Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 339, Section 86: The Second Guild

Tokyo time, 23:55 PM.

After midnight, it will be October 1st, the settlement day that players have been eagerly anticipating.

The once bustling player lobby round table is now empty, with only three members of Ethan's faction scattered in their designated spots.

Players from the mutual aid association gathered in their private meeting room.

This is normal. Until we know whether the next game will require the same level of cooperation, it's common for players to be wary of each other based on factions.

After the rewards are distributed, the participants may need to discuss the next steps. A meeting room is the most convenient option, avoiding the need to move around or have private chats.

Iwasaki and Yui did not establish a guild or have a meeting room, but they had Peach Blossom Village, where they could discuss matters directly.

So now the round table is basically occupied by Ethan and his two companions.

“After the reward is distributed, they might specifically assign people to deal with you.” Ethan’s gaze swept seemingly casually across the entrance to the corridor leading to the hall, his voice low.

He was referring to Park Min-woo. His radical style in Seoul was unlikely to be liked by the mutual aid association, so it wouldn't be surprising if someone intervened.

Park Min-woo didn't react much to this, continuing to flip through his notebook, his tone indifferent: "It's fine, I'll just play along with them. Haven't you always wanted to know if the system would impose a penalty if players killed each other? This might be a good opportunity to test that."

"Whether it's me or them who die, you'll know the answer."

Ethan shook his head: "It's better to try to negotiate if we can. I finally managed to ease the tension with them a little bit, and this is too short a time for that."

“I know you want to build up your strength and wait for the right opportunity.” Park Min-woo closed his notebook. “But while you’re building up, they’ll only improve faster. They have more people and more resources. Whether we extend or shorten the timeline, we have no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.”

Park Min-woo's words were certainly correct and very rational, but Ethan did not think that he could contend with the Mutual Aid Association simply by accumulating strength.

That's unrealistic; it requires a lot of luck.

Instead of relying on this, we should hope for the introduction of new players, which might change the situation.

However, compared to the above, Ethan would prefer to see Nobita and Iwasaki have an irreconcilable conflict, so that their value as third parties can be enhanced.

He believed that given the clash of their values, such a thing was bound to happen sooner or later.

All he needs to do is find the right opportunity and give it a push from the shadows.

He had absorbed the essence of the Heart of Stitching he found in London, restoring his strength to its peak and bringing him one step closer to intermediate growth.

I believe that if we work harder during this period and continue to create more cruel events under the guise of vampires to incite panic, we can achieve our goal in as little as one month to two months.
[The settlement for "Anatomy of Britain" is complete]

Ranking rewards have been distributed.

[Given the excellent performance of all players in this game, everyone will receive an outstanding ending reward.]

Just then, a system notification at midnight interrupted his thoughts.

Everyone is excellent?

Does that high and mighty "unknown" really enjoy seeing players united? Or does he actually appreciate the effort players put into clearing the game? Unity is just one aspect of it.

He quickly composed himself and immediately checked his reward.

[Ranking No. 3 Reward: 100 points]

[Excellent ending points reward: 100 points]

[Excellent Ending Ability Reward: Symbiotic Embrace]

[Symbiotic Embrace - You can choose one person to establish a "Life Link" based on the principle of complete mutual consent. After linking: Both parties' overall abilities (including health, maximum energy, etc.) are enhanced; they share a life pool and buffs (if one is injured, the other shares the damage; if one is healed, the other also benefits); you can actively transfer your own life energy to your teammate to enhance or heal them. If one party dies, the other will suffer severe damage, and the link will break. Once established, the link cannot be changed.]

Ethan was initially shocked by the generous points reward, but he was quickly drawn to the effects of Symbiotic Embrace, and the more he looked at it, the more his brows furrowed.

This ability is both suitable and unsuitable for him.

"Suitable" means that, purely in terms of ability, it is indeed very useful. Not only can you improve yourself, but the other party can also improve. Moreover, you can use blood energy to heal the other party and can also greatly avoid the situation where the other party dies suddenly and you suffer the consequences.

"Unsuitable" refers to personality traits.

Complete voluntariness is a threshold.

The cost of one party dying and the other being severely injured is too high, meaning that the best person to be bound to is someone he can completely trust.

Ha, such a person simply doesn't exist.

Even if he had it, if his strength was weak, it would be of no use to Ethan.

When a country is strong enough, it becomes difficult to achieve complete voluntariness.

After much deliberation, the optimal solution seems to be only one: to bind a player who desperately craves power and has potential but is currently weak. However, this also carries the risk of investment failure.

At that moment, Arthur sent a private message, which was his reward.

One hundred points, and the item is quite interesting.

