CHAPTER 641

【 IF IT IS FÉNG THEN THAT EXPLAINS IT… 】

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Inside the Mausoleum of the Titan Ruins.

Yeye and Nana curiously observed the group of All-Star Guild members who had hurried over after receiving a message from FacetheWind.

More than a dozen of them had arrived, all Silver-ranked players adorned in lavish equipment. Their leader was a hunter who had switched to an assassin specialization. He had black hair, crimson eyes, and wore a dark robe with a hawk-beaked hood. Two finely crafted curved blades, clearly of great value, hung across his back.

His username was “All-Star Achan,” and looking at the rest of the group, it was easy to notice the pattern. This naming format seemed to be standard among the All-Star Guild’s core members, as most of the others shared a similar style, each beginning with the “All-Star” prefix followed by a unique nickname or title.

Achan led his well-equipped team toward Yeye and his companions. His gaze then lingered briefly on the massive piles of obsidian scattered across the hall, a hint of awe flickering in his expression.

He then gave FacetheWind and his team a thumbs-up.

“Not bad, Wind. You actually found this much obsidian! This will really help our main city, Atlantis. We’ve been really short on obsidian for the new city wall construction and guildmaster has been complaining about it for days.”

“Hehehe, Brother Achan, it’s all thanks to these two newbies, Coconut and Nana’s luck,” FacetheWind said, scratching his messy hair with a sheepish grin, his tone clearly flattering.

As he spoke, he introduced Yeye and Nana to the other person.

“Brother Achan, let me introduce you. These are the new friends we made during our exploration of this Titan’s Ruins. They’re newcomers from this recent public beta—Nana and Yeye. They were the ones who discovered this hall, defeated the obsidian statues guarding this area and obtained all this obsidian.”

New friends?

We discovered this hall?

We defeated the obsidian statues?

The two newcomers exchanged puzzled looks.

Technically speaking, everything FacetheWind said was indeed true, but something about the way he phrased it sounded kinda… off.

It almost felt like he was making it seem as if all the obsidian should belong to them.

Just as the two were wondering about it, they saw a message appear in their party chat from FacetheWind:

“Coconut, Nana, please play along…”

“If this obsidian is counted as something we discovered together as a party, then it’ll be considered a guild find. That means the guild will lower the payout, since part of it gets converted into guild contribution points. We’d only get about seventy percent of the value in personal contribution. It’s one of our guild obligations.

“Guild contribution?”

Nana asked curiously.

“It’s a type of internal currency our Guild use to exchange for guild-exclusive items and resources,” replied the hunter player Hapsburg.

“But honestly, guild contribution points aren’t as versatile as regular contribution points. While they offer discounts on certain items, we’d rather get full contribution points instead. Most of us are running short of CP right now, so… you get the idea.”

“I see.”

The two newcomers immediately understood.

The chat exchange lasted only a few seconds.

Meanwhile, FacetheWind enthusiastically continued the introductions.

“Yeye, Nana, this is Captain Achan, the leader of All-Star Guild’s first division and one of the top hundred players on the combat power leaderboard! The All-Star first division is our guild’s elite raid team.”

“Top hundred?”

Yeye and Nana were visibly impressed.

Nonetheless, perhaps because they had already encountered Féng, who ranked in the top ten, the imposing presence of Achan and his team did not intimidate them as much as the Azeroth’s Knights Templar had back in the Chosen City.

Instead, they felt more admiration and curiosity toward the other party.

Unable to resist, Yeye quickly opened the leaderboard to check the rankings and see just how strong this person was.

There, he found the name “Achan,” ranked 87th, a Silver player at max level equipped with three divine artifacts. Specifically, his black hawk-hooded robe, his twin curved blades, and even the dagger on his belt—all of them were divine artifacts.

While the two newcomers were quietly observing Achan’s group, Achan and his teammates were also sizing them up.

After hearing FacetheWind’s introduction, Achan couldn’t help but raised an eyebrow.

“Wind, you’ve got to be kidding me. The Titan Ruins aren’t a place for newbies, let alone for taking down those obsidian statues. Quit pulling my leg; I’ve done raids here before. Those statues are at least max-level Iron-rank mobs. Be honest—these two are just your scouts, aren’t they?”

Meeting Achan’s skeptical gaze, FacetheWind chuckled awkwardly, then straightened up and replied seriously:

“Of course, it wasn’t just Yeye and Nana who defeated them. More accurately, they ran into another Silver-ranker who graciously helped them out.”

“Another Silver-ranker?”

Achan blinked in surprise.

He glanced again at the heaps of obsidian and frowned in disbelief.

“Come on, bro. What kind of Silver-ranker would just willingly gave away all this obsidian? These piles must be worth millions. Don’t try to fool me.”

“Yeah,” one of his teammates added with a smirk. “What kind of rich Silver-ranker would do that? Wind, you guys are just trying to keep all the contribution for yourselves, right?”

Faced with their skeptical looks, FacetheWind didn’t rush to argue. Instead, he simply shook his head and said calmly,

“No, Brother Achan, you gotta listen to me. I’m telling the truth, man. Matter of fact, you might actually know the one who helped these two.”

“Huh… I do?” Achan asked, puzzled.

Then, the druid from FacetheWind’s party spoke up excitedly.

“It was Miss Féng! You know, that one from Moe Moe Committee! She’s the one who helped these two newbies!”

“Miss Féng?”

Hearing such unexpected name, everyone from Achan’s party were all taken aback.

“That’s right,” Hapsburg confirmed. “It was Féng who helped them. Take a closer look at those statues. When intact, each stood over ten meters tall and possessed strength equivalent to a Silver-rank mob. Setting aside Yeye and the others, we would not have been able to defeat a single one of these statues even if all of us joined forces.”

Hearing that, the members of Achan’s team collectively fell silent.

Achan stood still for a few seconds, then finally sighed in realization.

“…Ah, if it truly was Miss Féng, then that explains everything.”

“Féng, huh… if it’s her, then it really is possible! I remember back when I was still an Iron-ranker, I took part in the Underground War between the Hermetic City-State Alliance and the Dark City-State Alliance. I was fortunate enough to receive her guidance once during the siege of Blade City.”

As Achan spoke, he seemed to drift into recollection. He paused for a moment, a hint of respect surfacing in his expression.

“Miss Féng is a true expert indeed, one deserving of admiration. She’s on the same level as Boxlunch and Jasmine. No—if it came down to a real duel, even though her combat power isn’t as high as theirs, with her extraordinary control of druid skills, the outcome of their duel would be hard to predict. I remember she was already at max-level Iron-rank back then. She was truly remarkable.”

“Underground War?” Nana asked curiously.

“It was a major storyline event in the Elven Kingdom last year,” Yeye whispered in her ear. “There weren’t any Silver-rankers back then, so reaching the level-cap of Iron-rank meant you were considered a top player at the time.”

Their voices were so quiet that no one else noticed.

Hearing Achan’s words, FacetheWind grinned even more brightly.

“That’s right, you believe me now, brother? It was Féng herself who helped these two. She even gave Yeye and Nana a bit of guidance. All this obsidian was a present from her—she called it a newcomer’s gift, really. Luckily, she also said that since we were part of their party, we could share in the rewards as well. Otherwise, Yeye and Nana would’ve just sold all the obsidian directly to Moe Moe Committee.”

“These… a newcomer’s gift?”

Achan’s team stared, astonished by the massive piles of obsidian around the hall.

“Good grief… that’s at least ten million worth of contribution points! And she just casually gave it all away?” one of their teammates exclaimed in disbelief.

“If it’s Miss Féng, then that’s not really all that surprising,” Achan replied calmly. “She’s a close friend of Moe Moe’s Guildmaster. She has no shortage of contribution points and enjoys giving gifts to new players.”

At that, the entire group fell silent.

“Ugh… why don’t I ever run into luck like that?” another person from their team muttered enviously.

“That depends on luck,” Achan said with a laugh. “I’ve heard that Miss Féng is rather selective. If she takes a liking to you, she’ll lend a hand. If she doesn’t, she might walk right past you and you’d never notice her. Don’t be fooled by her class. Although she’s a druid, her stealth skills are also top-notch.”

After finishing, he turned back to the two newcomers, his tone warm and inviting.

“Yeye, Nana, right? Would you like to join All-Star? I can give you two a recommendation once you advance to Iron-rank.”

“Hey, Brother Achan, I already promised to recommend them myself!” FacetheWind quickly stepped forward with a grin, subtly positioning himself in front of the two newcomers.

Achan shot him a look and scoffed.

“What difference does it make?”

“Of course it matters! Those are seeded slots. Recommenders get rewards too, you know. Bro, you’re already at max level, so you don’t really need that small bonus, right? Just let me have it instead!” FacetheWind said cheerfully.

Achan stared at him for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh.

“Unbelievable. Look at you, getting excited over something so small.”

“Seeded slots?” Yeye and Nana repeated blankly.

Seeing their confusion, Achan explained enthusiastically,

“Seeded slots are positions reserved for potential core members of the guild. Each seeded player can join our All-Star Raid Division and receives special benefits. Normally, only Silver-rank players or those with exceptional potential are eligible for these positions, and every recommendation has to be approved by the guild’s higher-ups.”

“So being recommended for these seeded slot means that… you saw potential in us?” Yeye asked in surprise.

“Of course you do.” Achan nodded with certainty.

Then, he gave them a meaningful look.

“Miss Féng has a sharp eye for people. Actually, the players she helps are either gifted in combat or possess unique talents. Most of them eventually become top-rank players. That’s why I have high expectations for you two.”

Yeye: “…”

Nana: “…”

So that’s what this is about…

Seeing the envious expressions of their teammates, the two newcomers felt a little dazed.

Only then did they truly realize just how extraordinary that mysterious and gentle female player they had briefly encountered really was.

She wasn’t just another player—she was considered a mentor among top-rank players.

“Alright, now that we’re clear on everything, let’s start packing up all these obsidian before something unexpected happens. We brought plenty of spatial rings this time, so they should be enough to hold it all. If not, just bind the biggest chunks to yourselves, before self-terminating and heading back to town. The guild will cover the resurrection coin cost you use at double the contribution value,” Achan said.

FacetheWind and the other veterans fell silent.

Once they had agreed on a plan, the All-Star members began gathering and storing the piles of obsidian.

However, because they needed to use magical sensing to verify the quality of each piece beforehand, the process ended up being slow and methodical.

After weighing and sorting everything, everyone was stunned to discover that the total mass of obsidian exceeded an astonishing 120 tons.

“My goodness… that’s over ten million contribution points right there,” FacetheWind murmured, his expression brimming with excitement.

Just as the group was busily packing the obsidian, the Silver-ranked player standing guard at the hall entrance suddenly stiffened and spoke in a grave tone:

“Guys, we have a problem. There’s an unfamiliar presence approaching our location…”

Achan immediately set down the obsidian in his hands and narrowed his eyes.

“How many? What’s their strength level?”

“More than twenty… no, over thirty! And they’re strong—every one of them appears to be a Silver-ranker!” the lookout replied, his voice tense.

He was a hunter specialized in scouting, making him highly sensitive to the presence of others, so his assessment was considered pretty accurate.

“It’s probably a raiding party from another guild,” Achan said grimly. “Everyone, stay alert.”

At his signal, more than a dozen All-Star players immediately stopped what they were doing and moved toward the hall’s entrance.

They drew their weapons and formed a defensive formation.

Seeing how wary these veterans looked, Nana couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Isn’t the red-name penalty in Elven Kingdom really strict? Why is everyone so cautious?”

FacetheWind raised his greatsword, chuckling darkly.

“Nana, well, I guess that’s kinda true… in general, that is.”

“The red-name penalty in this game is indeed harsh enough that most players don’t dare to attack others casually…. but that’s only when the risks outweigh the rewards.”

“Some people will still take the chance if the potential reward is greater than the punishment. After all, as long as you don’t kill anyone, the worst that happens is a temporary ban and a few lost contribution points and reputation.”

He cast a glance at the piles of obsidian behind him and smirked without a trace of humor.

“However, as you can see, there’s fourteen million contribution points’ worth of obsidian right here for the taking. That’s enough to tempt a few shameless people into taking the risk, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Realization dawned on the two newcomers. Their expressions turned serious as they watched the hall’s entrance nervously.

Before long, a group of strangers emerged into the All-Star players’ line of sight. There were more than thirty of them, each radiating powerful Silver-rank auras. Their movements were deliberate, measured, and undeniably intimidating, as if they purposely wanted to announce their presence and assert dominance over anyone who might challenge them.

Most were heavily armored warriors, their shields adorned with a distinctive insignia—a bold letter “L” crossed with an axe. Behind them moved druids and mages in ornate robes, their staffs and spellbooks emanating faint magical glows, all bearing the same emblem.

Upon seeing that familiar symbol, Yeye’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Recognition hit him immediately. It was the same elite group of players he had encountered back in Chosen City.

They were from the Azeroth Alliance’s raid division—the Knights Templar.

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