Guild Wars

Amber hovered lower, her legs still tightly clenched as she wore a happy smile, hoping it would distract onlookers from noticing her shame.

"And with that, the Raid Event has come to an end. Ladies and Gentlemen, let\'s give all of our contestants one final round of applause, for our First Inter-Player International Competition, has officially come to an end!"

Hearing this, the crowd was stunned for a while, and so were the contestants.

That\'s… it? It\'s over? Is it really finally over?

Rather than ecstatic, they were still in disbelief.

After all, this Final Event of what had once started out as a friendly one was too hectic and revealed too many things for anyone to come back down into the mood of celebrating some digital world cup.

Draco\'s Avatar waved his hand and called Amber over. The woman obediently flew over, biting her lip as she fought back her lust.

"It\'s time. Make sure to assist me well." Draco\'s Avatar said cryptically.

Amber remembered their plan and nodded obediently. "Yes, you can begin anytime."

Draco then faced the members of Umbra. "All of you, form up behind me. Those not part of Umbra, stay where you are."

The members of Umbra instantly complied and appeared behind their Guildmaster obediently. As for those not part, they could only stand where they were with uncertain gazes, feeling like something big was about to happen.

Draco then showed a clean smile as he gazed at the crowd. "You guys have enjoyed the Raid Event, no? Got to see dazzling lights and feel tumultuous shockwaves. Saw beam clashes and all like were in a shounen anime."

Draco then began to glow with a blue light that soon expanded out of his body. "However, you lot have heard and seen far too much for my comfort. Thankfully, you\'ve got those helmets on your head, so this should be easy."

Immediately, Ao Potian roared as he understood what was going to happen. "LOG OUT QUICKLY, HE\'S TRYING TO WIPE OUR MEMORIES!"

The crowd panicked and opened their menus to do so, but found that the log out button had disappeared. As Draco had said, once they placed the Virtua Helmets on their heads, things were easy as pie.

Immediately, the blue light rushed out from his body like lighting, covering everyone and everything within range. Everyone paused their actions, a blue outline forming around their bodies as a blue glow shone in their pupils.

Draco opened his eyes and turned to the stunned members of Umbra who were exempt from this. "Well, you heard that cretin, I\'m currently wiping the memory of all these people."

"Now, your status as Control masters as well as any secrets we displayed during this raid are hidden. If any footage is sent out about this Raid, it will be curated to fit what I have implanted in the mind of viewers."

"When you lot return to the guild, gather all members and let them get ready for training. I will use what resources I have to make sure all of our members, no matter whether Combat or Tradeskill, will have unlocked Tier 1 Control by the time Draco and Eva are back."

"After these fellows wake up, continue the competition as-is and finish up what\'s left. We have a lot of work to do in Boundless."

After saying his piece, the Avatar disappeared before them. He had left, returned to the VIP Room to wait until the world of Boundless was re-opened.

Soon, the crowd woke up from their stupor, including the 30 fighters not part of Umbra. The moment they came to, they heard Amber\'s voice resound in their ears.

"And that brings an end to the last event of our First Inter-Player International Competition! Who would have thought that the number 1 player of Boundless would be so fierce?"

"However, this just proves that even the mightiest player can eventually be overcome by the hardwork of the 1,000 best players!"

The crowd immediately clapped and got excited. In their minds, the Raid had been fairly standard. Draco had been somewhat buffed by the GloryGore Studios, to temporarily act as a World Boss.

Every time the players had managed to take down 25% of his Max HP, he would change into a different stage.

They recalled seeing the fight progress from Draco fighting them as a Master Swordsman, into Draco fighting as a Mystic Warlock, followed by Draco literally raining hell as a magician.

When they had taken him down to his last 25% he had fought by using all three styles, only to end up defeated eventually.

Most shocking, he had been far less brutal and dominating than they had all expected. Half of the time, he had been suppressed, though he still managed to demonstrate his skills to prove that he deserved to be called number 1.

