Chapter 96: The Third Way

Most players in any MMORPG didn't care about their games' lore.

Of course, there were always players who did appreciate this element, but they were in the minority.

One of the unique aspects of "Horus" was the way its players were so eager to follow and assimilate the game's lore in order to progress.

Of course, given the current situation with all the Federation NPCs rapturously watching the Battle of Cronos I, there weren't many quests to do.

Players and NPCs sat side by side across the Federation, watching the lifelike holograms depicting the battle.

It was so cool! The scene of thousands of ships clashing over a planet of billions of people was so majestic that even those who weren't fans of science fiction or space opera were still entranced.

Such were the possibilities waiting in the "Horus" universe! For many players, this was the first time they realized that their imaginations were the only limit to what was possible in this game.

Once it became clear that the Federation had lost to the Titan Regnier, the forums resounded with numerous shocked conversations. Many of these players had felt intimidated by Azerof, being too scared to challenge the Federation, but what were they to do now?

The Federation had seemed to be the most powerful force around, but they'd just lost to the Orcs. Some players wished to leave Federation space altogether, but how were they supposed to get an acceptable passport?

On Cronos I, the space battle looked as though it would soon give way to a land battle. Over ten million Federation soldiers had fortified the planet in its major urban centers, and many Geoils had been conscripted into the ranks in addition to these.

It took some time for the land battle to begin, due to the forces in space still needing to exit hyperspace before they could land on the planet itself.

This gave a good amount of time for the Federation to organize their defenses on Cronos I, but would it be enough?

At the same moment, all players received the same alert.

Notification: Call to Defend Cronos I!

Summary: The Federation has lost the Battle of Cronos I, and the planet itself will soon be invaded by the Orc Empire! The Federation is calling all to volunteer and defend freedom! Join the nearest recruiting station to take part!

Basic Reward: Become a full citizen of the Federation + basic Federation military equipment + 100 GC for each Orc soldier killed.

Success Reward: Your [Genocidal] trait will be replaced with the [Rehabilitated] trait + individual bonus rewards according to individual combat results.

A moment later, another message appeared!

Notification: Liberation of Cronos I!

Summary: The Orc Empire has won the Battle of Cronos I, and will soon fight to free the planet from Federation rule! The Orc Empire is offering all volunteers the opportunity to join its ranks. Go to any Orc Empire system and find a war office to join.

Basic Reward: Become a citizen of the Orc Empire + basic Orc military equipment + possibility of earning land on Cronos I.

Success Reward: Gain the Passive Ability [Fighter] "Fighter" + individual bonus rewards according to individual combat results.

The forums lit up with excitement as everyone debated which side to choose! It was obvious that victory would be decided by the intervention of players, so there was a lot of debate whether everyone should simply choose the same side.

Of course, some players simply trolled the others with their suggestions, but other players actually had latched onto an interesting and original idea.

Why fight for someone else when the Eternals now numbered about five hundred million? They could easily take over the Cronos system for themselves, let alone Cronos I!

There was the problem of most players being poor and not owning ships, of course. However, it was also obvious that the Federation—and the Orcs, to some degree—had lost a huge percentage of their ships.

That is, the Eternals were now far more powerful than they once were, and both sides demanding their help were much weaker than they had been only a day before. Almost half of all players were Rank D, which made them far more powerful than any Orc or Federation soldier.

And, of course, nearly 10% of players were Rank C, which was of an even greater level of power over most soldiers! And, of course, most soldiers in the battle would be unaccustomed to fighting on land, as most combat happened in space. They would still be skilled warriors, certainly, but their specialty would surely not be on the ground.

This strategy quickly became popular, and more and more players began to plan an invasion of Cronos I.