapult, tearing through the sky and rushing towards the densest area of ​​the beacon spear array.

While in mid-air, the warriors of the Second Wounded Regiment activated their petrification form, their bodies coated with a layer of black, and their muscle textures becoming as hard as granite.

"Turn on sluggishness!"

The moment they fell, a dark yellow field burst forth from their bodies.

Wherever the domain goes, it seems to sink into a quagmire of time.

The mechanical units that were surging out around the beacon spear suddenly slowed down, the raised cannon barrels hovered in mid-air, and the joints rotated at a slower speed.

Even the efficiency of the energy core's operation was sluggishly affected.

boom! boom! boom!
These wounded warriors, petrified and weakened, fell one after another like stabilizing needles.

Rooted in the heart of the mechanical legion.

The surrounding sluggish fields overlapped, forming large areas of suppression, turning the surging torrent of steel into a slow-moving shooting range.

"Long-range concentrated fire, prioritize eliminating targets within the designated area, fire indiscriminately."

Moonshadow's follow-up instructions came one after another.

Arrow rain and elemental storms poured down in unison.

The effects of the sluggish field impaired the mechanical warriors' movement efficiency, making it impossible for them to avoid damage through precise calculations.

This combat system was not developed by Moonshadow.

It was invented by "Po Qianjun," a well-known battle group commander on the forum, and named "Station Idol."

The operational principle is very simple.

Players who take damage should equip themselves with three core spirits: Gargoyle, Slow, Diffusion, and Spirit Eater.

Among these, petrochemical properties are the top priority.

Subsequent bombardment by our own forces cannot prevent our own players from taking damage.

In order to stand longer, the petrification property, which can make one immune to damage, is especially important.

Secondly, the sluggish field and the spreading life soul are for covering a larger area to control the field.

The gas-eating characteristic is for extended battery life.

This combat strategy was tested in actual combat at the village entrance battlefield.

Taking advantage of the stone statues' difficulty in being killed, placing them behind enemy lines creates a slowing zone, affecting the enemy's advance and operational efficiency.

This tactic also caused the local bully to suffer a setback.

Even the Black Tide's generation efficiency was affected, allowing the Divine Hall and other allied guilds to act arrogantly in front of the Earthly Bully for a while.

But the bully truly deserves the title of "the strongest test-taker at the village entrance".

Faced with the difficult problem of "establishing a fixed idol" in war, a solution was quickly found.

Its choice is...

If it's hard to kill, then don't kill it.

By generating void units, they can carry stone statues and teleport to other areas, or even into player battle formations.

The player throws one away, and the bully takes one.

The strategy of fixing the idol on the field was thus broken.

However, this tactic was not abandoned and shone brightly in the battles of other map nodes.

The fact is, many tactics that were phased out in the Imperial Tomb Mountains can perform well on other battlefields.

After all, this local bully is unique.

There are no corresponding solutions for the other nodes.

The fixed-position idol tactic has shown remarkable performance at this moment.

Transformed into reefs driven into the torrent, they forcefully tore apart the steel surging tide.

"The entire army pressed forward, the 12th Regiment in a wedge formation, piercing through the torrent of machinery."

Upon hearing the command, all players in the front row simultaneously launched a charge.

With the Blood Burn buff, warriors and tanky players advance forward, enduring dense energy shots, each step crushing countless mechanical wreckage.

The cult gathered elements, and the resulting elemental torrents bloomed behind the mechanical legion.

"Left flank infiltration, assassin squad to harvest core combat units, watch my mark."

A sharp blade flashed from the shadows and began to move, targeting the most destructive Iron Soul units.

The dagger, imbued with "soul-sealing properties," easily tore through the energy shield, leaving cuts on the living metal.

The mechanical legion reacted just as swiftly.

The beacon spears scattered from the sky changed direction, no longer pursuing a frontal breakthrough, and began to fall towards the rear of the player's lines.

It slammed hard into the sky barrier formed by the light shield and the blood wall, creating ripples that spread continuously.

The players who were placed as stone statues became the targets of concentrated fire on the battlefield.

The mechanical legion's combat units aim to whittle down the stone statue players' health and break the coverage of the sluggish field.

After glancing at the changes in the health bar on the plugin, Moonshadow calmly spoke:

"The second team is preparing to take turns due to injuries, while the prayer team is purifying their negative status and preparing to receive the injured."

As the command was given, the blackened skin on the wounded warriors of the second echelon spread from their chests, and new Blood Soul Guiding Chains were already wrapped around their waists.

Almost simultaneously, the player with the Blessing Soul activated their special ability, showering light upon the stone statue players struggling on the front lines. This purified the various corrosive substances clinging to their bodies, raising their health points.

"Now, let's change!"

Upon hearing the command, the control team soldiers exerted their strength and hurled the second wave of wounded soldiers forward.

These injured players, following pre-assigned group markers, locked onto their targets in mid-air and remotely activated Star Shift to switch positions.

