CHAPTER 54: ROAD TO GLORY

Following the winding staircase downward, Ryan and Moonlight Beauty arrived at the most heavily fortified zone in the region.

This was the Gantai Encampment, nestled within Blood Gorge—currently the Alliance of Light’s only human stronghold in the area. It served as both a frontline outpost and a staging ground, a critical foothold in hostile territory.

Blood Gorge was a recently unearthed, resource-rich territory. The Alliance had barely begun to tap its potential when scouts from the Dark Horde—primarily the Orcs—discovered it as well. Friction was inevitable. Clashes between the two factions escalated rapidly, spiraling into open conflict. The land was soon steeped in blood, earning the gorge its grim name.

Over time, the encampment had grown into a makeshift town. Airships arrived regularly from the Alliance’s rear lines, unloading crates of supplies and a steady influx of players like Ryan—volunteers, mercenaries, or glory-seekers—ready to join the war effort.

At the heart of the encampment stood Gantai Wells, the military commander of the region and the highest-ranking officer stationed here.

Ryan and Moonlight Beauty approached him, triggering a brief exchange. A notification flashed in Ryan’s vision:

—

Congratulations! You have earned the achievement [Path of Blood]!

Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked the [Honor System]!

You can now use Honor to purchase military ranks!

You can now use Honor to purchase equipment matching your military rank!

—

Moonlight Beauty’s eyes lit up as she received the same notification. She turned to Ryan, visibly thrilled.

"Guild Leader! Should we go test the waters against the enemy now?"

"Not yet," Ryan replied, bluntly but calm. "We need to complete some quests first. If we charge in now, we’ll probably get wiped before even reaching the enemy lines."

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Without waiting for debate, he began guiding her through the encampment, accepting quests one after another.

Blood Gorge stretched like a warped letter ’I’—the Alliance of Light controlled one end, the Dark Horde the other. The middle section was a dangerous no-man’s-land, crawling with monstrous creatures and demonic beasts. Their strength escalated dramatically toward the gorge’s center, with enemies reaching up to level 20.

At only level 10, Ryan knew he didn’t stand a chance against those monsters. They were not just stronger—they were faster. Trying to outrun something several levels higher was a death sentence.

Most direct encounters between the Alliance and Horde players happened around level 15. At that point, quests became more competitive—often requiring players to fight each other for scarce resources or quest items.

Ryan wasn’t rushing for that stage just yet. He had a path in mind—but it required preparation and certain rare items first.

"Let’s go," he said. "We’ll grind some quests for now."

They left the encampment, heading toward a desolate patch of land marked on their map. Before long, they arrived at a decrepit stretch of farmland swallowed by wilderness.

"This is the Abandoned Farm," Ryan said, scanning the surroundings. "Orc rogues are prowling around here—level ten to twelve. They hit hard. If you pull too many at once, you won’t be able to escape."

Moonlight Beauty nodded, taking his warning seriously. The two agreed to split up to make quicker work of the quest targets.

—

[Quest: Vexing Stalkers]

Some Orc rogues have infiltrated our perimeter. My troops are stretched thin—they don’t have time to hunt them down.

You’ve arrived at the right moment. Their strength should match yours. I trust you can handle the job.

Objective: Kill Orc Rogues (0/100)

Reward: 3,000 EXP | 20 Silver Coins | Plate-Carved Spiked Gauntlets (Plate Armor)

—

It was a hefty reward—nearly double what quests in the heartland offered. But then again, this place was far more dangerous. Players couldn’t return to the heartland once they entered Blood Gorge, so the rewards here were less generosity and more hazard pay.

Ryan raised his hand and activated a skill.

Weapon Enchantment – Command!

A golden light surged from his palm into his sword, imbuing it with a faint hum of energy. The weapon—a level 10 Stamina Shortsword—was one he had forged himself using his blacksmithing skill. It granted him an extra point of Stamina and Strength compared to his previous blade. Not a massive difference, but in a place like this, every little bit mattered.

Orc rogues typically remained cloaked in stealth, their presence completely hidden until someone got too close. And if they spotted a player first, that player was often the victim of a painful first strike.

Thankfully, these particular NPC rogues hadn’t learned any of the advanced rogue skills that higher-level enemies could wield. If they had access to Ambush, Garrote, or similar abilities, even someone as careful as Ryan would be in serious danger if swarmed.

After sprinting along the edge of the abandoned farm, Ryan quickly drew the attention of seven—no, eight—Orc rogues. Their shadowy, half-transparent silhouettes emerged from the field, creeping toward him from behind with eerie silence.

But Ryan was already prepared.

Sharpening Stones, healing potions, buff scrolls—he had applied everything beforehand. Moonlight Beauty had been given a full set too.

On top of that, Ryan had a trump card: several Minor Cat’s Eye Potions he had purchased from the Wandering Merchant. They gave a small boost to stealth detection—insignificant on its own, but when combined with the Suspicion racial trait unique to humans, it was enough to unmask nearly every hidden enemy nearby.

As their forms shimmered into visibility, Ryan smirked.

He opened with Avenger’s Shield.

A glowing shield of holy energy surged from his hand, crashing into the first rogue and ricocheting into two others. Each one took a heavy hit.

—

Orc Rogue

Level: 11

Health: 444

Type: Humanoid

—

The leading rogue took 180 holy damage—nearly half its total HP in one shot. And that wasn’t even a critical hit.

If only Avenger’s Shield didn’t have such a long cooldown, Ryan thought, Paladins would practically be unstoppable.

The rogues retaliated, but their counterattacks barely scratched him. Each strike landed for around 20 damage, totalling just over 100 per round. Ryan held firm.

Then he cast Judgment.

A radiant flash exploded across the field, and the already-weakened Orc rogue dropped dead on the spot.

–310

Even Ryan was caught off guard by the number. A critical hit, maybe? He wasn’t sure, but it was far higher than what he remembered dealing with this skill.

Back when he used a two-handed sword, his Judgments barely reached 200 damage. This? This was a whole new level.

Grinning, he turned to the next target and unleashed Fist of Light.

–182

–24 (Command Damage)

–140

–48 (Command Critical)

Four hits landed in rapid succession. The rogue never stood a chance. It collapsed instantly, already softened by the earlier shield hit.

In just a few seconds, two monsters—both one level higher than Ryan—were dead at his feet.

He exhaled slowly, satisfaction glowing on his face. There was a thrill in this—the feeling of power, of precision, of executing everything just right. Using skills normally locked behind higher levels felt like getting a glimpse of the future—and seizing it early.

As a level 10 Protection Paladin, dishing out the burst of a level 20 Retribution Paladin was beyond rewarding. It was addictive.

"Die quickly," Ryan muttered to himself, eyes narrowing as he advanced. "Then I’ll cross the isolation zone... and start hunting Orc players. I just need one more for my fourth Glorious Achievement."

His tone turned colder. Determined. Ruthless.

And then he charged forward, cutting down the next rogue without hesitation.