I'd like to say that we're holding our ground, but that would be a lie. The frenzied attack of the zombie beasts, combined with the horrible stench they exuded, completely destroyed the first line.
The effectiveness of the infantry was greatly reduced given the conditions of the battle. The archers suffered from the same affliction, with the addition of not having a clean firing line. The mages were the best to face the zombie threat, unfortunately they lacked the levels to cause significant damage...
The only reason we were still alive was the constant support of the troops in the village.
I take a second to observe the wall, watching fire darts being fired from the ballistas, along with a shower of flaming arrows.
I confess that the euphoria of the event has clouded my mind a little, I keep dreaming about that 'special reward' and how much I could sell it for... so it took me a while to notice that most of the people outside the wall are players, with the few npcs receiving continuous support from the walls.
Whoever decided on this strategy decided to use the players as cannon fodder.
After realizing this, I slowly begin to retreat closer to the bridge, while decreasing the use of my magic to save mana.
And I'm not the only one doing this. I can see a few groups of players starting to organize a retreat amid swearing. Unfortunately, it takes too long, as more than 3/4 of the players have already perished in the first few clashes.
It's a bit funny when what's left of the battle line starts to break down, with players jumping over obstacles and jostling each other to try and get to the bridge before they die.
I'm one of the first to step onto the bridge, given my privileged position in this disaster, and so I'm one of the first to see the bridge supports being destroyed, turning the bridge into a ramp straight into the moat. The fall wasn't a problem, but the thick liquid pouring into the moat promised to be.
I emerge from the moat and see just over a hundred players organizing a defensive formation in front of the broken bridge.
The blessing man is still shouting at the top of the wall, giving buffs to everyone, but I've stopped caring about that son of a bitch and his village.
The ground shakes as what I can only judge to be a giant approaches, followed by hundreds of humanoid zombies. A desperate but unsurprising fight ensues, as each player meets their demise.
[-6 hp]
My first wound came from a rusty blade carried by a zombie with only one arm. I didn't even have time to process the pain as my tormentor and I were engulfed in a fiery inferno.
[You were killed by Valthir]
[You have lost all items]
[the goddess Azileiah offers to bring you back from the dead].
[Yes/No?]
…
…
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I want to kill someone, or at least break something, but there's nothing in that white space I find myself in.
The last thing I needed was to die in such a stupid way. Especially being used and betrayed by an npc...
Before, I needed the reward from the event to exchange for real money and reduce my debt, now I need the reward to reduce my losses... damn!
I accept the resurrection and emerge in a small temple of the goddess of life in Terhi.
The penalty for death is quite heavy in this game, so I return from the dead with only basic clothes, having lost my half-new staff and my traveler's clothes, as well as all my coins. And that's not even the worst of it.
[The goddess brought him back from the dead and demands payment. His debt is equivalent to 2 levels of experience].
I haven't lost any levels, but all the experience I gain until I reach the equivalent of level 09 will be sent to the goddess, and only then will I gain experience for myself again. Worst of all, the debt accumulates with each death... if I die again the debt rises to level 11, then 13... and so on until I give up the character and delete the account, since the debt remains even if I create another character.
...
…
It's just a stumble, no big deal! I still have 23 days to make some money in the game... if I don't, I'll just sell the equipment and cut back a bit and everything will be fine.
I make my way out of the temple, following a procession of angry players towards the gates with blood in their eyes. I have no doubt that if we had more levels, we'd be the ones destroying the village and not the zombies.
The battle became more intense after we were sacrificed and from the amount of smoke I can see, the moat is on fire. Not that this will stop the living dead from attacking the walls.
As I watch the battle, cheering on the zombies, I see some players still wearing weapons and armor, among them, I recognize the warrior wearing the hammer that helped me against the boars and I go over to them.
As I approach, he seems to recognize me.
"Well, if it isn't the wizard in the tree!" he looks me up and down, and with a small smile, says: "You don't seem to have made much progress these last few days, do you?"
"You'd probably say something different if you'd met me earlier"
"You were with the imbeciles outside the wall?" Direth, the elven archer, asks incredulously. "I knew you weren't so smart after our first meeting, but this..."
"How did you know this would happen?"
"The locals don't know much about us, to them, we're just immortal mercenaries. We've been trying to change that impression for the last few days, but we haven't been able to reach the village leaders, so... we'd rather stay away for a while and watch the situation unfold, if you know what I mean." Roni says quietly, as if sharing a big secret.
"You don't seem to have chosen your class, have you remade your character?"
"No and no"
"That's a shame. We could use another conjurer, but you must have realized that dark magic is useless against the living dead...". Roni says, sounding genuinely disappointed.
"It's no big deal, really, since I prefer to play alone anyway. See you around."
I said goodbye to the group and walked away.
The event lost most of its fun after I died, so I chose a secluded spot and waited for the battle to unfold, in the meantime practicing the 'rituals' for summoning my two spells.
At some point, the living dead managed to break through the walls, bringing the battle to the streets of the village. I left my corner and joined the defenders, fighting 'bravely' against the decaying horde.
[Monthly event completed]
[Terhi's defense was a success, collect your reward from the adventurers' guild]
[The relationship between the locals and the players has improved slightly]
[Your position in the contribution ranking was 781]
The sun rose over a half-destroyed village. Despite the devastating scenery, the loss of life among the native soldiers was minimal. The same could not be said for the losses among the immortal players.
The natives may have become friendlier to the players, but the players have become more hostile to the natives.
The balance of the first event, at least in Terhi, was zero.
I collected my coins, rented a room and left the game.
I put on some music and after a short shower, I went to sleep.
#####
"My lord, I believe it was unwise to use the immortals in this way. I have noticed great discontent among them."
An old man said with a weakened voice, while a young woman with lilac eyes helped him walk.
"Their mood is irrelevant, Valthir. They are mere tools, and if I have to sacrifice all of them to save one of ours, I'll do it happily. In any case, all you have to do is hand over a few coins and some worthless trinkets to some of them, and they'll gladly give up their lives". A haughty warrior, dressed in luxurious clothes, said nonchalantly.
"My lord, the arch mages of the Grey Tower have sent a message that I believe to be of great importance..." the old man was interrupted by a fit of coughing, then continued.
"It's not the first time that immortals have arrived in our world... for some reason that we don't know, the gods intervened and erased their presence from our minds, but certain fragments remain in those of great will... They will be quick to strengthen, and can be as much a shield against sleeping evil as a weapon of indiscriminate destruction"
The warrior looked at the old man unimpressed: "We've defeated immortal elves, vanquished invincible dragons, broken a god into dozens of fragments... and you say we should fear a chaotic mob of pathetic children? Don't forget what we are, Valthir, don't forget that everything that stood against Teanor, was broken and destroyed. If anything is to be feared, it must be our kingdom."