CHAPTER 58: FIRST BLOOD IN THE SHADOW WAR

Ironblood Falcon was currently leading a small squad through a series of quests. Not long ago, a bombshell had dropped on the forums—the first guild in the game had officially been established. The moment the news hit, Ironblood Blade, guild master of Ironblood Covenant, logged off in a hurry, hell-bent on figuring out the fastest way to set up their own.

Falcon, captain of Ironblood Covenant’s main raid team, was one of the guild’s rising stars. His teammates—currently grinding quests at his side—were also part of that elite core. With their level of coordination and experience, they hardly needed instructions for these low-tier missions. They made short work of everything.

Unlike his rival, another high-ranking officer developing in the safer central territories, Falcon had taken a different path. He had volunteered to come to the contested zones—riskier, yes, but a place where talent truly stood out. It was more than just a change of scenery. It was war.

Ironblood Covenant had a simple, brutal rule: the strong advance, the weak are left behind.

Falcon was convinced he was stronger. Smarter. Better. He had every intention of proving it, climbing higher—and if he could, forcing his rival out altogether.

But he’d hit a snag. During the recent Orc faction dungeon event, his team’s clear time had been just a little slower than his rival’s—ten minutes, but ten minutes too long. It gnawed at him. He hadn’t even turned in the final quest yet. Instead, he’d hung back, reluctant, searching for another opportunity to close the gap.

Luckily, the game delivered.

After every faction had officially cleared their respective dungeons, a new chain quest quietly appeared. A secret route—off the usual track, rich in development potential. It wasn’t just another side quest. It was an opening.

Falcon had jumped on it immediately.

He rallied his team and led them here, arriving early thanks to a shortcut via alchemical airship. Most of the Orc players hadn’t even heard of this place yet. For now, they were alone—and that was exactly how Falcon liked it.

Being the first wave to land here meant everything. It was a huge advantage, and it didn’t go unnoticed. Ironblood Blade had personally messaged him with words of praise. Falcon was riding high.

Nearby, Ironblood Beastmaster gave his combat pet—an armored wild boar—a fond pat before sending it back into its crystal. He ambled over and began picking through the loot scattered across the field.

"Hurry it up," Falcon called out, clapping his hands once. "The moment we wrap this quest, we move. Next stop’s already set. We need to stay ahead before the other players catch on."

"Captain," murmured Ironblood Dirge, a Shaman with a cautious temperament. He stepped closer, his voice low. "The next location’s Whisperwind Ruins. It’s a bit far from camp. Should we wait? I’m worried Alliance of Light players might already be on the move."

"No need, Dirge," came a flat reply from Ironblood Demon, the group’s rare Orc Warlock. His tone was calm, eyes half-lidded, almost bored. "Check the map. There’s no way the Alliance gets here this fast. I’d bet we’ve got until level sixteen before they even sniff the edge of this zone. We’re in the clear."

"I agree with Demon," said Ironblood Dagger, a lean Rogue who barely paused between killing blows as he joined the conversation. "We’re not just some random party—we’re the Covenant’s main raid squad. What’s there to be afraid of? You think the Alliance isn’t busy dealing with their own monsters? We’ll be fine."

Falcon let out a laugh, full of confidence. "Exactly. Even if they do show up, unless it’s a full raid group, we can wipe the floor with them. We’re not here to play safe—we’re here to dominate."

He gestured with a wave of his hand, rallying his teammates to move out. "Let’s pack up. Whisperwind Ruins is waiting."

Meanwhile, not far from their position, another duo had already passed through the danger zone in the middle of the map. Ryan and Moonlight Beauty were pushing forward at full speed, galloping hard.

Their destination? Coincidentally, it was the exact same as Ironblood Falcon’s.

"Up ahead is the area with level eleven and twelve monsters," Ryan said, reins tight as his steed kicked up dust along the hillside trail. "It’s the same level range as the quests we got when we first entered camp. The Orc faction should be showing up soon."

"We’ll split up here," he added, casting a glance toward Moonlight Beauty. "Fan out on horseback. If you spot a small group of players, let me know immediately through party chat. But if there are too many, don’t engage—just move on and keep looking."

He knew her well enough to worry. She had a flair for chaos, and that reckless spark could get her in trouble if left unchecked.

Moonlight Beauty smiled, her voice light and teasing. "Relax, Guild Leader. I won’t charge in without thinking."

Her eyes narrowed into a mischievous crescent as she laughed, and with that, the two of them crested a small hill, leaving a scattered group of monsters in the dust. A few seconds later, they split, widening the gap between them as they moved in a coordinated sweep across the outer edge of Whisperwind Ruins.

Ryan angled northeast; Moonlight veered off at a sixty-degree angle to the south.

Before long, a message pinged through party chat.

—

Moonlight Beauty: Guild Leader, you were right—lots of Orc players here. Such a shame, too. There must be dozens! They even mistook me for an NPC and tried to attack me, haha.

—

Ryan sighed, already picturing the chaos. "Don’t draw too much attention," he snapped back. "If someone tags your name in the Regional Channel, we’re blown."

Just then, several figures came into view on the far end of the ruins. Orcs. Exactly where he expected them to be.

Whisperwind Ruins was far from the Orc starting zone. Any players here had to have cleared a chain of quests first, which meant they weren’t noobs. As Ryan watched them group up near a crumbling stone arch, their character IDs flickered into focus.

All of them bore the "Ironblood" prefix.

’So, the Ironblood Covenant had made it here first.’

"Moonlight," Ryan said with a grin, "come here. There’s good food on the table."

Moonlight Beauty: Copy that, Guild Leader!

She was already on the move, hooves pounding in the distance.

"They’ve got a Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, and Warlock," Ryan muttered, analyzing quickly. "We take out the Shaman and the Hunter first. That’s the optimal strike."

He tracked their formation, noting how casually they moved. They didn’t expect trouble yet.

"In Kingdom Forge," he continued, "if you don’t deal or receive damage for six seconds, you drop out of combat. If things go south, just pop the Swiftness Potion I gave you, get out of range, and ride. But..." He squinted at their gear, then smirked. "Actually, never mind. Their output isn’t as high as I expected. We can take them."

Moonlight’s laughter rang out as she came into view. "Then what are we waiting for, Guild Leader?"

Without waiting for his signal, she surged past him on her mount, yelling, "I’m going for the Hunter first! Heal me!"

Ryan’s eyes widened. "Damn it—my Divine Power’s empty! You’re too reckless!"

He cursed under his breath. He only had 2 Divine Power left—nowhere near enough to cast Reprimand, his crowd control skill.

But he wasn’t backing down.

"Tch. Forget it. What’s there to be afraid of?" He grinned as his own mount leapt forward, surging after her. "These guys are done either way."

Ahead, the Ironblood squad turned too late. The ambush had already begun.

’Fourth Glorious Achievement, here I come.’