EBE Chapter 403 Breaking Army, Shadow Blade
Chapter 403 Breaking Army, Shadow Blade
The mages' eyes gleamed with magical light as they scanned the places where illusions might be hidden.
The ranger's falcon hovered low in the sky;
The soldiers gripped their shields and weapons tightly, their sharp eyes scanning every shadow and broken wall.
The anticipated ambush, sneak attack, rain of arrows, and magical bombardment... none of it happened.
Only the whistling of the wind through the ruins and the sound of their deliberately soft footsteps could be heard.
This unusual silence, however, made everyone feel heavy-hearted and chilled to the bone.
"Captain, it's so quiet..."
A young mage couldn't help but whisper.
"Shut up and stay focused!"
Zhang Han reprimanded in a low voice, but his palms were sweating.
As a seasoned player who has been through countless battles, this calm before the storm often signifies greater danger.
But where does the danger come from? Where is the enemy?
They successfully advanced more than 300 meters and arrived at the ruins of a relatively intact two-story stone building that they had previously selected, with a good view.
Along the way, apart from more and more shocking signs of strange battles, they encountered nothing else.
"Occupy this building! Deploy defenses on the first floor, set up long-range and observation points on the second floor! Quickly!"
Zhang Han gave the order.
The team members sprang into action, moving stones to reinforce the entrance, setting up simple warning traps, while the mages set up a warning barrier. The archers and mages climbed to the second floor and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.
Even after they had completed their initial deployment, the anticipated attack still hadn't occurred.
"Guild Leader, we have captured the designated stronghold without encountering any resistance or finding any other players. Repeat, no other players have been found."
Zhang Han reported to Lei Hao again, his confusion barely concealed.
"Okay! We're on our way! Stay alert!"
Lei Hao's voice carried a hint of excitement.
"It seems our previous guess might have been right. The team inside may have perished together due to infighting or other reasons, or perhaps they were killed by that Lin Tian... In any case, this is our [Breaking Army]'s chance! Hold that position, we'll come in and join you immediately, then we'll advance towards the very center!"
After ending the call, Zhang Han breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his unease did not lessen.
He went up to the second floor and looked at the ranger King Ying, who was using [Eagle Eye] to observe the distance: "Have you discovered anything?"
Wang Ying shook his head, his face grave: "Captain, there's nothing in our field of vision except rocks and ruins. But... I have a bad feeling, like something's watching us."
"Don't scare yourself unnecessarily; just keep a close eye on things."
Zhang Han patted him on the shoulder, but his own heart inexplicably started beating faster.
He looked around; the ruins remained deathly silent, save for the faint sounds made by his team members.
Where did those hundreds of players who entered the central area before them, or even those who may have been lying in ambush there for a longer time, go?
Are they all really dead?
Who killed him?
What he didn't know was that about thirty meters below their building, in an ancient cellar that had long been buried, there was indeed a team of more than eighty "Old Six" members patiently waiting for "newcomers" like them to enter the ambush zone.
Unfortunately, that team had been completely buried five minutes earlier by a main beam of the [Star Ray] that fell from the sky and precisely pierced through the cracks in the earth's strata, followed by the collapse of the [Universal Celestial Pull].
The location they chose happened to be the "legacy" of a previous "old man's den".
Almost at the same time that the vanguard team of the [Po Jun] guild completed its deployment, the western entrance of the central area...
Another team also sneaked in silently.
This team was even smaller, about 150 people, but each one was sharp and agile, clearly an elite.
They are the Dark Blade guild, a mid-sized guild known for its assassins and rangers, specializing in ambushes and blitzkrieg tactics.
The guild leader, Li Ying, was a top-notch assassin himself. He clung to the shadows at the entrance like a true shadow, his scarlet eyes scanning the interior.
"President, there seems to be some movement to the east. It looks like someone got in before us and is setting up defenses in those 'watchtower' ruins."
An adjutant, who was also lurking nearby, reported in a low voice.
"How many people?" Li Ying's voice was hoarse.
"I estimate around two hundred. Judging from their formation and equipment, they seem to be members of the [Broken Army] faction."
"[Po Jun]... Lei Hao, that brute, has also arrived."
A cold smile appeared on Li Ying's lips.
"Perfect. They've drawn attention, so we'll circle around to the side and find a place to hide. We'll make our move when they start fighting other potential forces, or when the circle shrinks to the point where we're forced to retreat."
The members of the [Dark Blade] guild, like a pack of wolves in the night, used their superb stealth skills and the complex terrain to silently avoid the possible observation directions of the [Broken Army] vanguard team, and made their way to the other side of the central area, to a more low-lying and chaotic area of ruins.
The area is full of collapsed houses and crisscrossing underground pipe entrances, making it an excellent hiding place.
They successfully reached the designated area and quickly dispersed, hiding in the shadows and pipe openings, disappearing instantly like water droplets merging into the ocean.
"Maintain absolute silence. Do not activate any skills or communications unless absolutely necessary. Await my command."
Li Ying's command rang out in the team channel.
They hid themselves well, believing they were completely undetected, and prepared to carry out the strategy of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
They were equally puzzled by the silence in the central area and the strange signs of battle, but they saw it more as an opportunity—perhaps the previous players had already suffered heavy losses, allowing them to reap a huge advantage.
Unbeknownst to them, about fifty meters above their heads, on the tallest broken pillar, Lin Tian had already slowly opened his eyes.
"To the east, about two hundred men have occupied the stronghold and are setting up defenses."
"To the west, about 150 people dispersed and infiltrated into the low-lying ruins area to hide."
"Hmm...and to the south...a few more small, scattered teams have sneaked in and are looking for places to hide."
Lin Tian's mental power was like the finest net, clearly reflecting back the movements, numbers, and even the approximate strength and emotional fluctuations of the newly arrived waves of "guests".
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, first landing on the low-lying ruins to the west.
"You like to hide things?"
He moved and disappeared from the broken pillar.
In a low-lying, ruined area, there is a large stone pipe that is half buried underground.
Five elite assassins from the [Dark Blade] guild are lying in ambush here, holding their breath.
The inside of the pipe was dark and damp, with only a faint light filtering through the cracks.
Is there any noise outside?