Novel East
Chapter 644: Something in Disguise of a Guild War
"Will you not accept?"
The two master users, Maga and Cat Tower, had achieved their goal and were completely exhausted. That was why the only ones in the Lotus Guild at the moment were a few guild members angered by the Black Wind Guild's indiscriminate PK and Oxygen. Meanwhile, Hydro was thinking of the situation quite critically.
"It involves character deletion, bro."
Character deletion. If they lose, everything they had worked on will disappear. Well, it wouldn't be a problem if they were confident enough to win. But anyone with a brain would see no reason to accept a fight that would only acknowledge the trouble caused by their own existence. On top of that, there was certainly no reason for the Black Wind Guild to take the risk since they could just continue harassing the Lotus Guild through PK.
"However, the Black Wind guild master wants the Goumda material that you have."
"That guy's not stupid, sister. He’s just nasty. His PK-ing our guild members is just a show to gain the upper hand."
Fundamentally, the request had been made, but there was no reason to accept it. So how could they be drawn into this?
Davey simply shrugged his shoulders at their worries.
"That's not important."
"What will you do?"
"If they accept, they'll be swept away in one go. If they run, they'll be dragged away."
Either way, there was no big loss for Davey. He just didn't like the guy who dared to claim ownership over what he had gained.
[Ping!! The Black Wind Guild has accepted the guild war with the Lotus Guild. The type of guild war will be selected by the Black Wind Guild. The mode of guild war is Siege and Annihilation.]
Surprisingly, the Black Wind Guild showed its guts by accepting a solitary guild war.
"Is this guy an idiot?"
"If it's a Siege and Annihilation, it's just about fighting in masses."
At Hydro’s scathing remark, Oxygen's expression changed into one that was full of uneasiness.
There was a saying that there was no life against being mobbed. This was especially true in Alf Online, where no matter how much one excelled, if many applied debuffs, one could only be indiscriminately attacked. So for the Black Wind Guild, which had a vast number of members and PK-specialized items, it was the most efficient choice to defeat everyone in the Lotus Guild.
Except for one person.
"Davey, don't you feel it?" Illyna called Davey while looking at the rules and details of the guild war. "It's obvious. They accepted knowing you’re a threat. This means there might be a chance that they would do something to you."
This was, in fact, the least likely scenario.
"Or, there's a way to prevent you from participating in the guild war."
But Davey remained unfazed. Whatever they chose to do, it did not matter to him.
"Are you in charge?" Davey asked as he watched Hydro begin to manipulate the panel to organize the guild war.
"Well, I'm part of the management team too. Our guild is a small community guild with not many people. Almost everyone has a rank of some sort," Hydro explained.
Davey nodded and didn’t say anything more.
But then Oxygen cautiously asked him, "Um... Davey, if we kill them... do they die in reality too?"
"Do you want me to do that?"
"Ah... No, that's not what I meant..."
"Then that's settled."
As of the moment, it was just a matter of waiting until Hydro safely activated the guild war to know the situation.
"So? If the guild war is Siege and Annihilation, is there a plan?"
"Well, if you have made weapons, you should test them, don't you think?"
At Davey's words, Illyna tightly grasped Caldeiras. She would probably be quite surprised when she would use it for the first time.
"But, bro... You're not a guild member of the Lotus Guild. Will you be able to participate in the guild war?"
"Then just give me the contract. It will be effective for a while."
It was all thanks to the Black Wind guild master, who presented the contract, that Davey had formed some opinion about it.
"I’ll just burn it after everything is done."
Davey might appear as an NPC to them, but he was a living human being just the same.
"Then what about the participants? Who will participate in the war?"
"The two of you, don't fight. The trauma probably hasn't faded yet,” Davey firmly instructed.
This quietened Hydro and Oxygen, leaving them unable to protest or object.
What Davey said was, after all, true. The two of them had experienced traumatic events like they were in reality, not just in the game. Hydro had almost disposed of all his items, and Oxygen was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, more commonly known as PTSD, to the point of being unable to fight.
Ultimately, this left the guild with almost no members who could participate.
So what should they do? The answer was simple—employment contract. Through it, one could temporarily become a member of the Lotus Guild and directly participate.
"Illyna, Perserque, and I will take care of it."
Because when Davey said he would be offering support, it did not just mean material support.
"Call me the boss. I aim for a clean group."
Workplaces that make their employees work overtime and grind them down was a no-no. But of course, inventors were an exception.
* * *
Alf Online had various content, including the guild war between the Black Wind Guild and the Lotus Guild. The Black Wind Guild, having many high-spec users who even took the lead in recent twisted demonic boss raids, naturally made this incident spread, making it relatively known.
"Hello, viewers, it's your guy who will ensure your enjoyment and interest, streamer Jong-Seok!"
Alf Online specialist streamer, Woo Jong-Seok, pointed to the space being prepared for the guild war with a playful gesture and said, "Wow... Really, this matter can’t just be passed by. It’s a scoop. An absolute scoop."
[Woo Jong-Seok, do you still remember being knocked down in one hit by the Saint of Tionis?]
