The elite warrior Pojun Baba quickly arranged a team to provide support. However, looking at the cries for help in the guild channel, he felt quite frustrated.
Due to the recent incident of Yu Weize leaving the guild, he had been mentally exhausted due to the hundreds of versions of public relations circulating outside. This was why he retaliated against the guild where Yu Weize was.
Originally, he thought such a small guild should be afraid of trouble and would kick people out with just a little pressure. He never expected this turn of events.
Based on the messages received so far, judging from the Seven Silver Coins, they even wanted to counterattack?
Pojun Baba’s first reaction was to curse the useless things, but at the same time, he began to suspect if his luck had been bad recently.
He found the newly appointed team leader and asked, “Have they gone to provide support?”
The team leader replied, “Yes, they’re on their way.”
Pojun Baba said, “Alright then.”
The team leader added, “Don’t worry, it seems there are only four people there; we can handle it.”
Half an hour later, the team leader apologized, “I’m sorry, Guild Leader, those people are too tricky. They asked for help, but we got ambushed too!”
Pojun Baba had to arrange another team.
After another half an hour, they received cries for support from those facing an ambush once again.
Pojun Baba exclaimed, “What’s going on? Do they think I don’t have a chance to watch cartoons? Are they trying to act out a scene like ‘The Calabash Brothers Save Grandpa’ for me?”
He clenched his teeth and decided to create a team himself. He called for help in the guild channel and headed to Daheira Wasteland City.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Crusaders lying on the ground had increased from the original five to fifteen.
From their positions, they were lying quite neatly. However, it was not entirely their fault.
In Jiang Shi’s team, there was a Rune Master with crowd control abilities, along with the AoE damage of the Dwarven Cannon. The combination of prepared Rune Fields and landmines was enough to keep them killed or maimed the moment they resurrected in place.
Moreover, the rogue player, Gentleman Fan, was constantly lurking nearby, waiting to pick off the low-health targets. This was the perfect stage for an assassin-type class.
After being repeatedly killed multiple times, the equipment that dropped from the Crusaders piled up on the ground.
It looked like a treasure trove that had been discovered somewhere.
Anyone who saw this scene couldn’t help but feel envious. However, the Seven Silver Coins players showed no interest in picking up any of the dropped items, not even bothering to check their inventory.
This behavior further incited the Crusaders, who were now even more eager to get back up and recover their equipment. They were afraid that some player might pass by and seize the opportunity to loot the dropped items. They urgently wanted to resurrect and reclaim their equipment.
Jiang Shi took advantage of this mentality and wiped them out several times.
The resurrection cooldown time in the outdoor map became even longer.
Once again, when the Crusaders were lying on the ground, they found new hope in their despair, and even Gentleman Fan’s chat seemed familiar and comforting.
It wasn’t for anything else but because, from the content in the guild channel, their guild leader was about to personally come and support them!
“Alright, let’s change the map.”
Just as the Crusaders were filled with anticipation, Jiang Shi, who had been silent except for the fighting, suddenly spoke to the others.
Gentleman Fan and the others were a bit disappointed, “Huh? Aren’t we going to keep defending?”
“If we continue to defend, the main force will have to come.”
Jiang Shi glanced at the pile of ‘corpses’ on the ground and insinuated, “Let’s save time; otherwise, we might not meet today’s KPI.”
Gentleman Fan slapped his thigh and stood up from his half-crouched position, “Alright, which map are we going to next?”
“The ninth zone, Haysler Coast,” Jiang Shi said. “You guys go ahead; I haven’t unlocked the map teleportation, so I need to run there first.”
Gentleman Fan said, “I haven’t been there either; I’ll run with you.”
[[Team] Deep Well Ice Playert: I think… yeah.]
The straightforward young man added, “I’ll go with you too.”
Jiang Shi smiled and said, “Let’s go, set off.”
So, the ‘corpses’ lying on the ground didn’t wait for the support from the main force. They saw the four people who had been guarding them turn and run without looking back.
The Crusaders: “…”
Holy crap, can they not handle defending until the end? Have the guts to stay and fight it out, you scoundrels!
The crowd felt indignant and their blood boiled.
Among them, there was someone who remained calm.
As one of the first victims, the leader of the 8th team had experienced the relentless onslaught.
At this moment, his first reaction was to quickly relay the information: “@Pojun Baba, Guild Leader, don’t come over here yet. Those people have left, and it seems like they’re heading to Haysler Coast in the ninth zone!”
Pojun Baba, who had just arrived on a different road, was left speechless when he saw the message. Without further hesitation, he redirected his group to the new destination.
