On the way back, it was clear that the Deep Well Ice Player was in a good mood, as he messaged in the team channel: “Sure, just use it and toss it when you’re done; it’s quite handy.”
Jiang Shi said, “Alright, for those with short legs, run fast to prevent the members of the Crusaders from catching up, don’t blame me for lacking loyalty.”
Deep Well Ice Player replied, “You’re daydreaming. Take a look behind; they haven’t even pursued us.”
Jiang Shi turned to look, and only then did he realize that they had been running for so long, and there was no sign of the Crusaders catching up.
Upon careful thought, the Crusaders, as a large guild, had no interest in chasing after them for materials that were not particularly valuable. The boss kill notifications had already spread throughout the entire server several times, and there was no need for them to continue pursuing.
Boss looting was a matter of every man for himself, and they understood the rules of the world, which meant that even after knowing each other for so long, they had maintained a stable relationship of “never stopping the occasional backstab, but also never refusing to cooperate.“
With no one chasing after them, the group used a nearby teleportation point to return to the main city.
As the announcement of their recent kill of the Madman boss spread across the entire server, the Seven Silver Coins guild’s channel was flooded with messages.
It had to be said that this kind of system announcement was the best form of advertisement.
In no time, a group of new players applied to join the guild, making the casual guild appear quite lively.
The group that had just taken down the boss gathered in a corner to distribute the loot.
Jiang Shi suddenly remembered that he had something in his bag and handed it over to the guild leader on the island, Island Forest : “Guild leader, I’ve found this Dragon Whisker Bone for you. As we agreed before, can I get a discount?”
Normally, Jiang Shi wasn’t so kind-hearted and didn’t always return things to their rightful owners. However, since this item belonged to the current guild leader, he decided to give her a special deal as a gesture of goodwill.
“Wow, you actually found it?” Island Forest was surprised but didn’t reach out to take it. “You don’t have to return it to me, just keep it as a token of appreciation for playing with us!”
Although Dragon Whisker Bone was a purple-grade material, it was very rare and valuable on the market. Island Forest’s generous offer surprised the other members, and they all exclaimed, “Our guild leader is so generous!”
Jiang Shi was already used to her extravagant and domineering behavior. He changed the topic directly, “So, how are we going to split the loot from the boss?”
Since Island Forest had never fought a world boss before, she looked to Jiang Shi for guidance.
Without any hesitation, Jiang Shi collected the Dragon Whisker Bone and said, “Let each person take turns picking one item. As for the rest, we can leave it in the guild warehouse.”
Island Forest was too tired to correct the title issue and simply said, “Thank you.”
The loot distribution went smoothly. Many members in the group were taking down a world boss for the first time, so the value of the drops wasn’t as important as the sentimental value.
When they left, the members of Seven Silver Coins all wanted to go home and hang up the loot they had gathered on their walls.
Deep Well Ice Player still had to rush to level up, so after a quick farewell, he continued to grind monsters.
Now that his level had increased, he no longer troubled the newbies in the starting area but had moved to the Engleras Mountains, where he had a great time blowing up Snow Giants.
In no time, only Jiang Shi was left.
He put the materials he had picked up into his bag and looked deeply at a nearby teleportation point.
When he saw Yu Weize earlier, it had seemed strange, but he was too focused on the Madman’s loot. Now that he had some quiet time to think, he finally realized what was odd.
The Crusaders’ distribution of loot during this world boss event was clearly unfair.
A player of Yu Weize’s caliber should not have been placed in the unimportant first zone but rather in the higher-level zones, such as eight, nine, or ten, for a better chance at high-tier loot. But the Crusaders had put him on the fringes. What was even more abnormal was that Yu Weize, a proud and arrogant individual, had actually agreed to it.
Jiang Shi’s impression of the Crusaders guild was still stuck in the days when he was the guild leader by the river.
