Chapter 673 The Battle in the Cultists'' Lair


    [SIDE STORY]


    [Ragnar, Sumeri, Niki]


    Cthulhu was an iprehensible extra-terrestrial entity that slumbers. It''s existence beyond mortal understanding.


    Hidden within the profound darkness of the ocean''s abyss, this Great Old One bides its time patiently.


    Within the submerged city of R''lyeh, Cthulhu envisions a future where it rises, heralding destruction upon the mortal realm.


    Though its forms were myriad, when manifesting in the physical world, Cthulhu exhibits certain distinct traits.


    This cosmic being rules over an alien race hailing from distant stars, their sole purpose being the subjugation of worlds in the name of their malevolent master.


    Cthulhu''s mind remained an enigma, ancient and inscrutable, driven solely by an innate purpose awaiting cosmic alignment.


    Its actionscked the realm of human emotions, devoid of love, hatred, or any sentimentprehensible to lesser beings.


    At most, they resembled the instincts of a conqueror, asserting a natural right to rule. Yet, the truth was far more intricate and enigmatic.


    ording to legends predating humanoid existence, a race descended from the stars. Cthulhu, their wise herald, surveyed thend and deemed it ripe for conquest.


    Cthulhumanded the seas to subdue the molten surface, shaping towering structures from the stones and proiming itself sovereign of all.


    For many years, Cthulhu ruled from the dread city of R''lyeh. But when the stars shifted, all was undone. Betrayed by waters and earth, R''lyeh sank into the boiling seas.


    Before the catastrophe, Cthulhu and its people condemned themselves to a deathlike slumber. In this state, the denizens of R''lyeh were preserved until the stars'' next alignment.


    When the celestial patterns changed once more, Cthulhu would rise, punishing the treacherous world and basking in glory alongside its followers once more.


    Ragnar, Sumeri, and Niki finally found themselves within the cult''sir, surrounded by yers and NPCs alike, all striving to prevent the resurrection of the Great Old One.


    Rather than battling the cult, Ragnar, Sumeri, and Niki found themselves defending them, anticipating thepletion of Cthulhu''s emissaries'' ritual.


    Their goal was to open the portal to the Great Old One''sir.


    Oveing the cult was already a daunting challenge, but defending them against hordes of yers and NPCs that wanted them gone proved to be ten times harder.


    Under the sprawling, ancient canopy of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, Ragnar, Sumeri, and Niki stood shoulder to shoulder together with Cthulhu''s followers who were busy with the rituals.


    The massive tree, with its gnarled branches and leaves, served as their sanctuary. Its ethereal aura enveloped them, offering protection against the onught outside.


    Around them, chaos reigned. yers and NPCs shed with some cultists and Ragnar''s group to disrupt the cult''s ritual.


    Yet, as long as Yggdrasil stood tall, the cultists'' and World Conqueror''s HP regenerated continuously, their energies focused entirely onpleting the forbidden rite.


    "Hold your ground until the portal opens!" Sumeri''s voice cut through the chaos, a rallying cry amidst the whirlwind of battle.


    "Holding on? Easier said than done. We''re surrounded on all sides," Nikimented. He knew without the protection of the tree, they would have been overwhelmed long ago.


    "Who thought the three of us would be enough for a mission like this?" Ragnar grumbled under his breath, his frustration evident in the depth of his frown.


    When Ren had briefed them on the mission, it had sounded straightforward and easy, but now, faced with this overwhelming onught, the reality was far more daunting.


    Barely managing to hold their ground, they owed their survival to the World Tree and the cultists fighting alongside them.


    "We don''t need to defeat them all. Just ensure they don''t breach the heart of the ritual," Sumeri asserted.


    Ragnar cleaved through the air with his giant axe, dealing damage and knockbacks against yers who tried to get inside.


    Beside him, Sumeri''s staff crackled with magical energy, casting spells that sent opponents flying, while Niki''s ws moved like shadows, striking swiftly and unseen.


    The battle was fierce, but it was the NPCs that posed the greatest threat. Crafted by the game''s creators, theseputer-controlled foes fought like a boss. What''s worse, they were unkible!


    Their attacks were synchronized, a relentless barrage that tested the trio''s defenses to the limit.


    Amidst the sh of steel, magic, and shadowy strikes, Yggdrasil stood resilient. Its roots dug deep into the earth, anchoring it against the storm. The tree pulsed with a mystical energy, its leaves shimmering like emerald stars.


    "The tree won''t hold much longer," Niki warned his voice tight with urgency. "How many did Ren provide us with?"


    "This is the final one," Sumeri replied, her breathsing in ragged gasps as exhaustion set in. "The remaining was when we confront Cthulhu itself."


    Ragnar muttered discontentedly under his breath. "Ren should have given us more of this for a mission of this magnitude."


    "It''s a miracle he could craft something like this at all," Sumeri countered, defending Ren. "Let''s concentrate on defending and used what items we have left."


    "Just throw everything you have," Ragnarmanded. "And if the situation demands it, don''t hold back from using another seed."


    "But . . ." Sumeri hesitated, unsure if this n was wise. Ren had specifically instructed them to save two seeds for Cthulhu.


    "These items are useless if we''re dead," Ragnar argued firmly.


    Ragnar surveyed the battlefield. He shoutedmands, guiding hispanions on what to do.


    Sumeri''s incantations resonated through the air, creating protective wards that deflected iing blows.


    Niki danced his movements a deadly ballet of evasion and counterattack.


    The group fought on with everything they hadbined with all the items in their inventory. But the yers weren''t about to give up.


    As the battle raged on, the yers outside the protective aura of Yggdrasil struggled. Their attacks were thwarted, their spells nullified by the tree''s ancient magic.


    But the NPCs pressed on, their movements unrelenting.


    The sh of steel and the thunder of magic echoed through the air, creating a cacophony of battle. Amidst it all, the trio stood firm, defending the cultists under the World Tree''s protective embrace.


    Time seemed to stretch, and the yers were growling in frustration at Ragnar and the others.


    "We''re both yers here! What are you doing siding with the cultist?! Are you mad?"