However, what the Crusaders didn’t know was that at the same time they were confirming their new target, Jiang Shi’s voice could be heard in the team’s voice channel: “If we run in this direction, which adjacent map is it?”
Serious young man replied, “Kailinia Plains.”
Jiang Shi nodded and said, “Alright, let’s clear that area first.”
Serious young man asked, “But didn’t you just say…”
Jiang Shi continued his pace without stopping and replied, “That was then. I was just talking casually. We haven’t even unlocked the map. By the time we run to Haysler Coast, it’ll be dark. It’s too far; anyone who wants to go can go.”
Serious young man hesitated for a moment and then nodded, “Sneaky.”
He used the word “sneaky” in a tone that carried a positive connotation of acknowledgment.
Jiang Shi chuckled, “Thanks for the compliment.”
From the cooperation with Serious young man earlier, Jiang Shi had already noticed the player’s solid operational foundation. Combined with their attitude throughout the journey, he could almost consider them a kindred spirit who enjoyed stirring up trouble.
But at this moment, he was more interested in another fellow traveler who had been lurking nearby for quite a while.
As he continued his sprint, Jiang Shi glanced back and saw a busy figure in the area covered in corpses.
This figure paid no mind to the Crusaders bleeding inwardly as they desperately tried to stuff the dropped equipment into their backpacks.
Picking up trash was indeed her initial intention.
As per her usual routine, she enjoyed wandering through various outdoor maps every day, picking up random items to “supplement her household.”
Today, she had encountered several Crusaders watching the Seven Silver Coins players being massacred, a rare sight of a powerful guild’s misfortune. She couldn’t help but watch for a while and noticed the “honest” players who only guarded the corpses without picking up equipment.
There’s a saying for this, something like “a waste of resources!”
She picked up the equipment and items scattered on the ground one after another, completely ignoring the corpses that desperately wanted to fake their deaths. She was pure and happy.
As her backpack quickly filled up, she suddenly sensed a pair of eyes on her.
She raised her head attentively and met the gaze of a distant Elven Rune Master who had already run far away.
Her heart skipped a beat; she had always thought she was hiding very discreetly. Now, it seemed that the other party had noticed her long ago.
Or so she thought…
Just then, a party invitation popped up, seeming to confirm her suspicion.
[[System] Material Main Account invites you to join the team.]
She furrowed her brows and promptly declined it without hesitation.
But the next moment, another invitation popped up.
[[System] Material Main Account invites you to join the team. Note: Continue clearing the players, join the team, and I’ll send you coordinates.]
The action of declining the invitation again halted due to the additional note. After a moment of contemplation, she finally decided to accept.
[[System] Junk Collector has joined the team.]
The team entry notification clearly caught the attention of the other members.
[[Team] Deep Well Ice Player ?]
Gentleman Fan: “Oh, wow!”
Serious young man: “Huh?”
Junk Collector glanced at the four people in the team and immediately opened the team voice chat, asking, “What do you mean by ‘note’?”
Despite being a female dwarf character, her voice carried a cold, proud, and mature tone.
Even without meeting her in person, one could almost imagine the stern expression on her face, keeping people at a distance.
Her voice and the expectation Jiang Shi had were somewhat contrasting. Jiang Shi paused for a moment before responding with a smile, “Literal meaning.”
Junk Collector inquired, “Why would you want to give me something for no reason?”
Jiang Shi replied, “I genuinely want to give you something. It’s up to you whether you’re interested.”
Junk Collector remained silent for a moment and asked, “Conditions?”
Jiang Shi maintained his calm tone, saying, “Since you’re here, how about we cooperate?”
Junk Collector replied with a cold, “Hmm.”
As expected.
After five seconds of consideration, she agreed, “Deal.”
Gentleman Fan had been listening to their conversation all along and whistled softly, “Miss, you’re pretty cool.”
Junk Collector didn’t pay him any attention. Instead, she left a message for Jiang Shi, “Send the coordinates in the team chat.” With her backpack now full, she turned and headed back to her home in the main city to store her first batch of loot.
Upon arriving in the map, Pojun Baba organized several small groups to conduct a thorough search, but they couldn’t find a trace of anyone. Frustrated, he opened a private channel and brought the former leader of the 8th team into the conversation, asking, “Are you sure they went to Haysler Coast?”
The former team leader of the 8th team watched his equipment being looted and, in a daze, had just respawned. When he was suddenly yelled at, he struggled to regain his focus and replied, “I think… yeah.”
Pojun Baba was growing exasperated, “What do you mean, ‘I think’?”
The former team leader of the 8th team, feeling quite helpless, said, “I mean… yes.”
