The half-awakened fox hesitated. For him, giving up 30% of the fortress shares was no small matter—it felt like carving a piece of flesh from his heart. However, Nie Yan never spoke recklessly. He wouldn’t have made such a bold claim without confidence.
“Can’t you be a bit more polite?” the half-awakened fox said with a bitter smile. Nie Yan was really ruthless, asking for 30% right off the bat. After all, this was a fortress battle for the Holy Roman Empire, not the Bull Tribe. The Holy Roman Empire had painstakingly raised their guild to level five just to qualify for the fortress battle, and now the Bull Tribe wanted a third of it!
“If you had only invited me personally, I would have helped you for free. But as the leader of a guild, I must fight for every bit of benefit for my guildmates,” Nie Yan replied earnestly. As the guild leader, he had to consider the guild’s future and fight for every advantage.
“I understand completely,” the half-awakened fox nodded in agreement. As a guild leader himself, he knew exactly what Nie Yan meant. Sometimes, for the benefit of the guild, one had to take risks and face conflicts. Now that Nie Yan had laid his cards on the table, there was no need for further reservations.
“If you agree, I’ll bring a hundred people. If not, then forget it,” Nie Yan said. Although 30% was a bit steep, he believed his men were worth that price.
“I need to think about it. Thirty percent is no small number, and I also need to see the strength of your men,” the half-awakened fox replied. He couldn’t just take Nie Yan’s word for it and hand over 30% of the shares. If Nie Yan’s men were truly strong enough to help him seize the fortress, then giving up 30% wouldn’t be a big deal. After all, he would still have 70%, which was better than nothing.
“Fine. Once I finish leveling, I’ll have them come back to the city and show off their skills at the arena. You can bring some people along,” Nie Yan said. To earn that 30%, he naturally needed to prove his worth.
“When will you finish leveling?”
“No more than an hour.”
“Okay, message me once you’re done leveling,” the half-awakened fox said. He was curious to see just how strong the Bull Tribe really was, and whether they could really guarantee an 80% success rate in seizing the fortress with just a hundred people.
“How’s your battle against the Light Crusade going?” Nie Yan asked. The war shouldn’t have caused the Holy Roman Empire too much damage yet.
“How can I put it? It’s been a disaster. We’ve already lost over fifty thousand deaths combined,” the half-awakened fox said with a bitter smile. Both sides had been fighting fiercely, sparing no losses in their struggle for the fortress.
“That many?”
“Just in the last battle alone, we lost thirty thousand. In various skirmishes, we lost another twenty thousand. But the Light Crusade hasn’t been doing well either—they’ve lost nearly forty thousand,” the half-awakened fox said. The Holy Roman Empire had been in the lead before, inflicting heavy losses on the Light Crusade. However, the last battle ended in a devastating defeat, causing their casualties to skyrocket beyond the Light Crusade’s.
“The difference in casualties isn’t that big,” Nie Yan remarked. However, the Holy Roman Empire might have suffered more, especially considering the heavy equipment losses from the final defeat.
“That’s over ten thousand people! And this battle made me realize the true strength of the Light Crusade. Those guys were hiding their power well. Like that warrior thousand-man legion—they were originally members of the Asura Guild. At the start of the battle, they all joined the Light Crusade. Who knows how many other branches they might still have?” the half-awakened fox said bitterly. He had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by the Light Crusade this time.
Nie Yan recalled the Asura Guild. It was now a level-two guild with around twenty thousand members, and it seemed to be quite strong. In his previous life, Nie Yan hadn’t paid much attention to guild affairs. He hadn’t expected to be reborn, nor had he imagined becoming a guild leader. Otherwise, he would have looked into these secrets beforehand. Nie Yan was more familiar with leveling, grinding monsters, and looting treasures, but he couldn’t possibly know everything.
In his previous life, the Holy Roman Empire, the War Alliance, and the Garan Guild had all failed to defeat the Light Crusade and the Triumph Empire for a reason.
The Light Crusade and the Triumph Empire were like guillotines hanging over Nie Yan’s head. Once Cao Xu injected his capital, the future situation would become unpredictable. If the Bull Tribe could defeat the Light Crusade and the Triumph Empire, Nie Yan’s future would be bright. But if the Light Crusade and the Triumph Empire defeated him, he might end up repeating his previous fate.
First, help the Holy Roman Empire seize the fortress. Weakening the Light Crusade would also benefit the Bull Tribe.
“I’m going to level up now. I’ll message you once I reach Carol City,” Nie Yan said to the half-awakened fox, seeing a wave of mechanical puppets being pulled by his teammates.
“Okay,” the half-awakened fox nodded and cut off the voice chat.
