Virtual World: Close Combat Mage

As Slyris and Yan Xiaozhu were making their way over to the rendezvous point, everyone else had gathered around Brother Assist and were listening to him introduce the players that he had picked out from his friends’ list. Sword Demon took the list of names from Brother Assist and glanced through the information of these people. He then returned it to Brother Assist as he instructed lightly, “Brother Assist, do you mind removing those not from Yunduan City?”

“Why are we removing them!? Establishing a guild is a long-term plan. It might be a little inconvenient now, but we can always add these people at a later time! We need to look ahead and plan for the future, we need to attract talented players from all over Parallel World!” Brother Assist balled up his fist firmly.

“Can you just pick out four men that we can immediately call to come here so we can create our guild first?” Sword Demon was vomiting blood.

“Well… This…” Brother Assist was a little embarrassed because not one of the players from the list he handed over was presently in Yunduan City. Brother Assist tried to explain himself, feeling somewhat ashamed, “The more reliable friends that I have in Yunduan City are just you guys.” Brother Assist made friends from a particularly unique circle, so he was not like the average player who would make friends in the process of them playing the game. Most of his friends were people he got to know through the forums, before exchanging their IGNs in the game after. As a result, his friends were really found all over the game world, and on average, there was nobody else exceptional here in Yunduan City despite it being the place that he was natively based in. The extra friends he had made here were simply Gu Fei and the others from Young Master’s Elites.

“Should we go and gather some men from the grinding maps?” Gu Fei asked.

“The base 20 players need to be reliable! Otherwise, if any of them were to suddenly quit, the entire guild would be disbanded along with it,” Sword Demon clarified.

Gu Fei was dejected, as he proceeded to disparage the rest, “All of you call yourself experts, yet you can’t even find four more players to join the guild?”

“Screw you. You aren’t qualified to criticize us when you’re not even willing to help us make up the numbers with yourself!” The others condemned Gu Fei.

“If we truly lack the numbers, I guess I can give others a call and ask them to help us make up the numbers,” Gu Fei sighed.

“Why don’t you just call for Amethyst Rebirth to send us some of their ladies over!?” Royal God Call suggested.

“Royal, you’re a genius!” Fireball got excited.

“Shall I call Grape over?” Gu Fei asked.

“Oh yes, I have a good relationship with her!” Royal God Call was now excited as well.

Gu Fei glared at him, and then Royal God Call quickly corrected himself as he plainly answered, “Of course, the main thing is to get a minimum of 20 players. It doesn’t matter who we ended up calling over.”

“Shall we borrow four of their ladies for this?” Gu Fei asked Sword Demon for his opinions.

“Hmm… Fine.” Sword Demon knew that the ladies from Amethyst Rebirth would be more honest and principled, so none of them would do something as irresponsible as quit the guild and suddenly cause its disbandment in the end.

“Royal God Call, help us contact them now,” Gu Fei said.

There was no need to instruct Royal God Call twice; he immediately sent a message out, even as Xi Xiaotian poked her neck out and interrupted, “They are over at Yunjiao Farm.”

“How do you know that?” Gu Fei asked.

“Tsk, the solution you thought of in the end is just the same as what I had at the start,” Xi Xiaotian sniffed.

“You were thinking of getting the ladies from Amethyst Rebirth to fill our spots?” Gu Fei asked.

“That’s right!”

“Then why didn’t you say that sooner!?”

“Would you let me?”

“It’s just a few words, you could have just chimed in!”

“I was afraid you would kill me?”

“Am I someone who would casually slay someone?”

Everyone nodded, “You are!”

Gu Fei was in tears. How did this happen, how am I this sort of person in front of their eyes? I had always been very principled when it comes to slaying people!

“Let’s head on over then,” Gu Fei waved his hand. Everyone stared at him and nobody moved.

“What’s the matter?”Gu Fei asked.

“That’s a site for the guilds assaulting the city!” Sword Demon reminded.

“Oh no!” Gu Fei suddenly cried. “Would that Young Master already make a move against Amethyst Rebirth?”

“It’s possible!” Sword Demon started.

