--
Three days before the PvP protection dropped, Kai stood once again before the golden throne of King Eldran.
The palace was empty except for the echoes of his footsteps and the icy gaze of the King's advisor, Chancellor Wyreth, who stood nearby with a long scroll.
"You've built an impressive city," Eldran said coolly. "But cities are made of more than stone and gold. You now require... people. Guards. Defenders."
Kai nodded. "I want to hire NPCs."
Chancellor Wyreth opened the scroll with a snap.
> Official Royal Recruitment List
Elite Royal Guard (Lv. 95): 20,000G
Mage-Sentinel (Lv. 90): 15,000G
Arcane Ballista Operator (Lv. 85): 12,000G
City Guard (Lv. 50): 5,000G
Apprentice Watchman (Lv. 20): 1,000G
Farmer with Stick (Lv. 5): 100G
Bored Drunk Guy (Lv. 2): 50G
Angry Goose Tamer (Lv. 1): 20G
Kai blinked. "Are you serious with these bottom ones?"
Chancellor Wyreth sniffed. "The kingdom offers opportunities for all citizens."
Kai looked at the top-tier defenders and did the math. "Even if I spent everything… I could barely afford three high-tier NPCs."
He took a deep breath and pointed to the bottom of the list.
"I'll take the bored drunk guy, the farmer, the goose tamer, and the two apprentice watchmen."
The Chancellor looked horrified. "That's your defense strategy?"
Kai smirked. "That's Phase One."
---
Back in Arcadia – Rewrite in Progress
As the five cheap NPCs stood nervously in the city barracks, Kai opened his hidden Codewalker Console.
> [NPC: Farmer Oren] – Lv. 5 → Change Class: "Bladewind Ronin"
Traits Added:
Duelist AI (Advanced Parry & Counter)
Hidden Passive: Teleport Dash
Special Skill: "Wind Slice Barrage"
Appearance: Now wears ragged straw hat and crimson scarf
Description: "Mysterious swordsman who pretends to be a farmer"
> [NPC: Goose Tamer Talya] – Lv. 1 → Change Class: "Beast Mistress of Chaos"
Goose minions upgraded to "Explosive Flamegeese"
Passive: Birds swarm invaders in randomized patterns
Ultimate: "Birdpocalypse"
> [NPC: Drunk Guy Lorran] → Change Class: "Fist Saint (Drunken Style)"
Passive: Unreadable movement
Active: "Drunken Master Flow" – High evasion, stun chance
Kai added flashy "Low-Level" tags to keep appearances harmless.
He grinned. "Budget army. Cheat results."
---
System Message – Server Wide
> ⚔️ Arcadia City Siege Raid Open to Players ⚔️
Defend Arcadia from enemy guild invasion!
Free 30-day housing permit for all defenders
Raid drops + loot scaling
Top 10 defenders earn "Arcadia Champion" title
Siege begins in: 2 hours
---
Players React
> Forum Thread: "Arcadia Raid: Free Housing?!"
"Better than rent in main cities!"
"Is this a PvP war or a real estate scheme?"
"I'm in. Gotta defend my potion plug."
> Global Chat:
>> IronVow: "Sending squad to defend Kai's city. That dude deserves it."
>> Aria_Mira: "Valkyrion will anchor south gate."
>> BladeOfAshes: "Any entry fees?"
>> Pipkin: "Only cost is courage!"
---
Pre-Siege Briefing – Arcadia's Barracks
Kai looked out over the ragtag army: 150 players, 30 NPCs, five rewritten freaks, and one monstrous guardian—Stormhowl—perched on the outer wall.
He cleared his throat.
"I'm not a general. I'm not a king. I'm just a Novice who happens to own a city."
"But if you fight today, you'll gain more than loot or housing—you'll gain glory in the eyes of every smug guild who doubted us."
A roar echoed from the gathered defenders.
Kai turned to Pipkin. "Keep the potions flowing. Prioritize the newbies."
To Aria: "Hold the auction house gate. We do not let them destroy commerce."
Aria grinned. "If they touch my guild hall, I go full berserker."
---
Arcadia Siege Begins
> [PvP Mode: Active – Arcadia]
Enemy Factions Approaching:
Black Sun Syndicate
Rogue PvP Guilds
Crimson Eclipse (unofficial splinter faction)
ReaperZion: Online and Leading
Hundreds of players phased in from the forests, desert canyons, and sky bridges. Smoke bombs filled the air. Fireball rain fell over rooftops.
But Arcadia's defenders held fast.
---
North Gate:
A squad of elite PvPers clashed with Apprentice Watchman #1, who suddenly pulled out a rune cannon from under a bench.
> "Where the hell did that come from?!"
"He's only Level 20!!"
But Kai had rewritten him with:
> Passive: "Equipment Hidden in Unusual Places"
Active: "Overpowered Once Per Day"
The gate held.
---
West Gate:
ReaperZion himself led the charge, only to find Farmer Oren standing alone.
Reaper smirked. "Get out of my way, peasant."
Oren bowed politely… then dashed forward in a blink and delivered a 7-hit blade combo that sent Reaper flying.
> "That's no farmer!"
"He parried a ReaperZion finisher!"
"Who is this guy?!"
---
South Wall:
A fireball hit the pet barn.
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
Hundreds of Flamegeese rained down on the attackers in a fury of feathers, fire, and fury.
"WE'RE BEING MAULED BY BIRDS!"
Kai just watched from the wall and laughed.
---
Special Event Activated: Champion Duel Zone
Kai activated one final secret:
> Center Plaza transformed into an arena.
Top 5 defenders vs. Top 5 invaders
Winning side earns buffs for the final siege phase
Aria stepped into the arena, her spear glowing.
"So, boss," she called to Kai, "you gonna sit back and sip tea while we fight?"
Kai smirked, cracked his knuckles… and teleported into the center.
"I suppose it's time for the Novice to earn a few kills."