Summoning the Holy Sword

Chapter 1265: Stars

Figures marched out of the Astral Temple one after another. Among them were men, women, young, and old.

"They are…"

Gazing at the crowd walking out in a line, Marlene and Cassidy at the back of the group were speechless. Just like the rest, they were curious as to how Rhode would recruit enough units for the upcoming war. But now, Marlene no longer had any doubt. She believed that when others witnessed this massive and powerful army, they would certainly be stunned and wouldn't doubt Rhode any longer. Each and every one of them wielded incredibly powerful weapons and were clad in armor that flickered in magical brilliance. As a deity warden, Marlene sensed that they possessed equal or even stronger powers than Mini Bubble Gum and Canary!

If we have them as our forces, we will be strong enough to defend against Chaos!

"Your Majesty, where exactly did you find them?"

At this thought, Cassidy couldn't contain her curiosity and asked. Facing her query, Rhode revealed a genuine smile, turned to the front, and replied.

"They used to be my companions and comrades. We used to go on adventures and fight together. I am also surprised to have this opportunity to fight alongside them in this world."

Rhode answered with complicated emotions. He lost his mind as he gazed at the crowd with the familiar faces. After confirming his plan to transport the entire continent, Rhode came up with this idea. The roots were in the Astral Temple. According to the introduction in the system interface, the Astral Temple could summon armies that once fought under the main card. If it were as the Astral Temple described, would he be able to summon members of Starlight who had fought alongside him in the past?

After this thought surged from deep down in his heart, he could no longer hold back. Besides, he was also capable of meeting the conditions. First, there was no issue with using the Astral Temple as the summoning portal. In terms of summoning cards, after successfully opening up the Void Territory, he had transformed his dragon form into a card. Second, if the system recognized that he and his card had the same attributes, was it possible to use this as the base to summon members of Starlight?

Of course, Rhode discussed this matter with his younger sister and Gillian. The results excited him. As Rhode transmigrated with the entire system interface, all the collected intelligence was also naturally brought over, including player data of all players in the Dragon Soul Continent. As long as he established a connection with them, he could successfully summon them here.

But compared to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, the projections of these newer Starlight members weren't as advanced. Phantom Guardians were manifested based on Rhode's memories, and it was otherwise for the other members of Starlight. Their presences were based on gathered intelligence. In other words, their behaviors were based entirely on the intelligence about their daily activities as collected by the system. This intelligence was arranged into data and manifested into physical forms. In simpler terms, their status in this world was like that of NPCs in the Dragon Soul Continent on Earth. But on Earth, Lydia and the rest were the NPCs instead, while in this world, the status of both parties swapped. Not only that, but also even though these people didn't seem any different from ordinary people, as a matter of fact, they could only repeat behaviors and actions that they had done in the game. If the behaviors and actions weren't prerecorded, they wouldn't be able to perform them. After all, the game only collected their action data and didn't include their thoughts and spirits. This was where they were different from Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Icy Snow, and Orchid Heart.

And in order to manifest such a huge amount of data, Rhode also expended a certain extent of power. He had used up almost all his dragon soul power to maintain the crowd before him. For that reason, his current strength was weakened to the same level as the rest. In other words, he was nothing more than a Spirit Swordsman in the peak level of 85. But to him, this exchange was cost-effective. If it were in the past, perhaps he might harbor some worries and suspicions, but with his younger sister by his side, he didn't need to worry about this issue. His younger sister who regained her physical body also possessed the Void Dragon's power. Even if he weren't there, it would be sufficient with her younger sister around to support the overall situation.

"How's that, Marlene?"

Gazing at the bustling crowd, Rhode couldn't help but reveal a nostalgic smile. He had as though returned to the game and gathered everyone for a raid or guild battle. Everyone seemed so excited, lively, and passionate. Every one of them enjoyed the joys of the game and battles, as well as…

Victory.

"They are really strong, Rhode."

Facing Rhode's query, Marlene nodded in response. She realized that even though these people were dressed differently, they had something in common. No matter which part of their bodies, they all wore a cross badge. Marlene wasn't unfamiliar with it because she had the same exact badge. She also believed that the powerful strength of these people would allow them to gain a huge advantage in the face of Chaos. But…

"Rhode, even though it shouldn't be up to me to say it, is their discipline… alright?"

