Chapter 698 - Great Prophet’s Fiefdom (1/2)
Nie Yan’s group arrived back at the Cripps Stronghold. After learning they had returned victorious, Asskickers United’s chat exploded with excitement.
「Divine Protectors had the floor wiped with them! Let’s see them try to act arrogant again in the future!」
「Right! Remember when Divine Protectors joined up with Bloodlust Blades, Alliance of Mages, and Angel Corps in attacking us at the Cripps Stronghold? They killed so many of our brothers. Now they’ve gotten a taste of their own medicine! Just thinking about it is so damn satisfying!」
The battle in the Karukes Stronghold greatly boosted morale. Even though several strongholds were under siege by Qin Han’s skeleton army, the players from Asskickers United weren’t disheartened. They would surely achieve victory!
Divine Protectors suffered a huge setback. With the Karukes Stronghold being trampled over, their prestige hit rock bottom. Many players no longer had the face to continue wearing the guild emblem. In a short five days, more than 60,000 withdrew. This was great news for Asskickers United.
Nie Yan was coordinating all the various guilds in the alliance in repelling the skeleton army, when he suddenly received a report from Guo Huai. Penumbra Empire had leaked out that Qin Han was in the middle of building a large siege force. Qin Han had hired thousands of production class players from various places, dividing them up into several dozen teams. They were frantically rushing out siege engines. Something big was about to happen.
「How many siege weapons can they produce on a daily base?」
「I estimate about seven or eight,」Guo Huai replied. The Monet Financial Group’s production output definitely couldn’t compare with Asskickers United’s. In the time the Monet Financial Group produced 10 catapults, Asskickers United would have produced more than 30.
「I see. Let’s compete with them. We’ll also pick up the pace. Focus all our resources on building catapults and magic cannons!」
「Understood. But we’re still lacking resources.」
「Stock up on more from the marketplace. As for gold, I’ll think of a way. Just to confirm, this leak was from Penumbra Empire?」Nie Yan asked.
「Yes, Eternal Sin told us directly. He’s providing us some really good intel lately. I’m guessing he wants to defect from Qin Han’s side,」Guo Huai said.
Nie Yan sank into deep thought. Eternal Sin’s intentions were unclear. If he could get Penumbra Empire to defect, the Monet Financial Group would take a heavy blow. He suddenly had an idea.「Have Tang Yao, Xie Yao, Lustboy, and the others pay a visit to the strongholds of Divine Protectors and God Executioner Sword. Tell them to go in, accomplish their assignments, and get out. We can’t have them get caught. Apart from Penumbra Empire’s all the strongholds under the guilds affiliated with the Monet Financial Group are fair game.」
Hearing Nie Yan’s words, Guo Huai knitted his brow. However, he suddenly realized something, and his expression relaxed. He faintly smiled.「I understand. I’ll let them know immediately!」
Nie Yan’s plan was clear. He would have his people continually harass the strongholds of the guilds under the Monet Financial Group, save for Penumbra Empire. He would also spread a rumour that he and Eternal Sin shared a bit of friendship. Like this, before long Qin Han would have a hard time not suspecting Eternal Sin.
After receiving Nie Yan’s orders, Tang Yao, Lustboy, and the others excitedly set out. They were happy to carry out this kind of work.
Over the next few days, the guilds under the Monet Financial Group received attacks from everywhere. Tang Yao, Lustboy, and the others would break into a stronghold, wreak havoc and destruction, then quickly get out before the Monet Financial Group’s elites could arrive. The Monet Financial Group and all its subsidiary guilds suffered heavy losses, with the exception of Penumbra Empire. For some reason, they were never targeted.
Nie Yan had already planted the seeds of doubt. Before long, they would sprout.
Over the next several days, Asskickers United lost another 10 strongholds. However, they didn’t go down cheaply. Qin Han lost more than 1,300,000 skeletons in the process.
As time passed on, Nie Yan gradually sensed the moment for a full-out counterattack was approaching.
Nie Yan made ample preparations. On the seventh day, he received a notification.
Great Prophet, after an emergency meeting between the Satreen Empire and Viridian Empire, you have been granted the Abernathy Great Grasslands to the north of the Morogo Mountains. Your territory is under protection for three months. Anyone that attacks it will become an enemy of both empires. Please report to the Elder Council within the next 10 days to receive your fiefdom.
After receiving this notification, Nie Yan was dumbstruck. When he first received the Great Prophet title, Jebiah the Great didn’t mention anything about a fiefdom. Not to mention, he was previously convinced that players couldn’t receive a territory. That the rumours about it were just that, rumours. Who would’ve thought it was actually real!
It turned out land was only rewarded after both empires had come to an agreement.
Nie Yan was unfamiliar with the Abernathy Great Grasslands. He searched it up online.
The Abernathy Great Grasslands was on the border between the Viridian Empire and Satreen Empire. This place was an extremely vast grassland, which was home to six tribes. The human and orc tribes each occupied the two largest territories. Occasionally, there was some friction, but the situation was generally peaceful. The region was extremely large, roughly the size of the territory of Calore. There were about 70 village sized tribal settlements dotting it.
As the lord of the territory, Nie Yan could freely construct towns, strongholds, and other settlements. He could also hire the natives there to fight for him and establish his own NPC army. Furthermore, the Abernathy Great Grasslands was rich with minerals, with more than 70 basic ore deposits, 30 intermediate ones, and 10 advanced ones. These ore deposits all belonged to Nie Yan. If other players tried to excavate them, they would be arrested by the NPC guards for theft. He could also freely construct quarries and hire NPC Miners to help him harvest them.