It wasn't that everyone lacked faith in Joseph; it was just that Guangcheng was a force to be reckoned with. He was the epitome of a monster, as if the mother of all monsters had flung open the door and welcomed him home.
Confronted with such a formidable presence, everyone's confidence waned. It was akin to a boxer facing a challenge from Tyson—managing not to wet their pants was already commendable, let alone maintaining any semblance of confidence.
In light of this, Joseph could only let out a deep sigh, thinking to himself, "It's not for lack of effort on my part, but the adversary is overwhelming. If he doesn't back down soon, I'll be in tears."
And so, under the despondent stares of the Grierus Alliance, Chen Guo sustained his output for a solid hour, his stamina proving more potent than the strongest Maotai liquor.
The siege of the monsters was nearing its end, the countdown as brief as a male pop star's toothpick—just 2:32 remaining.
It was barely enough to muster a single blow!
Regardless of whether Chen Guo weakened, the point gap between the Grierus Alliance and Beginner Village was too vast. Even if the Alliance rallied, catching up to Beginner Village was out of the question.
Hence, the entire Grierus Alliance succumbed to negativity. Everyone withdrew into the village, listlessly engaging the sparse monsters, their eyes as dim as if they'd spent a wedding night with Qiao Biluo.
Their spirits were as neglected as an ashtray left uncleaned for two years.
"We've lost, haven't we?"
"Indeed, we've lost."
"Who's to blame?"
"Blame our hard luck!"
"Brother, pass me a smoke!"
"I don't deserve it, not even a Liqun. I'll settle for a matchstick."
Resigned to their fate, the despondent villagers simply gave up. Smokers smoked, drinkers drank, those who wanted to perm their hair did so, and those who felt like rolling in the grass rolled. They had lost their vigor, knowing defeat was certain, and chose to simply lie down and accept it.
Why bother with all the effort? For whom were they toiling? The lords of Baicheng lived by a simple creed: beyond eating and drinking, there was nothing else—just play and enjoy life.
In a moment of clarity, the members of the Grierus Alliance seemed to have an epiphany, as if they had transcended worldly concerns.
Not a soul laid blame on Joseph. And if anyone even considered criticizing him or making him the scapegoat, they were quickly dissuaded by a companion who would earnestly advise, "Joseph did all he could; defeat isn't his fault. We just weren't up to par. They had a giant on their side. Our team was useless, while the enemy was adorable. If you think you can do better, then step up!"
As a result, Joseph faced no direct criticism, but the silence weighed on him more heavily than a barrage of accusations. Holding back tears, he sat down on the ground, gazing at the leaderboard above Beginner Village, lost for words. After a long silence, he murmured, "How much sorrow can one bear? It's like a river of spring water, endlessly flowing eastward..."
When the timer stopped, the stark contrast in points between 996 Beginner Village and the Grierus Alliance was painfully obvious:
996 Beginner Village: 5,123,687 points!
Grierus Alliance: 642,337 points!
The outcome was so clear, even a blind person could see it.
"The monster siege is over!"
"A total of 3,123,368 Beginner Villages have passed the monster siege test and will advance to the next stage!"
"423,693 Beginner Villages have failed the monster siege test. They will be frozen for a month before they can attempt the siege again!"
"64,236 Beginner Villages have been completely annihilated by the monsters!"
"All Beginner Villages that have passed the monster siege test will now receive rewards based on their contribution!"
"Commencing distribution of the spoils of war!"
"All Beginner Villages that have passed the monster siege test will receive the commemorative title 'Defenders of Hearth and Home!'"
"'Defenders of Hearth and Home': Upon returning to the safe zone, all fatigue is alleviated, health recovery rate increases by 50%, and mana recovery rate also increases by 50%! Additionally, the safe zone's market stall feature is unlocked! You can set up your own stall or have a puppet do it for you, with varying service fees!"
The system began with a series of generous rewards for the monster siege test.
The scale of the rewards was incredibly lavish. For instance, Chen Guo received a staggering reward:
"You have earned 10,000,000 slaughter points!"
"You've reached level 50! At level 50, your Slaughter Points are converted into Foundation Points! You need to have the requisite number of Foundation Points to level up! You can no longer earn Slaughter Points!"
Chen Guo noticed that upon reaching level 50, his Slaughter Point progress bar had vanished, replaced by a new, blue Foundation Point progress bar.
Foundation Points: 50/50!
Just 50 Foundation Points were needed to ascend to level 51, but Chen Guo knew all too well that acquiring these points would be no easy feat.
"You've received 236 blue treasure chests, 177 purple treasure chests, 16 golden treasure chests, 58 Tyrande's dried bananas, 23 thrombin pills, 5 Origin Pills, 1 Joseph staff, and 1 Nine Heavens Mystic Bra..."
After the Slaughter Point rewards were doled out, the system unleashed a barrage of spoils of war. Chen Guo's significant contributions had earned him a veritable mountain of assorted rewards.
Most of these items, except for a few valuable ones, were destined to be absorbed by the deep blue.
The 'Defender of the Nation' commemorative title was held by everyone, offering a modicum of convenience for setting up shop and trading within the Beginner Village. However, with the auction house in play, the stall feature was hardly essential—more of a nice-to-have than a necessity.
The system worked with precision, issuing the monster siege rewards before moving on to settle the rewards for the World Battle Royale.
"The World Battle Royale has concluded!"
"Internal group settlement in progress!"
"Detection confirmed: 996 Beginner Village has outscored the Grierus Alliance. Victory goes to 996 Beginner Village, with 20% of the Grierus Alliance's resources awarded to them!"
Even though the Grierus Alliance had all but given up, losing 20% of their resources still elicited howls of despair.
"No, this is a major blow! My losses are staggering! From now on, whenever I see the name 'Guangcheng,' I'll steer clear. I just can't afford to engage!"
"I'm hemorrhaging money. After years of hard work, it feels like I've been set back to square one overnight!"
"I don't even want to go on. The loss is so great, it's shaken me to my core. Is there any hope left for my future?"
Within the Grierus Alliance, tears flowed freely as numerous individuals gazed skyward at a 45-degree angle, each bearing the weight of destiny's cross alone.
Meanwhile, in the 996 Beginner Village, everyone had received 20% of the resources, their faces beaming with joy. The bounty far exceeded their expectations—akin to the elation of an average delivery person striking a five-million-yuan jackpot in the lottery.
"I've struck it rich! Joining the 996 Beginner Village was a stroke of genius. Following Boss Guangcheng ensures there's always a feast!"
"Boss Guangcheng is like my own flesh and blood! I'm head over heels for Boss Guangcheng!"
"Boss Guangcheng, I want to bear your children! I'd gladly be your little spouse!"
In the 996 Beginner Village, the windfall had practically elevated Chen Guo to divine status, as everyone reaped the rewards of their newfound prosperity.