[Lol, just imagined that moment when Jong-Seok got wrecked.]
[But it’s true.]
Seeing these comments, Jong-Seok then lightly scolded the viewers in the comment section, saying, “Calm down, guys!”
He then took a small sigh. n𝚘𝚟𝚎l𝚎𝚊st.𝚌𝚘𝚖
He could not forget that time either. In the event space where global users fought in a battle royale, being knocked down without any resistance by the one they all thought to be a newbie, the Saint of Tionis, was totally unforgettable.
"Anyway, as you all know, this incident is quite famous, right? The first one that had become the talk of the community since the controversy during the demonic beast raid."
[Wish those fuckers from Black Wind would drop dead.]
[Damn, it’s so disgusting how they flaunt in the game.]
[Their manners are the worst. Really off the charts.]
"Ahem. Let's be careful with what we say,” Jong-Seok reminded lightheartedly. He then added humorously with a sour smile, “Honestly, I feel the same as you all. It’s good to have fun, but going overboard isn’t right, right?"
He paused for a second, as if waiting for someone to reply, before proceeding to go back to the main topic of his stream.
"First off, there are about five hundred members in the Black Wind Guild, but on the other hand, there are only seven members currently in the Lotus Guild. Who am I, if not someone who would provide you guys with information?" Jong-Seok asked, playfully gesturing in the air.
"Let's see, the guild master... Ah! This person was a victim of the recent indiscriminate PK. And then two newbies... Huh... These people just go around looking at scenic spots in the game. Wow, Black Wind, you guys really crossed the line with this."
[Tourists being PK’d for viewing attractions, their integrity is really gone.]
[Fucking Black Wind guild master wearing a mask of righteousness while doing all kinds of shitty deeds.]
As criticism and negative public opinion toward Black Wind began to arise, Woo Jong-Seok quickly tried to change the atmosphere. In any case, it would be extremely tiresome for a ranker such as Woo Jong-Seok to pick a fight with Black Wind Guild.
"Ahem,” he cleared his throat loudly with a fist placed in front of his lips. “Anyway, let's see who’s next. There are two members with production skills. I’m a hundred percent sure you know them. Cat Tower and Maga."
[The number one Blacksmith and the number one Matter Transmuter are in the same guild?]
[At this point, Lotus Guild is basically an elite force.]
"It's honestly surprising. They completely flipped the script in such a short time. I’ve even heard rumors that Alhazard, who was originally the number one blacksmith, has been making efforts to contact these two."
[Alhazard? Wasn’t he the former top Blacksmith? Why is he doing this?]
[Why is Alhazard setting up shop on the Korean server anyway?]
[That guy is genuinely nice. Maybe it’s because he’s rich, but he’s really generous. I accidentally did a quest with him once, and his consideration was exceptional.]
[No matter how much you praise him, it’s not like money will fall from the sky.]
"Well, I don’t know the exact reason. Seems like he just wants to recruit them or establish connections. I heard that once you get above level forty in the game, you really need some talents to progress further."
[Ah, so that’s why high-level producers are directly recruited by major corporations?]
[You didn’t know? It even made the news. Why do you think people who can’t find joy play this game? College sponsorships, job placements… It even helps with exercise and earning money. Plus it’s fun. It’s like a jack-of-all-trades.]
Woo Jong-Seok then suddenly clapped his hands. "Ah, it seems like the guild war is about to start, and it looks like the Black Wind Guild is the one defending. Honestly, since the Saint of Tionis is an NPC and can't join a guild, I wonder how he'll participate... Huh? That character is..."
Woo Jong-Seok's speech trailed off as his eyes widened.
The reason behind such a comical reaction was the figure that had shockingly appeared on the guild battlefield. And within a few seconds, the figure unwittingly managed to garner a lot of attention. But it was not the Saint of Tionis, nor one of the six beauties of the continent.
"Wow, it's Her Majesty!"
Her Majesty. Rarely mentioned outside the gossip within the community, she was known as the beautiful woman said to be married to the Saint of Tionis.
"Some weird posts about Her Majesty started appearing on the community boards recently, but that aside… Since the Saint of Tionis already made an appearance, wouldn't Her Majesty naturally do the same too? But it looks like she's going alone this time."
The Black Wind Guild really made a baffling choice. They had fallen for Saint of Tionis's provocation, despite having witnessed the raid against Goumda, and knowing full well the events that had preceded it.
"Frankly, no matter how many you gather, a hundred level one users can't defeat the final boss monster. So while Black Wind does have quite a few high-level users, I still doubt that would be enough. Though, I'm curious what they were thinking when they accepted this seemingly insane guild war.”
As the Black Wind Guild members slowly made their way toward the defending castle, everyone fell silent.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of drums signaled the start of the guild war. And seeing that Her Majesty was present for the battle, it can only mean one thing—the Lotus Guild had employed her through a contract of employment.
Woong...
"Control... Weather." As she reached a certain distance to the wall, she elegantly lifted her large staff and began to chant.
Then, as the power of Transcendence’s Demise erupted, an incredibly spectacular scene unfolded.
