Chapter 731: Former Brothers

Han Lei pinched himself hard, immediately wincing in pain. This definitely wasn’t a dream.

“You remind me a lot of a childhood buddy of mine named Han Lei. I just wanted to come over and check,” Nie Yan said, his eyes scanning Han Lei’s face. This guy still looked the same as before, nothing changed, and the mage’s robe on him appeared particularly mismatched.

“Yeah, I’m indeed Han Lei. Who are you?” Han Lei asked, surprised. Could it be that the notorious thief Nie Yan actually knew him?

“I’m Nie Yan.” Nie Yan smiled.

“I know you’re Nie Yan…” Han Lei’s voice abruptly stopped as he stared at Nie Yan in disbelief. “You’re Nie Yan?!”

Nie Yan nodded with a smile.

Han Lei excitedly punched Nie Yan’s shoulder and kept inspecting him. The more he looked, the more convinced he became. “Damn, you’re amazing! The infamous thief Nie Yan, the overlord of the entire Glirand Empire! It’s actually you! Unbelievable! I’m dizzy! Back then you…”

Han Lei gestured with his hands, recalling how short and thin Nie Yan had been, compared to his now tall and muscular build, exuding the aura of a true expert.

Perhaps because of Nie Yan’s legendary reputation, Han Lei couldn’t help but feel a sense of reverence. However, since they were childhood friends, the familiarity between them eased any awkwardness.

“How’s Tang Yao doing lately?” Han Lei asked.

“You know Ya Zi, right?” Nie Yan smiled.

“Damn, that kid is Ya Zi?” Han Lei widened his eyes in shock. “That kid wasn’t even better than me technically, yet he’s the one who stayed at the top of the level rankings for over half a year? What kind of world is this!”

Ya Zi was also a well-known name in the Glirand Empire.

Tang Yao and Nie Yan, childhood friends, had now both become so powerful, leaving Han Lei momentarily stunned.

Nie Yan chuckled. Han Lei’s way of speaking hadn’t changed at all.

“By the way, how did you recognize me?” Han Lei asked. He still found it a bit mysterious how Nie Yan had identified him.

“It was just a feeling. Your appearance, speaking style, tone of voice—they all have a unique charm,” Nie Yan teased.

Han Lei thought about it and realized Nie Yan had a point, so he dropped the matter.

“Interested in joining Bull’s Tribe?”

“Of course! It’s great to have shade under a big tree!” Han Lei grinned and readily accepted Nie Yan’s invitation.

“But you’ll have to pass Bull’s Tribe’s test. I’ll get you some gear,” Nie Yan said. He would feel uncomfortable if Han Lei were too polite.

“As long as there’s gear, the test is no problem,” Han Lei confidently replied. “I also have a group of guys with me.”

“Bring them all over,” Nie Yan said. He still vividly remembered the old team members from the past life—Big Fatty, Hot Chick, and Doctor. He wondered how they were doing.

In their past life, they had adventured together, experienced many things, and eventually parted ways. Now, many regrets could finally be mended in this life. Back then, Nie Yan had been hunted by the Triumph Empire, which dragged his team into crisis. Nie Yan still felt guilty about that.

“Great! It’s really good that you’re willing to take them in,” Han Lei said happily. With Nie Yan’s words, he felt reassured.

As they were chatting, five players approached Nie Yan and Han Lei. They hadn’t noticed Nie Yan, who was wearing a black robe and only had his head visible. A player wearing a white priest robe walked up to Han Lei and greeted him, “Boss Fan Hua, how’s it going? Have you sold most of your stuff yet?”

“No way! Not a single item!” A fiery, red-clad female player shook her head in disbelief.

“I told you selling at a stall won’t work. We should just throw it into the auction house. Even though the fees are a bit high, at least more people will see it, and we won’t have to haggle over prices.” The priest turned his head and accidentally caught sight of Nie Yan’s face. He jumped back in shock, pointing at Nie Yan. “You… you’re not…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. Suddenly realizing his reaction was too abrupt, he quickly pulled his hand back.

The fiery female noticed the doctor beside her acting strangely. She glanced at Nie Yan and was about to speak to Han Lei when something clicked in her mind. She immediately turned her gaze back to Nie Yan’s face.

“Bull’s Tribe… Nie Yan, the infamous thief?” she asked in disbelief.

The other players’ gazes locked onto Nie Yan’s face, unable to look away, as if they had seen a ghost.

Seeing his teammates’ reactions, Han Lei couldn’t help but smirk. Their expressions were even worse than his had been moments ago. He inwardly chuckled at their shock.

