[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-mmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist":3,"chapter-mmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist-mmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist-chapter-673":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1827719,2430,"Chapter 673 The Battle in the Cultists' Lair","mmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist-chapter-673",673,"\u003Cp>[SIDE STORY]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ragnar, Sumeri, Nikolai]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cthulhu was an incomprehensible extra-terrestrial entity that slumbers. It's existence beyond mortal understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidden within the profound darkness of the ocean's abyss, this Great Old One bides its time patiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the submerged city of R'lyeh, Cthulhu envisions a future where it rises, heralding destruction upon the mortal realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though its forms were myriad, when manifesting in the physical world, Cthulhu exhibits certain distinct traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cthulhu's mind remained an enigma, ancient and inscrutable, driven solely by an innate purpose awaiting cosmic alignment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its actions lacked the realm of human emotions, devoid of love, hatred, or any sentiment comprehensible to lesser beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At most, they resembled the instincts of a conqueror, asserting a natural right to rule. Yet, the truth was far more intricate and enigmatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to legends predating humanoid existence, a race descended from the stars. Cthulhu, their wise herald, surveyed the land and deemed it ripe for conquest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cthulhu commanded the seas to subdue the molten surface, shaping towering structures from the stones and proclaiming itself sovereign of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the celestial patterns changed once more, Cthulhu would rise, punishing the treacherous world and basking in glory alongside its followers once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragnar, Sumeri, and Nikolai finally found themselves within the cult's lair, surrounded by players and NPCs alike, all striving to prevent the resurrection of the Great Old One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than battling the cult, Ragnar, Sumeri, and Nikolai found themselves defending them, anticipating the completion of Cthulhu's emissaries' ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their goal was to open the portal to the Great Old One's lair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overcoming the cult was already a daunting challenge, but defending them against hordes of players and NPCs that wanted them gone proved to be ten times harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the sprawling, ancient canopy of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, Ragnar, Sumeri, and Nikolai stood shoulder to shoulder together with Cthulhu's followers who were busy with the rituals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive tree, with its gnarled branches and leaves, served as their sanctuary. Its ethereal aura enveloped them, offering protection against the onslaught outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, chaos reigned. Players and NPCs clashed with some cultists and Ragnar's group to disrupt the cult's ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, as long as Yggdrasil stood tall, the cultists' and World Conqueror's HP regenerated continuously, their energies focused entirely on completing the forbidden rite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold your ground until the portal opens!\" Sumeri's voice cut through the chaos, a rallying cry amidst the whirlwind of battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Holding on? Easier said than done. We're surrounded on all sides,\" Nikolai lamented. He knew without the protection of the tree, they would have been overwhelmed long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ren had briefed them on the mission, it had sounded straightforward and easy, but now, faced with this overwhelming onslaught, the reality was far more daunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely managing to hold their ground, they owed their survival to the World Tree and the cultists fighting alongside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don't need to defeat them all. Just ensure they don't breach the heart of the ritual,\" Sumeri asserted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragnar cleaved through the air with his giant axe, dealing damage and knockbacks against players who tried to get inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Sumeri's staff crackled with magical energy, casting spells that sent opponents flying, while Nikolai's claws moved like shadows, striking swiftly and unseen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle was fierce, but it was the NPCs that posed the greatest threat. Crafted by the game's creators, these computer-controlled foes fought like a boss. What's worse, they were unkillable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their attacks were synchronized, a relentless barrage that tested the trio's defenses to the limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the clash 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The tree won't hold much longer,\" Nikolai warned his voice tight with urgency. \"How many did Ren provide us with?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the final one,\" Sumeri replied, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as exhaustion set in. \"The remaining was when we confront Cthulhu itself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragnar muttered discontentedly under his breath. \"Ren should have given us more of this for a mission of this magnitude.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just throw everything you have,\" Ragnar commanded. \"And if the situation demands it, don't hold back from using another seed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But . . .\" Sumeri hesitated, unsure if this plan was wise. Ren had specifically instructed them to save two seeds for Cthulhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These items are useless if we're dead,\" Ragnar argued firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragnar surveyed the battlefield. He shouted commands, guiding his companions on what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sumeri's incantations resonated through the air, creating protective wards that deflected incoming blows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nikolai danced his movements a deadly ballet of evasion and counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group fought on with everything they had combined with all the items in their inventory. But the players weren't about to give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the battle raged on, the players outside the protective aura of Yggdrasil struggled. Their attacks were thwarted, their spells nullified by the tree's ancient magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the NPCs pressed on, their movements unrelenting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clash 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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time seemed to stretch, and the players were growling in frustration at Ragnar and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We're both players here! What are you doing siding with the cultist?! Are you mad?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1041,"2026-06-09T06:03:36.371Z",1,"novelbin.me","26cf41f86b051f70f0177dc37aeb76f1edebe3a01e674a615e3d759c4c70f964","mmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist-chapter-674","mmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist-chapter-672",910,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmmorpg-rebirth-as-an-alchemist-cover.jpg"]