“Relax, I’ve already hailed the ladies, and Young Master Han hasn’t gotten in touch with them yet,” Xi Xiaotian said.

“That does not mean that he would take a more direct approach to deal with them, right?” Gu Fei responded.

“Only you could think of surrounding a group of ladies to kill them,” Xi Xiaotian scoffed.

“What, aren’t ladies human too?” Gu Fei asked.

Everyone was speechless. Was his head so filled with PK thoughts that he did not even differentiate between the genders?

“It’s not convenient for us to make our way over to that area. You’re far too conspicuous. I’ve set another location for us to meet,” Xi Xiaotian said.

“Shall we head over now?” Sword Demon said.

“Let’s go!” Xi Xiaotian led the way.

“Be wary of a ploy,” Gu Fei warned Sword Demon.

Sword Demon did not know if he should laugh or cry, “is she really so dangerous?”

“You seem to have forgotten the pain after your scar healed! Have you forgotten how you lost your Frost Memories the first time around?” Gu Fei asked.

“That happened such a long time ago. Has she swindled you before?” Sword Demon asked.

“Yeah, how else do you think I ended up joining Amethyst Rebirth?” Gu Fei was disheartened as he said this.

Fireball and Royal God Call were beside them when this conversation occurred, and the two were all the more despondent when they heard it, “Such a thing happened? Why didn’t she swindle me then!?”

Neither Sword Demon nor Gu Fei said a word to that comment.

Both parties met in a spot where there were no other guilds around. Gu Fei could see the group of ladies from afar and swiftly waved his hand at them. They dove right into the meat of the matter when they met, “Has that someone told you ladies about everything going on?”

“Someone? Who? Tell us about what?” July asked.

“You didn’t tell them anything?” Gu Fei glanced at Xi Xiaotian.

Xi Xiaotian turned her head in the opposite direction and whistled away, ignoring Gu Fei.

“What is it?” July looked at the pair.

“Ahem, it’s something like this. The chance for you to return the favor is here,” Gu Fei began.

“Return what favor?” July was confused.

“I had previously helped you ladies make up the numbers necessary to form your guild, remember? Haha, now we’re the ones who need help in making up the numbers for our guild, so we would like to borrow four of you to help!” Gu Fei explained.

“Oh? You want to form a guild?” July asked.

“Not me, Sword Demon. We’ve come up with an idea…” Gu Fei began to give a summary of what they planned to do, and July silently nodded as she listened, not once interrupting as Gu Fei explained everything.

“So what do you think?” Gu Fei asked after he was done explaining everything. He believed that given how kindhearted some of the ladies in Amethyst Rebirth were, there was no reason that they would reject his request, so he did not really think they would have any objections.

“Why would we lend our manpower to the enemy!? You’re a servant for the system, belonging to the city defender’s side. Die!” A figure came streaking right out from the crowd of ladies, and Gu Fei already knew who she was just from her voice alone.

Svelte Dancer drilled over with her dagger in hand. She usually held herself back a little whenever she fought around with Gu Fei. After all, it would be rather awkward if she caused him to lose a level, but now that there were no such penalties for dying during the City Wars event, she held nothing back in this stab of hers. But the same went for Gu Fei as well. Without having a need to restrain himself in any sense, there was no way that Svelte Dancer was able to contend with Gu Fei. Lifting his hand to grab a hold onto her wrist, Gu Fei twisted his body and carried her over his shoulders with his lowered his waist, performing a smoothly executed shoulder throw as he sent Svelte Dancer sprawling on the ground. Everything around them went silent, as the people who came along with Gu Fei quietly thought to themselves, This b*st*rd is really merciless, not even holding back at all when up against a beautiful lady.

How would any of them know that deep in Gu Fei’s heart, this was actually him going easy on her? He had even stopped himself from following up the throw by stomping right onto Svelte Dancer’s face. Gu Fei dragged Svelte Dancer up on her feet as he said, “Stop messing around. We’re discussing serious matters here!”