“Alright, act normal. Don’t be so embarrassing,” Han Lei pretended to say calmly.

“Erm…” A fat warrior beside him looked at Han Lei. “Boss, do you two know each other?”

“He’s my brother,” Han Lei teased, watching the expressions of Big Fatty, Hot Chick, and Doctor.

“Nie Yan, the infamous thief? Boss’s brother?” Big Fatty was stunned, looking at Hot Chick and Doctor, unable to believe it.

Hot Chick and Doctor stared at Han Lei, their eyes sparkling. In their minds, Han Lei was a carefree guy who was always ready to boast about even the smallest achievements. But now, they were completely in awe. Having a friend like Nie Yan and keeping it a secret? Their boss was truly low-key.

“Boss, I’m starting to admire you. You’re so deep and hidden,” Hot Chick bluntly said. She was quite attractive, with a low-cut top revealing a deep cleavage, making her look very seductive. Her leather armor was short, exposing her navel. Don’t mistake her for a gentle girl—she was a real tomboy, often wilder than most guys, a true fiery pepper.

“Flattery, flattery. Not really,” Han Lei chuckled, his face slightly reddening under Nie Yan’s gaze.

Nie Yan chuckled again. He knew Han Lei’s character inside out. But he appreciated Han Lei’s loyalty and didn’t expose him.

Nie Yan glanced at their gear. Their average level was over 110, but most of their equipment was still around level 90, with only a few items above level 100. It was understandable—more players were reaching level 100, but the drop rate for level 100+ gear was relatively low, so many players were still using level 90 gear.

In his past life, Nie Yan had reached level 100 without a single piece of level 100+ gear. It was Han Lei, Hot Chick, Big Fatty, and Doctor who had helped him piece together gear, leaving them in debt for a long time. Although others had helped too, not much. Hence, Nie Yan had a particularly strong bond with Han Lei, Hot Chick, Big Fatty, and Doctor.

“Get ready. In a few days, we’re joining Bull’s Tribe. Don’t embarrass yourselves during the test,” Han Lei grinned.

“Actually, our skills are more than enough to pass the test. It’s just the gear that’s the problem. You can’t make a meal without rice,” Big Fatty awkwardly said. They were six players total, unable to even form a team to tackle dungeons. Grinding monsters alone couldn’t get them good gear, and the high-quality gear in auction houses was too expensive for them to afford.

“Gear is easy. I’ll have someone bring some over for you,” Nie Yan said. He could easily provide gear that would make Han Lei and the others ecstatic.

“This feels a bit awkward,” Big Fatty said hesitantly.

Hot Chick and Doctor agreed with Big Fatty. After all, they weren’t very familiar with Nie Yan yet. Accepting so many gifts from him felt a bit uncomfortable.

If it were their past-life relationship, Big Fatty, Hot Chick, and Doctor wouldn’t have been so polite with him.

Thinking about it, Nie Yan couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. That kind of friendship, where they could freely joke, tease, and criticize each other, might never return.

“Han Lei is my brother, someone I grew up with since childhood. Don’t be so formal. Consider this gear as borrowed. You’ll have to return it after you’re done. Once you join Bull’s Tribe, you’ll officially be part of us,” Nie Yan explained.

Nie Yan’s words moved Han Lei. Back then, they were just kids. After so many years, Nie Yan had reached such a high status, yet he still remembered their childhood bond. Han Lei silently vowed that Nie Yan would always be his brother for life.

Hot Chick, Doctor, and Big Fatty exchanged glances and hesitated for a moment.

Doctor said, “Since Boss Nie Yan has spoken like this, we won’t be formal anymore. If you ever need anything, just let us brothers know.”

“Alright,” Nie Yan nodded. He knew it would take time for Doctor and the others to return to the casual familiarity they had in their past life, so he decided not to push.

Moments later, a player from Bull’s Tribe arrived with a pile of gear—mostly level 100+ dark gold-quality equipment. These were nothing special to Nie Yan; Bull’s Tribe’s guild warehouse was full of such items. But for Han Lei, Hot Chick, Doctor, Big Fatty, and the others, these items were of immense significance.

With this gear, their leveling speed would increase by at least five to six times. Their magic damage, defense, and other stats would far surpass those of other players at the same level. They could even go to the plaza and form their own teams for dungeons. Any ordinary group would welcome them with open arms upon seeing their gear, never turning them away.

Seeing the gear, Hot Chick, Doctor, Big Fatty, and the others were extremely excited. These were items they had longed for but never obtained.

“Brother, thank you,” Han Lei placed his right hand on Nie Yan’s shoulder and said emotionally.