The newly landed black figure activated its sluggish domain the instant it touched the ground, perfectly connecting with the previous domain.

The newly deployed mechanical units had not yet had time to deploy when they were once again trapped in the sluggish force field, causing their movements to slow down.

"The first group is taking damage and preparing to retreat to the second line. The eighth group of mages, watch my marked position and start attacking the tower... Begin."

Moon Shadow seized this fleeting opportunity.

The mage array then activates.

Thunder, ice mist, ink flames, void, dark clouds... one after another, magic towers that integrate the power of multiple rule elements sprang up at the forefront of the battlefield, autonomously launching elemental bombardments forward.

The mechanical units that had just escaped the sluggish zone were blasted into scattered mechanical parts by the elemental turbulence of the "Fata".

At that moment, several assassin squads also used the explosion as cover to break into the enemy lines.

They moved like shadows through the steel jungle, their daggers precisely aimed at Iron Soul-level combat units. Utilizing the spirit-sealing properties, they significantly reduced the self-repair efficiency of living metal, initiating a new round of killing.

The clash between the two sides brought the battlefield to a complete boil.

The front row was a brutal clash of muscles and steel, while the mid-range was a frenzied bombardment of elemental storms and energy barrages. From time to time, petrified players were thrown into the sky, tracing parabolic arcs like black meteors crashing into the densest area of ​​the mechanical legion.

The beacon spears rained down like a storm, attempting to tear apart the players' rear lines.

As the intensity of the clashes increased, the mechanical legion's support capabilities began to upgrade dramatically.

The Gold Coin Alliance quickly found itself at a complete disadvantage.

……

Just as the war on the Land of the Sun reached its climax.

The sudden "mechanical intrusion" incident sparked heated discussions among forum players.

The Mechanical Legion is a hostile force that players will inevitably challenge in the future.

Back then, the mechanical legion was considered invincible by players.

When it first appeared, the average player level was 20+.

The mechanical legion's cross-border war unit, "Iron Soul," has a minimum hunting level of 80+.

Upon its first appearance, it left both the players and the bullies speechless.

Fortunately, the mechanical legion did not wreak havoc on the Emperor's Tomb Mountains; it only stayed briefly before departing across space.

Players only encountered this faction again after the Land of the Sun was opened.

In the minds of most veteran players, the Mechanical Legion is like a follow-up content packaged in an "expansion pack".

It will open sometime in the future.

But no one expected this.

This force, which they regarded as "nourishment for the future," actually overturned the chessboard before they could even fully develop their strength.

Start increasing the intensity for them ahead of time.

This is the norm in the monster world, and accidents can happen at any time.

This applies to alien races as well as to their players.

There is no such thing as gradual development. There are too many powerful enemies that we cannot contend with at this stage, and they will suddenly appear and slap us in the face.

But most players still felt offended.

All players share a common trait: they see themselves as the absolute protagonist of the monster world.

As the protagonist, one should enjoy special privileges.

The mechanical legion's unreasonable steel torrent immediately annoyed the forum players.

Posts encouraging people to "gather" are constantly appearing on the forum:
"I was offline for a moment to change my nutrient solution and this happened. It's so disrespectful to me. I'm going to call the Mechanical Overlord right now and question it about what it's trying to do and whether it respects me at all."

"We've been forced into a fight? I have to join in. Are there any experts who can organize a counterattack?"

"Looking for a team. We're going to the Land of the Sun to clear the map and turn them into sacrificial energy. This mechanical legion is too audacious. This Celestial Venerable can't tolerate it any longer."

"As a veteran player, I was there when the Mechanical Legion first appeared. They made us and the bullies feel like they were going to shut up. The bullies, in particular, were so scared that they hid in their towers and didn't dare to come out. Times have changed. We are no longer the small fry we used to be. It's too much for the Mechanical Legion to still use the Descent Strike. We have to hit them back with a heavy punch."

"Before the war starts, I need to ask who struck first. If it was the mechanical legion that started it, we must retaliate severely. If it was us who started it... well done, folks."

The forum has no shortage of inflammatory people and people who enjoy themselves.

Calls for a "fight!" instantly flooded social media, with various memes and inflammatory remarks flying around.

To fuel the fire, some veteran players even dug up old forum videos of the Mechanical Legion's divine descent and their crushing victory.

The video was also accompanied by tragic music and a passionate title: Today, we will wipe away our past humiliations.

Players who love a good spectacle are jumping around in various posts, all in an effort to stir up a big wave.

I hope we can have another coordinated battle and experience the exhilarating thrill of war.

Especially the new players who entered this round, all want to follow in the footsteps of the veteran players and take advantage of the chaos to enjoy the sacrificial power.

A large-scale gathering, which originated from the forum and was spontaneously participated in by countless players, quickly took shape like a snowball.

A tidal wave, fueled by the collective will of countless players, surged toward the Land of the Sun.

　Here's 6300 words~ Updated early today~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)