When Rivals Sleep and Watchtowers Wake - Merit Hunt on K337

On May 19th, 2025, the day unfolded under a blanket of gray skies and persistent rain, the kind of weather that seems to slow everything down. Coupled with the typical chaos of Paris’s public transportation, it left me feeling restless and eager for an outlet—a craving for something different, something invigorating. I longed for the rush that only a fresh challenge could bring, the kind of satisfaction that comes from earning victory through skill and strategy. It had been quite a while since I last set out on a solitary adventure, prowling the battlefield alone, testing my mettle by hunting down fellow players.

By a stroke of good fortune, Maddy, my sharp-eyed teammate from RoD, spotted two particularly promising targets. Both players boasted great troop might, each exceeding 1.9 billion and located on K337—a clear sign of strength and experience. The catch was that these opponents were well-prepared, fully outfitted with their best stats and battle equipments, making them far from easy prey. Yet, for all their great defenses, the call of adventure was too strong to resist. With a mix of anticipation and determination, I resolved to take the risk and pursue them, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

I launched my first assault on BETEP0K, who was defending with a base primarily composed of infantry. For a cavalry player like me, infantry units are the easiest and quickest to kill, making this target a perfect starting point. After landing several well-coordinated hits, each resulting in a decisive victory, I felt my confidence building.

Next, I set my sights on BlackLilien. This player was known for using bows and, like BETEP0K, was without bubble. This lack of shielding made BlackLilien a relatively straightforward opponent, and I quickly capitalized on the opportunity to chip away at their forces with ease.

The real test came with my final target, WikingN. A great player who relied heavily on spears, WikingN was naturally a tougher adversary for my cavalry. The first strike went remarkably well, catching their forces off guard and inflicting significant damage.

However, the second attack proved far more challenging. By that point, all the non-spear troops had been wiped out, leaving only the spear units standing strong against my cavalry charges. The ensuing clash was fierce and costly, pushing my skills and strategy to their limits.

Just as I was starting to gain the upper hand, frustration hit me like a sudden cold wind. All three players I was targeting were bubbled at once by the watchtower—just before I could finish them off. After putting in all that effort, landing hit after hit, it was maddening to see my progress halted abruptly by someone else’s intervention. The feeling was a mix of disbelief and irritation: I was so close to the final blow, only to be cut off by a protective bubble, effectively shielding them from my attacks.

I couldn’t help but feel a sting of unfairness—my careful strategy, the adrenaline of the hunt, all disrupted in a blink. It’s moments like these that remind me how unpredictable and communal the battlefield can be. Someone bubbled them before I could finish! My teammates were laughing at me for being so slow at killing my targets, but as the chat buzzed with guesses and laughter, the conversation soon shifted toward a tale that added deeper meaning to this confrontation—the storied rivalry between e V o and St Doc. These two players were longtime rivals, having begun their journeys together in Kingdom 400. For weeks on end, they waged fierce and unrelenting battles against each other especially on Great Cities during City Sieges (CS). Their clashes were brutal and relentless—sieging castles, battling for supremacy, and pushing each other to the brink. Every encounter was a test of strategy, skill, and sheer willpower, each refusing to yield to the other.

This invasion carried a strong symbolic weight because St Doc, now present in Kingdom 337 and allied with my targets, had once shared a bitter history with e V o. The echoes of their past conflict—marked by tactical brilliance, raw determination, and unyielding rivalry—still lingered in the background of today’s battles. It wasn’t just a simple attack; it was a chapter in a continuing saga, a reminder of old wars fought with fire and ambition.

The rivalry wasn’t merely about power or conquest—it was about legacy. It was a story of two warriors testing each other’s limits, shaping the very fabric of their kingdoms through their conflict. That history gave this encounter a resonance beyond the usual skirmish—a layered narrative that made every hit, every defense, and every bubble all the more significant.

Before leaving Kingdom 337 and heading back to my home kingdom, I decided to take one last look around—just in case, by some stroke of luck, there might be another vulnerable target left exposed. Hopeful but realistic, I scanned the surrounding area, keeping an eye out for any unbubbled castles that might have slipped through the cracks.

Unfortunately, all I managed to find was a lone farm account sitting idly a bit farther away. Hardly the kind of prey that stirs excitement or promises rich rewards. It was a small disappointment—a quiet ending to what had begun as an electrifying hunt. No fresh challenge, no final blow. Just the dull silence of an empty battlefield.

And so, with my bloodlust reluctantly set aside and the thrill of the chase fading into the background, I made my way back—satisfied, if not completely fulfilled.