Nie Yan continued using area-damage magic bombs to grind monsters. Wave after wave of mechanical puppets fell. Checking his backpack, he already had over eighty pieces of charged crystal fragments. Combined with the thirty-odd pieces Tang Yao had, they would be enough to assemble a complete charged crystal and revive the Arcane Sprite. Reviving the Arcane Sprite would play a significant role in the upcoming fortress battle. Tang Yao was overjoyed when he learned the Arcane Sprite could be revived. Adding to his excitement, he had just obtained a Bloodthirsty Medal.
Nie Yan sent a message to Guo Huai. He needed to select a hundred elites from the Bull Tribe. These hundred would be the cream of the crop, and he absolutely couldn’t let the half-awakened fox underestimate the Bull Tribe. He entrusted this task to Guo Huai.
The Bull Tribe had countless strong players. Nearly seventy percent of Carol City’s top elites belonged to the Bull Tribe, so selecting a hundred wouldn’t be a problem. The Holy Roman Empire and the Light Crusade had been evenly matched before. Nie Yan’s group’s involvement would surely tip the balance. However, the Light Crusade shouldn’t be underestimated either—they would likely find many strong allies as well.
After grinding two more groups of monsters, Big Brother Seven finally reached level 32, slightly faster than expected.
“Let’s go back. The Holy Roman Empire is waiting for us,” Nie Yan said, signaling his teammates to collect the loot from the ground.
Everyone used recall scrolls to return to the city. They went to the guild warehouse and deposited all the dropped equipment. A pile of level-40 gear caused another wave of excitement among the guild players.
“I’ve sent the team to the arena. I’ve rented it out,” Guo Huai said. This exchange between the two guilds absolutely couldn’t be leaked.
“How much did the rental cost?”
“Not much, just five gold coins,” Guo Huai replied. This secrecy cost was necessary.
“Send the bill to the half-awakened fox and let him pay. We should save wherever we can,” Nie Yan said. He wouldn’t hesitate to make the half-awakened fox foot the bill for this expense.
“…” Guo Huai didn’t know how to describe Nie Yan. He had spent five hundred gold coins leveling without blinking an eye, yet now he was shamelessly making the half-awakened fox pay five gold coins for a private meeting between two major guilds. “Fine, I’ll send it.”
Guo Huai could already imagine the half-awakened fox’s expression when he received the bill. But not long after sending it, he received five gold coins mailed from the half-awakened fox. It seemed Nie Yan and the half-awakened fox really did keep clear accounts.
“We shouldn’t spend a single coin on unnecessary things, especially not with guild leaders. Don’t be polite with them—they’re rich anyway,” Nie Yan said with a smile, patting Guo Huai’s shoulder. Guo Huai learned a trick from Nie Yan that day.
Nie Yan led the group toward the arena.
The arena in Carol City was a circular structure resembling a coliseum. The center was an open battlefield, surrounded by countless spectator seats that could accommodate tens of thousands. Usually, when there were no events in Carol City, renting the arena only cost five gold coins—not too expensive.
The group entered the arena through the entrance. Nearly a hundred players were already waiting there—all Bull Tribe members. Several familiar figures came into view: Tuo Bas Shi, Shi Fen Hao Shuang, Ben Zhi Mo Gui, Yi Chui Ding Qing, and others. With their skills, they naturally ranked among the top hundred Bull Tribe players.
When Yi Chui Ding Qing saw Nie Yan, Cui Can Dao Guang, and others enter, she walked toward them.
Yi Chui Ding Qing wore a light blue leather armor that perfectly accentuated her curves. She was graceful, elegant, yet undeniably sexy. Her beauty rivaled that of Yu Lan and Xiao Xiao. Combined with her Shadow Dancer-level skills from her past life, it was no wonder many regarded her as a goddess. Her gaze swept over the group before settling on Cui Can Dao Guang. The two exchanged smiles.
“Something’s going on between them,” Sha Bu Si De Huai Dan and others thought with a tinge of jealousy. This beauty hadn’t even glanced at them but smiled only at Cui Can Dao Guang, and with such deep affection that anyone with eyes could see it.
“Cui Can Dao Guang, is she your girlfriend?” some teammates asked.
A faint blush appeared on Yi Chui Ding Qing’s face, but she didn’t deny it.
Cui Can Dao Guang smiled faintly and shook his head. “We’re just very close friends.”
A flicker of disappointment passed through Yi Chui Ding Qing’s eyes, quickly replaced by a bright smile. “He’s my sister, and I’m his brother.”
“Sister and brother?” the others were confused.
Nie Yan understood a little, but Cui Can Dao Guang hadn’t realized it yet. Matters of the heart had to be resolved by the individuals involved.
“Boss, you’re here,” Ben Zhi Mo Gui and others came forward to greet them.
“Bro, you’re here,” Shi Fen Hao Shuang’s deep, rough voice rose above the others.
Tuo Bas Shi simply gave a lazy smile.
Nearly a hundred elite players!
Nie Yan greeted them one by one, looking at each familiar face. A surge of pride welled up in his chest. With so many talents gathered here, how could they fail to defeat the Light Crusade and the Triumph Empire?
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage