The third floor was no longer a simple tunnel that led them upwards but instead, a dining hall where all the guests of the Lord's castle were eating their meals. By the time Liu Ye showed up, all the NPCs were alarmed by the loud fighting and stood on guard.
The only positive news was the color of their names which still remained blue which meant they weren't aggressive just yet. That could as well change with the arrival of five Fire Empire Soldiers who stormed into the dining hall from the Forth Floor.
"Distinguished guests! Two intruders invaded the Lord's Castle! Help us defeat them and the Lord will reward you handsomely!" the Fire Empire Soldier shouted to gather help but Liu Ye didn't let that slide. He knew very well this was his chance to save himself.
"What a great Lord he is," Liu Ye praised as he applauded loudly. "He allows his guests to fight the intruders while he is hiding in his chambers. Is there something more important than protecting your own castle that he is not here? It has been a moment since we arrived. He should know about us by now."
The Fire Empire Soldiers frowned and immediately denied it. "The Lord is coming! He was caught unprepared so he had to dress up! Don't listen to those invaders! Let's group and fight them together!"
All Lord's guests were above level 60 and they were twenty of them. It wouldn't be as easy of a fight even with Queen Luna on Liu Ye's side.
"Go on, let's fight then," Liu Ye agreed right away. "Let's not disturb the Lord. Let him finish fucking his whores while we fight with our lives on the line."
As Liu Ye spoke, water gushed out from behind his back, and Ice Spikes formed in large quantities. The guests immediately darkened but they didn't face Liu Ye but rather the Fire Empire Soldier.
"Where is the Lord? I'm not going to lift a finger unless I see the Lord request me personally." A middle-aged man informed sternly as he sat back down to finish his meal. "This is ridiculous. We are just his guests, not his soldiers."
His short speech caused many to sit down as well, but there were still ten of guests who weren't convinced. They faced Liu Ye and Queen Luna but she finally stepped to help him.
"I give you ten seconds to sit down," Queen Luna ordered as she walked forward. "Anyone who isn't sitting will die."
The guests clenched their fists as if ready to fight when their hair suddenly blew in all directions. A waft of wind appeared inside the castle hall which almost swept them off the floor. As Queen Luna walked towards them, the air gathered around the five Fire Empire Soldiers and they floated without being able to resist.
"Five, four, three…" Queen Luna counted down and the rest of the guests sat down just before the massacre happened. She dashed toward the soldiers wrapped in an Air Prison and pierced their chests with her Ice Gauntlets.
-3000!
The soldiers died instantly once again before falling down on the ground with a loud thud. Silence filled the hall. Not a single guest dared to move until the middle-aged man from before finally spoke. "You must be Queen Luna of the Earth Kingdom, right?"
It wasn't that surprising they recognized the strongest expert in the Earth Kingdom. She was the only ruler who would dare to enter the Fire Empire on her own and start killing people. It also seemed like they expected her after hearing the rumors of two lands preparing for the war.
"Don't worry, I won't be killing you tonight if you remain seated until I'm gone and don't cause any problems," Queen Lune assured while beckoning Liu Ye to follow her. "Once we leave, I want you to return to your mansions and send the news to all your high-status friends. Queen Luna has started a war against the Fire Empire and she gives you some advice. Remain in your territory when I arrive to kill your useless King or you will perish together with everyone you love."
"It's happening…" Liu Ye muttered under his nose. He already knew his Quest would be the beginning of a large-scale war but it was still amazing to see.
"Wouldn't the Earth Kingdom be at a huge advantage if you killed us all? Do you really think we will side with you once the war starts?" the middle-aged man questioned in confusion which brought him frowns from all over the hall.
It felt like he was asking to be killed but Queen Luna only shrugged at his questions. She extended her palm and a fireball began dancing on her palm. She let it hover around her before she added a ball of each element and allowed all four to spiral in all directions. "Wouldn't it be boring?"
Queen Luna sent the balls all around the hall and announced, "I have mastered four Elements and I'm close to becoming an Avatar. I could roam around your land and destroy one castle after another before taking over the capital. I can do it all on my own but what's the point? How will my people learn the hardships of war and become stronger? If I do everything for them, my Kingdom would be weak and I wouldn't be able to sustain such a large territory. My only choice is allowing my army to take over."
Queen Luna gazed casually at each guest and added, "Once I take over the Fire Empire, I will need new lords to look after the land. I will only trust those that are smart enough to recognize their chances. Why play for one front when you can play for two?"
She didn't say anything more and they finally climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. Liu Ye had a lot of questions surrounding the new war but he had to hold back after spotting their next opponent.
[Lord Bordermort – Lvl. 90]
[HP: 50,000/50,000]
[MP: 10,000/10,000]