Ao Potian shook his head as he felt weird. \'I feel like I\'m forgetting something…\'

Suddenly a light bulb appeared over his head. \'Right, I wanted to use this opportunity to find out if Umbra has done something to my cousin!\'

\'However, looking at them that should be impossible. Even their Guildmaster was trash who simply relied on game power to make a name for himself.\'

Potian sighed and looked up. \'Cousin Shangtian, just where are you?\'

"Will all the contestants please come onto the field a final time so that we may give them a round of applause?" Amber requested as she clapped her hands, manifesting all 3,000 contestants onstage who were split into their various countries and categories.

Where they stood, their national flags appeared behind them intangibly, floating there proudly. This hyped the crowd as they chanted their country\'s slogans, anthems, and whatnot.

The contestants themselves puffed out their chests and felt pride, especially the members of Umbra. They put aside the weird brainwashing and whatnot, for they knew this was their moment of glory and they planned to fully enjoy it.

Their most prominent members had learned Control on this day, yet the rest was destined to start learning it as soon as they returned!

The excitement burning in their hearts was infectious and made the crowd feel like their contestants were beaming at their performance.

Amber let the crowd have their moment before silencing them. "And now, it\'s time to see the results of the Raid!"

｢1st – Essence Stalker: 1st Place Damage Rankings. 50,000 points. (Mexico)

2nd – Gentle Lamb (Kiran): 2nd Place Damage Rankings. 49,900 points. (India)

3rd – Quiet Blade (Cobra): 3rd Place Damage Rankings. 49,800 points. (France)

4th – Tunder Power: 4th Place Damage Rankings. 49,700 points. (Mexico)

5th – Alpha Male (Uno): 5th Place Damage Rankings. 49,600 points. (Mexico)

6th – Brother Is Best (Bella): 6th Place Damage Rankings. 49,500 points. (France)

7th – Slim Fatty: 7th Place Damage Rankings. 49,400 points. (Central Country)

8th – Eyepatch (Boyd): 8th Place Damage Rankings. 49,300 points. (Ghana)

9th – Killer Queen (Keira): 9th Place Damage Rankings. 49,200 points. (Japan)

10th – Loving Aunt: 10th Place Damage Rankings. 49,100 points. (Italy)

11th – Deployed Soldier: 11th Place Damage Rankings. 49,000 points. (Central Country)

12th – Dreary Traveler: 12th Place Damage Rankings. 48,900 points. (Brazil)

13th – Shani: 13th Place Damage Rankings. 48,800 points. (Ghana)

14th – Rambunctious Buttlover: 14th Place Damage Rankings. 48,700 points. (Canada)

15th – Heaven\'s Son (Ao Potian): 15th Place Damage Rankings. 48,600 points. (China)

16th – Noble Soul: 16th Place Damage Rankings. 48,500 points. (England)

17th – Silent Walker: 17th Place Damage Rankings. 48,400 points. (England)

18th – Kicked Bucket: 18th Place Damage Rankings. 48,300 points. (France)

19th – Young Duel: 19th Place Damage Rankings. 48,200 points. (France)

20th – Great Caster (Hera): 20th Place Damage Rankings. 48,100 points. (Japan)

21st – Maple Forest: 21st Place Damage Rankings. 48,000 points. (Spain)

22nd – Wee Cunt: 22nd Place Damage Rankings. 47,900 points. (Scotland)

23rd – Panty King: 23rd Place Damage Rankings. 47,800 points. (Japan)

24th – Happy Scholar: 24th Place Damage Rankings. 47,700 points. (England)

25th – Loli King: 25th Place Damage Rankings. 47,600 points. (Japan)

26th – Cold Summer: 26th Place Damage Rankings. 47,500 points. (Canada)

27th – Joker: 27th Place Damage Rankings. 47,400 points. (Canada)

28th – Sublime Notion: 28th Place Damage Rankings. 47,300 points. (England)

29th – Gentle Flower: 29th Place Damage Rankings. 47,200 points. (Canada)

30th – Slight Breeze: 30th Place Damage Rankings. 47,100 points. (India)

31st – Gentle Light (Lucia): 31st Place Damage Rankings. 47,000 points. (England)

32nd – Warm Spring: 32nd Place Damage Rankings. 46,900 points. (Central Country)｣

The was a loud applause as the listings of the 1,000 fighters were shown. Because it was such a huge Raid, the points output were crazy, and everyone knew that this event, more than anything else would decide the final rankings.

