Chapter 1 The Borderlands

The borderlands between the Greenland Empire and the Saturn Empire were a vast, unbroken stretch of woodland nestled amongst towering mountain ranges. Spanning an area equivalent to one-fifth of the Greenland Empire, the forest was perpetually shrouded in mist, severely limiting visibility. Under normal circumstances, players could only see about five yards ahead, though the effect was somewhat mitigated by using a Mist Dispelling Scroll.

The Gryphon Woodlands were home to a complex ecosystem of monsters, including numerous flying creatures such as gryphons, wind serpents, venomous dragonflies, and occasionally even draconic beings.

Approximately five thousand members of the Niu Ren Tribe operated within the Gryphon Woodlands, divided into ten teams. Their daily task was to search for unhatched flying mounts, a dangerous endeavor that required them to be constantly vigilant against the various monsters that roamed the forest and the ever-present threat of encountering members from rival guilds.

The Gryphon Woodlands were dotted with graveyards, allowing for quick resurrection, which meant that any engagement between guilds could quickly devolve into a drawn-out war of attrition. However, the Niu Ren Tribe held its own. Angel Corps, with at least one hundred thousand members searching for flying mounts in the Gryphon Woodlands, outnumbered the Niu Ren Tribe by a factor of twenty. The Sacred Guardians, the Sword of Purging the Gods, and the Light and Darkness Empire had also sent in large contingents. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Niu Ren Tribe's players possessed superior skill and were often able to evade danger with their quick reflexes.

In truth, the Niu Ren Tribe could have deployed upwards of fifty or sixty thousand players into the Gryphon Woodlands, but that would have severely strained the guild's resources. Players of insufficient strength were too easily exposed to danger in the Gryphon Woodlands. Thus, Nie Yan had instructed Guo Huai to limit their presence to a maximum of five thousand, while the remainder continued leveling and striving to reach top-tier professions. As for flying mounts, he believed they would acquire them in due time.

Nie Yan, mounted on his Darkwing Dragon, circled high above, peering down through the dense fog. Flying creatures occasionally flitted past. He had to exercise extreme caution. Although a seventh-order Darkwing Dragon was a formidable opponent, it could still be endangered by powerful creatures or large swarms of lower-level flying mounts.

He received coordinates from the various teams within the Gryphon Woodlands, but the fog below made it impossible to pinpoint their exact locations without descending.

"Everyone, converge on the southeastern edge of the Gryphon Woodlands. Target coordinates 385.288.386!" Nie Yan issued the order to the team leaders.

Knight's Lament, leading his team deep within the remote forest, had just cleared out a wind serpent nest and acquired a flying mount pet egg when he received Nie Yan's message.

Recognizing Nie Yan's name, Knight's Lament quickly opened the message. After reading its contents, he immediately relayed the order to his team: "Boss Nie Yan is coming! We're to head southeast. Everyone, prepare to move out!"

The news of Nie Yan's arrival ignited excitement among the team, who began chattering amongst themselves.

"Knight, is it true?"

"Of course, it's true."

"Excellent!"

The players quickly assembled and set off towards the southeast.

One after another, teams from the Niu Ren Tribe organized themselves within the Gryphon Woodlands, converging from all directions on the location specified by Nie Yan.

Just as Nie Yan was preparing to descend and investigate the situation within the Gryphon Woodlands, he spotted several black dots in the distance, numbering about fifty.

A surge of alarm went through Nie Yan. Were they swarming flying creatures native to the Gryphon Woodlands?

It was best to avoid such large groups of flying creatures. Typically, if one provoked a single member of a swarming species, it would trigger a relentless assault, with the entire swarm converging on the attacker, refusing to give up until death.

He prepared to have the Darkwing Dragon descend, but the black dots were rapidly approaching. They were a squadron of about twenty flying creatures, a mixed formation of wind serpents, poisonous dragonflies, and gryphons. He could make out figures seated on the backs of the flying mounts.

It was a team of players!

Few guilds currently possessed more than twenty flying mounts. He wondered which guild the approaching squadron belonged to.

If it was just a group of players, Nie Yan wasn't too concerned. Such mixed-species squadrons had difficulty coordinating their attacks in the air, making them vulnerable to being picked off one by one. Nie Yan had crushed the Mages Guild's air force when the Darkwing Dragon was only level six. Now that it had reached seventh-order, he had even less to fear.

Lie Hu, a frontline player in the Angel Corps guild, ranked roughly in the top thirty. His Void Ray Serpent was one of the few fifth-order flying mounts in Angel Corps, possessing a powerful skill that had helped Angel Corps acquire five flying mounts, making it a secret weapon for the guild.

