Virtual World: Close Combat Mage

Guzzler and Beyond Thirty Miles were feeling rather uneasy. Being surrounded was not exactly frightening, but what unnerved them was how everyone looked at them like they had caught them with their pants down, both men feeling nauseated just from the look they were being given.

“Why are all of you here?” Guzzler asked.

“We’re here to deal with Thousand Miles Drunk and Sword Demon. I heard from a good friend of mine and came to know that the quest that the two of them were on recently brought them out here. This is currently our only lead,” the ‘good friend’ that Young Master Han mentioned was, of course, Brother Assist. Even though Brother Assist had no idea what they were doing out here in Yunjiao Lakeside, he knew that the quest had sent them out in that direction. Once Young Master Han had gleaned this information from him, he believed how the quests in Parallel World were all designed in such a way that they would often send the players running back and forth to a single location, which was why he had led all these men out here to camp and wait for their quarry to turn up.

But instead of their prey turning up, they had heard about how Thousand Miles Drunk was engaged in a huge skirmish with Carouse, fighting from the cavity where the quest was situated, all the way to the Yunling region. This news had only confirmed Young Master Han’s belief that Gu Fei was concentrating on the quest and he understood how Brave Surge would often habitually act, Young Master Han was convinced the man would not seek to provoke Gu Fei. Similarly, he understood Gu Fei’s temperament. While that man was always arrogant when it came to slaying people, he had always adopted a ‘no offense taken if none was received’ approach, even when the game rules encouraged him to be the offender. As such, there must surely have been a catalyst to have caused these two to end up clashing swords. As such, the best explanation for the skirmish must have been due to the quest that the system had created which pitted them against one another…

While Young Master Han was not too accurate with his analysis at this point, the conclusion he came to was correct, and Gu Fei was indeed busy with completing his quest. And so, Colored Cloud and Young Master Han continued with their stake-out in this area while they sent some people to find out what was happening over by Yunling. It was not too long after they sent their scouts over to find out what had happened when Wind Seal and his group of men had sneakily made their way over.

Young Master Han had been tasked with defending the cavity before, so he naturally recognized Wind Seal as well as the NPC Guillermo. The moment he saw this group appear, he instantly inferred that Carouse’s quest had changed, otherwise Carouse would not have just sent such a small handful of men for an escort quest. Even if they were attempting a diversion, they would surely have sent Carouse’s ranked experts in this detachment. Thus, Young Master Han had concluded that Wind Seal must have already left the guild, and that it was very likely he must have been bribed by someone else for the quest he had discovered by chance.

Young Master Han kept an eye on their movement the entire time while he hid himself inside the cabin, passing out coordinates the whole time to ensure the ambushers from Colored Clouds stayed hidden while they tracked those men as they made their way toward the cabin. It was Young Master Han who had immediately reacted during that instance before when they had stumbled onto Beyond Thirty Miles and Guzzler and caused quite a bit of commotion that stirred Wind Seal and his men as a result, sending one of their male guild members to hold onto a lady’s hand to cover up the actual source of the noise.

“See. I knew Thousand Miles Drunk’s quest would send them back here once more,” Young Master Han said to Gu Xiaoshang.

“Knowing this alone will be enough. Let’s wait for them to arrive,” Gu Xiaoshang’s fighting spirit soared. She hated the twists and turns that came with inter-guild politics, but she greatly approved of ambushing from cover or sneak attacks, finding such battle tactics to be sensible and forthright.

“It would be too much of a waste if we don’t pick up the quest…”

“I already said we are not going to be bothered with that!” Gu Xiaoshang was somewhat annoyed. She had never found Young Master Han to be such a nag.

“I didn’t say that we are going to be the ones picking it up,” Young Master Han said, as he turned to Guzzler, “Go on in. There’s a quest inside the cabin.”

“We’re picking up the quest?” Beyond Thirty Miles was elated. Sure enough, he was someone who truly had his heart for the guild.

“We’re not picking up the quest; we’re becoming cannon fodder,” Guzzler cautioned Beyond Thirty Miles from getting too happy too soon.

