Starlight Bastion, Starlight Premium Bar.
What should have been the liveliest, most bustling bar in the entire Starlight Bastion was now utterly silent. The bar — large enough to rival half a football pitch — held every player's gaze fixed on a cluster of black-clad figures drinking quietly at the center, and nobody dared so much as breathe.
It wasn't merely because these dark-clad people had appeared so suddenly, as though they'd materialized out of thin air. More importantly, every one of them bore the guild crest of Illusion Mythic.
"Are they the real deal?"
"Incredible… They're standing right in front of us, yet I can't sense them at all. How is that possible?"
"So the Demon God Palace really did shake things up — even Illusion Mythic can't stay on the sidelines."
Whispers rippled through the assembled players, their eyes a mixture of awe and alarm.
As one of the five great super-guilds, Illusion Mythic's reputation preceded it — there wasn't a single person on the entire Western Continent who hadn't heard of them.
The fact that members of Illusion Mythic had already made a move inside Starlight Bastion had spread through the Bastion like wildfire. Not only had they faced no retribution from the Holy Dragon, but a considerable number of Godly Will Tribe experts had been lost in the clash. Even the commander of the Godly Will Tribe's ace legion, Fitehaliya, had been killed by them almost carelessly. It would have been impossible not to pay attention.
In response, the Godly Will Tribe had dispatched more experts on patrol and even deployed a significant number of Tier 3 bodyguards to walk the streets.
And yet here Illusion Mythic was again — with even greater numbers this time — lounging about in the most popular bar in Starlight Bastion, chatting and drinking as if nothing had happened. They treated the Bastion as though it didn't exist.
That kind of dominance was almost intoxicating.
"Boss, Illusion Mythic is insane. Even the Holy Dragon — the one that made every other super power throw up its hands — they don't care about it at all. And now they're back. I'm afraid Starlight Bastion is about to change forever." A cold-faced man with a massive sword strapped to his back and clad in dark-gray leather armor stared at the black-robed Illusion Mythic members, genuine admiration in his tone.
He had been deeply shaken by that Holy Dragon — it simply wasn't something players could contend with. Yet Illusion Mythic treated it as nothing. The depth of their power was terrifying.
"Illusion Mythic's reserves really aren't something other super powers can compare to. Setting aside the ability to completely conceal their aura, every single one of them is an absolute top-tier expert in raw combat power. Several are even stronger than me. As for that silver-haired youth leading them — I wouldn't even entertain the thought of fighting him. He's already beyond human." The legion commander, Kuro, studied the Illusion Mythic party at length, his eyes laced with wariness. "If these people decided to cause a ruckus inside the Bastion, it would be an absolute bloodbath, and nobody could stop them. Even Zero Wing, with all its tricks, would have no choice but to back down."
He had long known that the major super powers in the Divine Realm couldn't compete with the five great super-guilds, but he hadn't expected the gap to be this vast.
Setting aside the fact that every Illusion Mythic member was level 107 or above, the sheer pressure they deliberately radiated was suffocating.
The weakest among them possessed combat power approaching that of a same-level High Lord. Handling even one would be troublesome; if two or three came at him together, he'd be in genuine danger of dying.
And here were more than thirty such experts gathered in one place, each with the ability to fully conceal their aura. It was nothing short of a nightmare.
The silver-haired youth at the forefront didn't radiate any visible pressure at all, yet Kuro's instincts screamed at him that stepping within thirty yards of that man meant certain death.
While the crowd watched the Illusion Mythic members in silence, the black-clad group seemed completely oblivious to the surrounding players. They simply went about their own conversation.
"Captain, the higher-ups really are being stubborn this time. They're making us negotiate with Zero Wing just to save face for the Netherworld Empire. If you ask me, we shouldn't give anyone face — just seize Starlight Bastion outright. Once the Demon God Palace opens, the Demon God's inheritance will be ours for sure!" A tall woman with a warhammer and heavy shield strapped to her back vented her frustration at the orders from above.
In her view, the Netherworld Empire had failed to take the Bastion and was forced to cooperate with Zero Wing because of its own incompetence. Conquering a Bastion was fair game — if the Netherworld Empire couldn't handle Starlight Bastion, that was their problem. Illusion Mythic taking it would be easy, especially with their recently bolstered strength.
Forget this small matter of the Bastion — even dealing with the Netherworld Empire's Hell Legion wouldn't be difficult. There was absolutely no reason to tread carefully around the Netherworld Empire.
"If you ask me, we should just hit Zero Wing hard. Seize the Lord's Mansion directly. There's no need to pressure them by targeting the Godly Will Tribe. Otherwise that Black Flame really will think this is the Eastern Continent." A young assassin holding two short swords nodded in agreement.
On the Eastern Continent, even Illusion Mythic's reach was limited in certain ways. But this was the Western Continent — crushing Zero Wing would be trivially easy. The Holy Dragon's protection didn't matter at all. Illusion Mythic's foundation here was beyond anything Zero Wing could possibly imagine.
"Don't get careless," the silver-haired youth at the head of the group spoke up, addressing his impatient teammates. "The Netherworld Empire chose their approach for a reason. I've received intelligence that Zero Wing currently has five people who have unlocked the Mana Body. They're far from ordinary now. If those five show up, stick to the plan — form groups of four and activate the battle formation to hold them. Everyone else follows the original plan. If the Holy Dragon arrives, disengage immediately. Don't waste time fighting."
"Captain, don't worry about it. Aside from that Holy Dragon, nobody else is worth worrying about. I don't know what kind of blind luck Zero Wing stumbled into to unlock the Mana Body so fast, but so what?" The young assassin with the two short swords declared loudly, without the slightest restraint. "If anyone from Zero Wing dares show up, I guarantee not a single one of them will walk out alive!"
The Illusion Mythic members murmured their agreement.
Unlocking the Mana Body certainly boosted one's combat power, but their advanced battle formations were nothing to scoff at either. Once activated, four fighters' strength fused into a single entity — enough to challenge a same-level Tier 4 Legendary monster. What chance did Tier 3 players have?
As long as they dared to appear, they could be obliterated in moments.
"Is that so? Then I'd very much like to try."
The moment the young assassin finished speaking, a deep voice carried through the ears of every player in the Starlight Bar. The entire establishment erupted. Heads whipped toward the source of the voice.
Everyone thought whoever had said it must be out of their mind — openly defying Illusion Mythic in a crowded room? They clearly had a death wish.
Through the bar's entrance walked two figures, one male and one female. The woman was the stunningly radiant Fitehaliya. The man wore a black cloak, two gleaming longswords hanging at his waist, and was dressed entirely in black as deep as the night itself.