Mysterious Fog World: Eldritch Nexus

Calling the last two days hectic for players and the NPCs would be an understatement. For most players, it was a thrilling game, but for the world's inhabitants, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

The event destroyed many territories, owned by both players and NPCs. Scenes of devastation were everywhere—collapsed buildings, scorched earth, and the lingering scent of smoke and blood. The territories that failed to pass the first three waves lay in ruins, while even those that had overestimated their abilities and pushed further met a similar fate. Many of the territories that survived were left in a state not far from destruction, their inhabitants exhausted and battle-weary.

Of course, some were confident in their abilities and completed the various waves they participated in. These territories, though battered, stood resilient. Their owners knew their limits and chose wisely when to stop.

The event tested both players and local inhabitants. For the players, immersed in a game that felt one hundred percent real, it was like being part of a war where monsters relentlessly attacked, and they had to defend their territories. The weight of their decisions and actions felt tangible, blurring the line between game and reality.

The war brought not only destruction but also rewards. Those brave enough to fight collected varying amounts of loot dropped from the monsters. Precious monster parts were salvaged by those who had time between waves, adding to their spoils.

As the war drew to a close, anticipation hung in the air. The players awaited the final top hundred rankings. For the players, it was a prestigious achievement to be named among the billions of participants. The rankings from 101-10,000 had been announced roughly half an hour ago, igniting excitement and hope among those who had just missed the top spots.

[World Announcement]

[The top hundred rankings for the Monster Tide event will now be announced,]

[No. 100: Hwang Jung-ah, Points: 5574]

“Mom, your name is announced,” a late-teen girl said excitedly to a mature middle-aged woman. “But it is only at the last place,” she added, a bit dejectedly, feeling sorry that her mother didn’t have a higher ranking.

“Soo-jin, you can’t look at it like that. I may only have the 100th place, but it is the 100th place among billions of players,” Hwang Jung-ah said, placing a reassuring hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “And don’t worry, as long as you keep practicing our Hwang family sword technique, you can also get your name in the rankings.”

“Yes, Mother, I will work harder to improve my sword mastery and not let the name of our Hwang family down,” Hwang Soo-jin said, her determination renewed.

[No. 99: Marco Paredes, Points: 5879]

“Congratulations, guild leader. With your name in the rankings, our Emerald Lions Guild’s fame will increase even more,” a man said excitedly to another man beside him.

Marco, the guild leader, nodded his head upon hearing that. He was rather dissatisfied with his ranking and thought he deserved better.

“Use this opportunity to recruit more guild members. Try to recruit the free players ranked above a hundred to ten thousand. Even being ranked ten thousand among billions of players is an impressive feat. Give them special conditions if required, but recruit as many as possible,” Marco ordered.

“Yes, guild master,” the man accepted, already planning the recruitment strategy.

…

[No. 85: Iliana Petrova, Points: 6157]

…

[No. 77: Anonymous, Points: 6324]

…

[No. 62: Anwar Malik, Points: 6542]

“Hahaha, congratulations, Anwar,” a man said to another man beside him.

“Thank you, guild master Waseem. It was all because you trusted in me that I reached such heights,” Anwar said humbly.

“Haha, no need to be humble, Anwar. You got this rank because of your hard work and dedication. You have massively improved the reputation of our Frost Falcon Guild,” the guild leader said, clapping Anwar on the back.

…

[No. 34: Anonymous, Points: 8741]

…

[No. 25: Jana Schmidt, Points: 9784]

[No. 24: Jorge Mendoza, Points: 9985]

[No. 23: Kevin Johnson, Points: 11452]

[No. 22: Wei Zheng, Points: 12345]

[No. 21: Park Min-hoon, Points: 12986]

[No. 20: Rajesh Sharma, Points: 13345]

[No. 19: Sakamoto Ryuji, Points: 14478]

[No. 18: Anonymous, Points: 15142]

[No. 17: Anonymous, Points: 15689]

[No. 16: Chen Yuan, Points: 16211]

[No. 15: Wang Feng, Points: 16455]

[No. 14: Priya Patel, Points: 17145]

[No. 13: Xiao San, Points: 17789]

[No. 12: Anonymous, Points: 18566]

[No. 11: Katya Petrova, Points: 19647]

[No. 10: Anonymous, Points: 21899]

[No. 9: Nina Wood, Points: 25029]

[No. 8: Anonymous, Points: 35236]

[No. 7: Anonymous, Points: 40258]

[No. 6: Viktor Nikitin, Points: 48649]

[No. 5: Isabella Moretti, Points: 51537]

[No. 4: Nigel Knight, Points: 58533]

[No. 3: Chu Li, Points: 194231]

[No. 2: Natalia Fernandez, Points: 224730]

[No. 1: Anonymous, Points: 2556410]

…

“How can this be possible? I know my return to the past might cause some changes, but these changes are too big. The rankings are completely messed up,” a man muttered, staring at the leaderboard with disbelief and frustration.