The first time he had met Yu Weize, they had fought side by side with no words, just direct combat. Although he had heard that the Crusaders had transitioned to a commercial operation model after he left, he couldn’t help but think of their relationship from back then. However, considering the current circumstances, he suspected that there must have been many changes within the Crusaders during his absence.
His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a friend message.
Upon checking, it was from Canvas Shoes, whom he hadn’t seen online since they became friends.
[Canvas Shoes: Main Account! Long time no see!]
[Material Main Account: Indeed, haven’t seen you guys online.]
[Canvas Shoes: Don’t mention it, it’s exam week, so no time to log in, tears of bitterness.]
He hadn’t expected that these friends were all students.
[Canvas Shoes: After we finished the instance that day, you left so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to ask.]
[Material Main Account: Hmm?]
[Canvas Shoes: Would you consider joining our guild?]
[Material Main Account: Thanks for the invite, but I already have a guild. #Smile.jpg]
[Canvas Shoes: I know, it’s Seven Silver Coins, right?]
[Canvas Shoes: Don’t be fooled by them just taking down Madman. In the grand scheme of things, that’s the lowest-tier world boss. A casual guild like theirs can only manage to kill it by sheer luck. Honestly, you’d be better off with us. We’re a well-known guild on the leaderboard, and the guild perks are pretty good. After you hit Tier 3, you can even join our fixed team. How about it?]
In fact, on the first day when they cleared the instance, Jiang Shi had already noticed the name of the guild that Canvas Shoes and the others belonged to, “Sword and Wine.” They were indeed in the top ten on the guild leaderboard.
Large guilds like these offered excellent internal benefits, but the requirements for joining were stricter. Jiang Shi knew that for a returning player like him to get in, it was like a backdoor entry that Canvas Shoes and his friends had fought for collectively.
He appreciated the gesture but knew that he wasn’t suited for a large guild with so many rules. He declined without much consideration: [Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.]
Canvas Shoes, unable to convince him, regretfully replied: [Okay, let’s do an instance together when you have time.]
[Material Main Account: Sounds good. #Smile.jpg]
Sakigami, who was nearby, asked, “So, are you joining?”
Canvas Shoes had just closed the friend message box and was met with a hopeful gaze from his friend. Regretfully, he sighed, “He said he won’t join; he declined.”
Canvas Shoes then turned to the other person next to him, the Vice Guild Master of Sword and Wine, whose in-game ID was [No Thought for the World].
They had a good relationship, which is why he had reserved a guild slot for him. In reality, he didn’t have strong feelings about a returning player joining.
No Thought for the World just smiled and said, “Okay,” before remembering something. “By the way, you mentioned this returning player. Did he join the Seven Silver Coins guild?”
Canvas Shoes nodded and asked, “What’s up?”
No Thought for the World said, “It’s nothing much, but after they posted the boss kill announcement, I received a message. They snatched Madman Taito from the Night Stalkers’ main force. I wanted to find out if there was any inside information.”
Canvas Shoes was surprised and asked, “The Night Stalkers’ main force tried to snatch Madman? What were they thinking?”
“They were originally competing with our guild for Pirate Gregley at the Port of Lienan Pesh. Later, two or three other guilds joined in, probably because they sensed things weren’t going their way, so they switched targets at the last moment.”
No Thought for the World chuckled, “But somehow, they made such a decisive tactical move and still had the boss snatched by a casual guild. I’m not the only one curious; several groups are discussing their blunder now.”
Canvas Shoes, hearing this, couldn’t help but become interested.
He opened his friend list to gossip but sighed when he realized, “I can’t ask him anymore; he’s offline. Seriously, every time he logs off, it’s so sudden…”
Even though it was just a holographic game, Jiang Shi still felt a layer of sweat when he exited the virtual cabin.
He had just taken a shower when he encountered his sister, Jiang Yan, who didn’t wait for him to speak and tossed a bag over to him.
Jiang Shi caught it and asked, “What’s this?”