“Who cares? You won’t lose anything even if you die anyway,” Young Master Han consoled.

“Everyone knows there are no penalties now, but our mood will definitely sour going up against someone like Thousand Miles Drunk,” Guzzler said.

Beyond Thirty Miles nodded, “Yes indeed. The guild leader must surely be in a bad mood right now.”

“Which is why the both of you should pick up this quest and cheer him up a little. Beyond Three Miles, you go,” Young Master Han urged.

“It’s Beyond Thirty Miles,” Beyond Thirty Miles glumly corrected.

“Even three hundred miles would do; go and take it!” Young Master Han hurried.

“Alright, I’ll go!” Beyond Thirty Miles puffed out his chest and showed his sizeable heart of true dedication toward the guild.

“You go and grab the quest, we’ll help you complete it. What a wonderful collaboration,” Young Master Han praised his decision.

“You sure made it sound nice phrasing it like that! Really, you’re just using the guild quest as bait so as to verify Thousand Miles Drunk’s position!” Guzzler corrected.

“That’s right, so anyone who does not pick up the quest isn’t worth anything. Men, come and throw this person into the lake,” Young Master Han casually called out.

Guzzler was shocked by this declaration and wanted to flee, but where could he run to? There was not even a single NPC after making their way around Yunduan Lakeside aside from this little log cabin and the presence of the quest here. This was why Young Master Han had placed a heavy emphasis on the place after arriving. Indeed, it was as he had expected. Wind Seal and his men marched right over in this direction, which was why Young Master Han had secretly positioned half of his manpower around the lake while the other half were concentrated in the vicinity of the cabin. If Guzzler planned to run off now, countless figures would stand up around him and keep him surrounded just so they could capture him alive.

“You’re serious about this!” Guzzler’s expression paled visibly.

“We’ve known each other for quite some time now, so you should know I’m always someone who would keep my word. If I said I’m throwing you into the lake, you will be thrown into the lake. Toss him!” Young Master Han commanded.

The players from Colored Clouds must have never done anything immoral like this, so they found the matter entirely refreshing. Many of them jostled for a chance to take part before four Strength-based Warriors came out on top. Each man grabbed a hold of Guzzler’s four limbs, carrying him right over to the banks before heaving Guzzler right into the water in a parabolic arc. The sound of a loud splash could be heard as the man was dropped into the lake…

“He really threw him in…” There were plenty of people who had watched the entire sequence and were dumbfounded, plenty of men from Colored Clouds included.

The ripples could still be seen as the people on the banks went silent for a good moment. Suddenly, half a body broke the surface of the lake. Guzzler was using his hand to wipe the water droplets off his face even as he shouted, “You’ve got guts, Young Master Han!”

“Guard the lake and don’t let him come up. Throw him in if he tries to come back on land,” Young Master Han ordered.

“Oh great one, I made a mistake…” Guzzler ultimately conceded to his defeat.

“Okay, Beyond Three Hundred Miles, head on in and get the quest!” Young Master Han happily patted the back of the stunned Beyond Thirty Miles and gestured him toward the cabin.

Beyond Thirty Miles was still in such a state of shock that he did not even bother to correct his name this time. He quickly ran into the cabin, and reappeared outside in no time, “I got the quest. It wants me to retrieve the clue.”

“This clue must be on Thousand Miles Drunk or Sword Demon,” Young Master Han surmised.

“Could we be required to kill and make them drop the quest item?” Someone asked skeptically.

“Don’t worry, everyone. Our goal isn’t to complete the quest but to eliminate those two men,” Young Master Han said.

Beyond Thirty Miles was in tears. Did Young Master Han not just say that he was going to help him complete the quest? How did it change in the blink of the eye into not completing the quest? Beyond Thirty Miles was feeling utterly dispirited when he then hear Young Master Han point at him to add, “Watch him. Don’t let him run off. I suggest tying him up.”

“F*ck me, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I’ll just stay in the cabin and not go anywhere!” Beyond Thirty Miles had finally personally witnessed the depths of the measures that Young Master Han would go to, and it was indeed as terrifying and heartless as the rumors claimed.

