The Siege of Starlight Village was the first event the system had ever broadcast live to the entire player base, and every phase of the battle had viewers on the edge of their seats.

  The system even included a helpful, real-time win-probability poll.

  At the outset, the odds were stacked 81-19 in favor of the defenders. Anyone familiar with siege mechanics in gaming knew that the defending side held a massive natural advantage. To win, attackers needed either a huge technological superiority or overwhelming numbers—neither of which the attacking force seemed to possess.

  Taking the village in just two hours? It sounded impossible.

  Initially, almost no one gave the attackers a chance. It was only when people remembered that Ullr—the miracle worker from the Blackwind Brotherhood—was among them that the odds grudgingly shifted to 30-70.

  As the battle began, that probability fluctuated wildly.

  First came the disastrous zerg rushes on the east and west gates, where the attackers were shredded by arrow towers and sent scattering like rats. The laughable display of incompetence had the peanut gallery roaring with laughter.

  The odds shifted to 15-85.

  Then, the catapults rolled out, and the situation at the two gates diverged. In the west, the catapults fired without coordination, allowing the defending NPCs to repair the towers as quickly as they were damaged. But in the east, under Kael’s command, the catapults focused their fire, systematically dismantling the towers one by one.

  When the eastern force breached the wall with a siege ram, the odds returned to 30-70.

  What followed was a cascade of game-changing moments: the Third Chieftain’s mass resurrection spell, the five-stack buff from the Sunfire Bell, and Ullr’s personal entry into the fray. The attackers’ win probability steadily climbed to 42-58.

  Viewers were still waiting for the defenders’ trump card—the boss. But Ullr’s subsequent performance left them speechless. He used his AoE abilities and clones to harvest players, then masterfully kited the Shadow Assassin that was sent to hunt him down.

  In the most shocking moment of the fight, the boss revealed itself in a desperate attempt to kill Ullr, only to be completely countered by the Third Chieftain. Its escape abilities were nullified again and again until Ullr finally brought it down with a relentless volley of arrows.

  By the time the white-robed Archon was surrounded, the odds had soared to 90-10 for the attackers.

  But when the Archon used Undead Rebirth and trapped Ullr, the pendulum swung back with stunning force. The probability plummeted from 91-9 to 11-89 in an instant. With Ullr, the attackers’ only hope, completely neutralized, nearly everyone believed the battle was over.

  However, the final turn was yet to come: the ten-stack Sunfire Bell buff and the decisive charge of the level 25 players from Crimson Bloom. Bit by bit, they clawed their way back from the brink and seized victory.

  The constant, dramatic reversals had viewers shouting at their screens.

  On the forums, the debate over the battle was already raging.

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  One user mocked the initial assault:

  [Seriously, was a toddler organizing the initial attack?]

  Another was busy building the legend of Kael:

  [Ullr, the One True GOAT]

  Some gave credit elsewhere:

  [The Bell was the real MVP, not the player]

  And, of course, there was fan service:

  [Highlight Reel: The Ladies of Crimson Bloom Wrecking Face]

  Of all the topics, the Sunfire Bell generated the most discussion.

  One user broke it down with data:

  “The 10-stack buff from the Sunfire Bell is a 100% stat increase. Add Ullr’s 20% [Right Wing Commander] aura, and that’s a 120% boost. The defenders only had a 40% boost. That’s an 80% net advantage for the attackers. The Sunfire Bell was, without a doubt, the deciding factor.”

  Another offered anecdotal proof:

  “Ullr isn’t invincible. When the Shadow Assassin had him locked down, a single volley from the unbuffed defenders took off fifty or sixty thousand of his HP. If the defenders had wiped out the other attackers, they could have melted his half-million health in seconds once the Archon’s spell wore off. The Bell saved them.”

  A third analyzed the psychological impact:

  “Honestly, I think the attackers still had a chance even at the five-stack buff. But at that point, they were facing an enemy with twice their numbers and a 40% stat advantage. They were in despair; some had already given up. It was the ten-stack buff that gave them the confidence to fight for the win.”

  Even in threads dedicated to Kael or Crimson Bloom, players consistently argued that the Sunfire Bell was the number one contributor to the victory.

  The hype wasn't limited to the Earth Server.

  On the Vesperia server, Eclipse_Raven, guild leader of [Eclipse], stared at a screen showing the stats of the 10-stack buff, his eyes practically glowing with greed.

  “Damn it. That coward was wasting a priceless opportunity. If we Vesperians had been defending that village, victory would have been ours.”

  One of his lieutenants sidled up to him. “Sir, the auction for the Sunfire Bell is about to start. Are we participating?”

  “Of course we are!” Raven snarled. “A treasure like that belongs to us. Why should those weaklings on the Earth Server be worthy of it?”

  On the Khorthul server, Cinder, the leader of [Celestial Accord], spoke with envious determination. “We have to get our hands on that Bell.”

  Aethelgard, Carina, Hadar… on every server, the top guilds were buzzing, each plotting their own schemes.

  And the mastermind behind it all, Elon, was grinning from ear to ear. Thanks to the non-stop debate, the Sunfire Bell had become the most talked-about item in the game. And that morning, the hype was about to reach its zenith.

  September 9th, 9:20 AM.

  With more than an hour to go before the auction, the virtual hall was already packed. Unlike system auctions that ended on a timer, player-run auctions were live events, more like the real thing. The main difference was that bidders remained in their own private, instanced viewing rooms, but they all saw the same presentation on stage.

  Elon stood behind a podium, dressed in an elegant custom skin. Beside him stood four beautifully dressed hostesses, each holding a box covered by a cloth of a different color. The crowd buzzed with curiosity, wondering what other treasures might be on offer besides the legendary bell.

  Elon checked the attendance figures. Over five million viewers, with more than ten thousand who had paid the hefty entry bond to become eligible bidders. The numbers far exceeded his wildest expectations. He glanced at the covered boxes behind him, thankful he had prepared for this.

  At 10:15 AM, the auction officially began.

  Elon stepped forward. “Good morning, everyone. I’m Elon, your organizer and host for today’s event. Thank you all for coming.”

  He paused for effect.

  “Now, I know you’re all wondering: is there anything else of value up for grabs today besides the Sunfire Bell? Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty… YES!”

  As he spoke, one of the hostesses stepped forward. She carried a delicate, ornate box, veiled by a simple white cloth. Elon moved aside, giving her center stage. He pinched a corner of the cloth, and with a dramatic flourish, pulled it away.

  Resting on a velvet cushion inside the box were six white pearls, each the size of a large egg.

  A murmur went through the crowd, and several people shouted, “What are they?”

  Elon didn’t draw out the suspense. “These,” he announced, his voice booming through the hall, “are Experience Crystals. Each one grants the user one hundred million EXP!”

  A collective gasp, followed by a deafening roar, erupted from the thousands of bidders.