Lie Hu was leading his team on their usual hunt for flying mounts when he spotted a black dot on the distant horizon. He led his players in pursuit.

The twenty-six flying mounts formed a battle formation, converging on Nie Yan's location from all directions.

"Lie Hu, there appears to be a player standing on the back of that flying mount," a warrior in the team exclaimed in surprise.

Lie Hu focused his gaze and realized that there was indeed a person standing on the back of the flying mount.

"What kind of flying mount is that?" As they drew closer to the Darkwing Dragon, Lie Hu sensed something was wrong. He gasped. It was a Darkwing Dragon! Mad Rogue Nie Yan was here!

"It's a Darkwing Dragon!"

The Angel Corps players immediately erupted into chaos. Some reined in their flying mounts while others continued forward, disrupting the formation.

"Damn it, he's alone! We have twenty-six flying mounts! What are you panicking about? You're embarrassing us!" Lie Hu cursed. They hadn't even engaged the enemy, and they were already falling apart, bringing shame to the Angel Corps.

Hearing Lie Hu's words, the Angel Corps players who had nervously reined in their mounts flushed with embarrassment. They were supposed to be the elite of the Angel Corps, yet they had panicked at the mere sight of Mad Rogue Nie Yan. The prestige of Mad Rogue Nie Yan was immense, and the Darkwing Dragon's size was awe-inspiring.

The seventh-order Darkwing Dragon was significantly larger than its sixth-order form. Compared to the colossal Darkwing Dragon, ordinary flying mounts looked like children. The largest of them were only about a third of the Darkwing Dragon's size.

How could they not panic when faced with such a massive flying creature, especially the renowned Darkwing Dragon!

"Hold the formation!" Lie Hu commanded from the back of his Void Ray Serpent.

The Angel Corps players brought their flying mounts under control.

"Lie Hu, according to the information we gathered last time, the Darkwing Dragon is a sixth-order creature, but it doesn't seem this big. Could it have advanced in rank?" a warrior beside Lie Hu asked.

Lie Hu frowned, weighing his options. Should he lead these flying mounts in an attack on the Darkwing Dragon? Failure would mean bearing a heavy responsibility, but success would make him a hero of the Angel Corps, greatly enhancing his standing within the guild. It was a tempting prospect.

Nie Yan stood on the back of the Darkwing Dragon. The distance was too great to make out the features of the individuals, but he could vaguely identify some of their characteristics. They were from the Saturn Empire!

He watched the approaching flying mounts, showing no sign of retreat.

He would definitely have the upper hand if a fight broke out.

He needed to determine which faction the approaching force belonged to. Aside from the Angel Corps, the Saturn Empire had many other powerful guilds, who didn't necessarily get along with each other. Nie Yan didn't want to make enemies unnecessarily. But the distance was too great to make out the guild emblems on their uniforms.

His gaze settled on a higher-ranking flying mount among them, a massive ray serpent. The serpent's shape was bizarre, resembling a ray, with a gray-black body and numerous tentacles dangling beneath. A long, massive tail trailed behind it.

A fifth-order Void Ray Serpent!

Nie Yan sent a message to Guo Huai, asking, "Do you know which guild has a fifth-order Void Ray Serpent?"

"Void Ray Serpent? I believe Angel Corps, Sacred Guardians, and the Garan Temple all have one," Guo Huai replied, quickly finding the information after learning of Nie Yan's situation.

Angel Corps? Nie Yan's eyes narrowed, flashing with murderous intent. If he encountered Angel Corps flying mounts in the wild, he would definitely seize the opportunity to eliminate some of them and weaken Angel Corps' strength.

As the two sides remained deadlocked, an idea flashed through Lie Hu's mind. If Mad Rogue Nie Yan attacked first, he wouldn't have to bear too much responsibility even if they failed, since they would be acting in self-defense. But if they could successfully kill Mad Rogue Nie Yan, it would be a huge win. He didn't care how many flying mounts Angel Corps lost. Angyi Tianshi would probably be happy to trade a few flying mounts for the death of Mad Rogue Nie Yan.

The thought took root in Lie Hu's mind. He sent a message to a trusted warrior.

That warrior whispered to a tall but seemingly slow-witted mage beside him.

"Lao Liu, tell Boss Angyi Tianshi that we've cornered Mad Rogue Nie Yan. Tell him to send reinforcements," the hulking mage shouted.

The words reached Nie Yan's ears. Finally, confirmation. It was indeed Angel Corps. He surveyed the area, counting twenty-six flying mounts in total!

Now that the Darkwing Dragon had advanced to seventh-order, Nie Yan had yet to see its true power. This would be the Darkwing Dragon's first demonstration of its strength since its advancement!