175: Chapter 175 The Tower of Guardians! An Empty City Strategy or a Trap in a Jar?

As dawn broke, the haze over the ruins was torn apart by the first rays of sunlight.

Qin Ji's outward step suddenly halted. The moment he turned his back to the ruins, the vibration frequency of the [Wheel of Time (Fragment)] deep in his backpack reached a critical point. An ancient and vast suction force, not aimed at him, began to frantically tear at the indestructible base behind him.

"Buzz—!"

Visible ripples spread through the air. The base of the guardians tower, which even Forbidden Spells could not shake, actually began to collapse under the pull of the power of time and space. The massive stone structure, like a compressed stream of data, rapidly converged toward the center, eventually turning into a streak of light that landed precisely in Qin Ji's palm.

It was a palm-sized miniature stone tower model, grayish-white all over, its surface covered with cracks eroded by time, yet it exuded a heart-palpitating sense of weight.

As Qin Ji's fingertips brushed across the tower's body, an attribute panel instantly popped up.

[guardians tower (Special/Unique)]

[Equip Requirement]: None.

[Durability]: Indestructible (Rule-grade).

[Effect]: Absolute Domain—You can forcibly pull targets within a designated range (single/group) into the tower's internal space. Inside the tower, you can consume Mana to construct terrain advantageous to your side (e.g., swamps, mazes, cliffs).

[Special Rule]: To the Death—Until the enemy units completely kill you or your teammates, the tower doors cannot be opened by any means, and leaving the battlefield is impossible.

Looking at this attribute, Qin Ji's originally indifferent eyes instantly became burning hot.

"This thing..."

He unconsciously gripped the stone tower tighter, the faint curve at the corner of his mouth gradually widening.

Forced imprisonment, terrain domination, to the death.

This wasn't just some guardians tower; it was clearly a "slaughterhouse" tailored specifically for him. In this version of the game that emphasized kiting and displacement skills, what enemies feared most was having their movement restricted. With this thing, whether it was open-field PK or killing a boss above his level, as long as he locked them in the tower, it would be like beating a dog behind closed doors or catching a turtle in a jar.

Especially for his trio, including Fatty and Monkey.

Fatty was the tank, Monkey was the high-burst assassin, and he was the magic turret. In this enclosed space, the enemy wouldn't even have a chance to escape, only able to watch despairingly as their health bars dropped to zero.

"I'll accept this grand gift from the Star Kingdom."

Qin Ji tucked the stone tower into his backpack with a flick of his hand, a sharp glint flashing in his purple-gold pupils. Since he had obtained such a lethal weapon, wouldn't it be a waste if he didn't find a place to test its edge?

His gaze swept past the ruins, looking toward the distant south.

There stood another major stronghold of the Star Kingdom—Gu Feng City.

What Leona didn't give him, he decided to take with his own hands. Since reasoning didn't work, he would slaughter his way through this kingdom, using the bow and Forbidden Spells in his hands to talk to that high-and-mighty Queen about the issue of "ownership."

...

Half an hour later, Ten-Mile Slope outside Gu Feng City.

Two figures were squatting boredly behind a huge rock. Fatty had a piece of dry grass in his mouth, his shield thumping dully against the ground.

"Monkey, do you think Brother Hao can handle it? That's the Royal City Guard."

"Shut your jinxing mouth." Monkey toyed with two daggers, which flipped through his fingers like butterflies through flowers. "If Brother Hao can't handle it, no one in this game can. You'd better worry about how to snatch some damage later."

Before he could finish, a slender figure appeared out of thin air before them.

His black robes fluttered, and his silver hair was as white as snow.

"Brother Hao!" Fatty's eyes lit up, and he spat out the grass, approaching with a look of pleasant surprise. "Is the trouble over there settled?"

"Half of it is settled."

Qin Ji's expression was calm, as if slaughtering a royal guard was just swatting a bunch of flies. "The rest of the debt will have to be settled at Gu Feng City."

There was only this one sentence, no explanation, no mobilization.

But Fatty and Monkey glanced at each other, both seeing the excitement in the other's eyes. Attacking Gu Feng City? Only the man before them would dare to think of such a crazy idea, let alone act on it.

