Chapter 160: Round Three

[Game Start]

As the window screen dissolved, Alan's senses gradually returned. His eyes opened, and he found himself standing in the midst of a dense forest, the fading light of dusk casting eerie shadows among the trees.

In the distance, beyond the foliage, a chaotic scene unfolded. Flickering fires illuminated the forest, and the air was filled with the sounds of battle - shouts, screams, and the unmistakable clash of steel. Alan swiftly took out his weapon, the gleaming blade of the [Third Reich sword] firmly gripped in his hand, and he charged toward the source of the commotion.

As he pushed deeper into the forest, he came upon a harrowing sight. Towering and menacing, battle-hardened warriors clad in dark leather armor, adorned with metal studs and rivets, and draped in animal pelts as cloaks, were ruthlessly pursuing a group of terrified villagers. With their brutal axes and swords, the warriors showed no mercy, leaving devastation in their wake.

Alan's heart raced as he watched the horrifying scene. He recognized the attackers as Saxon warriors, notorious for their cruelty and aggression. It was a massacre, and the villagers had no means to defend themselves.

Then, a notification appeared on his game link.

[You Received F Level Quest: Save the villagers]

Alan's immediate instinct wasn't to rush into the fray and save the villagers. As convincing as the scene appeared to be a real-life bloodbath, these villagers were NPCs, part of the game's simulation, and Alan wasn't willing to endanger himself for their sake. It was best to assess the situation before taking any rash actions.

One particular detail gave him reason for concern. In his previous life within the game, he had indeed encountered Saxon warriors, but the circumstances were different. He'd been situated within a Roman garrison, watching the battle unfold from a much safer position.

This glaring inconsistency left him pondering two possibilities. The first was tied to his high level and impressive stats, speculating that the game had placed him in this harrowing situation due to his advanced character progression. The second possibility was the one that he feared the most.

To confirm his theory, Alan sprung into action. He closed the gap swiftly, employing his [Lunge Attack] to get the drop on one of the Saxon warriors who was moments away from delivering a death blow to a helpless villager. Alan's well-executed maneuver took the Saxon by surprise.

[Stabbing: Lethal Attack. Inflicts 158 damage],

[Critical hit inflicted from sneak attack, 77 damage, Target dies...]

Alan's quick thinking and skillful attack granted him 250 experience points and 125 survival points. However, the act of killing one of the Saxon's comrades called out the remaining Saxon warriors, who bristled with anger, their focus now squarely on Alan.

[Saxon Warrior]

[Type: Human]

[Rank: E+]

These brutal combatants were a rank above Nazi-trained soldiers, boasting impressive attack capabilities and decent speed. Despite their relative strength, they were no match for Alan's advanced stats and honed combat skills. Their defenses left much to be desired, making them vulnerable to Alan's strikes.

[You gained 1000 XP and 500 survival points]

As the last of the Saxon warriors fell, the surviving villagers watched in a mix of relief and awe. One of them stepped forward, a glimmer of hope in their eyes, and spoke to Alan with a plea for help.

"Warrior, please, save my village. I beg you."

The dire situation became clear as the villagers told him about the brutal Saxon that was currently raiding their village just across the forest. Their peaceful settlement had been ravaged, with villagers slain and their homes set ablaze. The gravity of the situation didn't excite Alan; instead, it brought a sense of trepidation, knowing full well the challenges that would be waiting for him.

In response, Alan hastily retrieved his [CD116 Mobile Radio] and tried to establish contact with any of his Wolverine units.

"Wolverines, this is Alan, come in," he repeated into the device, listening intently for any sign of a response.

To his dismay, the transmission was marred by static, rendering any messages unintelligible. It was an alarming development that heightened Alan's anxiety. Either the device was malfunctioning or the Wolverines were much farther away than he had anticipated.

Alan contemplated moving to higher ground to improve his reception when the unmistakable sound of firearms echoed from the direction of the village.

Amid the chaos and the sounds of battle, Alan had a glimmer of hope. With the sound of firearms, there was a high probability that some of the Wolverines or other players might be in the vicinity, so he made the decision to rush toward the village. As he approached, the grim reality became apparent - the village was under siege by a formidable war party of Saxon warriors, numbering at least a hundred.

Alan soon encountered a group of two dozen players who were holding their ground and defending the beleaguered villagers. Among them, he recognized Robs, the former police officer who led Militia 13. Alan's spirits were lifted when he saw Bill and his group of 10 fighters in another corner, fiercely battling the incoming Saxons.

Utilizing firearms, these groups managed to fend off the Saxon attackers, but it was a daunting task. Villagers had already fallen victim to the merciless raiders, with hundreds of casualties.

Alan charged into the heart of the village, taking down a few Saxons in his path. His arrival prompted cheers of relief, and Bill, the CEO, couldn't hide his elation.

"Our commander is here, we are saved!" Bill shouted, overjoyed at Alan's presence.

Alan, however, knew that they couldn't stay in the village. The stakes were too high, and time was of the essence.

"We need to get out of this village!" Alan declared, his sense of urgency clear.

"What about the quest?!" Robs asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "I think we can handle them."

"No, trust me, follow me," Alan insisted, his determination unwavering.

Alan's reputation preceded him, and with Bill and his squad ready to follow, Robs wisely decided to join the exodus. The tense atmosphere hung in the air as they moved together, but soon they encountered a group of Saxon warriors blocking their escape route.

As Alan prepared to break through the enemy lines, a realization struck. These warriors were actually Asian, and a few were armed with firearms. The situation took an unexpected turn.

"Alan, they are other players! From another server?" Bill exclaimed.

The leader of the Asian group intervened, preventing the Saxons from attacking. He asked, "Who are you guys? From which server?"

The presence of the Asian players triggered a surge of anxiety within Alan. Alan knew that these players before them hailed from the Bangkok server, and the Saxons had been listening to them because they were programmed to join the Saxon faction.

The issue here was that in his previous life, the Thailand players should have received the Angles faction, representing the other Germanic tribes that invaded Britannia. This revelation confirmed Alan's worst fears. The reason he hadn't spawned in the Roman garrison was because the game had assigned them a different faction altogether - not Saxon, not Roman.

Alan realized that their situation was far more complex and perilous than he had initially thought.

Despite the pause in the Saxon attack, the players were taken aback as the Saxons continued to mercilessly slaughter the villagers. Alan urgently turned to the Thailand players and implored, "Stop killing them!"

A player from Thailand responded with a sardonic grin, "He's worried we're taking his points."

Alan insisted, "No, no, listen to me, stop killing them now!"

Before he could offer a thorough explanation, an eerie sound echoed through the sky, and the moon transformed into a sinister shade of red. A chilling wind swept through the area, sending shivers down their spines.

"What's happening?"

"We're too late, prepare to fight."

"Fight who?" the bewildered players inquired.

Simultaneously, a notification flashed across their game links, affecting both New York and Bangkok players.

[The source of darkness has arrived in Britannia Land]

[Warning: Danger will arrive in 1 minute]

The message sent shockwaves through the group, leaving everyone, both players and Saxon warriors, visibly distressed. As the one-minute countdown reached its conclusion, the entire group was about to witness a scene of pure horror.

Amidst the chilling, blood-red moon, hundreds of corpses, once villagers and Saxons alike, began to stir.

The dead had risen.