Book 7: Chapter 65: Fortress

Release Date: 2026-05-21 02:22:47

A+A-Light Off<!--

«None

None »

At that moment, in the teleportation hall, there were six men and three women, making a total of nine apostles. While Stark greeted Qin Lun, the young man noticed sharply that at least half of the nine people showed attitudes of not caring, with some even having mocking and scornful expressions on their faces.

Summoner Odo had briefly described the team’s situation to Qin Lun earlier. This team, called “Fortress Team,” was a pretty mature Bronze Team, and it also had one Black Iron Team under it for support, totaling fifteen people.

Among the outer teams linked to Sky Float, the Fortress Team was a strong independent one, having only a name-only subordinate tie with Sky Float. Before the last Quest World, this team had five Second-Order Professional Apostles, and the rest were Class Changed Apostles. The leader had even reached the peak of the Second Order, just one step away from breaking to High Rank.

A Bronze Team like this was nearly at the top level for its rank. As soon as the leader broke through to the third order, they could expand again soon. With core team strength of one High Rank and four Second Order, they had started changing from Bronze Team into Silver Team in quality.

By then, they wouldn’t just be Sky Float’s outer team anymore. Instead, they would be partners. If they chose to drop the team’s independence, core members could likely all become main fighters for Sky Float easily, while first order members could join Sky Float’s newbie system.

But the crushing loss in the last Quest World hit this team hard. Ten people in the main force team had over half hurt or dead. Out of four Second Order Apostles who entered that world together, two died—one of them was the original leader of the Fortress Team.

Now, this big, strong man Stark, who was greeting Qin Lun, was one of only three Second Order Apostles left in Fortress Team.

Logically, leaving out Quest World effects, the most urgent thing for Fortress Team was to pick a new leader to guide everyone. But this simple inside job had turned into a big mess now.

Reasons were many, but the key cause rested in Fortress Team’s setup. Actually, most Bronze Teams only have one or two Second Order Apostles at best, with their support teams having new unclassed members, just like the Fink Team that Qin Lun, Hill, and others had destroyed before.

With Fortress Team’s power, they could have built out around their five second rankers to be a middle-sized team with three or four Black Iron Teams below them. However, the original leader stood by the rule of quality over quantity and just kept one Black Iron Team as help for the main force crew.

That would have been okay, except he missed arranging one thing well. The main force team, with its four Second Order members, was way stronger than the Black Iron Team. It got more rewards per Quest World, too. Everyone wanted to stay in the main force team and not go to the lower team.

Fortress’s old leader didn’t bother to change this. He didn’t set up swapping between members of the lower team and the main group. Simply put, he only pulled people up from the support crew if the main force suffered losses.

Over time, ties between the support team and the main force team got more distant. So after most of the main force members died this time—especially the big leader falling—the side team and main group hit a wall of bad feelings.

Plus, after working together through many Quest Worlds, the side members had grown close, trusting each other well and wanting to lead naturally. Although the main team still had two Second Order people left, the Black Iron Team’s captain was also Second Order and not weak; this was Stark, the one who said hi to Qin Lun.

Most critically, Stark was the Main Tank—the MT—and except for the old leader, he was “Fortress’s” one remaining MT.

So things led to now: the five from the side group wanted control. But the four from the former main force team felt they still had two Second Order members and feared future reward splits, so they wouldn’t take Stark’s lead. That meant the whole team stood divided.

Going ahead like this would likely end one way: fail again in a Quest World, lose some members, and then the rest had to drop their freedom, joining other teams solo—most probably Sky Float.

That was also a point Vice Leader Kelly of Lost once warned Qin Lun about. Small teams at a certain stage always face this kind of wall. Before becoming big groups, they fall at that step and get swallowed by larger teams.

Could “Fortress” team break into two smaller ones? Theoretically, yes. But neither side wanted that right then.

For the four old main force members: they were just beaten badly and lost the leader who was their MT. Unless they broke up, they had no choice but to accept how things were. As for Stark and his group: he couldn’t walk away from those four former friends, because Sky Float and others in Apostle Monument might think poorly of them.

Besides, Stark’s Black Iron Team was doing well; it would likely grow bigger later. Those four comrades just weren’t convinced by him, not foes. If he could lead the team capably, it would fall into place better than getting stranger apostles from outside.

“Okay, now that everyone’s here, let’s start!” Stark looked over at the group and sent Qin Lun a team join request.

“Apostle 70053, accept Apostle 25531’s invite into ‘Fortress Team’?”

“Huh?” Qin Lun accepted the request with his mind right away, but then recalled something that made him raise his eyebrows sharply.

