After the major guilds and adventure parties departed, Maze Forest Town instantly turned desolate. However, on the Star Moon Kingdom's official forums, discussions about the beastman siege were white-hot.
Video after video of the siege, recorded by various players, left everyone stunned.
Although the major guilds clashed regularly — even engaging in large-scale battles — compared to the beastman army's siege, it was like comparing heaven and earth. Just watching the videos was enough to feel the bone-chilling killing intent on the battlefield.
"With so many beastmen laying siege, Maze Forest Town is done for. I wonder where the beastmen will strike next?"
"That's probably not possible, right? This has to be some kind of event. If the beastman army were allowed to lay siege to the Star Moon Kingdom's towns and weaken the NPCs at each one, the kingdom would be finished."
"Not necessarily. With the new expansion pack 'Rise of the Empire,' the neighboring countries have already been heavily invaded by beastmen."
"Fair point. The surrounding towns are going to be in trouble next. With so many beastmen, which guild could possibly hold them off? I heard every single guild pulled out of Maze Forest Town — over three hundred thousand elite troops!"
"Wait, I heard Zero Wing is still fighting in Maze Forest Town."
"Zero Wing? Don't count on it. I heard Zero Wing only sent a single thousand-man squad — just going through the motions. They wouldn't even be enough to fill the beastmen's teeth. They've probably already retreated."
"But I heard from someone in Zero Wing that the squad they sent was their main force, and they still haven't pulled back."
"Maybe they're just trying to farm some experience. After all, with so many beastmen, even a single large-scale spell could hit a hundred of them. The weakest beastmen are Level 40 special elites, and I hear the experience rewards are pretty decent. The only catch is that each one has a buff that reduces most of the damage."
Opinions on the beastman siege were split — some rejoiced, others despaired. With the beastman army on the move, farming honor contribution points would become easier going forward. But for players living in the surrounding towns, it was a potential disaster. If the beastmen attacked again, all the groundwork they'd established in their towns would go to waste. For the guilds that had monopolized towns, the urge to cry was overwhelming.
"Zero Wing's people still haven't returned?" Back in the Star Moon royal capital, Yi Xiao Du Zang heard his subordinates' report and couldn't hide his surprise.
In his view, Zero Wing had done enough of a performance. Maze Forest Town simply wasn't a place players could hold.
"Guild Leader Du Zang, let's stop worrying about Zero Wing. Although we didn't earn enough contribution points and guild influence this time, it won't significantly affect our plans. Our primary objective is still Guyan City, which has risen in the neutral territories. Once we take that city, forget the Star Moon Kingdom — every neighboring country will fall in line behind the Tianzang Guild." Lei Jingyang smiled from the side. "You mentioned before that Yanxue's side is already prepared. When do we make our move?"
"Yanxue is indeed ready, but we don't have many honor contribution points. We can only hire five thousand mercenaries. If we'd managed to defend Maze Forest Town, we could have hired eight thousand, and taking Guyan City would have been practically a sure thing." Yi Xiao Du Zang sighed.
With the rise of the Beastman Empire, the neutral territories at the borders of several neighboring countries had all been occupied by beastmen. On top of that, several ancient cities from the former Beastman Empire had resurfaced, and Guyan City was one of them.
All towns belonging to the Beastman Empire could be captured. You wouldn't have the complete control of a guild town, but you could still build and develop — a semi-controlled model. Far easier than building a town from scratch.
Moreover, because of the Beastman Empire, both major guilds and independent players were eager to farm honor contribution points to exchange for mounts and other rare items. Guyan City sat deep within the Beastman Empire's territory, making it an excellent farming spot for contribution points. It was also close to several ancient ruins.
If they could capture it, it would undoubtedly become the place where players from all the neighboring countries would want to settle. The wealth and resources from Guyan City alone would catapult the Tianzang Guild to become the number one guild across all neighboring countries.
What was Zero Wing City in the Star Moon Kingdom compared to that? A joke.
"That's enough. That old Beast Emperor wants twenty percent of Guyan City's profits for nothing — it's time he pulled his weight during the siege," Lei Jingyang said.
As for the Beast Emperor — he couldn't stand the man. The old scoundrel loved nothing more than scheming from the shadows.