Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Strategic Clash

As the shout echoed through the streets, a lone figure caught everyone’s attention.

A female elf, specializing as an archer, rode swiftly down the road on the back of a massive stag. Her name glowed a sinister dark red above her head, marking her as a known killer.

Her speed was impressive, and within moments, she had entered the semicircular formation of over a hundred members led by Nightfall. She stopped abruptly about a hundred meters away, her piercing gaze scanning her enemies.

Most of Nightfall’s group bore red names themselves, a clear indicator of their own bloody deeds. However, from Ethan’s perspective, they were nothing but walking treasures. Their gear, especially Nightfall’s, gleamed with an otherworldly brilliance. Her weapon and robes radiated a white, shimmering aura that spoke of high-tier craftsmanship.

“Well, if it isn’t the little runaway who made me chase her halfway across the map,” Nightfall sneered, her voice dripping with mockery as she turned to Lyla. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Decided running wasn’t worth it and came back to surrender?”

Lyla didn’t bother responding. Instead, she gave Nightfall a dismissive glance, her lips curling in slight disdain.

Nightfall raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Riding a stag, are we? Seems like you’ve had a bit of luck lately. How about this, I’ll let you live if you hand over that pretty mount of yours. Deal?”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “She really thinks I’m a mount,” he muttered under his breath. “Not that she hasn’t ridden me before… wait!” He shook off the intrusive thought and quickly glanced at Lyla, relieved to see she hadn’t noticed.

“Move!” Ethan ordered in the guild chat.

A sudden commotion erupted from the direction of the nearby town. In an orderly and disciplined fashion, 53 shield tanks marched out, their formation tight and precise.

Those with tower shields planted them firmly into the ground, creating a defensive wall. Others with smaller round shields raised them overhead, forming a protective canopy for their comrades. The shield wall was positioned perfectly at the town’s only gate, with the soldiers’ boots safely within the neutral zone and their shields extending just beyond its boundaries.

Ethan smirked at their flawless execution. “Not bad. All I gave them was the coordinates, and they nailed it.”

Nightfall noticed the movement and raised a curious eyebrow but quickly dismissed it with a sneer.

“Impressive. You’ve got something up your sleeve. But what can these walking slabs of beef really do? Bludgeon us with their shields?” She laughed mockingly.

“Boss Lady, something feels off,” murmured a sniper standing beside her, his tone cautious.

“What’s off? That pitiful bunch of tin cans? Give me a break,” Nightfall snapped, glaring at him.

The sniper hesitated but wisely kept quiet, not wanting to provoke her further.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of thunderous footsteps approaching from the horizon.

The players on the walls turned their heads, their eyes widening as a massive force came into view. A group of over two hundred players, a mix of all classes, sprinted toward Lyla’s position with unwavering determination.

Before the onlookers could process what was happening, the reinforcements stopped behind Lyla in a unified line.

In the midst of the chaos, Lyla calmly dismounted, stowing away her stag. The crowd failed to notice Ethan vanishing into stealth mode in that brief moment.

The sniper’s unease grew, his eyes locking onto the insignias on the newcomers’ chests. The words “Renegade Alliance” burned into his mind.

Now he understood the nagging feeling from earlier. When the shield tanks had first appeared, their swift and efficient formation was suspicious. But now, with the arrival of the Alliance reinforcements, it all made sense.

“Close ranks! Protect Boss Lady! Send word to the guild leader, we need backup now! The Renegade Alliance is here!” the sniper ordered, his voice firm despite the growing tension.

Despite being outnumbered, Nightfall’s team showed little fear. Each of the 100-plus players was a guild elite, all at level 7, equipped with at least one piece of silver gear and three pieces of bronze.

By contrast, the Renegade Alliance’s reinforcements were a mixed bag, their levels ranging from 4 to 5. Many of them wore patched-up gear, with several still clad in the basic novice attire.

Under the sniper’s orders, Nightfall’s team began tightening their formation, retracting the wide semicircle they had formed earlier to trap players attempting to leave the town.

Meanwhile, Lyla raised a silver-tipped arrow, nocking it against her gleaming bowstring. Her target? Nightfall herself.

Nightfall’s confident smirk faltered for a moment before she regained her composure. Glancing at the 100-meter gap between them, she scoffed. “Too far. She’s out of range,” Nightfall muttered, letting her guard down again.

But Lyla just smiled sweetly. With deliberate precision, she raised her bow higher and loosed the arrow.

On the town walls, a few onlookers leaned in, confused.

“What’s she doing?” one player asked.

“Looks like a… long shot?” another replied hesitantly.

Before they could finish speculating, a loud explosion echoed across the battlefield as the arrow burst into a brilliant, fiery detonation at its peak.

“Attack!”

From the left flank, a shield tank charged forward, using nearby animals as targets to continuously activate his Charge skill and build momentum.

From the right, a knight gripped a massive greatsword in reverse, sprinting full tilt toward Nightfall’s forces.

Each of them was followed by over a hundred warriors and knights, their armor gleaming as they advanced with frightening coordination. Though most of these reinforcements were below level 6, their equipment was leagues ahead of the ragged attire worn by the irregulars pushing forward from the center.

Leading the charge were Skyblade and SeraphWarrior, both at level 10. Their intimidating presence was unmistakable.

Behind SeraphWarrior’s group of knights, two priests trailed closely, one of them a burly man, Slashblade, while the other was an unfamiliar yet striking woman.

Similarly, three priests supported Skyblade’s group of warriors, a man and two women Ethan didn’t recognize. These five priests were the guild’s only players capable of casting beginner healing spells.

Meanwhile, Lyla’s force of over 200 pressed forward as well, albeit without a full-on charge.

Nightfall’s team, under the sniper’s calm yet urgent command, adjusted their formation further, shielding Nightfall in the center. As the pressure from the frontal assault increased, they began retreating slowly toward the town, careful not to cross the 10-meter boundary that would trigger the town’s automated guards to attack them.

The sniper carefully calculated the distance of the advancing flanks. “All ranged units, prepare to fire! Target the flanks as soon as they’re in range. Focus fire on those melee fighters, blast them down!”

On the walls, the spectators were nearly vibrating with excitement, craning their necks to take in every detail of the impending clash.

“It’s about to go down!” someone shouted.

“Look! The ranged units from Unity Hall are setting up!” another exclaimed.

“Think those warriors and knights will even make it to the front lines?”

“Hard to say. Unity Hall’s gear is way better, but the Renegade Alliance has numbers. And then there’s Lyla’s militia pushing from the center. It’s going to be a bloodbath!”

The chatter was abruptly interrupted by a sharp command.

“Fire!”

The startled spectators flinched as a wave of spells, arrows, and cannon blasts erupted from their midst.

Dozens of players, all bearing the insignia of the Renegade Alliance, had secretly positioned themselves among the wall’s defenders. Now they unleashed a devastating barrage of attacks. Their targets? The heart of Nightfall’s formation.

At this distance, it shouldn’t have been possible to land a single hit. Even the players casting spells doubted their attacks would connect, expecting their projectiles to fizzle harmlessly into the air.

But the strikes landed flawlessly, blasting into Nightfall’s tightly packed team with devastating precision.