A New World, An Immersive Game Experience

"Did you really think your arrow would reach them, Gelios?" A centaurette asked, walking up to the group and surveying the newly created stone ladders. Her remark causing Gelios to flush red in embarrassment. For honestly, he had believed.

"Why do you think I did not attack them?" Her follow up clarified she was stronger and that her restraint should have been a sign, causing Gelios' embarrassment to soar.

Having recently broken through to Tier 6, the centaur was not yet accustomed to his increasing strength. Unlike players, natives did not gain an immediate full upgrade. However, he had become much stronger than before.

He had believed he could pierce any barrier with his new bow and strength. That was not the problem. His commander's words made it clear that the issue did not lie in his hubris--though it was a problem in and of itself.

The problem was, he had left their formations and attacked without command. Before they could even explain themselves to the commander of the west. Though, given the circumstances, that could wait.

With a sigh, the centaurette pulled back her own bow and poured mana into her arrow. Shining brightly, waves of mana emanated from the arrow, and upon release, those who had stayed next to her were sent flying.

Luckily, no one ended up falling from the walls--though only because she had maneuvered herself to the edge facing their enemy.

With a deafening boom, her arrow zipped through the first ladder, shattering the top to pieces and causing massive cracks to spread to its roots. The arrow then changed direction ever so slightly, destroying the top of four more stone ladders before sticking into the sixth. Unable to pierce through it.

Those climbing the destroyed ladders laughed. While the top had been shattered, the ladders themselves had not. And the length that had been shattered was something most could simply jump.

"Would you mind?" The centaurette turned to the player who had released Zoferes Floges.

"Huh? What?" Confused, the player turned to the centaurette.

"They simply need one more push. Why don't you give it to them?" replied Evale as she took aim at the remaining ladders.

This time, everyone next to her evacuated. While the eager players rushed to the previously attacked ladders. Sending their strongest spell at them.

This turned out to be just enough, causing the cracks to propagate and the stone to shatter. Sending all those who were rushing from the top of the walls to their deaths.

Stunned, the players looked between the destroyed ladders and dozen of dead enemies, their XP notification, and the centaurette who had released her second arrow. They rushed to repeat the process before their enemy could become the wiser.

"This will only momentarily pause them, and I do not have enough mana to continually destroy their ladders. Can one of you please run to a temple and bring back some oil?"

Confused, the players did not respond immediately. Then it clicked, and in a rush, they headed for the further tower to descend. Heading to the gate would simply slow them down because of the chaos caused by all the fighting there and along the wall--which only grew the nearer to the gate one was.

"Have you fought with the Chosen before?" Asked the apparent leader of this group of players.

He appeared capable, but not talented. At a glance, Evale knew she could not leave things as they are. The fact that the surrounding Chosen had listened to her was proof that their commander was lacking.

And it appeared that the soldiers lacked a captain. Evale assumed he had fallen at some point. Thanks to the stone ladders being destroyed, they now had a slight reprieve from the fighting here on the far right of the gate.

Surveying her surroundings, she sighed. The city was clearly still reeling from this surprise attack. While they had survived and even turned the tables, the coming fight would not be an easy one.

She could feel it. Her experience told her there was much more to this attack than a simple attempt. 'Is this why you sent me, Pelaros?' Despite commands from above to focus reinforcements on Blenar and the surrounding towns, Pelaros had told her to go to Elomir.

Evale's experience told her that their enemy would not have released this arrow if they were not confident. Confident enough that not even the Chosen, nor Eldrian, who was famed for his ability to turn the tables, could do so.

She could not believe that their enemy had not considered his presence.

"Nikki, can I leave things to you?" Evale asked, bringing to light that she was not here alone. Sure, there was Gelios, who had fired an arrow at the devils below in vain, but there were seven more centaurs and a number of humans--players.

"Sure." Nikki replied, "Silver, please head to inform the gate." She then turned to those around her. "Alright, I want one cannon at each location a ladder was before. Quick! To it!"

The reinforcements jumped to action, massive cannons appearing on the wall and not much later booms sounding from them. Focused on the thick gathering of foes below the gates. Carnage was sowed.

Numb, the soldiers and players alike stared at how quickly these reinforcements had gone on the attacks. However, before they could even ask who these reinforcements were, something even more shocking appeared.

"Evale? What are you doing here?" Eldrian asked, hopping from Ceph's back as the alicorn transformed into a beautiful elf. In fact, both elves were extremely handsome. Even though the silver haired one was covered in several scars and his clothes, and wooden armor, were in tatters.

"I've been sent for the first response. Only brought those who were with me at the time and met up with Nikki." Evale explained, "How bad are things?"

Having rushed to give their support, Evale knew little of the situation. Only what Nikki had shared while rushing to the walls. The chaos in the city certainly made things look worse than they were. Or perhaps it told of how bad things were just a short time ago.

"It's going to be rough. Especially because of the sabotage." Eldrian replied, turning to Nikki, who had joined the conversation at this point. "How many cannons and cannonballs do we have?"

"Twenty, and two hundred."

"Not much at all." Eldrian mumbled, the cannons no longer firing. After their second volley, the enemy had spread out. With their limited ammunition, they could not afford to waste any shots.

"Indeed. More is coming, though. We have also started the trade trick."

"Oh?" Nodding in approval, Eldrian smiled. "Right. So far, Ceph and I killed over five hundred of their reinforcements. But there is still easily over ten thousand in the west. They're not all coming for the gate, though."

"Do they want to spread us thin, or do they have an alternative in?" Evale asked.

If the enemy simply tried to move to a less defended part of the wall, they would send reinforcements to counter them. And in a siege, the defenders had the advantage. And the numbers Eldrian had told them about were not enough to effectively spread them thin or overwhelm them.

"They have an alternative." Eldrian confirmed. "We came across a monster called a Syltrof. From its description, I assume they were brought to burrow under the walls, perhaps sap them."

Evale frowned. This was not a common approach. Naturally, cities were not built with such a glaring weakness.

Only strengthening the walls would have their enemy focus on the ground it stands upon. Because of this, walls extend into the dirt for quite a bit, and even then, magic was also used to make digging much harder.