“Alright everyone, carry on with your ambush and be on standby!” Young Master Han called out as he entered that cabin. This place provided very good cover, and he could see a lot stationing himself right by the window with his spyglass. Meanwhile, it would be difficult for the people outside to realize there was someone inside the cabin from afar. When Young Master Han entered the cabin, Beyond Thirty Miles fearfully shrank himself into a corner. Young Master Han ignored him and turned around and saw Gu Xiaoshang entering right after him.

“We can more or less confirm that Thousand Miles Drunk and Sword Demon would both come back here,” Young Master Han reported.

“Yes, it’s only a matter of time,” Gu Xiaoshang said as she looked out of the window and saw Guzzler still struggling on the surface of the lake. “Are we just gonna leave that guy there?”

“Of course not,” Young Master Han answered. “It would be too eye-catching if he keeps splashing about out there. Scoop him out of the water, tie him up and toss him into the tall reeds by the banks.”

“You’re really too inhuman!” Gu Xiaoshang cried out. She had thought that Young Master Han had a change of heart, but the truth was that she should have never judged a book by its cover. This man’s heart was the complete opposite of how he looked.

“Beyond Three Hundred Miles, How long did it take for you to run all the way from Yunling to here?” Young Master Han asked.

“Somewhere over a half an hour… Also, the name’s Beyond Thirty Miles,” Beyond Thirty Miles said.

“Change it. Three hundred sounds so much more imposing,” Young Master Han commented.

“Maybe next time,” Beyond Thirty Miles mumbled.

“Have you sent a message out to Brave Surge yet?” Young Master Han asked.

“Not yet!” Beyond Thirty Miles gasped.

“Not yet? Does that mean you plan to do so?” Young Master Han asked.

Beyond Thirty Miles did not answer him. He was indeed wondering if he should inform his guild leader about what was happening here.

“You better not do it,” Young Master Han cautioned. “Carouse is strong, we would get nervous if we see them come, and when we get nervous, our hands might slip. This slip of hand might hit you, and you might die from this attack. If you were to die, the quest would be gone. If the guild were to have listened to you and ran all the way out here, only to return empty handed, you would have wasted so many people’s time and energy. That’s not a good thing, you know?”

“Ye—Yes. I know. But Guzzler…” Beyond Thirty Miles was now afraid that Guzzler might be the one who speaks out.

“Don’t worry, I think he’s smarter than you by just that bit and would have no problems coming to the same conclusion himself,” Young Master Han smiled.

“You’re really despicable!” Gu Xiaoshang could not stand to look any longer.

“It can’t be helped! Guild leader Gu, you and your guild refuse to take the quest, so I have no choice but to grab a passerby to do it. When considering the pros and cons of this, I’m afraid passersby would be a lot less diligent!” Young Master Han explained.

“Sure…” Gu Xiaoshang rolled her eyes.

————————————————————————

Tranquility returned to Yunjiao Lakeside, while the spawn point over by the encampment was in a state of frenzied chaos. In the beginning, it was Skygazing Under the Tree’s men from Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree who were respawning over there. Even though they had been wiped out in an instant, Skygazing Under the Tree was feeling great because he sensed that Carouse had not seen through his ruse, so he was not about to lose his quest to them. However, Skygazing Under the Tree soon discovered Flux Bead in their midst, and he cried out in dismay in his mind. After all, that person had insight toward their ruse, and was a huge loophole in their plan.

But no matter how the game worked, players did not have the means to silence another person from speaking, so Skygazing Under the Tree could only pray as his heart beat in trepidation, at the same time wondering if he should attempt to bribe that person and outright buy his silence. It took skill to be able to bribe someone. Nobody could just randomly make an offer to some stranger, for that would hardly be proper etiquette. Not everyone would be consumed with avarice, and those who were receptive to such bribes would each be motivated by different bargaining chips as well. This act could also be considered as an investment, and it was about using the smallest ante to exchange for the most ideal return. As such, when setting the cards on the table, it was absolutely important to have a clear understanding of the other party’s personality, mentality, needs and wants, so as to better provide the ideal temptation and sway them accordingly. To give the simplest counter-example for this, sending a Mage’s staff to a Warrior would be an epic fail of a bribe. It did not matter if the magic staff in question was worth tens of thousands of gold coins if it would not be able to utterly stir the heart of the other party. But if it was a greatsword worth tens of thousands of gold coins, it would most definitely move the other party instantly.

