Chapter 144: The real show was about to begin

Chapter 144: The real show was about to beginAt that moment, everything changed in an instant! High above Dunmire, a terrifying presence descended—a 10-Tier Thunderbird, its wings slicing through the sky as it soared toward the city. In mere moments, it landed right at the west gate of Dunmire. And as soon as the massive creature touched down, a figure leaped off its back. The moment people laid eyes on him—that sharp, single-lidded gaze, the bright, confident grin, the ordinary-looking black hair—they shuddered involuntarily. Their pupils shrank, their faces drained of color. "Demon King Faker?!" Ranked #1 on the GB Intercontinental Top Power Rankings. The strongest player in Asia. One of the top ten powerhouses in the world. South Korea’s number one—Demon King Faker. He... he actually came here?! And what was even more terrifying—Demon King Faker, Skylon, Amaterasu, Vishnu—the strongest players from South Korea, China, Japan, and India had all gathered in one place. Right here. In Dunmire—North America’s main stronghold. What the hell were they planning? But at that moment, neither Skylon, who had arrived first, nor Demon King Faker, who had just landed, paid any attention to the stunned onlookers. Their expressions remained indifferent as they walked straight into the tavern. Before long, they reached their destination—where Vishnu and Amaterasu were already waiting. "You’re here? Have a seat." Amaterasu glanced up at them, his tone calm and composed. "Let’s cut to the chase." Skylon frowned. "What exactly are Apollo and White Bear Tsar trying to do this time?" "It’s simple." "Suppress North America." Vishnu’s voice was cool, almost casual. He paused for a moment, then continued. "In fact, this plan has been in motion for a long time. It’s just that, until now, we’ve been operating in the shadows, so no one noticed." "So you’re saying... those recent Global Battlefield losses North America suffered— that was all your doing?" Demon King Faker smirked, his expression sharp and defiant. Vishnu didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, "North America—especially Greater America—was far too powerful in the real world. But now, the world order has changed. In Glory Lords X, we’re making sure history doesn’t repeat itself. And honestly, their growth potential is just too dangerous." His gaze darkened slightly. "Even after being suppressed so many times, they’re still holding their ground. Don’t you think that’s a serious threat?" The moment those words left his mouth— Demon King Faker and Skylon exchanged glances. Their eyes flickered with thought, their brows furrowed. Then, silence. Because they knew—Vishnu had a point. For Greater America to have survived this long, despite being targeted by Europe, the Middle East, and Russiania, without collapsing... That alone proved how resilient—and dangerous—they were. And truth be told, even they were starting to feel the pressure. Sure, the four Asian powerhouses had joined forces and were currently stronger than North America. But the higher they climbed, the greater the pressure became. And there was no way in hell they were going to just sit back and let North America catch up. A cold glint flashed in Demon King Faker’s eyes. His voice was icy as he said— "Alright. Let’s hear your plan." "It’s simple. This time in Global Battlefield, we have to do whatever it takes to stop North America from advancing." Amaterasu’s voice was cold and unwavering. "Caesar isn’t a threat to us." Skylon said flatly. "Besides, Apollo and White Bear Tsar must have given you some kind of support, right?" "Caesar isn’t the problem." Amaterasu shook his head, his expression turning serious. "I’m talking about that guy from Draconic Pact." Draconic Pact? The moment Amaterasu said the name, the entire room fell silent. Everyone’s expressions darkened. "That guy actually exists?" Skylon frowned, clearly skeptical. "Tier 3 Magic? An 11-Tier Unicorn? Yeah, I don’t buy it. And if it is true, wouldn’t that mean he’s already stronger than Faker?" "Him?" Demon King Faker let out a mocking laugh, his tone dripping with disdain. "I don’t believe it either. But... what if it is true?" Amaterasu said calmly. The moment those words left his mouth, Demon King Faker’s smirk faded slightly. Yeah. What if it is true? At the same time, Vishnu spoke up. "Amaterasu and I have already received intel. In the upcoming Intercontinental Tournament, for the final match between Asia and North America... there’s a chance North America might bench Caesar." "Bench Caesar?" Demon King Faker and Skylon froze for a second before their expressions darkened. "You’re saying...?" "As much as I hate to admit it, based on the information we have, the so-called Draconic Pact Representative is very likely real." Amaterasu said coolly. "Then what do we do?" Skylon’s brows furrowed tightly. An 11-Tier Unicorn. Tier 3 Magic. If this was true, then aside from Demon King Faker, none of them stood a real chance against him. "Actually, it’s pretty simple." Amaterasu smirked, his expression turning sinister. "Global Battlefield doesn’t allow last-minute player substitutions. If we push that rule, we can get him disqualified." "But there have been exceptions before." Skylon frowned. "If we force this too hard, we might trigger backlash from other regions." "Then we give him a choice." Amaterasu’s smirk widened. "They can swap him in... but only if he fights two of us at once." "Two-on-one?" Demon King Faker and Skylon blinked in surprise. Then, almost simultaneously, their expressions shifted—eyebrows raised, lips curling into cold smirks. "Sounds like a solid plan." "Alright then... let’s make it happen." ... Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Early that morning, General Nathaniel Grant was already waiting at the exact spot where Ethan had logged off. It wasn’t until several hours later that Ethan finally logged back in, taking his time as usual. Only then did Nathaniel lead him toward a location outside of Dunmire. "General Grant, judging by this, the Global Battlefield isn’t inside Dunmire, is it?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of course not." Nathaniel shook his head and explained, "Mr. Ethan, you should know by now—while we players like to call Dunmire our North American stronghold, that’s really just us hyping ourselves up." "For the native forces in Dunmire, we players are just a tiny fraction of the population—probably no more than one in a few dozen. But when it comes to battles involving Tier 11 units, the scale of destruction is massive. To avoid stirring up trouble with the local powers—or worse, Grand Duke Theodore—we have no choice but to hold the Global Battlefield somewhere more remote." Nathaniel paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile. "Honestly, the local forces probably know exactly what we’re up to. But to them, this is nothing worth bothering with, so they just turn a blind eye and let us do our thing." "That makes sense." Ethan nodded in understanding. Nathaniel had a point. Players had always claimed that Dunmire was their North American base of operations, their home turf—but in reality, that was just self-aggrandizement, a way to make themselves feel important. After all, Glory Lords X was a world filled with countless planes, teeming with visitors from all sorts of alternate dimensions. Compared to the sheer variety of otherworldly arrivals, players weren’t particularly special or noteworthy. To the native forces, they were just another group among many. And in terms of power? Players were, at best, mid-tier among the various interdimensional factions—maybe even on the weaker end. So it was no surprise that the local forces didn’t take them seriously. Under these circumstances, if players tried to stir up a massive event right in the heart of a major city, they’d basically be asking for trouble. Of course, what they didn’t realize was that, given Ethan’s status in the Unicorn Duchy, if he personally negotiated with Grand Duke Theodore, securing a venue inside Dunmire for the Global Battlefield wouldn’t be an issue at all. But that was never going to happen. The fact that Ethan had even agreed to participate in the Global Battlefield was already generous enough. Expecting him to go out of his way to help organize it? Not a chance. ... Several hours later, as night began to fall, Ethan and Nathaniel arrived at a small town called Brimholt. The area had already been prepared in advance. Out in the middle of a vast, open plain, a massive, makeshift arena had been constructed. And why makeshift? Simple—no matter how well-built an arena was, it wouldn’t last more than a few hits. Besides, everyone’s focus was on the Global Battlefield itself. That was the real highlight. A fancy arena wasn’t necessary—if anything, a simple one made it easier for everyone to go all out without worrying about collateral damage. Surrounding the arena were players from all over the world. Each of them radiated an imposing presence, their eyes sharp and focused. These were the elites. The best of the best. "Here they come! Here they come!" The crowd stirred as a group of figures made their way toward the arena. "That’s Vishnu, India’s number one player!" "And Japan’s Amaterasu is here too!" "Holy shit... is that Skylon from China with them? What’s going on? They actually arrived together?!" ... The sudden appearance of three top-tier players sent a ripple of excitement through the gathered elite from various countries. Some looked on with admiration, others with barely concealed resentment, and a few sighed in quiet frustration. Each of these players was the undisputed number one in their respective nations. If any one of them so much as stomped their foot, all of Asia would feel the tremor. That level of dominance... most of the players here could only dream of reaching it in their lifetime. "What about Korea’s Demon King Faker? He’s the only Asian player ranked in the global top ten! Any idea when he’s arriving?" "The North American Greater America players aren’t here yet either." "Greater America? Isn’t Caesar already here?" "No, I heard that for the Global Battlefield intercontinental finals, North America’s representative isn’t Caesar..." "Not Caesar? No way. He’s supposed to be North America’s number one!" "You forgot about that rumor going around online?" "You mean Draconic Pact? Come on, that was fake, wasn’t it?!" "Looks like it might be real after all..." ... As the murmurs spread through the crowd, another figure appeared. A tall, black-haired man with sharp, single-lidded eyes strode forward, surrounded by a group of elite Korean players. The moment he stepped into view, the entire crowd fell silent. All eyes turned to him—some filled with awe, others with envy, but all carrying a deep sense of respect. The man’s expression was calm, but there was an unmistakable arrogance in his gaze. "Korea’s number one!" "Asia’s strongest player!" "One of the global top ten!" "Demon King Faker!" ... Gasps of recognition and admiration echoed through the crowd. Among all the titans gathered here today, Demon King Faker stood above them all—like a lone peak towering over the rest. In terms of personal strength, he was an SSS-tier Blue Rare Hero. In terms of military power, he commanded not one, but two Tier 11 Royal Units. And in the global rankings, he was the only player from all of Asia to make it into the top ten. That alone was enough to overshadow everyone else. As Demon King Faker made his entrance, the entire arena fell into an eerie silence. Amaterasu, Vishnu, and Skylon exchanged glances, the corners of their mouths curling into cold smirks. The real show was about to begin. ...