Chapter 158 – Master (1/2)

Chapter 158 – Master

For fear of others surpassing them, a person might try to stifle their peers out of jealousy. Such behaviour was foolish. If a person truly wished to make progress, then they must adopt the attitude of always striving to better themselves, just like Sun when he had released the videos of his duels to announce that he was seeking new opponents. He had endlessly challenged stronger people while stubbornly pursuing the goal of improving himself even further. Only then was he gradually acknowledged for his talent by the rest of the playerbase.

Even geniuses had to take a step at a time if they wished to reach the apex.

By exchanging pointers with Sun, Nie Yan might find the flaws in his own techniques while also learning many new ones and slowly progress.

Whatever the case, he definitely had to keep Sun in their guild, but at the same time, he also had to give him enough space to grow so that he could walk a similar path as his counterpart in the previous timeline.

There was one more point to consider. Beside being incredibly skilled in his past life, Sun also possessed unrivalled popularity to the extent that he could gather tens of thousands with just a single call. A simple wave of his hand was enough for Innumerable expert Thief players to rally to his cause. It was hard to imagine the benefits a guild would receive if a player like this were to emerge in their ranks.

Asskicker United would require the efforts of countless talents to forge its path to glory!

“Nirvana Flame, sir… please let me become your disciple and teach me how to play the Thief class,” after what seemed like half a day, Sun finally drummed up enough courage to ask as he looked at Nie Yan with an expression filled with hope. Compared to his current self, Nie Yan and Tang Yao’s levels were frighteningly high. Furthermore, he had been able to personally witness their prowess as they rampaged through the battlefield, slaying a foe every ten steps. To him, Nie Yan was practically a deity-like figure who was set up on a high pedestal and exceedingly far out of reach. Take, for example, today, when they exchanged blows for the first time, he had felt utterly powerless against him and was swiftly incapacitated. Taking all these points into consideration, it was quite clear why he wished to take Nie Yan on as his master. However, he felt somewhat nervous, and he was already mentally preparing himself for refusal. After all, why would such a lofty figure bother wasting their time on a nobody like him?

Nie Yan never thought Sun would make this kind of request. The unparalleled genius Thief in his past life wanted to make him their master… Honestly speaking, he couldn’t help but feel a little underqualified because, in his mind, it wasn’t him who was placed on the pedestal, no, it was the Sun in his memories who took that spot.

“I know this is a very big request, but I promise you that I’ll try my hardest. I definitely won’t tarnish your name! Master, please accept this lowly one as your disciple!” Sun stared at Nie Yan as he begged in a sincere tone.

Nie Yan saw an intense desire to learn coming from Sun’s eyes as well as an unyielding resolve that welcomed any and all challenges. Aside from his natural talent, Sun also possessed an intrinsic quality about him that an ordinary person would find difficult to reach.

Was he worried that Sun would tarnish his reputation? Of course not! As he looked at Sun who still appeared visibly immature with his boyish looks, he recalled that Sun was actually said to be quite a sentimental person. In the previous timeline when his friend had been unjustly killed, he snuck into the offending guild’s stronghold all by himself and murdered several dozen players before escaping unscathed. This event was also one of his many brilliant feats. Although gaining a genius’ loyalty through material benefits was incredibly difficult, just like any other person, they were bound to their sentiments. It was very possible that he could start fostering a relationship with Sun right now. And in the future, if Sun really did come to recognize him as master, then that would be perfect.

But was he really qualified to be Sun’s master?

At least within the next three years, it absolutely wouldn’t pose a problem. After all, for a Thief to truly attain the level of a Great Thief or higher, apart from talent, they were also required to have perseverance and willpower that surpassed all others. Even a legendary player like Sun would require at least three years to reach that level. As for his own growth, now that would depend on his talent. Within the next three years, if he found more skilled experts to compare notes with, then it was unlikely that he would stagnate. Perhaps, with some difficulty, he would even be able to extend the time that he was superior to five or six years. After that, if Sun really grew to an inhumane realm, then wasn’t it only natural for a student to eventually surpass their master? However, if he was able to comprehend the essence of what it meant to be a Shadow Dancer, allowing him to maintain his superiority, then that would be the most ideal.

Sun felt anxious when Nie Yan didn’t give an immediate reply.

“Master, please accept me as your disciple!” Sun begged once more.

“Accepting you isn’t impossible… but I don’t want you calling me Master. I’m not that much older than you. From now on, just call me Big Bro,” Nie Yan answered with a light smile. Accepting Sun as his disciple… if anyone from his past life heard of this, they would be shocked out of their minds.

“Yes!” Sun exclaimed in joy. He still had the temperament of a child. Seeing him unable to hold back his excitement, Nie Yan couldn’t help but break into a smile.

“Before we do anything, hand over the items I asked for first. Then, I want you to deliver a few things back to Watchful Snail, so he can deposit them in the treasury. Afterward, hurry back here. I plan to take you levelling with us.” Nie Yan said. He could use this trip as a pretext to do some master-disciple bonding with Sun. At the same time, it also solved the problem of their group lacking a courier who could bring drops back to the city or deliver potions, pills, and whatever else they needed back to them. With how severe their PKer statuses were, he didn’t know how long it would take for them to finally clear their red names… three or four days if they were fast and probably twice as long for Tang Yao.