Chapter 847
Chapter 847
“Guild… Guild… Guild…”
Dragonhawk stammered, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not utter out a complete term.
“Please move aside. With you standing at the door like this, I cannot go in.”
Although the voice was still as warm as a spring breeze, it was filled with a majesty that cannot be defied.
Legs trembling, Shamash moved backwards, all the way until he was standing before the conference table again.
As for the figure standing outside the door, he finally pushed open the door to reveal himself.
A bright, eye-catching blond hair and a handsome face that was smiling faintly.
“Don’t call me Guild Leader.” Shen entered the conference room. He stretched out a finger and wagged it before continuing with a smile. “Didn’t you fellows already leave Thorned Flower Guild long ago? Naturally, that means I am no longer your Guild Leader.”
“Guild Leader… when did you… arrive?”
Dragonhawk swallowed hard. Just the act of speaking that whole sentence had been arduously difficult for him.
“Long enough. Everything you guys were talking about, I heard them all clearly from outside the door.” Shen walked forward until he arrived before Dragonhawk. Ignoring Dragonhawk, he then sat on Dragonhawk’s seat. Then, he leaned backwards, crossed his legs and placed them on the conference table.
“Originally, I had felt confused. Although we are outside instance dungeons and the Players are not online, at the very least, I should have been able to contact the Awakened members using the guild channel. But I then found out that… everyone has quit the guild. Thankfully, I still remember the location of the headquarters for the North American branch.”
He turned his face sideways to give Dragonhawk a glance. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. “I actually just planned on finding you. Coincidentally, so many of you happen to be here. That saved me a lot of trouble. Starfall Guild… looks like you fellows all think that I’ve fallen.”
“Guild Leader… we… we never had any thoughts of betraying you!” The woman from the South American branch, Bella, took a few steps back and her full breasts – due to her ragged breathing – rose up and down. “We left the guild, it’s all because the Players wanted to purge us! They were the ones who could not tolerate us! Seeing how you were not around, they planned to kill us all off!”
“That’s right…” The tattooed man from the Australian branch finally recovered somewhat from his state of dread. He said loudly, “It’s the Players who first betrayed you! They betrayed the rules that you set down. They wanted to destroy the state of peaceful coexistence within the guild! Please believe us… we just wanted to protect ourselves!”
“There’s no need to so hastily explain yourselves.” Shen shook his head gently. Appearance wise, it seemed as though he was not in a bad mood.
However, everyone present there did not relax upon seeing his expression and tone. All of them knew that this former Guild Leader of theirs would maintain a smile on his face even as he was deciding to kill others.
“Thorned Flower Guild… it has completed its objective. Whether or not it split, whether or not you fellows leave, I no longer care. Of course, judging by the current situation, I may still have some use for you guys. I think…”
Slowly, Shen’s gaze swept over the faces of everyone there. “Surely, you guys do not mind working for me for a bit, do you?”
“No… no! Of course not! Please give us the order!”
Dragonhawk’s body gave a shudder and he was the first the respond, loudly. At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief.
It would appear that the Guild Leader truly was not thinking of throwing a fit.
Despite having reached [S] class, Dragonhawk – no matter how arrogant he may be – did not believe that he had any chance of confronting Shen.
At any rate, he was… a true monster.
“Shamash, just now, you said that you have already contacted Zero City and that they have allowed you guys to join Zero City, right?” Shen raised his head and glanced at Shamash, who was standing in a corner, trembling.
“No… I… I didn’t… Zero City… I… they…” Shamash’s mouth trembled and his face grew flushed. Finally, he simply fell to his knees with a plop and lowered his head. “Please forgive me, Guild Leader!”
“I’m not blaming you here. What forgiveness are you talking about?” Shen frowned and continued coolly, “Shamash, I’ll say this again. At present, what I need is for you guys to do something for me. I’m not reproaching you. Whatever I ask you, just answer. Understand? If you continue to give me unrelated answers, I may have to ask someone else.”
“No… no… I understand, Guild Leader!”
Shamash vigorously wiped away the sweat on his forehead and shook his head with all his might. “Yes, I have already contacted the guys from Zero City. In three days, they will meet me and give us a permit to enter the city.”
“Who is the one who will be meeting you?” Shen slowly nodded.
“The current Guild Leader of Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild. I think he’s called… Guan Shan,” Shamash hastily said.
