487 Chapter 487 - Upsetting the Balance (1/2)

”So, where are we going?” Svelte Dancer asked as she took in the sight of the raging firefight below them.

”Uhm… Over there!” Gu Fei pointed over to the firewood shed over at one corner of the backyard. As it was over at one of the rare few high grounds available in the compound, everyone was very interested in it and the competition for control was particularly pronounced.

”Can we make it?” Svelte Dancer sternly repeated the statement Gu Fei had emphasized to her earlier.

Gu Fei showed a tragic look, speechless.

”Should we wait?” Sword Demon consulted the two for their opinion. With how chaotic the battle below was, diving right into it was tantamount to seeking death, and no amount of skill would save them. With Sword Demon's wealth of experience in MMOs, he surmised that if the three of them suddenly appeared in this situation without anything to identify them on which side they belonged, it was entirely possible for both parties to take them as enemies and turn on them to reduce the number of potential threats.

”How long will we wait?” Gu Fei muttered as he watched the battle. In a duel, several exchanges were all it took to reach the resolution of the fight, but a group battle at such a grand scale would not end so quickly. With the collaboration, support, and heals of players to their sides, group battles would often be a test of endurance and willpower; whichever side first lost their patience and messed up the tempo would end up as the loser of this battle. The entire battlefield may look like a huge mess, but it was actually an organized attack and an organized defense, as well as a very organized avoidance of the NPC guards spread everywhere in the backyard which was the center stage for this battle. Everything was conducted orderly and was not as chaotic as things appear to be.

The veteran Sword Demon could quickly see the nuances. He shook his head and sighed. ”I'm afraid it won't be any time soon.”

Gu Fei took a look at the time, but before he could say anything, Svelte Dancer yelled, ”Say you're logging off, and I'll push you down there! Yours truly came all the way here just to help you with your quest; I dare you to log off on me!”

Gu Fei heard this and thought it made sense. He specially got help for this quest, so he simply could not reconcile to leave now that they were at such a crucial moment. Even though he was usually a very principled person, his insistence on logging off on time had slackened time and again during the escort quest he did for Traversing Four Seas. Gu Fei was so used to it that he figured it was fine to just let go of it one more time. Thus, he abandoned all thoughts of logging off for now.

”Mmm. Let me see if there's any way we can make it.” Gu Fei began to observe the situation. Even though everybody below looked to be very focused on their fight, the three of them did not dare overtly draw everyone's attention. They were currently all hunkering down on the rampart, each taking turns to poke their heads over and look about.

However, Gu Fei was not really well-versed when it came to such group battles. A good time had passed, yet he was still not able to find any way through. Meanwhile, Svelte Dancer, who typically took on the mantle of a hero in whatever battle she participated in, did not have the slightest clue on what she should be looking for or about teamwork. Thus, the two were merely acting the part of observing and studying the battle for show. In the end, it was still Sword Demon who managed to find a breakthrough.

”We've got a shot at this!” Sword Demon suddenly said.

”How so?” the two quickly turned to regard the man.

Sword Demon pointed in the direction of the firewood shed. ”Take that shed as the natural topographical advantage in this place. Ranged job classes and Priests will be far more efficient if they take that vantage point as they can exert an immeasurable influence towards the battle right here.”

”So, where's our chance?” Svelte Dancer was no slowpoke.

”Look. The fight for control over that shed has already ended. The Mages, Archers, and Priests from the winning side are already on top of that roof, and they have essentially snatched the offensive within the area. If the other side doesn't react to this, they will then have to watch their men within that space become nothing more than fodder. As such, they'll first have to increase their assault to this place before they come up with a solution to snatch the high ground, in order to maintain the balance between the forces.”

Sword Demon explained analysis as clearly and logically as he could. Svelte Dancer heard all this in her confusion before repeating her question once more, ”So where's our chance?”

Sword Demon helplessly explained it in detail. ”While the battle is in a state of delicate equilibrium, any unexpected variable will break this balance. A short period of disarray is bound to affect the side that's unprepared for this, and that is the precise moment that we should take advantage of.”

Svelte Dancer looked as if she was on the verge of crumbling as she turned to look at Gu Fei. ”Is he even speaking Chinese?”

Gu Fei looked at where Sword Demon was pointing and nodded. ”I understand what you're trying to suggest. There's a distinct advantage in holding the vantage point that the shed affords, so if the people atop the roof are suddenly eliminated, the tenuous equilibrium will be forcefully destabilized, right?”

Sword Demon nodded his head repeatedly. ”Those forces relying upon this advantage to suppress the enemies will fall apart in that instant.”

Svelte Dancer, who was starting to understand Sword Demon's plan, asked, ”Then, what about the opposing forces? Reaping in this serendipitous benefit from our involvement, there's no way they'll cave in to themselves once they gain the upper hand, right?”

Sword Demon chuckled. ”They won't… But once we strike, they'll be beside themselves with joy. Do you really think they will seek to harm us? Not even men from Flowergazing in the Fog will.”

”You're right!” Gu Fei responded. ”Then, let's make our move and sunder this stalemate!”

”We should be able to leap over onto the roof of the shed from the ramparts,” Sword Demon said as he glanced toward Svelte Dancer. He was uncertain if this lady had the spunk to leap off from such a high elevation.

”Heh. That's easy!” Sure enough, Svelte Dancer was not the average woman. Not only was she clueless about teamwork, she had no idea what fear meant as well.