It wasn't surprising that Marlene asked. This wasn't the first time she witnessed soldiers being summoned from the Astral Temple. Be it elves, angels, or other races, all in all, they were disciplined. One could sense a murderous aura exuding from them though they stood on the spot, making one feel as though they were invincible. But this huge group of people, despite being powerful, didn't possess such a trait. They didn't seem like trained soldiers at all. Marlene had even witnessed smaller groups of three to five, twittering in excitement. Some even glanced curiously at the surroundings as though they disregarded Rhode completely.

Besides, many of them stood and sat inappropriately, leaving Marlene speechless. She also observed some thief-class characters in the Peak Legendary Stage crouching, gesturing, and revealing creepy, lascivious smiles. Looking at this scene, Marlene was at a loss. In the Dragon Soul Continent, many formidable beings carried self-respecting status, and it got more obvious the stronger they were. But the people that Rhode summoned were entirely different. Even though their strength was considered outstanding in the Dragon Soul Continent, Marlene didn't recognize any masterly demeanor from them…

"Don't worry, even though this is the way they behave, they will act seriously when necessary."

Upon hearing Marlene's doubt, Rhode couldn't help but force a smile. But she couldn't be blamed since this was how these guys behaved all day. After all, they were players of a game and weren't involved in life-or-death struggles. It was enough as long as everyone was having fun. Who would care whether they lined up like trained soldiers? For that reason, it went without saying that the entire plaza was as bustling as a wet market.

Seems like I should more or less give Marlene and the others some confidence. Besides, these guys are indeed embarrassing me to a certain degree.

At this thought, Rhode clapped his palms together, before waving to the front of the group.

"Old Ryu, gather up!"

"Got it, Leader."

Upon hearing Rhode's command, the members at the front nodded and a middle-aged man who wore a pitch-black robe raised his staff high. Shortly after, a fireball erupted from the tip of the staff, blasting into the air and exploding in a loud boom. Looking at the burst of flare, the crowd bustling with activities stopped chatting and turned to Rhode. Looking at this scene, Marlene couldn't help but twitch her brow. She witnessed that they weren't startled by the sudden explosion of the fireball. Because if that were the case, they would have turned to the mage who fired it instead. But as a matter of fact, these people only swept a glance at the fireball, before shifting their gaze to Rhode who stood in front of them. This went to show that this was possibly their signal. Marlene was also bewildered. She thought these people weren't disciplined, but it seemed like she had misjudged them. Even though they didn't experience formal training like the Moon Blade Guards, they still possessed an unique sense of cohesiveness.

"Hi all, long time no see."

Rhode smiled as soon as everyone focused their attention on him. At that moment, he felt like he had returned to the game once again. In his memories, the last time he felt so passionate was when he led his guild in ambushing the Light Parliament. Back then, players were only players who enjoyed the game and carried out missions. They had never thought of changing anything. Rhode was the first to raise this suggestion and lead members of Starlight to launch an ambush on the Light Parliament while the Country of Darkness attacked Casabianca's final defensive line.

It was only after that players discovered that they could also change the plot of the game. They also didn't need to stand by the sidelines and watch the NPCs put on a show. They could wait for the game to start after the end of the story with the ability to change destiny. That wasn't just the destiny of some people, but that of an entire nation, and even the continent's too…

"This time, I need your help, which is why I summoned you here. We once changed our destiny together and now, we need to change this world again! I suppose you're already aware that the presence of that damn Chaos still lingers on to find trouble with us again. Brothers and sisters, what do you say? Shall we wipe them out?!"

"F*ck them over, Leader!"

"Go, go, Guild Leader! This time, we shall trample our way to the 900th floor in the Bottomless Abyss! I refuse to believe we can't break through that godforsaken place!"

"Leader, please form teams and give us the BOSS location! This time, you must include me when killing the BOSS!!!"

"Seems like the three great Gods with an 'unlucky looting aura' have gathered, Leader. You guys won't be the ones looting the corpses right? If you are, then I'm not playing anymore!"

