NOVEL NEXT Chapter 98: Sparks in the Arid Plains
Ryan had brought along a handful of guild members who usually stuck to questing in the heartland. After watching videos of battles raging in the contested zones, they'd decided it was time to venture into the neutral map at Level 20.
These players had little concept of inter-faction conflict, and Ryan intended to change that—give these complacent grinders a taste of real war. Another, more practical reason was that some guild members complained there weren't enough players actively fighting. If they stirred things up, maybe they could draw out some strong solo fighters from the chaos and recruit them.
Riding a flying mount unique to the Druidic Order, Ryan led the group toward the Arid Plains. Their first stop was the Whispering Leaf Camp, the initial leveling base in the region.
The moment they landed, they were given their next assignment.
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[The Vexing Gnolls: Those wretched creatures, corrupted by demonic power, have reappeared from who knows where. We simply don't have the resources to deal with these nuisances right now.
Featherlight, go forth and slay these abominable beings that relentlessly destroy the ecosystem of this land. Bring me their Corrupted Cores!
Quest Objective: Corrupted Cores 0/200
Quest Reward: 5000 Experience Points; 20 Silver Coins; Reflective Steel Bracers]
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After accepting the quest, Ryan quickly divided the dozen-plus members into three smaller groups. He kept two players with him and headed toward the objective.
Whispering Leaf Camp itself was small, barely ten NPCs in total. About half were merchants—repairing gear, selling supplies. The rest, four or five, were quest-givers.
The moment Ryan's group stepped out of camp, the plains opened up before them—a sea of Gnolls as far as the eye could see. Among them moved countless players, cutting through the creatures with mechanical efficiency.
What caught Ryan's attention was the mix—players from different factions, all questing side by side. Even rival factions didn't seem eager to fight. They would glare, maybe trade a few sharp words, then move on.
Moonlight Beauty snorted. "What a harmonious little scene. Just like back in the heartland." Her voice was dripping with disdain, her restless energy palpable even to the newcomers.
"Big Sis Moonlight, don't get too excited," said a boy of seventeen or eighteen. He wore heavy armor, his weapon strapped to his back—a Berserker. After losing several duels to Moonlight Beauty, he'd begun treating her like an older sister. "Right now everyone's focused on leveling fast. Nobody wants to waste time picking fights. Just wait—once they're strong enough, this whole map will turn into a battlefield."
"Nonsense," Ryan chuckled. "Most of these guys are core members in their guilds. If something delays their leveling, I'd love to see their guilds' reaction. Think they'd retaliate?"
He switched to party chat. "Let's focus on leveling for now. Once we're strong enough, we'll start some small skirmishes. If we can provoke a larger fight, we'll buy time for the Human players still lagging behind."
This was Ryan's real reason for stirring trouble in the Arid Plains.
The Human faction had been slowed by recent clashes with the Orcs, leaving many of their strongest players lagging behind. Now that large-scale battles had temporarily ceased, those Human players were leveling at a rapid pace, catching up faster than anyone had expected. If Ryan could delay the top-tier competitors from other factions—even for a little while—it would give his own side a crucial window to close the gap.
He led Moonlight Beauty and Nonsense toward a respawn point just outside camp. A party of Night Elf players had just finished clearing the area and moved on, leaving the spot wide open and eerily quiet except for the faint rustle of the dry plains grass. Perfect.
The location was ideal for farming: a dozen Gnolls spawning at once, enough to keep a full party busy. With the way respawn rates scaled to player presence, more people meant more monsters and far more loot in less time.
But Ryan's group didn't need "more people." They had him.
With his towering health pool and full investment in Holy talents, Ryan simply pulled everything into a single snarling mob. A dozen Gnolls rushed him at once, their claws and crude weapons barely scratching his armor. Most of the blows were deflected outright by the Flexible Slime Ring's special effect, shimmering faintly with each triggered block. Even when the attacks landed, the damage barely reached triple digits.
His health bar—over three thousand at Level 21—was something most tanks wouldn't see until Level 30, and that sheer number made the nearby players stop mid-swing to stare.
Whispers spread fast, hopping from party to party. This had to be him—Featherlight, the Paladin whose Glorious Achievement boost had given him absurd vitality. Other tanks needed a healer to handle half this number of enemies, yet here he was, solo-tanking and cutting down every last Gnoll without even slowing his rhythm.
Even so, progress was slow and slightly maddening. The monsters didn't always drop quest items, and with the loot divided between three players, they'd have to clear nearly a hundred waves to finish.
"The drop rate's awful," Moonlight Beauty sighed, yanking her longsword free from a Gnoll's chest and flicking off the blackish blood. "Feels nothing like those easy early quests. I'm at… two."
A glint of mischief flashed in Ryan's eyes. With a smooth, practiced motion, he hurled his Avenger's Shield. It slammed into a freshly spawned Gnoll—then ricocheted sharply into two Undead players standing nearby, the ringing metal echoing across the dusty plain.
Every player in sight felt the air change.
Ryan ignored the Gnolls still hammering at his legs and shield, instead fixing his gaze on the Undead party. A slow smile tugged at his lips, half daring and half amused.
Nonsense quickly cleared the stray Gnolls attacking Ryan, then stepped up beside Moonlight Beauty, facing the five Undead players in silent challenge.
But the Undead didn't take the bait. They exchanged glances, muttered something under their breath, and turned away without a word. Judging by their retreat, their quest must have been finished already.
"Cowards," Moonlight Beauty scoffed. She had recognized Ryan's intent the moment he'd thrown his shield and had been itching for a fight, her fingers tightening around her sword hilt. Their refusal to engage left her faintly disappointed.
"The respawn rate here's too damn slow," Ryan muttered, watching them leave. He clicked his tongue in irritation. He'd wanted to start something—anything, but the other side had denied him the spark he needed.