This was not the first time that Svelte Dancer had been laid out on the ground by Gu Fei, and she seemed to be a little numb to it. She did not even appear to take things to heart when she stood up, not clamoring about wanting to have a deathmatch as she merely eyed Gu Fei with contempt, “Getting us to lend you the manpower and establish a guild to cause trouble here in the City Wars event; who’s the genius that came up with this plan?”

“Genius, someone’s calling for you,” Gu Fei turned his head back and shouted for Xi Xiaotian.

When Sword Demon heard that the other party did not seem to be prepared to lend a hand, he quickly came over and said, “You’re right. Right now, all of us should be having a rather hostile relationship with each other. Doesn’t it really seem a little off to lend us a hand, huh? Forget it, we’ll think of other solutions instead.”

“Yeah, hostilities, is it? Then let us be hostile with each other!” Gu Fei had pulled out his sword once he said his piece. Everyone’s expression instantly changed as the ladies collectively took a step away from Gu Fei and maintained a healthy distance from him. Svelte Dancer was the only one who stayed where she was in front of Gu Fei, continuing to eye him scornfully, “Tsk, you want to slay us? You may be able to insta-kill the others, but can you insta-kill me?”

“Oh please, I was just kidding,” Gu Fei sheathed his sword and continued, “Then we shall find others to help us with this. Don’t go easy on us on when we meet on the battlefield!”

“Wait a minute,” Seeing that Gu Fei and the others were all about to leave, Luo Luo suddenly stepped out and spoke for the guild.

“Oh?” Gu Fei turned around. Actually, he truly did not believe that these ladies would care so much about sticking to the principles that the system had set for everyone in this game. These ladies had always been the sort to help their friends and close ones without adhering to reason, so why would they not lend a hand here? He had figured that the ladies were probably just having fun messing around with him as well.

“We’re all in the City War right now. If we were to really lend you the manpower needed to form your guild, and all of you then turn around to deal with the players attacking the city, won’t we be the one who would be despised in turn? That is why we need to think of a better idea,” Luo Luo said.

“Oh? You’ve got a better idea?” Gu Fei asked.

“Let’s give it a shot!” Luo Luo said to July.

“Yes!” July nodded. Everyone was quite confused. Nobody had any idea what the ladies were up to, when Gu Fei suddenly received a system prompt: [You have become the guild leader for the guild Amethyst Rebirth.]

“What? What is this for?” Gu Fei was flustered. It was already awkward enough that he was in the guild Amethyst Rebirth alongside all these ladies, but now that he was made the leader of this group of ladies, how could he have the nerve to go on playing in this game?

“Yup, now that our guild leader belongs to the city defender’s side, I wonder if the same would apply to our guild as well?” Luo Luo wondered.

Everyone instantly clamored when they heard this. Looking at the petrified expression that was frozen on Gu Fei’s face, they instantly understood what had just happened. Royal God Call and Fireball’s were the quickest to react, immediately leaping to Gu Fei’s side, “Quick, Drunk bro, let me join the guild!”

“Elder Miles!”

“Ancestor!”

The two kept pleading. Gu Fei expressionlessly swept a glance onto the two and they immediately shut up, as everyone else was silent around them.

“Miles, can you read this message?” Someone suddenly sent a message out in the guild channel. Gu Fei pulled the tab up and saw that it was Luo Luo who had sent the message, so he replied, “Yup.”

“Alright, looks like we now belong to the city defender’s forces,” Luo Luo said.

“Don’t you mean a servant of the system belonging to the city defender’s side?” Gu Fei cheekily asked.

“Are you even the least bit cultured; how can you call ladies ‘servants’? You gotta call us maids!” Svelte Dancer answered.

Gu Fei was speechless, absolutely at a loss for words. Seeing the smiling faces on all the ladies’ faces, he felt as if he had been tricked. This was all just a trap! Gu Fei thought about this as he abruptly turned around and glared at Xi Xiaotian, “Genius, this is your real plan, am I right?”

“Is there a need for a plan?” Xi Xiaotian giggled. “If July had come all the way over and talked to you directly, do you think you would say no?”

Gu Fei saw the sense in her words, and very helplessly responded, “So now what? Get Sword Demon and the others to join us this way?”

