Chapter 148 – Ambush (1/2)

Chapter 148 – Ambush

The news of the treasury opening soon spread like wildfire, sparking another massive surge in new players wishing to join their ranks.

Guo Huai, Zhao Li, and Hao Cheng’s hands were practically going limp with exhaustion from accepting all the join requests. Even though they were letting anyone who fit the level requirements in, they would have to carefully comb through every one of them in the coming several days to ensure that the entire guild could function smoothly. As such, they still had plenty of work ahead of them.

With Guo Huai and the others at the helm, Nie Yan felt he could safely leave guild management to them. As for himself, it would be fine for him to simply focus on levelling and improving his gear.

「Nirvana Flame, where are you right now? We’re already by the entrance of Black Flame Forest. Yao Zi (Young Sparrow Hawk) is here too. Do you remember Moon Child1from last time? She came as well. Everyone’s just waiting for you now,」Yao Yao sent Nie Yan a message. They were all eagerly looking forward to running a dungeon with him.

“Hmmm, there’s no harm in running it with them. Besides, it’ll only take an hour at most, and if we do it on Specialist, I can get my hands on some treasure…” Nie Yan muttered to himself.

「Alright, I’ll be there in a moment.」

Nie Yan walked over to the transfer point and teleported over to Tanbeto Town.

Located somewhere east of Calore, the town had an ancientness to it with many of its features dating back to the Era of Shared Governance. The carvings on the town wall, after centuries of corrosion from wind and rain, could barely be made out. With dilapidated building and age-old streets that had somehow persisted through the ages, it left players with a feeling that could only be experienced from visiting a historical site.

The clothing of the NPC guards here was also quite strange. They had a somewhat ancient air about them too. Wearing short, robed armour and horned metal helmets, they resembled the barbarian warriors of old.

As he walked along the main street, he came across a group of around seventeen players walking in his direction. Their gear was excellent. He recognized many pieces that could only be found from running Sosil Valley. He was flabbergasted. If they were already capable of clearing Sosil Valley, why would they be hanging around here?

Some were tall and sturdy while others were slightly built. There were players of every class. However, one trait they all shared was the same air of domineering arrogance that caused Nie Yan to furrow his brows. Just who were these people?

“Skinny Dog, your blade needs to be a bit faster when PKing,” a tall Elementalist in an ash gray robe said with a cold smile. His eyes fell on Nie Yan, but it was only a quick glance.

“No need to worry. At the very least, my dagger is much faster than your staff,” a short, scrawny Thief replied as he skillfully played with the dagger in his hand. His face was covered with a black cloak that made it hard to make out his appearance.

The group of players were chatting and laughing loudly as they walked. When they approached Nie Yan, they sized him up with a quick glance before brushing past.

This group of players seemed a little familiar, but their names were all hidden. His memory wasn’t so great that he could remember every player that had crossed paths with him in his past. If they didn’t possess any particularly notable features, he wouldn’t be able to recall their name.

He probably didn’t have many interactions with these players in his past life.

Nie Yan walked out of the town gates. Black Flame Forest was located north of Tanbeto Town. That place was a scorched ruin. Everything there was burned as black as soot. Legends told that during the Dark Era, the Black Flame Phoenix, Soros, fell over this place and transformed it into a region of endless black fire that would never be extinguished. After entering the dungeon, players would even be able to spot the massive skeleton belonging to Soros located inside the forest.

After burning non-stop for centuries, the place attracted a great number of fire elements who took up residence there, becoming an important dungeon for players in the early levels.

Surrounding Black Flame Forest was a vast, rocky wasteland where very few plants could grow. The monsters that inhabited this zone were Level 3 Kobolds. Just outside the entrance of Black Flame Forest was a vacant piece of land that served as a gathering spot for players to form teams. However, today the place seemed a little desolate. Almost no players were there. It was a little strange.

However, Yu Lan (Blue Feather) and the others were there waiting by the entrance.

Nie Yan walked up to them and greeted them with a smile. “Long time no see, everyone.”

“You’re finally here. We’ve been waiting forever. You sure are busy these days, huh?” Yao Yao’s pursed lips relaxed into a smile. Her beautiful smile would always brighten the mood wherever she went.

“Boss Nirvana Flame, everyone’s been waiting a long time for you to arrive.”

Nie Yan faintly smiled as he acknowledged them with a slight nod. He also greeted Moon Child, who was standing by Yao Yao’s side.

Having not seen them for several days, their gear was much improved and their levels were also a lot higher, averaging around Level 10. The sole reason they had waited for so long was because they hoped Nie Yan would lead them through this dungeon on Specialist.

“We’ll be troubling you to guide us again,” Yu Lan stared at Nie Yan and said in a somewhat troubled tone. She felt guilty for inconveniencing him again.

“You guys are already part of our guild. So taking you all on a dungeon run should be expected.” Nie Yan nodded his head before scanning over the group. Aside from him, there were nineteen other players, many of their faces he still recognized. Surprisingly, among them was also Dusk2

“Your guild isn’t doing anything today?”

Dusk let out an awkward laugh. “No, nothing for today. We do have plans for tomorrow though. I’m just here to mooch for equipment.”

Since Dusk was currently wearing the Guilt Domain Set, and with Medusa’s Lair already open, his true intention probably wasn’t so simple as merely obtaining gear. The most likely scenario was that Sleepy Fox had figured out that Nie Yan was behind Tang Yao establishing a guild, and so he sent Dusk here with the special purpose of investigating. However, he and Nie Yan could be regarded as having some friendship. He was a sensible fellow and knew better than to start a pointless conflict. After all, compared to the other major guilds, he knew a bit more about the cards in Nie Yan’s hands. There was the Starry Night Potion Shop and Nie Yan’s mysterious background. He wouldn’t rashly ruin their relationship. If anything, there was a chance of seeing a possible alliance between Asskickers United and Holy Empire in the future.

“I disbanded the team. You can create a new one now,” Yu Lan said.

Nie Yan nodded and began sending invites to everyone.

Yao Yao has joined your team.

Young Sparrow Hawk has joined your team.

…