“Some miscellaneous soldier that I’ve never heard of.” Shen shook his head. “Can you contact him now?”
“Yes, Guild Leader!” As he spoke, Shamash immediately brought out a small communication device. “What message do you want me to send?”
Shen lowered his eyelids and entered a state of deep contemplation. Then, he said, “Firstly, tell him that you’ve contacted your companions from the other major branches. More, you’ve convinced them all to surrender to Zero City. Starfall Guild will, as a whole, join Zero City and become one of their peripheral guilds.”
“Huh?!”
Shamash’s eyes widened. “They… will they believe it?”
Shen smiled.
“Since you’ve already witnessed Chen Xiaolian in action, they will believe you. That kid’s present level of strength… is already enough to intimidate others. Just say, the others have heard of how Chen Xiaolian killed Dimitri and felt how powerful Zero City is. They now understand that this is an enemy they cannot defy.”
“Chen Xiaolian?” Only then did Shamash know the name of the youngster who had appeared at their European branch’s headquarters. Quickly, he vigorously nodded. “I understand.”
“Correspondingly, there is a condition,” Shen continued.
“The seven major branches of Starfall Guild will be surrendering to Zero City altogether. For such an important ceremony, a mere Guild Leader of Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild is not important enough to handle it. Not even Aderick. So, you must propose that Chen Xiaolian must be present at the ceremony. At any rate, his existence is the main reason that all of you are joining Zero City.”
“Your plan is…” Shamash’s eyes lit up. “To personally kill him?”
Shen gave Shamash a glance and said coolly, “That’s not something you should be asking.”
“Yes! Yes!” Terrified, Shamash immediately lowered his head once again.
…
This was already Zero City’s fourth opening day since the day it was rebuilt.
Chen Xiaolian brought Qiao Qiao with him and the two of them strolled along the beach of the Sea of Love.
The only ones who knew Chen Xiaolian were those who returned to Zero City in the beginning. At present, though, most of the ones within Zero City were new. In addition, the streets were now crowded with Awakened ones who entered Zero City for the opening day. Even though he was not using the system prop to change his appearance, Chen Xiaolian was not worried that others would recognize him.
One opening day once a month. This was Zero City’s busiest time. And while this still could not match up to the bustling scenery that Chen Xiaolian had seen before in the past, it had recovered quite a bit of its liveliness. Awakened ones – in twos or threes – could be seen basking in the sun on the beach while some others went for a swim.
In the commercial street located slightly farther away, most of the shops had already resumed operations and guests would occasionally come in and out from the buildings’ doors.
“Every single day, I can’t get to see even your shadow. Only during the opening day of the month would I be able to see you once.” Qiao Qiao gently grabbed a clump of sand from beneath her and cast an angry look at Chen Xiaolian. “Why does it feel like you’ve become the Emperor? Have I become an Empress who’s lost your favour?”
“There’s nothing I can do about it either.” Chen Xiaolian stretched his hand out to grab Qiao Qiao’s hand. Gently squeezing it, he said, “That Shen, who knows when he will be escaping from the collapsing space? Before that happens, even if I only manage to find one more of those angel wings, I will be able to increase my chances of success by quite a bit.”
“Did you find it then?” Qiao Qiao rolled her eyes. “It’s been over two months now, but I have not seen you get your hands on another one.”
“If they’re that easy to find, Shen and Du Wei would not have found just a mere handful after spending so many years on them.” Chen Xiaolian sighed.
“However, no matter how dim the light of hope may be, I must at least give it a try…”
A hologram suddenly appeared beside them.
The GM’s face was devoid of emotion and he spoke with a monotonous tone. However, his words shook them to the core.
“He has emerged.”
“So fast?!” Chen Xiaolian’s face instantly turned bitter. Then, he let out a heavy sigh.
Although it had been almost a year since then, Chen Xiaolian still felt… there was far too little time. If he could be given enough time to find another pair of wings, the odds of success would increase quite a bit. For example… another ten or eight years…
“Didn’t you say that you may not necessarily lose to him?” Qiao Qiao saw through the anxiousness within Chen Xiaolian’s heart and reached out with her hand to gently press on the back of his hand. She comforted him, “Don’t worry.”
“Yes… it is something I will have to face sooner or later. Besides, if I can convince him, there’ll be no need to fight.” Chen Xiaolian shook his head. He quickly purged the negative thoughts from his mind.
“GM, send me to him then.”