The Dark Bat King never expected that the moment it landed, several figures would suddenly rush out from the side, slamming their shields down hard.
Charge.
Shield Bash.
The Dark Bat King was momentarily stunned in place.
Before the control effect could wear off, over a dozen shadowy figures emerged simultaneously, plunging their daggers deep into the Dark Bat King’s body.
Stun.
The coordination between Shield Warriors and Rogues bought significant time.
Epic of the Empire and other guilds’ Warriors barely managed to arrive, encircling the Dark Bat King once again.
This brilliant counterattack instantly earned Epic of the Empire widespread admiration for their decisiveness and command.
“That was some clutch pulling—impressive!”
“They reacted instantly, calling back Shield Warriors and Rogues. Epic of the Empire’s commander is top-notch.”
“That was flawless. Their judgment is insane.”
The player crowd buzzed with praise.
The spotlight previously stolen by Stormwind was now partially claimed by Epic of the Empire’s impressive display.
But to Mushui and Nightwish, the scene painted a very different picture.
“A-ya, Epic of the Empire knew in advance, didn’t they? They had some Shield Warriors and Rogues stationed in the backline beforehand, right?”
Mushui glared fiercely at a figure not far away, who wore a faint smile, seemingly basking in the crowd’s praise, her cheeks puffing out in frustration.
“Yeah, no way they pulled back that fast otherwise. It had to be pre-arranged.” Nightwish nodded, not denying it. “There’s something seriously off about Epic of the Empire.”
Over at Starry Myth, Dreamweaver, who had experienced similar battles before, glanced suspiciously at the figure in Epic of the Empire’s backline.
“What’s up?”
Zhenmo, noticing her look, asked curiously while continuing his spellcasting.
“That guy feels… off.”
Dreamweaver raised her bow, firing a radiant arrow that pierced the Dark Bat King’s body, drawing a small splash of black blood.
“He’s definitely weird. Given what happened before, I’d bet he knows more than he’s letting on. That counterattack? I’m sure it was planned.”
Zhenmo spoke calmly, clearly thinking things through more thoroughly. “But now’s not the time to dwell on it. Focus on securing the loot rights—that’s what matters.”
Other guilds, while surprised by Epic of the Empire’s reaction and decisiveness, didn’t think much of it.
The re-encircled Dark Bat King, with Warriors and Paladins holding the front and Priests healing from the back, had no means of breaking free, forced to take the beating.
Despite its impressive lifesteal and solid defense for this stage, the sheer number of attacking players caused its health to drop steadily.
Even when the Dark Bat King reused Twilight Domain and Dark Dash midway, the guilds, now prepared, mitigated the damage at a relatively low cost.
Under the relentless barrage of weapons, magic, and arrows, the Dark Bat King’s health finally dropped to the 20% threshold.
Hiss.
With a teeth-gritting, high-pitched screech, the besieged Dark Bat King suddenly transformed into a cloud of black mist.
As players wondered what was happening, countless pitch-black bats erupted from the mist, their sharp claws and fangs attacking the surrounding players.
Dark Rebirth.
Despite the guild leaders’ preparations, the Warriors and Paladins were still overwhelmed by the unusual assault from these enhanced Dark Bats, breaking parts of their defensive line.
“Damn, these Dark Bats are so tanky! I’m only hitting them for a dozen points of damage.”
“Tanky’s one thing, but they took out a fifth of my health in one bite. Is that normal mob damage?”
“Where’s the Priest? Heal, quick!”
Though the Dark Bats spawned by the boss dealt explosive damage compared to regular ones, the Warriors and Paladins were elite guild members.
With gear and skill buffs, plus Priest healing, they could hold their ground.
That is, until some Dark Bats, using their flight, bypassed the Warrior and Paladin lines, heading straight for the backline squishies.
Roseheart was the first to react.
Doran made a snap decision, issuing orders: “Warriors and Paladins, fall back and form a semi-circle defense. Mages, Warlocks, Archers, retreat to the second line. Priests, group up.”
Thanks to prior preparations for a quick retreat and timely judgment, Roseheart was the first among the guilds to regroup their team.
But to their surprise, Epic of the Empire’s movements were barely slower, even seeming more composed.
Doran glanced over, narrowing her eyes. “That guy… did he know this would happen?”
“Ha, that reaction speed doesn’t scream unprepared.” Red Coral yawned, a teasing smile playing on her lips, exuding a certain charm.
They had acted on their leader’s warning, pulling back some frontline elites in advance to regroup quickly.
To think Epic of the Empire could match that speed purely on execution and command? They didn’t buy it.
Other guilds, though not as swift as Roseheart or Epic of the Empire, managed to regroup before losses escalated, effectively splitting the Forest Ruins’ center into separate battlefields.
Though these Dark Bats were tough, the lack of crowd interference allowed commands to be issued instantly.
While reorganizing the defensive lines was initially challenging, they eventually suppressed the Dark Bats’ assault.
Even if some guilds were slower to regroup, Stormwind lived up to its big-guild reputation, clearing their area first, followed by Epic of the Empire, Starry Myth, and then the others.
When the last Dark Bat shattered into fragments, the Dark Bat King reappeared at the center of the Forest Ruins.
Though its lifesteal had restored its health to about 45%, it no longer had any means of resistance.
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