"The Black Wind Guild has definitely chosen to hunker down. It'll be chaos once the Saint of Tionis joins the battle. Defenders generally receive a buff, but if the castle is breached, all of that disappears. It's not good. Hunkering down is the solution, but... Damn... I don't care if she's married. Her Majesty is just too beautiful!!!"
[How does she manage to draw all eyes to her every time she appears?]
[I'm crazy. From today onward, I serve Her Majesty. Please, step on me, Your Majesty...]
-??? has been banned.
"Let's keep excessive jokes to a minimum, please."
[Hypocrite: ???]
[This is unbelievable.]
[The streamer is…awesome.]
Woo Jong-Seok watched seriously and attentively, anticipating Her Majesty's next move.
Dark clouds began to gather, surrounding her staff and forming a ring. Then when Her Majesty raised her staff high into the sky, the magic circle that formed around her stirred, and from high above, raindrops began to fall one by one. In the next second, it became a downpour.
The rain she summoned had appeared, and this surprised and confused the users who were watching. Being outside the range of the defending guild members, intercepting her directly was impossible. And so, they were left waiting for what would happen next while wondering why she was only pouring rain with seemingly no purpose.
However, it did not take long for them to realize that was a misconception.
"Freezing Cloud."
"Wind Circling."
She consecutively cast two more spells.
She brought her staff down and eased her tight grip around it. Then, she slowly opened her eyes that had become filled with symbols. As her red pupils moved, it seemed as if a trail followed, spewing forth black power.
A fleetingly brief moment later, her charming voice then flowed clearly, saying,
[The frost begins.]
Crack crack crack!!!
At the same time, the sky began to change, and above the area, a huge ice fissure seemed to start forming in the sky.
Shh…
Light converged on both of her sides as she held her staff in one hand and used magic in the other. Not long after, the light revealed two beings. One was a young man with black hair and red eyes who was dressed in a black uniform—Davey. And the other one was a girl with honey-golden hair and a look with a golden flow who was holding a giant sword—Illyna de Pallan.
"Shall we start?"
"No,” Davey disagreed. “Let's experiment with this side first. Perserque, drop it.”
After Davey said those words, the Black Wind Guild members felt both the beauty and a sudden fear of her magic.
It was just a simple game. A game where one was protected from pain and heat.
So why did they feel cold?
Not long after, the purpose of the rain she had summoned became clear to the Black Wind Guild members.
As the freezing cold winds swirled, the rain from the sky crystallized into ice spikes or turned into massive hailstones which then began to fall. Davey carried out all of these processes quickly and efficiently, not because her magic was weak, but rather because he was exceptionally strong. And so the defense wizards, who were waiting, suffered concentrated attacks from the indiscriminate hail falling from the sky.
"Now, let's start testing the equipment capabilities. Let's see what happens to the wall after three hits," Davey said, passing by Perserque as he moved in the direction of the wall behind her.
When he got close enough to the wall, he swung the giant hammer he was gripping securely with both hands, as if he was lifting it off the ground.
Boom!
"The wall's durability is solid! Even that monster Goumda took time to damage the wall's durability, so don't worry!"
"If we just buy time, we’ll win! And we have enough wall repair kits anyway, so don't panic, guys!"
Although they were confused by the hail, the senior guild members of Black Wind still found it in themselves to shout assurances at their fellow members, believing that the Saint of Tionis's attack, no matter how strong, would not break the wall in one go.
Boom!
As they expected, the giant hammer's blow, imbued with light, struck the wall hard. But the repair kits quickly fixed the wall.
Since breaking inside the castle during a siege warfare was nearly impossible, it seemed inconceivable to breach the wall unless they used extreme force or simply climbed over it.
"Wait until he approaches the top of the wall!"
"He… He’s still not moving."
The Black Wind Guild members were puzzled upon seeing Davey make no attempt to enter while still holding the hammer with a satisfied expression. But then one of the guild members realized the reason. A giant symbol had appeared on the wall, followed by another.
The problem was that the two symbols overlapped, forming a new symbol. If this continued, with the third...
Most users were familiar with those who executed the three-strike counting attack. The pattern of three strikes was an attack pattern used by Goumda, and it had led to many raids tasting the bitterness of failure.
"The spirit's special skill... The three-strike armor penetration damage..." Woo Jong-Seok, who was live streaming the guild war, murmured, just like the members of Black Wind Guild who realized the same.
[Is that Goumda's weapon?]
[This is insane! Planet-destroying weapon incoming!]
Similar thoughts ran through the members of the Black Wind Guild.
"Stop him!" A senior guild member, who had been blocking the hail with his shield, screamed in alarm once he realized Davey's intention.
The advantage of the wall was its overwhelming defensive and sustaining power, but Davey's hammer, the Corona Destroyer, forged from the Heart of Goumda, was not just a mere game item. Its effects were simply beyond what they could handle at this level.
It was too late by the time they allowed a third hit. Above the wall, a symbol indicating the broken shield appeared with a loud sound. And then, the entire wall began to change.
The strategy to ‘hang in there’, or to stubbornly endure, was flawed from the start.
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