As he was about to continue explaining, he noticed a new message in the guild channel and lowered his voice cautiously, “Guild Leader, it seems like they changed maps.”
Pojun Baba clenched his teeth and said, “You don’t need to tell me; I can see that!”
It was another plea for help message, but this time it wasn’t from the Clearing Team that had been sent out. The victims of this situation seemed to be somewhat resentful.
The internal tensions had been building up in the guild for a while due to the departure of Yu Weize. Observing the guild’s attitude towards the Seven Silver Coins throughout the day had only exacerbated these underlying conflicts, which now exploded.
[WorldIsSoCruel: What’s going on? I was cleared by the Seven Silver Coins in Kailinia Plains. Where are the guild members who were supposed to clear the area? Weren’t they boasting about the number of clearing teams earlier?]
[Angel’sWhite: Exactly, I want to know too! I was leveling peacefully, and suddenly a group of people from the guild charged out to fight them! @Pojun Baba]
[ThreeCaratsOfLove: Don’t worry, the Guild Leader will handle it when he sees it. Should we give them coordinates? I can help.]
[WorldIsSoCruel: No need, they cleared the area and left. By the time you guys get here, it’ll be too late.]
[DimLight: Oh, I died too! Where did they come from all of a sudden? They didn’t even react in time. These guys are too sly!]
[FairyCat: Oh my, so today it’s the Guild Leader going out to clear the Seven Silver Coins first, huh? What’s going on, is it okay for the guild to have a temper only when others do?]
[BubbleGum: That’s right, what’s with all this taunting? What’s the point of complaining?]
[ActionTarget: What do you guys mean? Are you even in the same guild? No one said anything about clearing people earlier, but now you’re enjoying their misfortune?]
[SuperSmooth: I wanted to ask earlier, but I’ll take this opportunity to do so. @Pojun Baba. God Yu’s contract termination and withdrawal were already decided. Now, suddenly going after the Seven Silver Coins, what does it mean? They are the old heroes of the guild. Is this the way you treat a veteran god?]
[SuperSmooth: What’s going on here? Are you starting to play the experience card? Don’t you know what kind of reputation Yu Weize has outside? Even if there are internal conflicts, isn’t it your own problem?]
[BubbleGum: I just burst into laughter. Victim-blaming is in full swing, isn’t it?]
[SuperSmooth: All these external rumors are because of the trouble caused by the Crusaders. What, are you really planning to burn the bridge now?]
[YouWantFreedom: Stop with all these arguments. If those who can help themselves are being bullied and others are just standing by, then those who are not united should just leave the guild.]
[FairyCat: Thanks for the reminder; I’m leaving.]
[RoRoRoRo: Yes, that’s right. I joined for God Yu’s sake, and it’s not like anyone is begging me to stay. I’m leaving too. See you on the forum!]
Between a few words and phrases, the guild channel was suddenly flooded with messages about members leaving.
Pojun Baba: “…”
The escalated tensions within the guild were undoubtedly loyal followers of Yu Weize.
Once it was decided to terminate their contract, he had no intention of retaining these people. Their departure at this moment, from a certain perspective, was a way to eliminate some unstable elements.
But in the current situation, what was causing Pojun Baba more distress was undoubtedly the actions of the Seven Silver Coins.
He remembered all the names; they were the players who had competed with Yu Weize for the first boss kill.
In terms of numbers, the Crusaders naturally had the advantage, but as soon as they started random map sweeps across the entire world, this numerical advantage was practically meaningless.
It was possible to pursue the Clearing Team, but the problem was that even if they discovered the enemy’s trail after a worldwide search and their main forces arrived, these players might have already disappeared.
Fighting a guerrilla war with well-equipped opponents was not a pleasant experience, and he was starting to understand that.
However, he couldn’t find a solution!
Should they continue to clear each other? Those casual retirement guilds were open for anyone to join, and clearing one batch only to face the next was, at most, adding some population mobility. It wouldn’t have a more significant impact than the trouble his hand-picked elite members were currently facing.
Chasing after the Clearing Team? The problem was back to square one; it was like looking for a needle in a haystack within the entire Creation Continent.
Pojun Baba now regretted the impulsive decision he had made earlier this morning. In his mind, he had thrown a stone at his own foot. How could he resolve this situation?
At this point, he glanced at Yu Weize’s offline status in his friend list and clenched his teeth.
Even though he hadn’t logged in, he had managed to turn the Crusaders’ world upside down. Yu Weize was indeed a troublemaker!
But what should he do now? In this situation, he couldn’t simply swallow his pride and apologize to the Seven Silver Coins, a small guild, and try to make amends, could he?