｢First Inter-Player International Competition

Country Rankings Top 15 (Overall):

1. England - 320,410 points (-)

2. France - 315,749 points (+1)

3. Central Country - 313,917 points (-1)

4. Mexico - 311,138 points (+1)

5. Canada - 308,624 points (-1)

6. Japan - 305,483 points (-)

7. India - 298,555 points (-)

8. Italy - 292,123 points (-)

9. Ghana - 286,509 points (-)

10. Germany - 277,093 points (+3)

11. China - 268,246 points (-1)

12. Russia - 258,028 points (-1)

13. Brazil - 232,595 points (-1)

14. Scotland - 201,305 points (-)

15. Spain - 194,397 points (-)｣

Immediately, the English crowd burst into noise. They were so loud and rambunctious that everyone glared at them with anger, but could only lower their heads and take it.

"GOD SAVE OUR GRACIOUS QUEEN!

LONG LIVE OUR NOBLE QUEEN!

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

SEND HER VICTORIOUS,

HAPPY AND GLORIOUS,

LONG TO REIGN OVER US,

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

THY CHOICEST GIFTS IN STORE

ON HER BE PLEASED TO POUR,

LONG MAY SHE REIGN.

MAY SHE DEFEND OUR LAWS,

AND EVER GIVE US CAUSE,

TO SING WITH HEART AND VOICE,

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN."

However, the Central Country crowd soon stood up and refused to submit, roaring with almost divine might;

"O SAY CAN YOU SEE, BY THE DAWN\'S EARLY LIGHT,

WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAIL\'D AT THE TWILIGHT\'S LAST GLEAMING,

WHOSE BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE PERILOUS FIGHT

O\'ER THE RAMPARTS WE WATCH\'D WERE SO GALLANTLY STREAMING?

AND THE ROCKET\'S RED GLARE, THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR,

GAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE,

O SAY DOES THAT STAR-SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE

O\'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE?

ON THE SHORE DIMLY SEEN THROUGH THE MISTS OF THE DEEP

WHERE THE FOE\'S HAUGHTY HOST IN DREAD SILENCE REPOSES,

WHAT IS THAT WHICH THE BREEZE, O\'ER THE TOWERING STEEP,

AS IT FITFULLY BLOWS, HALF CONCEALS, HALF DISCLOSES?

NOW IT CATCHES THE GLEAM OF THE MORNING\'S FIRST BEAM,

IN FULL GLORY REFLECTED NOW SHINES IN THE STREAM,

\'TIS THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER - O LONG MAY IT WAVE

O\'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE!

AND WHERE IS THAT BAND WHO SO VAUNTINGLY SWORE,

THAT THE HAVOC OF WAR AND THE BATTLE\'S CONFUSION

A HOME AND A COUNTRY SHOULD LEAVE US NO MORE?

THEIR BLOOD HAS WASH\'D OUT THEIR FOUL FOOTSTEP\'S POLLUTION.

NO REFUGE COULD SAVE THE HIRELING AND SLAVE

FROM THE TERROR OF FLIGHT OR THE GLOOM OF THE GRAVE,

AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER IN TRIUMPH DOTH WAVE

O\'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.

O THUS BE IT EVER WHEN FREEMEN SHALL STAND

BETWEEN THEIR LOV\'D HOME AND THE WAR\'S DESOLATION!

BLEST WITH VICT\'RY AND PEACE MAY THE HEAV\'N RESCUED LAND

PRAISE THE POWER THAT HATH MADE AND PRESERV\'D US A NATION!

THEN CONQUER WE MUST, WHEN OUR CAUSE IT IS JUST,

AND THIS BE OUR MOTTO - "IN GOD IS OUR TRUST,"

AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER IN TRIUMPH SHALL WAVE

O\'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE."

—————————————

Author\'s Note: tsk, tsk, even I feel the power of freedom coursing through my veins. Still, I like the English one better, no offense.

Anyway, thanks to the support of AP_Berserker, Kronos_7, and our very own Matthias, I managed to get out of my rut rather quickly.

Daily updates will resume and I will maintain the quality as best as I can.. I guess I just have to give it time and hope things get better.