Listening to the sound of explosions going on outside, Ayram, the Shaman, even Ice Fist, could only hold their breath. They did not know what was happening, all they could do was trust their team.
Once the sound of explosions died out, they actually heard people cheering. Lonely Snow got out wearing a quizzical look, one that was reflected by everyone there. However, one could see hope in their eyes too.
Seeing the group of Tanks, both NPCs and players, coming back, they could tell, the Tower was holding. Bor came running back, he knew Ayram and the other smith were still at it, so even he couldn't afford a few minutes to savor the creation.
He'd made sure to learn it, and although the materials were hard to come by, and the refinement even harder, with such a device, small time guilds could set up a stronghold or conquer a small town. These were all potential customers.
"Here, grab that component and integrate it to this other one as shown in Model B," Ayram said as Bor came in. The work of building was still ongoing, and so he had to get to it.
"I'll check on the progress," I am Fortress said, as he took off looking a little more excited than usual. Many did not know that he had been filming this entire quest, and this was great material for his VR blog.
Thinking up to this point, he promptly started a Live feed. He made a brief explanatory introduction before taking the viewers to the scene as it was happening. There were quite a few people who were very interested in this event, and seeing someone broadcast his view from inside the dome, they had to watch it.
In an instance, his feed had more than a hundred viewers, and they were slowly growing. I am Fortress was snickering, celebrating his moment in the sun. Morendat being such a popular game, some of its major events would be aired in the news even in Polaris and IRL.
I am Fortress couldn't help day dream of his video recording being bought by a broadcasting station. Such things had happened before.
The loud explosions being heard from inside the cave was heralding the amount of destruction the their shield was being subjected to. Seeing the mighty war machines being deployed by the NPC army, I am Fortress was entirely captivated.
He had been part of several skirmishes and all out wars by players, guilds, and even in cases where the city he was in was attacked by monsters or other invaders. He had seen all manner of war machines available in Morendat, but looking at the kind of weapons being used, he knew that this was a new kind, one more devastating that usual.
I am Fortress, in real life, was a rather short individual. While the solarbeds could optimize someone's body and appearance, they would do nothing about genetic components such as race, height or sex.
As such, I am Fortress found solace in dwarves, and he greatly admired their lore. Ever since Tolkien, dwarves were known as great builders and miners, and the former was being put on display here.
For such a powerful A-ranked game-changing quest, I am Fortress could make a few guesses. Last time, there was an extension package for Undead, and before that, Orcs. Orcs had always been scattered all over, but until the extension pack, the orc kingdoms and their influence had not been felt, same with the undead.
Now looking at the dwarves, I am Fortress was a little excited, wishing to see this great race and the foundations it has in Morendat. He could be said to be rooting for the enemy, but he made sure not to commentate on his live feed, allowing the viewers to form their own opinion.
Looking at the comments, players were going wild in anticipation. Some even began asking details and region of the event, making plans of how they would relocate. If an expansion pack was to be released, there were always great gains to be had by players, if one knew how to maximize their advantages.
Suddenly, a loud sound startled everyone in the surrounding. It was the sound of glass breaking.
I am Fortress's big smile suddenly froze. Even Bor, who's hands were frantically moving about trying to make and piece together components, suddenly froze. Everyone in the cave was frozen momentarily. They knew they were out of time. Their dome shield could only protect them for so long.
"How much longer?" Ayram asked as she cranked some lever.
"Here you go!" Bor shouted as he finished hammering his piece. An NPC took it and slotted it in place. Slowly, a gigantic mechanical monstrosity was rising. It had four edges and a hollow interior. Just the sides rose up to 3 meters. It was a meter thick, and a width of 2 meters. The walls each were a foot wide.
The other NPC smithy was finishing up his inscriptions. There were several runic and magical inscriptions on the various components. They had to be done with precision, or the device would not work.
Each of the sides had a slight glow on the inside, which was a good sign. If anything had gone wrong, then even this glow would not be there.
On its side, three frantic smiths were working as fast as they could. Their hands moving with shocking speed. This was a Role Playing Game, so the effects were exaggerated. They had several helpers, both NPC and player characters.
Watching closely were the civilian inhabitants of the village, chief among them was the Shaman. She still maintained her cool, comforting the villagers. She was their backbone, the source of their courage. If she was to show fear, they would also panic, so she had to maintain her calm.
Crash!
Suddenly, the sound of glass breaking and scattering could be heard. Bor, and everyone else, knew the shield had been breached. The next moment, I am Fortress, as well as the few NPC assassin guards who were part of the village, came rushing in.
The grim expressions on their faces, except maybe on I am Fortress, told them that what they suspected was true. Suddenly, massive pressure could be felt coming from outside the cave. The fierce army was no doubt descending upon them like bats from hell.
Click!
Finally, the final piece of the blueprint was in place, and not a moment too soon. Instantly, the structure let out brilliant light, indicating that it was active.
[Hidden Quest Descent of the Dwarf Kingdom Update: Rescue the villagers.
Since you have chosen to ally with the villagers against the dwarf kingdom, rescue the villagers using the teleport machine. Success will be rated based on the number and quality of NPCs saved.]
"Duh!" Lonely Snow. As if we needed a quest update to know what to do.
At the same time, the Shaman stood up and said.
"There is only one place we can go to escape this lord. With permission, Madam Ayram, let me enter the coordinates..."
"Hurry hurry hurry!"
Before she could finish, Lonely Snow was already urging her. Seeing Ayram nodding, she didn't hesitate anymore, quickly entering the coordinates. Bor was surprised how well she knew how to operate the device.
There were many standard teleport machines all over Morendat. Movement across cities and kingdoms happens through teleportation, so almost everyone has seen a teleport. However, this was not a standard teleport machine. Even Bor wouldn't know where to enter the coordinates. This woman had confidently strode forward and entered the coordinates.