"Let's go."

Qin Ji turned, his Black Brilliance Breathless Bow already in hand, the cold glint of an arrow pointing directly at the towering city.

...

Gu Feng City, City Lord's Mansion.

This normally majestic and solemn mansion was now filled with a suffocating sense of oppression.

City Lord Gu Feng Nalin paced back and forth in the hall, her high-heeled combat boots clicking sharply against the marble floor. Her exquisite mithril light armor seemed a bit tight now, her chest rising and falling violently and erratically with her breath.

"You mean, the black-robed Archer... has come?"

She stopped abruptly and stared intently at the kneeling scout, her voice becoming sharp due to extreme tension.

"Yes... yes, City Lord," the scout replied tremblingly. "Not just him, but also the two Outsiders who attacked us three times before. They... have already gathered outside the North Gate."

"Damn it! Those scumbags from the Devil's Den!"

Gu Feng Nalin slammed her palm onto the redwood table beside her; the hard table instantly shattered into pieces, wood chips flying everywhere.

A trace of undisguisable fear flashed in her eyes.

Even the old King Abra died at that man's hands during his personal expedition, and Routwas, known as the "Wall of the Empire," didn't even leave a corpse behind. Even such a terrifying lineup couldn't stop that black-robed Archer; with just her small Gu Feng City, how could she stop him?

"What about the New King? Is there no support from the Royal Capital?" Gu Feng Nalin asked sharply.

Just then, a golden sound-transmission talisman streaked through the air and hovered by her ear.

The talisman burned, and a cold, unquestionable voice came from within—a secret order from the Royal Capital's High Command.

The content was just one word: Retreat.

"Retreat?!"

Gu Feng Nalin looked as if she had heard a huge joke, her expression instantly twisting. "So easy to say! Gu Feng City is the foundation our Family has built over a hundred years; all our wealth, resources, and heritage are here! Retreat? Retreat where? With all these possessions, how far could we run from that man's arrows?"

"Young Miss..."

The Old Servant in Green Robes, who had been standing in the shadows, slowly stepped out, his cloudy old eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "The black-robed Archer's edge is too sharp; he cannot be fought head-on. But if we abandon Gu Feng City, the Family truly cannot bear the loss."

"Since we cannot let go, then we fight!"

Gu Feng Nalin took a deep breath, the fear in her eyes gradually replaced by a surge of frantic killing intent.

"We truly cannot win on a frontal battlefield; even a command Genius like Fu Ling Changyue was defeated within fifteen minutes. We cannot repeat that mistake." She walked to a large sand table and thrust her finger deep into the center of the Gu Feng City model.

"Since he likes to besiege cities, then let him!"

Gu Feng Nalin's voice was as cold as a venomous snake. "Pass down my orders: have the entire army withdraw from the walls, open all four gates, and create the illusion of abandoning the city. Bury all the gunpowder barrels along the main roads and hide those Red-Coated Cannons brought from the Ancient Eastern Kingdom inside the civilian houses!"

"We're going to fight street battles, positional warfare!"

"When they enter the city and think victory is in their grasp... I will make this Gu Feng City their grave!"

The Old Servant in Green Robes showed a flash of admiration in his cloudy eyes, but then hesitated. "Young Miss, should we use what the God of the Undead left behind..."

"That is the final trump card."

Gu Feng Nalin interrupted him, her gaze ruthless. "If there's a chance for a one-hit kill, then use it. If not... we must never expose that connection."

...

Gu Feng City North Gate.

The strong wind kicked up gravel from the ground, making a pitter-patter sound against the armor.

Qin Ji stood at the limit of his range, slowly drawing his longbow. He didn't bother with flashy probes; at this distance, his arrows were the truth.

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!!"

Three streaks of light shot through the air in a triangular formation, the air shrieking as the arrows frictioned against it.

Before the defenders on the wall could even see the enemy's position, the arrows had already pierced their throats. The massive kinetic energy sent the corpses flying backward, pinning them firmly to the pillars of the gate tower.

This was followed by an even denser rain of arrows.

