Second World

"Lily, be ready to call out our guild troops," Four Winds said.

Water Lily looked to the side. Another group of players was there. "Those Warsong people will also call out their troops. Should we do it before or after?"

"Doesn't matter. Do it when you see an opportunity. Unless you are not confident of our troops?"

"Haha. I'm just afraid that if we summon ours first, they won't have the face to call out theirs."

"Hahaha," Four Winds laughed. "I will leave a squad for your protection. The rest of you, come with me to the front line."

"Should I be on the protection detail again?" A towering Sentinel in heavy armor asked.

"No, Coca. You follow me to the front line."

"Yes!" Coca uttered. "No offense, Lily, but it is boring to stay at the back and do nothing."

"It's boring to stay near me?" Water Lily said teasingly.

"Uh... You know that's not what I mean..."

Violent Blizzard came and shoved Coca forward. She said to Water Lily, "Stop teasing the boy. You know how simple he is."

Violent Blizzard had her arm behind Coca and said, "Come, let big sister show you what it means to tear through the opponent's rank."

They slipped themselves through the mass of native soldiers and stood at the front line. They were used to this already. The native soldiers also didn't seem bothered by the players placing themselves in their rank. Four Winds and the others came to the front so they could have a better look at the incoming army. From the size of the army, the enemy seemed to be equal in number to them.

"They were all natives. I don't spot any players. This might be tough," Disco Rain said, but then she added, "Wait...! That one at the lead with the flaming horse..."

Everyone looked over after hearing Disco Rain.

"It's him!" Purple Mist uttered.

"Good! I can finally have my revenge," Violent Blizzard said.

"Hehe, he truly is here," Four Winds said.

"What are you people talking about?" Coca asked.

"Remember our story about one guy beating us all in the world tournament?" Disco Rain replied. "The guy on the flaming horse, that's him."

"He?" Coca had heard about the tale, but he found it hard to believe that the five strongest players he had ever known were defeated by one person. He looked at Jack from the distance. He felt fire building up inside him. He tightened his grip on his large tower shield. With him here, it would be different. He would be the shield that stopped this person while the others sent their assaults.

"But why does he run in front of the army?" Purple Mist asked. "Won't the native soldiers be offended by his act? Or are the Themisphere soldiers much more lenient than Verremor's?"

While they were guessing, the human army stopped after arriving at a certain distance. The two armies now stared at each other with a wide-open field between them.

Abasi and two other orcs came forward and walked toward the human army.

Seeing the gesture, three from the human army also did the same. What surprised Four Winds and the others was that one of the three was Jack. Not only that, Jack walked in the middle while two natives followed behind him.

"Don't... Don't tell me that he is actually leading that native army...?" Purple Mist said.

"No way...," Disco Rain said.

"Hahaha. He truly is," Four Winds laughed.

"Why are you so certain?" Violent Blizzard asked.

"Because I've just asked him. I have added him to my friend list."

"What?! Is he for real? Is being a tournament champion not enough? Now he has to go and be an army general? And why are you still laughing?" Purple Mist asked Four Winds.

"Why not? He is an interesting friend. It just shows that I didn't make a wrong judgment about him."

"A friend whom we are about to have a life and death battle with."

"So what? A true friend is one that is forged in battle."

"Where the hell did you hear that? There is no such saying!"

Coca looked at Jack in fascination. This was the first time he had heard their leader regard someone so highly, even calling the person a true friend. He became more curious about this Storm Wind fellow.

*

On the field in between the two armies, the three human leaders and three orc leaders came face to face. Jack was with Armstrong and Bordo, while the opposition was led by Abasi Raretooth.

Jack used Inspect on the three orcs when they came near. Abasi had increased by two levels since Jack last saw him. He was a level 66 rare elite now. As for the two orcs beside him, Jack hadn't seen them before. However, Abasi was actually the lowest level among the three.

*

Lubanzi Skullcrusher (Rare Elite Orc, Overseer), level 76

HP: 910,000

*

Bishara Stormcaller (Special Elite Orc, Overseer), level 73

HP: 420,000

*

Lubanzi on Abasi's right was a very large and broad orc with a pair of unusually large tusks. He carried a two-handed hammer that was almost as large as his hulking body. Bishara on the left was a female orc. Slung on her waist was a long axe, but she also held a magician's long staff. Could she like him? A warrior who was also a spell caster?

"You!" Abasi uttered after getting a good look at Jack.

"Do you know him?" Lubanzi asked.

"Yes, he is the outworlder who killed Wangombe and also the human team champion in the outworlder world tournament," Abasi answered. "Too bad Badu is not here. Otherwise, he will have the chance to avenge his son personally. Never mind, I will do it for him. We will start this war properly before we start the killing."

Abasi then turned to the three humans before him. "Who among you two is the general of this human army? Why do you let an outworlder stand here before me? If you mean to insult me by throwing in my face the outworlder whom I have a grudge with, you have only disgraced yourself."

"Watch your tongue! He is our general," Armstrong replied.

Abasi paused for a bit. He was wondering if he had heard wrong. "There must be something in the wind. What did you say just now?" Abasi asked.

"He says that this outworlder before you is our army general, you deaf ugly orc!" Bordo uttered.

"I will smash that foul mouth of yours!" Lubanzi smashed his giant hammer onto the ground. It created a small tremor.

Both Armstrong and Bordo's hands went to the hilt of their weapons.

"Halt!" Abasi called. "We are not dishonorable creatures that hit someone without a proper declaration of battle, unlike the backstabbing race of Themisphere. So, this is what I'm going to say. As the leader of the Verremor army here. I, Abasi Raretooth, challenge your filthy human army for a battle. What do you say, humans!"

Armstrong and Bordo were silent, they looked at Jack who was supposed to be the leader. Jack was silent as well.

A few seconds passed. Abasi frowned. Did they treat his declaration as a joke? If so, he would just go ahead and crush the human army. But before he could give the order to attack, Jack's arm was lifted, showing two fingers.

"I have two things I want to say to you," Jack said. "The first one!"

Jack's outstretched arm slapped to the right. He then lifted it high. Then that arm made a circular pattern down while the other arm went up with a mirror movement.

Abasi was taken aback by Jack's weird arm movement. In fact, not only him. Armstrong and Bordo besides Jack and all the others who were watching were also confused, both in the human and the orc armies. Lubanzi and Bishara were slightly alert. Was this human doing something that signal an attack? Was he planning some traps? They had known the human race to not despise playing dirty, so this possibility was not out of the question.

"What is he doing?" Coca asked Four Winds.

Four Winds didn't answer, because he also didn't understand.

"Perhaps it is a signal for a hidden troop?" Purple Mist conjectured. She had the same thought as Abasi's aides. Jack's arm movements had become increasingly complex by then. Even his body tilted around to follow his arm movements as if dancing.

Of the entire audience who were spectating, only two people understood what Jack was doing. One was Peniel, who had retreated into her hidden dimension because she felt too ashamed. She had been scolding Jack via her mind ever since Jack started. The other was Paytowin, who was back at the front of the human army. He was facepalming himself.

"Oh, dear lord... He truly goes and does it," Paytowin muttered.

Jack finally finished his hand movements by crossing his arms in front of his chest. He then yelled loudly, "Transform...!!!"

Jack's body was replaced by a humanoid dragon.

Complete silence on the battlefield.

Coca turned to Four Winds and asked, "Is... Is that the champion of the world tournament...?"

Violent Blizzard also turned and asked, "You truly add that person into your friend list...?"

Four Winds looked down without saying anything.

At the place where the six leaders were standing. The three orcs were unable to understand what Jack had done. Was the dance before transforming meant anything particular? Most of the natives were also lost, only players knew what Jack had done just now, and they were too stupefied to react.

"And this is the second thing I want to say to you," Jack said to Abasi. "ATTAACCCKKK...!!!"