“Haha, looks like you know about apostle team rank-up rules,” Stark seemed to get the guy’s surprise and laughed deeply. “The note you got is correct; we’re now a Silver Team with a title—though just temporary for now.”

Stark’s eyes flashed with feeling. Their main force team had actually finished its quest in the last world. That mission was a bit like “Mystery of Crystal Lake” that Qin Lun did in Nals World.

“Mystery of Crystal Lake” served both as a Guidance Mission before the Main Plotline and the build-up quest for Qin Lun’s group. But the task Fortress Team just took was both the Main Plotline and the Bronze Team advancement quest to become Silver Team Levelwise.

Because it mattered so much, Fortress’s original leader went all out in its last phase, gambling everything fiercely. If he hadn’t died, Fortress Team could have passed a major test: getting to Silver rank and possibly having the leader jump from Second Order level-up barrier to Third High Rank level-up barrier too.

All that was past now. Though they won Silver Team status title wise speaking globally among such groups known via Apostles Monument Network Etceteras… alas—Fortress lost their leader completely without replacement nearby—their whole existence teetered near collapse! Thus retaining Silver status temporarily despite internal split! Yet if main force dissolved formally soon? Then bye-bye title benefits earned through sacrifice deaths during previous quest—and those comrades died senselessly! Tragic indeed!

Upon joining up officially inside structure ruleset framework defined by apostles’ own governing systems known widely across realms… Young Qin Lun took quick look next at skills held currently inside Fortress Team Setup: Team Skills possessed among apostles represent kind Area Laws shaped usually around authorized members acting as focus points radiating out effects named “Auras.”

Previously during time spent back in Nals World—when forming early Black Iron Team named after themselves briefly together alongside comrades including Hill—they held only one simple skill: “Sincerity Aura,” which boosted Health Points and Stamina Points by ten percent within hundred meters off their leader spot fixed centrally then…

Truth telling—both Bronze Teams and Black Iron Teams share that exact same skill named “Sincerity Aura” core wise… Only upon advancing into Silver Rank tier do teams gain one additional Title Skill besides it!

Fortress Team’s Title Skill happened aptly called “Fortress,” strangely enough! Yet its description didn’t fit word Fortress itself well whatsoever—

This “Fortress” turned out individual based skill per player choice! Powered by Law Body traits, it sped up either Health or Stamina recovery fifty percent faster—and also stored backup reserves worth one third max value whichever chosen between HP EP pools—so user picked which type needed most!

Powerful tool for sure—however limited to just two persons max equipped simultaneously… meaning—as group aid? Not best setup really! Why’d Fortress get stuck like this anyway? Root cause tied partly towards current messy situation too…

Back after mission victory—main force shattered badly—dead leader plus four survivors remained aware necessity merging Stark’s support crew to keep Silver Team status alive globally… Fearing sacrifices wasted foolishly if lower-tier crew took over gains unjustly—they voted selecting lame skill seen useless except personal buffs—plus agreed share rotational usage among their selves alone strictly—NO extending others including Stark’s folk back then!

Thus though Stark became nominal acting captain under surface arrangement rules—true Leader Permissions stayed locked away controlled by those four main holdouts! They demanded stark prove leadership mettle pulling all together safely through challenges ahead OR step down serve deputy role only… Otherwise—prefer abandoning Silver honors entirely over handing key powers across!

Finished examining updates flashing silently within mind screens accessed via inner thoughts process… Qin Lun asked politely now: “Mr. Stark Leader—why call it temporary Silver Team only briefly held?”

Hesitating briefly still—Stark explained thoroughly anyway: “Because Silver Team Leaders must hold Apostle Headgear up Third Tier minimum prestige ranks… Currently I lack that badge level requirement personally… Our Silver Title holds active just one Quest World duration… Should we fail hitting hundred plus Contribution Points gained entirely amidst next mission area entered—Fortress reverts down Bronze rank again fully!”

“Hundred plus points?” Upon hearing this, even cautious Qin Lun couldn’t help reacting surprised greatly!

He remembered times scoring Gold Evaluation awards inside Low Magic Worlds, or Silver evaluations inside Mid Magic World zones—none ever gave over hundred Contribution Points payout outright ever before! That alone hinted sheer task scale ahead looming frighteningly large already!

Even Shattered Starry Sky might chop big quest down smaller Side Plot threads scattered about? Impossible breeze through lightly then… No wonder those former main teammates argued heated earlier—forcing stark group push hard protecting their earned victory bought dearly companions’ lives lost previously!

Understood another angle perhaps? Perhaps disagreements stemmed beyond control fights purely—could deeper care underneath surface actions showing?

“Yep indeed true!” Starks grin widened toothy clearly visible… “You still got options left friend—join us stepping next world quest together—or not?”

«None

Index

None »