"Get lost, you worthless trash; how dare you defy Guild Leader's command? Guild Leader, did you see how I defended you? So… how about introducing some of your women to me? I don't have other requests, just their addresses and phone numbers will do…"

In an instant, the plaza became bustling with noises again, catching Marlene and the rest off guard and staring blankly at the scene. They witnessed all sorts of pre-war declarations, but had never seen such unreliable ones. Marlene suspected that something was wrong with her ears and understanding ability upon realizing that these people went off-topic from what Rhode spoke earlier. Rhode was clearly talking about the invasion of Chaos, so why would they request to form parties, speak about looting, and whatnot?

By the way, what exactly did they mean?

As Marlene gazed blankly at this outrageous scene, Rhode wasn't mindful at all. On the contrary, he gestured to a dozen of them, beckoned to Icy Snow and Canary, and said something to them. Shortly after, the specific people dispersed and returned to their respective groups. Then, the bustling group began to head down. But judging from their excited looks, Marlene felt like they were here for travel and not battle…

This time, there were a total of 30,000 members from Starlight summoned from the Astral Temple, which was the final results after counting. There were more than 100,000 members in Starlight during its peak. If Rhode were to manifest all of them, Chaos wouldn't stand a chance at all. But it was a pity that Rhode's dragon soul power was limited. Even though he could manifest more than 100,000 members at once, he wouldn't be able to provide them with valuable and powerful equipment. It could also be said that if Rhode were to manifest 100,000 members, they would be like max-leveled players wearing starter equipment. That way, he couldn't guarantee success with their battle strength. That was why after serious considerations, he finally decided to summon 30,000 of the most elite Starlight members, at the same time ensuring their quantity and strength. Apart from the 23,000 battle-class players, 7,000 of them were production-class players. Despite being production-class players, Rhode was certain that they would definitely display power and influence beyond anyone's imagination in the upcoming war.

Rhode helped settle down the 30,000 'players' in the Land of Atonement. Ever since the Void Territory was opened up, residents of the Land of Atonement had moved to the Void Territory, while the Land of Atonement was turned into a military encampment. As a result, there wasn't any issue accommodating 30,000 'players'.

Thereafter, Rhode sent the players out in batches to defend various areas. He dispatched almost 8,000 players to the border by the Country of Darkness, which was the forefront. As for other areas, he mobilized 3,000 to 5,000 players. The remaining players were thrown to various areas to form inspection teams to ensure safety. Such tasks were tough for formal armies, but it was the duty of players. After all, this was how players climbed their ways up the ranks.

Almost everyone expressed their unprecedented shock upon realizing the 'reinforcements' that Rhode brought over. After all, there were tens of thousands of formidable beings in the Peak Legendary Stage. They had powerful equipment that left many leaders in envy, and their strength not inferior to the four legendary generals' or archangels'. What was more astonishing was that they were generally young, with most of them in their late teens and 20s. So young and yet, possessed such amazing strength. Despite that, they didn't hear of these people before. Where exactly did they come from?

Even though there were doubts about their background, it was still better to receive help with the currently serious manpower shortage. As days passed, various places were starting to get ready. Randolf and the other Creator Dragons settled down in the center of Grandia, gathering intelligence from all around the continent.

As expected, Chaos responded.

Judging from the intelligence, Chaos began to invade the Dragon Soul Continent again. The defensive line by the forefront in the Country of Darkness faced several small-scaled battles. However, the strength of Chaos was also limited, falling short and retreating in the face of the prepared undead army.

But this was only the start.

Seems like this battle is unavoidable.

After receiving the intelligence, Rhode couldn't help but let out a sigh. He initially hoped to engage in a 'turtling' defensive strategy. As long as they could defend until the three layers of enchanted field were fully activated, they could abandon the outside without holding back and get sent to the core area. However, the problems in the Country of Darkness couldn't be resolved that easily. It was obvious that Ion used the connection between the Country of Darkness and Dragon Soul Continent to attack the continent without the slightest qualm. Therefore, no matter what, Rhode had to cut off Ion's connection with the continent in exchange for sufficient time to activate the barrier.

And there was only one way to cut off the connection completely.

Kill the former, corrupted Dark Dragon, Ion.