Do Jaemin’s eyes scanned the rankings, noting the unexpected names occupying the top spots. “Many of the top hundred were nowhere close to the hundreds in my past life, but now they are occupying the top thirty, twenty, and even top ten ranks,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

His gaze fell on his rank, a frown deepening on his face. “Moreover, I should be at least in the top three, but I only got the eighth rank,” he murmured, disappointed.

[No. 8: Do Jaemin, Points: 35236]

He had chosen to hide his name in the rankings, appearing as Anonymous to others. “The rankings of many of the giants from my previous life also changed. Many were supposed to be in the top ten but were beaten out of it by no-names who were lucky enough to buy the goblin potion materials and create a group of rank 1 goblins.”

He paced the room, the familiar surroundings of his base contrasting sharply with the unsettling news. “Even the previous number one also lost his ranking. Chu Li was the first in the event with his elf territory and Natalia was second with her dragon territory. But now, Chu Li is third, and Natalia is still in second place.”

Jaemin’s mind raced, piecing together possible scenarios. “Natalia should have also used the goblin potions to use some goblins as cannon fodder, which allowed her to surpass Chu Li. The dragons should have forced those goblins to follow Natalia's orders due to racial suppression. Whereas, I am sure, due to the prideful nature of the elves, there was no way that the elves would have worked together with goblins who were seen as a lowly race by them.”

His thoughts turned to the mysterious new top ranker. “But what about the rank 1? Who is this person? Is he the one who sold the goblin materials? Only someone strong enough could hunt so many goblins.”

Do Jaemin clenched his fists, a mixture of curiosity and determination welling up inside him. He needed to find out more about this person and understand the changes in the timeline. His return to the past had set off a chain of events he hadn’t anticipated, and he was determined to navigate this altered world and reclaim his rightful place at the top.

…

[No. 18: Ying Yue, Points: 15142]

“Since I am part of the rankings, it means I am counted as a player despite being an NPC. Is it due to my rebirth?” Ying Yue wondered aloud, her brow furrowed in contemplation. The significance of her unique status weighed heavily on her mind, adding a layer of mystery to her existence.

…

“Wang Feng, you should take your ranking as a lesson and not be arrogant in the future. There are many strong people above; only with a strong, unshakable will can you reach the top,” Ding Lao Tian advised his disciple, his voice firm but encouraging.

Wang Feng bowed respectfully. “Thank you, master, for your teaching. I will work hard and achieve an even higher ranking next time to make you proud,” he vowed, determination etched on his face.

…

In a dimly lit room, a figure clenched his fists, eyes burning with envy and ambition. “Wang Feng, I may be a lower rank than you, but there is only a difference of one rank between us. I will soon surpass you and snatch everything from you, and when you are at your lowest point, I will crush you,” he whispered, his voice dripping with malice.

…

Another player glanced at the rankings, a mix of surprise and disappointment on his face. “Only the seventh rank? Looks like I am not the only lucky one,” he muttered, shaking his head.

…

‘Great, Aunt Katya and Aunt Priya are in the top twenty. With this, Mom’s guild should become even more famous,’ Drake thought as he watched the rankings. A sense of pride swelled within him. Katya and Priya were his mother’s left and right hands. Katya, her bodyguard, and Priya, her secretary, held the most authority in the guild just below her daughters Olivia and Abigail.

Drake turned his attention back to the girls who were watching him expectantly. They were waiting for Drake to reveal his ranking in the event.

“We are first,” Drake said with a triumphant smirk.

“Congratulations, my lord,” they said in unison, their faces lighting up with pride and joy. They felt a deep sense of accomplishment, knowing their hard work had secured the top spot for their lord.

As they celebrated, a new announcement echoed through the air.

[The ranking is announced.]

[A limited-time event store will be open for twenty-four hours. The points earned in the event can be used as currency there. After the store is closed, the remaining points will be useless and will be discarded.]

[The store will be opened in ten minutes for the first rank, then ten minutes later, second and third can access it, fourth to tenth can access it after the next ten minutes, eleventh to hundredth can access it after the next ten minutes, one hundred and first to thousandth can access it after the next ten minutes, one thousand and first to ten thousandth can access it after the next ten minutes, and last everyone else can access it after the next ten minutes.]

Drake’s anticipation grew as he waited for the store to open. The prospect of accessing the event store first filled him with excitement. He knew that was crucial to securing valuable items that could further strengthen his territory.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and an interface materialized in front of Drake.