Online Game: Starting with an SSS-Level Plundering Talent - Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Anna’s Power Surge, Storm Brewing

What surprised John the most was Anna’s newfound strength—she had advanced to a rare fourth-tier boss.

“Master,” Anna greeted John warmly as she approached him with a smile.

John eyed her curiously and asked, “How did your strength increase so much?”

The last time he saw Anna, she was still at the elite boss level. In less than two days, she had advanced to a higher tier. Advancing in rank on the Skyline Continent was extremely difficult. Such progress typically required a level-up, and even then, there was only a very low chance of a tier advancement.

Anna blushed, casting a shy glance at John, and whispered, “It has to do with you, Master.”

“With me?” John was even more puzzled. As far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything unusual.

Anna nodded and leaned closer to his ear, speaking in a hushed tone, “The last time we were together, I absorbed some of your power, and after that, I advanced…”

Her voice trailed off as her face turned bright red, but her eyes were filled with a deep, infatuated gaze directed at John.

John was taken aback by this revelation. It seemed there was something unique about his body.

When he was with Sini, she had experienced an early attribute fusion, although it was only a partial one.

Now, in the world of Gods, his connection with Anna had somehow helped her advance to rare boss status.

Looking at Anna’s adorable, bashful expression, John couldn’t resist gently squeezing her soft hand.

“Big brother, what are you whispering about?” Jean interrupted, innocently curious as she came over.

“N-Nothing,” Anna stammered, quickly pulling Jean away, her face still flushed with embarrassment.

As John watched them walk away, he felt a sharp gaze on his back. It was Judy, half-submerged in a nearby pond, glaring at him with clear disapproval.

It likely on Ada’s behalf.

John smirked and provocatively returned her gaze before turning to Ada. He took her small hand in his and said softly, “You’ve been working hard these past few days.”

“It’s nothing,” Ada replied, rolling her eyes at him, but there was a sweetness in her heart.

Remembering his mission, John decided it was time to get serious. “I’m going to establish a city soon, and I’ll need your help,” he said to the group.

“No problem,” Anna and Ada both agreed without hesitation.

“Hmph!” Judy huffed, before disappearing back into the pond, likely to notify the other beasts.

“This city will be established in The Land of Elves. The beasts there might be particularly strong,” John explained, looking pointedly at Anna.

The Land of Elves was her homeland, after all.

Anna nodded, but didn’t seem overly concerned.

She had affection for The Land of Elves, but her primary concern was The Tree of Life.

With The Tree of Life now in Death Land, this place had become the new home for the elves.

She wasn’t particularly interested in what John planned for The Land of Elves.

After giving a few more instructions, John collected over 15,000 portions of Vein of the Earth spring water and left Death Land.

The first time one drinks from the Vein of the Earth, it increases their strength by 100 points.

With the dangers that might lie ahead in establishing a city in the Eternal Forest, John decided to boost the strength of the Blues Family combatants and the Flame Legion soldiers.

With 10,000 Blues Family members and 5,000 Flame Legion soldiers, the 15,000 portions were just enough.

The amount of spring water he took was only a drop in the bucket for the Vein of the Earth and wouldn’t significantly impact it.

John handed the spring water to Armstrong and Ritchie, instructing them to distribute it among the troops.

The two couldn’t help but marvel at their fortune, feeling even more grateful to have crossed paths with John.

It seemed almost like destiny that John had sought them out.

…

By evening, the city construction was complete.

Anna and the other women led the elves to the top of the city walls.

The Blues Family members, with their evident passion for Ancient Martial Arts, were almost exclusively in close-combat roles—knights, warriors, and assassins.

Ten thousand Blues Family disciples were stationed outside the city, forming the first line of defense.

The Land of Elves, a Secret Area, had only one entrance.

The monster tide could only attack through this narrow gap, so the key to success was to hold this entrance.

With everything in place, John handed Armstrong a City Building Order to establish the city.

[Announcement: Player “Reviving Ancient Martial Arts” has established the “Saint Martial Sect” in the Land of Elves. If they successfully defend against the monster tide for 12 hours, the city will be established.]

…

The name “Reviving Ancient Martial Arts” was Armstrong’s ID.

As the announcement echoed throughout the world of Gods.

The players everywhere began to discuss it. The Blues Family had always remained reclusive, and Armstrong had kept a low profile. Although he had appeared on the level rankings, he hadn’t attracted much attention from other players or factions.

While most players were unaware of Armstrong’s identity, Toby knew it all too well.

As he was out hunting monsters to level up, the announcement made his eyes burn with rage.

“Godslayer! It’s that Godslayer again!” Toby snarled, his anger boiling over.

Armstrong, as the Blues Family’s young master, had a close relationship with John.

It was clear that the establishment of the Saint Martial Sect had John’s backing.

“Find out where the Land of Elves is!” Toby barked at his subordinate, his tone icy.

Godslayer had already thwarted his attempts to establish a city twice. This time, Toby was determined not to let Godslayer succeed.

The subordinate hesitated before responding cautiously, “Sir, we can’t find that location. It seems to be a Secret Area…”

“A Secret Area? Damn it!” Toby cursed, frustration spilling over.

He had previously tried to establish a city in a Secret Area, knowing that without the coordinates or a special scroll, other players couldn’t enter, let alone interfere.

Taking a deep breath, Toby forced himself to calm down. His eyes grew cold as he came to a decision, muttering to himself, “If I can’t stop him in the world of Gods, then I’ll have to deal with him in the real world.”