Skygazing Under the Tree was very experienced when it came to such matters, which was why he did not hesitate and got to work on this. He went forward and casually exchanged a few words with Flux Bead, and actually did not discover any sense of animosity from the man. Skygazing Under the Tree had a thought, and casually asked Flux Bead about his position in the guild and other such questions. Finally, he very ordinarily probed if he had any intention of changing his guild and continue his development. This one question caused a difficult expression to flash across Flux Bead’s face, and Skygazing Under the Tree immediately connected the dots. Indeed, he must have had too many guild points on hand, which was why he did not wish to quit…

Skygazing Under the Tree was completely at ease by this point, for it was evident that Flux Bead must have had some discord with his guild, and so he already had the intention of leaving the guild. However, the huge amount of guild points that he had accumulated served as a burden, and Skygazing Under the Tree deduced that Flux Bead already had no wish to report what he had uncovered regarding the ruse they pulled.

Forget it, I’ll just take my chances on this! Skygazing Under the Tree thought to himself. After all, attempting a bribe was hardly a foolproof method. Making such passes to someone with a strong sense of loyalty like Sword Demon would be met with an immediate rejection. If offering to the more devious players like Young Master Han, such players would likely chuckle and accept the bribe and endlessly find opportunities to fleece him for more afterward. Attempting such things to someone who was both principled and somewhat scheming like Gu Fei would probably result in him accepting the offer before returning the favor with a slash of his sword… The point was that none of these scenarios were favorable. As such, whether to bribe someone or otherwise was a complete gamble. Skygazing Under the Tree had observed Flux Bead’s present state and felt that he had a chance of getting away with the ruse without attempting to bribe his silence, so he obviously would rather bet on the probability of him getting away with the deed without it costing him anything.

Skygazing Under the Tree had his own spy inside Carouse, and while he was checking in to inquire about the situation with Carouse, he was also maintaining contact with Wind Seal, which slowly alleviated his doubts toward the matter. Presently, the skirmish between Gu Fei and the players from Carouse was escalating at a steady pace. Soon, Thieves and Archers from Carouse kept appearing at the spawn point in the encampment, and everyone from Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree was of course more than delighted witnessing this.

However, several of these people also recognized the players from Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree as the ones who made away with their quest. These men were not as dejected to the point they had lost the fight in their eyes like Flux Bead, so they immediately raised their weapons and engaged in combat. During the City Wars event, the spawn points found in these encampments were all different from the spawn points players usually found in the city. Simply put, they were just spawn points that allowed players to log off as well, but they were not designated as safe zones. This was essentially a godsend for anyone engaged in PK-ing, allowing people to kill players on the spot, and since they would respawn at the nearest encampment, they would reappear in the same place, allowing the enemy to hunt them down and kill them again. The only drawback to this perfect scenario was how such kills meant nothing, since nothing would be lost from dying like that.

However, these people from Carouse were only looking to vent their frustrations, thus they did not really care for much and hunted down the players from Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree with great ferocity. The problem was that these men from Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree did not wear their guild emblem; everyone in their guild recognized what their allies looked like, but players from Carouse were unable to do the same. As a result, they could only pick out those they recognized to kill, and they slowly began to familiarize themselves with their faces as they kept killing. This had gotten to the point where players from Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree found themselves unable to flee despite wanting to do so as they would still end up being sent back to where they started even if they stepped out of the encampment. Something that could not be neglected was the fact that the players that were spawning back in the encampment from Carouse were all Thieves and Archers, and their numbers were increasing over time. It was hardly an issue for players from either of these job classes to hunt down any other player from any other job classes.

