"Why are there so many airships here?"
"Could we have triggered some kind of NPC event? Are the NPCs coming to deal with us?"
The sudden arrival of five airships left the Dark players pouring out of the massive gate dumbfounded. They whispered among themselves, anxiety creeping onto their faces.
Airships were no stranger to players in the Divine Realm. Whenever an NPC city developed to a certain point, it would gain an airship port. For players who wanted to save on the hefty teleportation fees, airships were an incredibly convenient and affordable mode of transport. Many destinations didn't even have teleportation circles, and most importantly, passengers could choose to disembark mid-route, saving plenty of time for players who frequently traveled long distances. They were about as familiar a thing as any.
It was precisely because of that familiarity that they understood just how formidable airships were.
They were absolute dominators of the skies — devastating weapons of war!
Fighting ground-based players with one would be as easy as child's play. In an era when most players had virtually no aerial forces, an airship was practically a weapon of mass destruction.
Now five of them had appeared at once. How could anyone not be worried?
"Wait — look! There are players on the airships!" Several sharp-eyed Tier 3 Rangers pointed up at the Crimson Dragon airships hovering in midair and shouted.
Following the Tier 3 Rangers' callout, everyone present took a closer look.
Sure enough, just as the Tier 3 Rangers had said, although the distance was great and things looked a bit blurry, the airships clearly bore the green diamond markers that only players had — not a single NPC identifier among them.
"Who are these people? They even have airships!"
"Could they be from some super guild?"
The fact that all five airships were player-operated left the Dark players buzzing with curiosity and disbelief.
Airships were far too distant a concept for them, who lived in the Dark World. Forget airships — even flying mounts were exceedingly rare among the major powers. Owning five airships was nothing short of a fantasy.
Yet this fantasy had actually materialized, right before their very eyes…
At that moment, it wasn't just the rank-and-file free players of the Dark World who were stunned. Even the higher-ups of the various major factions who had come to the Cold Spring Great Forest were left gaping.
"Five airships! Who on earth are they?"
"What are they here for?"
If it had been one or two airships, that would have been one thing. But a full five — facing that kind of number, none of the major factions dared provoke them lightly. After all, a fight would be no laughing matter.
Just as the major factions of the Dark World whispered among themselves, the five airships high above began their slow descent. When they reached less than a hundred yards from the ground, a figure leaped off one of the airships, dropping straight toward the densely packed central area. The Dark players below watched the descending figure and instinctively scrambled backward.
In the blink of an eye, a wide clearing had opened up across the once-packed plain, giving the figure plenty of room to land.
And when that figure touched down, every major faction leader present — especially Moshan and Old Lin, who had just returned from Stone Forest City — nearly had their eyes pop out of their heads.
The person who had dropped from the airship was none other than the person they had met before — Black Flame, the Guild Master of Zero Wing.
"It's him!"
"How is that possible?!"