“New clothes.” Jiang Yan smoothly kicked off her high heels, threw them onto the sofa, and slipped into some slippers. “Your brother-in-law’s birthday is in ten days, so dress nicely. You’re representing your sister at the event.”
Jiang Shi had already seen the style of clothes in the bag and remained silent for a moment. “…Isn’t this a bit too extravagant?”
“Not at all, I think you could look even better,” Jiang Yan said with a sly smile. “Some of Dr. Han’s colleagues will be there, so behave yourself, okay?”
“Very okay.” Jiang Shi didn’t mind using his looks to his advantage and replied casually, “By the way, I have something to tell you. A few days ago, I ordered a new virtual cabin online, and it should be arriving soon. I plan to set it up in the study. Is that okay?”
Jiang Yan jumped up from the sofa: “You bought a virtual cabin? Are you planning to become a professional gamer or something?”
“Not really, just for fun.” Jiang Shi shook the clothes in his hand and gave an innocent smile. “Siblings should be understanding of each other, right?”
“… ” Jiang Yan gritted her teeth, and her words practically came out one by one, “As long as you understand the boundaries.”
Jiang Shi smiled, “Thanks, sis. I’ll do well next week.”
Jiang Yan squeezed her brother’s ear firmly, feeling a headache coming on.
But she reached into her pocket and took out a card to pass it to him, saying, “Here, it’s from Dr. Han for you.”
Jiang Shi took the card and, upon examining it, was surprised. “This is…”
“Yes, a virtual ticket for the Century Cup Finals in Tianchuang City. Dr. Han said he got it from his cousin. Each main ticket allows for one additional ticket, so it’s a two-in-one deal.”
Jiang Yan pursed her lips and conveyed Dr. Han’s words honestly, “If you’re interested, go take a look. If not, you can always sell it online. Scalpers are getting good prices for them now, and you should be able to sell it for a decent amount.”
She paused for a moment and then almost spelled it out, “But our family doesn’t need the money, right? Besides, it’s a thoughtful gesture from Dr. Han.”
Jiang Shi replied with a smile, “Thank Dr. Han for me. I am interested, and I’ll go to the event.”
The Century Cup Finals would be held in three days.
Since holographic e-sports had replaced traditional keyboard esports, many aspects of the field had undergone significant changes. One of the changes was that the spectator mode had transitioned from physical arenas to online platforms, making it more convenient for viewers.
On the day of the finals, the audience with virtual tickets accessed the game client using their serial codes and were transported to the virtual city of Tianchuang, specially created for the tournament, waiting for the official start of the matches.
The Neon City area, already high-tech, grew livelier with the entry of the audience. The central battle map, covered by towering virtual screens, had eight spectator areas, labeled from A to H, which started opening in different colored neon lights.
As the matches drew closer, you could already hear the excited cheers from fans of different factions.
Unlike the previous rounds of elimination, only four teams participated in the final today. According to their ranking, the teams from the Crusaders, Blood Roses, Rattlesnakes, and FirePower guilds took the stage.
There was great anticipation for which team would clinch the championship trophy this year.
The atmosphere in the venue was ignited by the passion of the audience. In the rear of Tianchuang City, participants from various guilds were making their final preparations in their respective rest areas.
Even in the era of full-dive technology, most guilds provided dedicated offline facilities for professional players to enhance their training. However, there were exceptions.
After this Century Cup, Yu Weize would leave the guild. This wasn’t a secret among the high-ranking members of the Crusaders. They had initially kept up the pretense of working together on the surface, but as the event drew nearer, neither side was willing to continue the charade.
Although they continued to cooperate with some training arrangements, Yu Weize had actually moved out of the Crusaders’ offline facility a month ago.
Upon arriving backstage, Yu Weize greeted people symbolically and then entered his private resting room.
Green Fanatic followed closely.
This scene played out daily in the Crusaders’ camp, but some still felt uncomfortable. “Look at his attitude. Does he really think the Crusaders can’t continue without him?”
Pojun Baba reassured, “Endure it a bit more. Just a bit more, and today’s the last match.”
Then he looked at the mechanic sitting beside him. “Ack, I’ve already arranged the post-game promotion. You must perform well once you’re on stage. Understand?”
Akdas smiled at him, “Don’t worry, Guild Master. I’ll do my best.”
Pojun Baba smiled with relief.
Since he had taken over the Crusaders, dealing with the stubborn guy Yu Weize had made his management work much more difficult. Yet, most of the mechanic players within the guild had joined because of Yu Weize. He had to save face outside the guild, so he could only tolerate it while rapidly stabilizing his own power.
Then he discovered Akdas in the game.
Though Akdas had played “Genesis“ for less than three years, his talent was exceptionally high. More importantly, he was willing to cooperate with everything Broken Halberd arranged. It had to be said that being “cooperative” was a lot cuter than dealing with the uncooperative old-school expert Yu Weize.
When Yu Weize eventually left the guild, Pojun Baba planned to have Akdas directly replace his position. Both were mechanic players, both were exceptionally skilled, and no matter how you looked at it, the Crusaders’ future would only become more harmonious.
That was the future the Crusaders deserved.
Pojun Baba thought, and he couldn’t help but smile more happily.
Inside the private resting room, Green Fanatic, before closing the door, glanced outside and saw Pojun Baba’s unabashed smile. He cursed, “D*mn, what disgusting things is he thinking? Master, just look at the way he’s smiling.”
Yu Weize thought about the “little black book” he left at home, which was meant for settling scores, and realized he could finally take action against the Crusaders anytime. He smiled, “Let him smile, it’s indeed getting closer to good times. I’m quite happy too.”
Green Fanatic took a look and noticed that Yu Weize was indeed in a good mood. He tentatively asked, “Are you still angry with me?”
Yu Weize replied, “What do you think?”
Green Fanatic: “…”
Actually, when he led the group to visit, Green Fanatic genuinely didn’t know what he did wrong. In the end, he felt the pressure of confessing wrongs in front of his master and finally understood roughly what had happened.
He felt genuinely remorseful about his involvement in the situation that caused his master’s wife to leave the game again.
Green Fanatic swore for the umpteenth time, “Master, rest assured, I will definitely help you win her back!”
Yu Weize: “Mm.”
Green Fanatic: “Master, can you have a little more confidence in me?”
Yu Weize: “Don’t make trouble for me. My greatest confidence is in you.”
Green Fanatic fidgeted, remained silent, and kept casting occasional glances towards Yu Weize.
Yu Weize: “Speak if you have something to say.”
Green Fanatic put on a smile and said, “Master, it’s about what you discussed with me earlier… Back then, you had me post the gossip about the love confession at San Tingpo on the forum, I went along with it. Now, it’s been so long, and your wife has returned. Can you finally tell me why, when everything seemed perfect and you had a chance for the confession, she chose to quit the game?”
“How should I know?” Recalling what had happened back then, Yu Weize was indeed puzzled. He unconsciously furrowed his brow. “Before that, everything was fine, and we even played together for three days and nights.”
“Three days and nights?” Green Fanatic asked.
Yu Weize nodded, “Yes, three incredibly enjoyable days and nights.”
At almost the same time, in a certain area of the D-zone spectator section, a voice blended into the surrounding excitement of the crowd. It echoed leisurely and was full of reminiscence. “Before quitting the game? There was no big grudge; we just spent three days and nights beating each other senseless with Yu Weize. The only regret is that there was no clear winner in the end.”
The author has something to say:
Yu Weize: Unpleasant?
Jiang Shi: Beat each other senseless for three days, is that unpleasant?
differently wired brains are indeed uh… different…
So he is the reason why mc need to be hospitalized hahhahahahha.