Sword Demon’s face turned green at the moment he heard this. Mix around in a purely female guild? The honest Sword Demon was quite troubled by such a thought, though Royal God Call and Fireball were both cheering endlessly. Both men could hardly wait as they stood in front of Gu Fei in an orderly fashion, lining themselves up to sign up for the guild.

Just seeing the anxious looks on both men’s faces, Amethyst Rebirth would have thought otherwise even if they originally had such a thought. Besides, that was not their intention at all, as Luo Luo spoke up, “There’s no need for that. Just pick out four members to head along with them and make up the numbers, Mister guild leader.”

“Oh? Then who’s willing to go over?” Gu Fei let the ladies make their own decision.

“I’ll go!” Svelte Dancer was the first to volunteer. She understood people better, and very clearly knew that staying with a guild like Amethyst Rebirth did not matter if they were the attacker or defender. Theirs was simply a temperamentally lukewarm guild that was focused on doing quests. They simply lacked much of a compulsion to pursue the joy of fighting, so it was better if she joined this other side.

“I’ll go too!” Lie Lie punched her fists together, reporting in as well.

‘”Great, two more will do, the more violent ones!!” Gu Fei said.

“Who did you call violent!?” Svelte Dancer came over wanting to wring Gu Fei’s neck.

“Me, I’m violent,” Gu Fei quickly corrected himself.

“I’ll go help you guys too. I see you don’t really have a lot of Priests!” Luo Luo said. Presently, the only Priests on Gu Fei’s side were just the two Priests from Southern Lone Blade’s gang of seven, Paddy Scented Pastures and Verdant Timber.

“Okay, we just need one more. The very last one. Anyone willing?” Gu Fei sounded as if he was auctioning off the spot during a huge sale.

The ladies evidently knew that heading over will mean that they have to PK and slay indiscriminately if they were to join up, and not many ladies really enjoyed such activities. None of those that remained made a sound, and Gu Fei had really wanted to go, so he suggested, “What’s going to happen if I leave the guild at this point?”

“Wouldn’t the guild just automatically switch back to the city assaulter’s side?” Someone in the guild skeptically wondered.

“We don’t know!”

“What would happen?”

“Should I give it a shot?” Gu Fei asked.

“It’s better if you don’t do that…” Luo Luo said. “I feel like if the guild leader position keeps changing, the guild would end up flip-flopping between the sides, and that would then be like a BUG. It’s best if we refrain from doing this too much, so as to not draw the system’s attention and punish us accordingly.”

“Isn’t that a little bit too ridiculous?” Gu Fei said.

“I think it’s highly possible,” Luo Luo somberly answered.

Gu Fei did not have too much knowledge when it came to games, so he was momentarily at a loss for words. Thus, all he could do was continue to call out for someone to take the last position. The ladies kept pushing this post between each other, dragging things out until Gu Fei could not stand it any longer, making the decision to call out a name, “Xiaoyu, go and join them over there. There’s a major quest!”

“Ah? Really? Then I’m going!” June’s Rain immediately strode over. All the ladies quietly commiserating for her as she was simply just too gullible.

“That makes 20!” Gu Fei turned around and announced to everyone. Svelte Dancer, Lie Lie, Luo Luo, and June’s Rain had all already stepped away from the crowd of ladies. Amethyst Rebirth had no one of overwhelming combat power aside from Svelte Dancer, so Sword Demon did not really harbor much hope for them. But now that he saw even Svelte Dancer had joined him, he naturally did not mind the other three ladies joining them, nodding his head, “Then let us head back to the city and establish a guild.”

Gu Fei slid right up to him and whispered, “What are we going to do if you discover you can’t create a guild?”

Sword Demon froze, “What do you think I should do?”

Gu Fei turned around and saw the happy crowd of helpers behind him, thinking to himself that if they were unable to create a guild when the time came, he had no doubt that these people would all curse him to his grave, so he bitterly patted Sword Demon on his shoulder, “Then you’ll just have to embrace death!”