With that, Toby logged out and immediately contacted the eldest son of the Griffin Family, Skywalker.

The phone rang only twice before Skywalker answered, his voice calm and direct. “I’ve already heard. We’re taking action in the real world. Are your people in place?”

Skywalker didn’t waste any time with pleasantries, getting straight to the point.

Relieved that they were on the same page, Toby quickly replied, “Yes, I’ve got over three thousand top assassins. They’re already hidden at the base of Pale Mountain. I’ll send you the contact details.”

“Very well,” Skywalker replied, his voice steady. He continued, “Now, let’s discuss the terms.”

Toby frowned, puzzled. “I thought we already agreed on the terms?”

Skywalker remained calm, responding, “The situation has changed. This operation is costing us significantly, so the terms need to change as well. We’re asking for 100,000 high-grade game pods.”

“What?” Toby exclaimed in shock, his anger simmering. He responded coldly, “Skywalker, don’t push it. Do you have any idea how much 100,000 high-grade game pods are worth? The Blues Family and that Godslayer are your enemies too.”

Each high-grade game pod was worth a billion, meaning 100,000 game pods would amount to 100 trillion.

Even though the Mike White Family was the largest and most powerful secular force, it wasn’t easy for them to come up with such an enormous sum.

But Skywalker was unfazed. “Calm down. Your conditions have changed, so mine have too. We’re offering to train 30,000 Ancient Martial Arts warriors.”

To ensure the Blues Family’s complete destruction, the Griffin Family had formed an alliance with four other Ancient Martial Arts families.

Initially, they had promised the Mike White Family to train 10,000 Ancient Martial Arts experts. Now, they were increasing that number to 30,000, with the additional spots being distributed among the other four families. This would also bring a substantial profit to the Griffin Family.

Toby fell silent on the other end of the line, swallowing hard. To him, a trillion dollars in assets was worth it if it meant gaining 50,000 powerful Ancient Martial Arts fighters.

Taking a deep breath to steady his voice, he finally said, “Fine. In three days, the 100,000 game pods will be delivered.”

“Deal. Expect good news from me soon,” Skywalker replied, pleased, and hung up.

…

In the real world, at Pale Mountain.

The hidden sanctuary of the Blues Family, no outsiders were allowed near.

However, at this moment, thousands were gathering in the dense forests of the mountain’s back side.

A force of 25,000 Ancient Martial Arts experts had assembled, drawn from the Griffin Family and four other prominent martial arts clans: the Willow, Eisen, Dwight, and Hower families.

In addition, 3,000 modern soldiers equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry, hired killers from the Mike White Family, were also present.

To completely annihilate the Blues Family, the Griffin Family had joined forces with the four other Ancient Martial Arts clans.

“Senior, are you sure you will uphold the terms you’ve promised us?” asked a burly middle-aged man, David, the head of the Eisen Family.

An elderly man, with a gaunt face, deep-set eyes, and a hooked nose, glanced at David dismissively. “Are you questioning me?” he asked coldly.

David took a step back, a deep sense of fear in his eyes. “I wouldn’t dare.”

The old man was Harry, the Griffin Family patriarch, reputed to have broken through to the pinnacle of martial arts, making his strength unfathomable.

It was said that the Blues Family’s old patriarch had barely escaped death at his hands once before.

Harry reined in his aura, casting a glance around at the assembled group. “Rest assured, everyone. Each family will receive their promised 10,000 high-grade game pods within five days.”

The gathered leaders exchanged glances, their excitement barely contained.

They had all been exposed to the world of Gods and had learned some of its secrets.

The advanced game pods allowed users to stay online for a full month, enabling them to rapidly enhance their abilities.

“Patriarch!” A subordinate appeared, kneeling respectfully before Harry. “We’ve gathered all the necessary information. The Griffin Family has sent over ten thousand of their strongest into the world of Gods. Aside from a few disciples guarding the mountain gate, the rest are just ordinary people.”

“Excellent.” A cold smile spread across Harry’s face as he looked around at the assembled leaders. “This operation is simple: leave no one alive.”

The faces of several leaders visibly tensed.

“Senior, isn’t this a bit too ruthless?” Truman, the head of the Dwight Family, hesitated to voice his concern.

Harry shot him a frosty glare. “If you don’t pull up the roots, the weeds will grow back. If you’re unwilling, you can leave now.”

Truman’s eyelid twitched, and he wisely fell silent.

He knew well enough what Harry was capable of, and backing out now would mean certain death.

Seeing no further objections, Harry turned his attention to the Mike White Family’s assassins. “You will take the lead.”

The tall, burly leader of the assassins frowned slightly. It was clear that Harry intended to use them as cannon fodder.

However, he showed no outward sign of displeasure and instead signaled to his men with a series of hand gestures.

The three thousand assassins immediately spread out, moving with silent precision.

Their efficiency even sparked a flicker of admiration in Harry.

These so-called “ordinary” forces certainly had their strengths, and there were aspects worth emulating.

Among the three thousand assassins, over two hundred were snipers. They quickly took up positions on elevated ground, setting up their rifles and taking aim at the Blues Family disciples within the mountain gate, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Unaware of the imminent danger, the Blues Family members continued their activities, oblivious to the threat bearing down upon them.

…

Meanwhile, in the world of Gods, within the Land of Elves.

The first wave of the monster tide struck as the system announcement rang out.

The attackers were 60th-level, third-tier enchanted tree monsters, numbering around ten thousand.