Divine Glitch: I Regressed With Endgame Knowledge

The Arid Plains lay in the far north of the continent. They weren't strategically crucial, but they were one of the six faction battlegrounds—the very first map where players could fight across multiple factions. The region acted as a buffer zone, too unstable for any single side to hold for long. No one could plant a flag here and keep it.

Instead, the land was overseen by the Druidic Order, a group dedicated to preserving what little nature remained. In their care, the Arid Plains became truly neutral ground. For players, it was also the first place where faction reputation actually meant something tangible. Earn the Druids' trust, and you could buy rare gear from their vendors—items unique to this region, unavailable anywhere else.

Long ago, the Arid Plains had been lush and green. Then came the Great Demon War. What had once been forests and grasslands turned to cracked earth and wind-blown grit. After the war, the six factions should have shared control, but renewed infighting made that impossible. In the end, the neutral Druids stepped in, tasked with healing the scarred land—a task that, even now, seemed impossible.

The plains stretched endlessly. Walking from one end to the other could take a player seven hours or more. That was why most relied on the scattered flight points to get around—and why those flight points often became prime targets for conflict.

Every twelve hours, the map erupted into a battle for control of its forty-eight flight points. The faction holding the most by the end earned a powerful bonus: increased attack power and health. The more points secured, the bigger the boost. Capturing all forty-eight granted a staggering forty-eight percent bonus to damage and health, plus a fifty percent boost to experience gained from dungeon monsters.

By the time Ryan arrived, the first fight for control had already ended. The Alliance of Light had lost, claiming only twenty points. That meant the Dark Horde now enjoyed an eight-percent boost to both damage and health across the entire map. Any skirmish between the two factions would start with the Alliance at a disadvantage.

"Guild Master, it's so desolate here—it's depressing!" Moonlight Beauty groaned from somewhere in the party. "It's even worse than Blood Gorge. At least that place had a few trees."

The wind howled constantly, carrying sand and grit that stung exposed skin and nibbled a few health points from anyone caught in it. The empty expanse seemed to stretch forever. Only the distant shapes of wandering monsters broke the monotony. No other players were in sight.

That was exactly how Ryan wanted it.

Their guild rode in comfort, packed into a wide, open-topped carriage that rolled straight through herds of level-thirty monsters. Wolves and foxes the color of ash snarled and leapt at the walls, claws screeching against reinforced panels, but the vehicle's ten million hit points made their efforts laughable.

"It's barren now," Ryan admitted with a chuckle, watching the Arid Graywolves and Arid Foxes fall behind in the dust. "But this is just the outskirts. Wait until we reach the center—there are sights there you won't forget."

His eyes stayed fixed on the far horizon, but his mind was already elsewhere. He was thinking about the Corrupted Forest, the level-thirty dungeon that lay ahead. There, he planned to use a certain method to leap to level thirty-five in record time—cementing his position as the world's top player.

The carriage, powered by tireless automatons, sped across the plains. Even so, the journey to their destination took a full thirty minutes.

At last, the barren horizon gave way to something different—the heart of the Arid Plains. Rising from the dust stood the Druidic Order's stronghold.

They rolled to a stop in Verdant Spire, the only true town in this endless wasteland. Here, players from all six factions mingled under a tense truce. Old grudges simmered in their eyes, especially between the Human and Orc contingents, who had clearly come straight from the front lines. In the absence of a shared tongue, they made do with the one universal language: roaring in each other's faces.

Verdant Spire's neutrality was ironclad. Within its walls, no one could truly fight—at most, a sparring match here and there. The gates were guarded by over a thousand Level 40 Druidic soldiers, and outside the gates, their authority still carried weight. Start a fight within their sight, and you wouldn't live to regret it.

Carriages from all factions had arrived at roughly the same time, spilling players into the streets. Fresh from contested zones, some immediately locked eyes with their recent enemies, glaring hard enough to start fires. The veterans, leaning on fences or strolling the streets, watched with amusement. They'd seen it all before.

Ryan ignored the posturing. He had other priorities. Guiding his guild, he headed straight for the quest hub to turn in their previous objectives. The main storyline here—Expelling Evil—would begin now.

Their quest NPC was none other than Arch-Druid Benna Leafsong, leader of Verdant Spire.

"Welcome, warriors of humanity!" Benna's voice was warm, but her words carried weight. "Not long ago, our lands suffered a terrible invasion. Countless creatures, drawn by demonic influence, have returned to plague the Arid Plains. To combat this, I called upon every faction for aid."

Her gaze swept over them. "Thank you for answering. Here, you may earn the friendship of the Druidic Order—but I warn you, do not engage in large-scale battles within these walls. We must not waste our strength on each other before the true war begins."

She stepped closer, lowering her voice slightly. "Before the great battle commences, I ask that you visit our surrounding observation posts and assess the situation. Several have sent urgent messages for help."

A system prompt appeared:

—

First Reinforcement: The Northern Whispering Leaf Camp reports they are under siege. Proceed there as reinforcements and investigate the cause. Travel to the eastern flight point for faster access.

Quest Objective: Speak with Commander Vald at Whispering Leaf Camp 0/1

Quest Reward: 1000 Experience Points, 5 Silver Coin's

—

"Guild Master, we've got the quest," Nightwalker said, grinning. "Head out now?"

The rest of the group looked to Ryan expectantly.

"I know some of you are itching for a fight," Ryan said, the corner of his mouth lifting. "But don't rush. Once we reach that camp… then we'll see what the other factions are really made of."

When he'd first arrived in Verdant Spire, he'd noticed the unsettling quiet that hung over the Arid Plains.

A neutral map, he thought, always needed to be watered with blood.