Sword Demon and Gu Fei both had plenty of experience when it came to getting back into the city by blending in with the battle under the city walls. It was just that Gu Fei was currently far too eye-catching, so he had no choice but to change into a different set of equipment for the sake of convenience. Once that was done, he turned around to address the crowd that would be heading into the city, clearly emphasizing the last point: In no circumstances should they attack an NPC, nor are they allowed to lend a hand to any player assaulting the city.

“Going in together would be far too conspicuous Let’s split up for this,” Including the ladies of Amethyst Rebirth, that would mean there were almost 60 players heading for the city. In the end, they were all split into four groups, led by Gu Fei, Sword Demon, Slyris, and Yan Xiaozhu respectively, since the four of them all had experienced making their way into the city previously. Everything went smoothly, and the four teams each managed to make their way in one after another. The empty city left the ladies of Amethyst Rebirth astonished like they had never been in Yunduan City before.

“Alright, settle down and get on with your questing!” It was unknown who had shouted this. The ladies were all about to split in every direction when Gu Fei swiftly shouted at June’s Rain before she ran off, “Xiaoyu, where are you off to!?”

“Quest!” June’s Rain blinked.

“Don’t be in such a hurry. Your quest hasn’t started yet,” Gu Fei said.

“Then when would it start?” June’s Rain saw her sisters all disperse in every direction, looking for NPCs to speak to in an effort to look for a quest and she felt anxious. Very anxious.

“You’re currently a neutral third party player, so even if you went with them, there’s no way you can get any quest, seeing as you’re no longer in a guild. You have to wait for us to create a guild first,” Gu Fei explained.

“Why don’t I have a guild?” June’s Rain wanted to open up her guild tab

“Because I had previously moved you out of the guild,” Gu Fei said.

“Why did you do that?” June’s Rain asked.

She had no idea what everyone was doing after all this time. Gu Fei was sweating as he looked all around, “Can someone handle this?”

Luo Luo stepped right up, tugging on June’s Rain’s clothes, “Come on Xiaoyu, there’s a quest here.”

“Okay!” June’s Rain immediately followed Luo Luo as they made their way in the direction of the Hall of Guild Creation. Luo Luo turned around and very derisively cast a Heal on Gu Fei.

“Wow, that chick. Say, if I were to tell her that kissing me once would allow her to obtain a super quest, would she fall for it?” Fireball was speaking to Royal God Call in a low voice.

“You can give it a shot,” Royal God Call said.

“Have you already tried that?” Fireball was alerted.

“Ahem. Why would I ever do such a thing?” Royal God Call bristled uncharacteristically.

Fireball immediately realized that something was off, and he turned his head around just in time to see Svelte Dancer’s dagger and Lie Lie’s fist just 0.01 centimeters away from him, leaving Fireball breathless to the point that he did not dare to pursue this thought any further.

With the ladies of Amethyst Rebirth no longer in their care, the remaining 20 players, plus Gu Fei, made their way toward the Hall of Guild Creation. Sword Demon created a party and added all the other 19 in as it was part of the process required when requesting to create a guild.

Arriving in front of the NPC working the desk, Sword Demon pronounced his intention as the two men once more looked at one another with unease. Unexpectedly, the NPC was even more enthusiastic when it heard that they were intending on applying for a guild, excitedly saying, “Great, that’s great! This is exceptionally great! It is precisely during such times of emergency when we need you heroes to protect the city with your strength.”

“Hmm, it looks like creating a guild is also part of the plot progression?” Sword Demon was surprised. What the NPC had said sounded unique to the duration of the City Wars event.

In the end, Sword Demon was stumped at the next step, as he turned around and asked everyone blankly, “What should we name this guild as?”

“What’s the name of your previous guild?” Gu Fei asked.

“Heaven Defying,” Sword Demon said.

“Does the name have any meaning to it?” Gu Fei asked.

“Such an arrogant and shameless name, I could immediately tell that it was Young Master who came up with it!” Royal God Call interjected.

Gu Fei looked over to Sword Demon and that man nodded, a rather embarrassed look on his face. It was evident that he had also found the guild name particularly immodest.

“In that case… Now that you have my aid, what do you think if we call this guild ‘Extremely Heaven Defying?’”

“F*CK!!” Everyone pointed their middle fingers at Gu Fei.