Qin Ji activated the [Split Arrow] effect; every arrow fired split into two in mid-air, then four. The sky-filling rain of arrows was like the Reaper's scythe, indiscriminately harvesting all life on the city walls.

However, to Qin Ji's surprise, this siege was going a bit too smoothly.

In less than thirty seconds.

The originally solid city defense system actually collapsed directly. The gates swung wide, and the defenders abandoned their equipment and fled into the city.

"This..."

Fatty, shield raised and ready to charge, froze in place at the sight. "Brother Hao, you're way too fierce! It's only been a few seconds? Gu Feng City has already crumbled?"

Qin Ji slowly lowered his longbow, his brow furrowing slightly.

Something's not right.

During the National War in his past life, Gu Feng City was a notorious "tough nut to crack." The city's defense system was extremely complete, especially those powerful Red-Coated Cannons, which had caused countless guilds to suffer defeat.

But now, forget the Red-Coated Cannons; he hadn't even seen a decent magical counterattack.

"You're overthinking it."

Qin Ji shook his head, his gaze deep as he stared at the silent city. "Gu Feng City's overall strength is greater than Black Wind City and Ice Snow City. There are only two possibilities for why it collapsed so quickly."

"Which two?" Fatty asked instinctively.

Monkey sneered from the side, spinning his dagger. "Idiot, can't you tell? First, they're abandoning the perimeter to preserve their strength and concentrate their forces for a counterattack."

"And the second?" Fatty scratched his head.

"The second..." A playful curve appeared at the corner of Qin Ji's mouth. "It's a trap."

He didn't rush into the city, but instead opened his friend list and sent a message to [Frenzied Blade].

"Blade, are your people at Gu Feng City's South Gate? Check for me if there's a large-scale NPC evacuation?"

If they were truly abandoning the city and fleeing, the South Gate, as the only escape route, would definitely be crowded right now.

Just three seconds later, Frenzied Blade's reply came back.

"Boss Snow Emperor, my people have been watching. Forget a large number of NPCs; not even a fly has come out. The entire South Gate is eerily quiet, and the gates are tightly shut. It looks like they're holding their ground."

Seeing this message, the smile on Qin Ji's lips deepened.

No retreat.

The gates are wide open.

Are they playing the Empty Fort Strategy? No, they're trying to lure him in to kill him.

"As expected, catching a turtle in a jar."

Qin Ji chuckled softly, gripping his longbow a bit tighter.

"What's going on?" Fatty looked at Qin Ji nervously.

"They're all waiting for us in the city." Qin Ji pointed at the seemingly empty city. "All the NPCs and all the troops are hidden in those houses and alleys. The moment we step inside, we'll be greeted by an overwhelming ambush."

"Damn! Have these NPCs become spirits?"

Monkey couldn't help but curse. "This level of intelligence is way better than those bots that just go and die. Sometimes I suspect the NPCs in 'ragnarok' are actually living people cloaked in data!"

"Your feeling is correct."

Qin Ji gave Monkey a meaningful look.

ragnarok was never just a simple game. Behind the data here were real Souls.

"Then... Brother Hao, are we still going in?" Fatty swallowed, looking at the city gate that resembled a giant beast's gaping maw.

Knowing there are tigers on the mountain.

Qin Ji didn't answer, simply stepping forward. His pace wasn't fast, but every step followed a strange rhythm. As he moved, the surrounding air began to turn hot, and faint purple electric arcs flickered around him.

Since the opponent had set the board and invited him into the trap.

How could he dampen the host's spirits?

However, as for who exactly was the turtle in the jar and who was the one catching it, that would depend on strength.

"Enter."

Qin Ji's voice was flat, yet it carried an absolute confidence that could crush anything.

"Since they chose the city as the battlefield, let's show them what it means to... invite a wolf into the house."

The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the silhouette of Gu Feng City a dark red. Carrying his bow in one hand, Qin Ji was the first to step through the wide-open city gate. The massive shadow instantly swallowed him, leaving only his purple-gold pupils shining in the dim passage, like an ancient Vicious Beast that had just broken into a sheepfold, coldly watching the prey holding their breath in the depths of the darkness.