Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

Outside the Savage Fortress, at the Bloodhowl Guild camp.

The campsite is located in a vast, unnamed wasteland not far to the north.

A rough wooden fence formed an irregular arc, covered with animal teeth, battle flags, and dried animal hides. The campfire burned all night, its orange-red flames illuminating the gravel ground for hundreds of meters around. At night, the air was filled with the aroma of roasting meat and strong liquor, along with a tremendous noise that could be heard for miles, scaring away wild monsters.

Inside the main tent, the giant, desolate bull, Gamor, was resting with his eyes closed.

His body was as large as a mountain, and when he sat there he was half a head taller than an ordinary person standing, and the bull horns on his head were curved like hooks.

Its entire body was covered with rough, dark blue skin, and the muscles bulging beneath the skin looked like hammered anvils.

Hot white breath continuously spewed from its large nostrils, each breath accompanied by a scorching wave that caused the map in front of it to flutter slightly.

Surrounding him were several core members of the Bloodhowl guild—Shadowwolf Ouf crouched in the shadows, his green wolf eyes gleaming eerily in the darkness; the ancient orc shaman Danzel sat cross-legged on a leather cushion, fumbling with a bracelet made of wild beast teeth; and the kobold Yugo, with the blood of a three-headed hellhound, lay dozing by the fire, occasionally drooling a string of sticky saliva, causing Shadowwolf to roll his eyes repeatedly.

There were several other minor leaders, some standing and some sitting, all waiting for something.

"Boss, my little bastards have sent a message." Shadow Wolf Of, who was checking how long the water outlet could be stretched, suddenly spoke up.

Gamor didn't open his eyes, but only let out a low "hmm" from his throat.

Ouf continued, gesturing on the map: "Last night, a force was detached from the Pharaoh's besieging army. After a night's march, they have encamped in the Heidleman Desert. There are approximately two million skeleton soldiers, several hundred undead chariots, a catapult position, and some high-level undead units. The commander is a Pharaoh-type lich, a legendary boss at level 199."

Gamor suddenly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were dark gold, shining brightly in the darkness. He stared at the location Ouf was pointing to on the map—the Heidleman Gobi, a vast desert southeast of the Savage Fortress, with open terrain and extremely strong winds and sandstorms, a natural large-scale battlefield.

"The Heidelmann Gobi..." Gamor murmured, repeating himself, a slow smile playing on his lips. "Excellent! I have a feeling a city of the dead might appear there. We need to prepare in advance, organize our forces, and set off first thing tomorrow morning, assembling right on the northern edge of the Gobi!"

Shadow Wolf Of frowned: "Boss, what if the undead army besieging the city comes out?"

Before Gamor could speak, the kobold Yugo, who was lying on the ground, suddenly raised his head. He didn't know when he had woken up.

"Fight! What else can we do? We can't just watch Otawijn's side fight it out! We're not cowards either!"

The ancient orc shaman Danzelo opened his half-closed eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy old eyes. He was the oldest of them all, his face lined with wrinkles like a dried-up riverbed.

"Olf is right, progress comes from battle." Denzel's voice was hoarse and slow. "The players on the Altavian side are launching large-scale operations every day, clearing out strongholds and besieging reinforcements—their levels, strength, and equipment are constantly being updated and upgraded in each battle. If we don't take action, we will slowly fall behind them."

He paused, the teeth bracelet in his hand clinking together with a crisp sound.

"The Bloodhowl Guild's reputation was earned through battle, too."

Gamor looked up at Danzero, his smile deepening. This old shaman never beat around the bush; every word he uttered was to the point, which was why Gamor valued him so highly.

"What Danzelo said is exactly what I wanted to say." Gamor stood up, his massive frame casting a deep shadow in the tent. "Of the four main cities, Ottawayne has always been the strongest, with our Savage Fortress close behind. This event presents a rare opportunity—the Pharaoh's army is besieging the city, the undead are everywhere, and there are endless battles and monsters to kill. If we can seize this opportunity, perhaps our guild can take another step forward!"

His gaze swept over every core member present, the flames of the campfire reflected in his dark golden pupils.

Bloodhowl Guild ranks fourth among the top ten guilds, second only to "Abyss Watchers," who guard the cross-border passage of the Endless Sea. The top three—Supreme, Star, and Abyss Watchers—have weighed on them like three mountains for many years.

If they seize this opportunity, they might be able to break into the top three!

Gamor slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking and popping.

"Get the manpower in place, inventory the equipment, and stock up on medicine," he ordered. "The entire army will set off first thing tomorrow morning. Target—Heidelmann Desert."

"Yes!" came the orderly reply from inside the tent.

---

Savage Fortress, the stronghold of the Shadow Hand.

The outpost, situated on the edge of the southern district of the Savage Fortress, was a three-story stone building with a dusty gray exterior, indistinguishable from the surrounding rugged orc architecture. The only difference was the Shadow Hand guild banner flying atop the building—a black flag embroidered with dark silver blades, fluttering silently in the night wind.

Lin Yan sat in his room with a map of the area surrounding the Savage Fortress spread out in front of him.

The map was huge, almost covering the entire table.

She had been staring at the map for half an hour.

Its emerald green vertical pupils remained motionless, their openings narrowed to slits, like a venomous snake awaiting its prey. The room was quiet, save for the faint crackling of the torches burning on the wall.

"Sister Lin Yan."

A deep voice came from outside the door; it was the snake-woman assassin, Valen. A master of stealth and assassination, she was Scaleflame's most trusted informant. The door was silently pushed open a crack, and Valen slipped in, closing the door behind her with her tail.

"I have news." She lowered her voice and walked to the table.

Lin Yan abruptly raised his head: "Speak!"

Van Lun tapped his finger on the map, centering on the Hydereman Desert: "The Bloodhowl Guild is gathering, reportedly preparing to head to the Hydereman Desert. Gamor is personally leading the team, with all core members mobilized!"

Lin Yan's vertical pupils suddenly contracted.

"What are they doing there?" Lin Yan frowned slightly.

"I heard it was Gamor who gave the order. They discovered that a detachment of the Pharaoh's army had split off and headed towards the Hydraman Desert. I guess they wanted to wipe out that undead army before the other guilds could?"