MMORPG: Divine Mech Hunter

The expressions on their faces changed, but Li Yao's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "What's going on, what exploded, explain clearly."

Mu Zi smiled bitterly, "Most players are afraid to take on frontline battlefield tasks now. At this rate, in less than half an hour, we won't have enough troops to attack and fend off the Ogre Air Force in the sky."

Li Yao slightly frowned, "Didn't we say we'd increase rewards and not be stingy with military merits?"

"Boss, it's not about the rewards. The rewards are quite generous. But after hours of battle, as you saw, the air force was completely one-sided and the siege had no effect. Other players think the army's losses are too great. They've said they're not afraid of sacrifice, but the key is that such sacrifices are meaningless. Even if we continue, after the army is defeated, we still can't enter the city." Newcomer Mu Zi explained.

Hai Kuo Tian Kong sneered, "There must be someone inciting a coalition, trying to negotiate with you."

Shan Na Feng Hua also slightly frowned, "It's not impossible, but what they said is the truth. Continuing like this won't succeed at all."

"I anticipated this situation long ago. Whether or not someone is stirring things up is not the key; the key is that with this siege, they see no hope, and I also have no way to explain it to them." Li Yao sighed helplessly. He couldn't very well say that the first phase is just to deplete the Ogre's cannon fodder troops and wait for their real elite forces to appear before using over a million elite Worm Tribe to wear them down, which wouldn't make sense either.

"What if someone really is provoking the players' emotions? What should we do?" Newcomer Mu Zi asked, "Oh, the vice president asked me to ask you."

Li Yao sneered, "Cowards who don't even dare to show their faces aren't qualified to negotiate with me. Just ignore them, as long as our siege progresses smoothly, naturally no one will listen to them. Tell Miss Li, if no one dares to take on tasks anymore, reduce the task rewards by ten percent."

Mu Zi was dumbfounded, "Nobody's taking the tasks, and we reduce the rewards?"

"Just tell Miss Li, from now on, task rewards will be reduced by ten percent, and after an hour, they will be reduced by another ten percent. These people, I give them military merits and benefits, yet they're still not satisfied, ungrateful. Since they don't appreciate it, I'll follow the rules, a bunch of idiots."

Li Yao had reason to be angry. He had discussed it with Miss Li. After all, everyone was a player, so the military merits and rewards were very generous compared to the Uldaman period. The task rewards had greatly increased.

Li Yao had calculated that even if they were slaughtered, as long as they could kill some Ogres, they could still earn a lot of military merits, enough to exchange for other troops.

Anyway, the Camp Legion players exchanged for essentially became the players', specially opening up some elite legions for them to exchange, purely for taking the main city.

Yet these people still weren't satisfied and wanted to negotiate terms with him. This made Li Yao understand one thing: humans are never satisfied, when you're good to them, they take it for granted, and once it's taken for granted, they want more, and if they're not satisfied, they shamelessly start acting out.

Moreover, Li Yao's real confidence was his own means and legion strength, not the player army. At most, he could drag it out longer and still produce lots of Worm Tribe, achieving the goal the same way.

Newcomer Mu Zi took the orders to Miss Li, who immediately issued commands. Because no one was taking tasks, the military merits task rewards were reduced by ten percent, and after an hour, would be reduced another ten percent.

Many players were furious, threatening to withdraw their troops, but Miss Li didn't respond at all.

There were still some players whose rewards weren't cut: those teams and guilds who were actively taking tasks from the start. Most had received a share of a city's tax revenue in previous actions, truly being on the bandwagon, but implementation was still in Li Yao's hands, and now they dared not not act.

There were also some who saw through it, understanding that even after exhausting their forces, the exchanged legion was still profitable, settling down to send cannon fodder to the battlefield, slowly accumulating military merits.

There was cursing outside the command post, but resistances yielded no results. They even elected representatives, who, after failing at the command post, clamored to go up the hill to negotiate with Li Yao.

But they never met Li Yao, being dragged underground several thousand yards from the hill and soon left as a pile of bones with Soul White Light floating up. After resurrecting, they were immediately imprisoned with anti-magic, and nobody dared run towards the hill again.

The so-called representatives for players' interests were dumbfounded, and players were dumbfounded too. Although some continued to claim that they wouldn't need military merits, without them, Li Yao wouldn't have the main city, and he would definitely compromise. However, the morale had already been scattered, and Li Yao's attitude was so resolute.

Now with rewards reduced by ten percent, resist for an hour and it's a twenty percent reduction.

With most cities already reclaimed, even if they retreat and fight for other cities now, the chances are slim. Another group wavered and unwillingly picked up the tasks.

The legion once again filled up, while those left continued to struggle, but neither the command nor the operations department paid attention to them, not even allowing them into any military facilities or camps.

After two more hours of fierce fighting, though the main forces had heavy casualties belonging to countless players and teams, they could fully bear it. And while Ogre's losses compared to the player's army were much smaller, relative to the Ogres themselves, it was a loss not seen in many years.

"Indeed a mule's temper, refusing to go forward even when led; backward when beaten." Hai Kuo Tian Kong sneered, "These people are dumbfounded, reduced by twenty percent and yet they continue."

"At first they didn't realize who held control. Now they understand that once onboard, it's hard to get off. Moreover, this war relates to the honor and disgrace of the camp. Even if Priarie Fire doesn't care, the camp will punish them." Shan Na Feng Hua sighed.

"My pressure is the greatest. If the main city can't be taken..." Li Yao slightly shook his head, looking at the setting sun, "It's been a day, almost time to get serious. You two guilds should also start moving, it's really unsightly to continue like this."

"As you wish." Hai Kuo Tian Kong and Shan Na Feng Hua both gave commands.

No matter if it was the air force or the ground forces, both guilds deployed their most elite troops. To Li Yao's surprise, each guild deployed about two hundred thousand elite troops, although only barely reaching the level of low-intelligence elite troops, it was proof enough of their strength.

"I'll also have two warships assist with bombing, let's see what countermeasures they have." Li Yao gave his orders too.

As the two guild armies joined, the situation was reversed. With two massive sky warships covering the sky, the main forces' spirits were also greatly lifted.

For the players, it was already an epic battle, but for Li Yao and the great Magician, the two strategists, their real confrontation was just beginning...