This killing went on unceasingly. Skygazing Under the Tree was rather unfortunate, having been identified by someone from Carouse and found himself in a seemingly unending cycle of dying and respawning. He was also considered to be somewhat of an expert, capable of retaliating and finishing off his opponents sometimes. However, the fact was that his guild simply did not have the numbers to put up a fight against Carouse. Skygazing Under the Tree had no choice but to admit that he had completely failed to account for such a situation. He had thought that they would be rather free and unfettered once they died, yet Carouse had actually sent men back by the droves for revenge. This was something that he had not expected in the least.

Skygazing Under the Tree had pretty much resigned to his fate by this point, and as he continued this back and forth with the men from Carouse, he was still keeping in contact with Wind Seal and his detachment of players, feeling gratified knowing that everything was proceeding smoothly.

Facing against this slaughter that had attained such high efficiency, the luckier players could die three times in a minute, until finally Skygazing Under the Tree suddenly received a message prompt from the system in his guild channel: The player Little was heroically sacrificed, and has withdrawn from the City War.

Skygazing Under the Tree was shocked reading this. He did not know what caused this situation, so he quickly attempted to contact Little. Little had withdrawn from the City War, but he was still physically present. Furthermore, he was still being harassed by people from Carouse. He had been equally confused when he received that system prompt during his cycle of death and respawn, thinking to himself, Could I have died too much? Little was just a weak Mage, and the enemies from Carouse were having a very easy time finishing him off every time he spawned.

But who would have guessed just as Little began to compose his message, the same system prompt was repeated one after another in Disembodied Spirits Under the Tree’s guild channel. By the time the fifth name had been prompted to be sacrificed and withdrawn from the City War, they suddenly discovered that the massacre they were facing through the hands of Carouse had stopped as all their members left the encampment and headed out together in a certain direction.

This was around the time when the rumors started spreading, ranging from how Thousand Miles Drunk had managed to beat Carouse back into a retreat, to Thousand Miles Drunk single handedly vanquished the entirety of Carouse. There were even talk that Brave Surge had knelt down before the man and begged for mercy.

Skygazing Under the Tree had already learned about Carouse’s hunt for Thousand Miles Drunk from his spy, but he would never have thought that the tables would be reversed. Could all those Archers and Thieves from Carouse that appeared in the encampment have been Thousand Miles Drunk’s handiwork? Skygazing Under the Tree was remorseful. This was the real deal; the man embodied the meaning of being an apex expert. I should have been sincere and open with him before to better build a relationship with one another. But instead, I resorted to tricking the man… Skygazing Under the Tree felt he had missed the forest for the trees and ultimately made a huge mistake.

In the meantime, the matter with five of his guild members withdrawing from the event had not been clarified as of yet. Everyone had initially assumed that it must have been due to these five dying too many times. If that was the case, then that meant that there was a limit to the number of times players could die in this City War event. Once players crossed this threshold, they would be automatically removed from the City War. But the problem was that those five players were dizzy from all the dying, and none of them had thought to count the number of times they had died.

“Crap, How many more times can I die?” At the moment, everyone who was still in the City Wars was wondering just how many more deaths were they away from the final limit.

“Well, at least we still have the quest,” Skygazing Under the Tree was just about to console himself when a white light flashed, and Wind Seal and his men abruptly appeared right in front of him.

“You guys… You guys…” Skygazing Under the Tree was at a loss for words.

“Colored Clouds. I’ve no idea where Colored Clouds got wind of things, but they were lying in wait for us at our destination!” Wind Seal protested.

“That’s impossible.” Skygazing Under the Tree stared at Wind Seal, immediately rejecting it outright. “Colored Clouds is not a guild that would do something like this. What exactly happened?”

“Its… It’s Young Master Han,” Wind Seal sighed.

“Young Master Han from Young Master’s Elite? Didn’t he leave Carouse?”

“But he had appeared there with men from Colored Clouds. I have no idea what it’s about, but all I know is that we got eliminated. Apparently, he claimed he was preparing the ambush for Sword Demon and Thousand Miles Drunk.”