[The Shroud (Non-Transferable) - An old cloth exuding a faint holy aura. When Arthur suffers fatal damage, the Shroud automatically activates, forming a brief, absolute defensive shield and instantly removing all negative effects, granting him a five-minute all-around buff. Uses: 3/3]

A life-saving artifact.

Given Arthur's abilities, this is exactly the kind of item he needs most.

It just feels a bit wasteful. If this kind of tool were given to a stronger person, its power would be even more terrifying.

However, Ethan quickly realized that while this item was excellent for Arthur, it might have an effect on other players that went beyond that.

The rewards in the game are not necessarily fair as long as players are at the same level.

Park Min-woo didn't mention his reward, only the settlement points, which were also one hundred.

But judging from the trembling of Park Min-woo's slime-like form, Ethan suspected that the reward was not simple.

Based on the current clues, the rewards are generally divided into three types: abilities, permanent items, and items that can be used multiple times.

Among them, abilities are undoubtedly the most practical, while props feel somewhat lacking, except for disposable props.

Because there is only one chance, the effect will be exceptionally strong.

Moreover, the items for the excellent ending may not have any side effects, unlike the blood clotting spores he used earlier, which were powerful but came at a high price, reducing his maximum health by a significant amount, and it was only with great difficulty that he managed to replenish it.

"Now, I'm applying to establish a guild." Now that he had the scarce points, Ethan no longer hesitated. He suppressed his lingering doubts about [Symbiotic Embrace] and directly submitted the guild application and the guild name he had already thought of to the system.

Day of Revenge

The name blatantly reveals their intentions and stance: to attract players whose ideals clash with the mutual aid association's or who harbor resentment towards the real world. Guild rules? Absolutely none. Ethan hasn't even set up the most basic clauses like "no mutual attacks" or "keep your identity confidential."

This guild will rely entirely on the purest interests as its binding force.

Park Min-woo and Arthur had no objection to the name; their eyes were full of satisfaction.

Revenge is their deepest driving force after gaining power, without exception.

[Guild News: The guild 'Revenge Day' has been successfully established, with player 'Sen' serving as the guild leader. A private meeting room is now open.]

[Guild Rules: None]

A second guild has finally emerged among the players.

Most players weren't surprised by this. Ethan's guild formation had always been somewhat public knowledge, but it was limited by his poverty; otherwise, it would have been established when Silver Cup Manor ended.

They are still thinking more about how to make better use of this excellent reward.

The atmosphere in the Mutual Aid Association meeting room is completely different from that in the player lobby.

Regarding the rewards they received, everyone except Hayato and Ludu kept their expressions well-controlled.

"Wow! A fusion ability! Awesome!" Hayato shouted, and the whole association roughly knew what his reward was.

“Mine is just as good, look!” Lu Du proudly puffed out his chest, showing it off to the people next to him, as if presenting a treasure.

[Pasta God's Gift - Enjoy a Feast Coupon *5: A tattered-looking coupon. The Pasta Apostle can tear off a corner of the coupon and unconditionally pray to the "Flying Pasta God" for a "full meal." The effect is to instantly heal all non-fatal wounds, fully restore stamina and spirit, and dispel most negative status effects.]

"Ahem! Ludu!" Uesugi Hitomi was startled and quickly helped her put away the meal ticket, reminding her in a low voice, "Didn't we say that we can't just tell others the details of our identity and abilities?!"

Lu Du blinked, looking confused: "Huh, does that count?"

"Calculate!"

"But, didn't Hayato the Chosen also say that?" Ludu pointed to Hayato, who was still gesturing excitedly. He was now gesturing wildly to the helpless Oshima, showing off how cool and awesome his abilities were.

Uesugi sighed helplessly and glanced at Taki and Nobi, who were already used to it and didn't even bother to stop it.

Can they be the same? They've basically given up on Hayato's impulsive nature. But Ludu still has a lot of potential.

It seems that leaving Ludu in Hayato's care was not a good decision; being dull-witted is contagious.

"Trust is precious, but not everyone deserves it," Uesugi said earnestly to Ludu, not wanting this naive child to be hurt in the future because of trusting others too easily.

Lu Du nodded as if he understood, and carefully put away the meal ticket.

"...Next time I get the chance, I'll show you something amazing! I'll show you what it means to be weak and frail, yet mechanically ascend to immortality!" Hayato finally finished bragging to Oshima, only to realize everyone was staring at him. "Hmm? You guys want to see it now?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison.

It was Taki who spoke up, changing the subject.

"Next, I will be going into seclusion for a while to focus on weapon crafting and mining in the Chaotic Rock Territory. If you need any custom-made extraordinary weapons, you can come to me."

As the intensity of the battles increased, she discovered that the biggest problem currently limiting her strength was the lack of more qualified extraordinary weapons.

Therefore, she could only rely on the boost from ordinary equipment, but the peak of ordinary people is only the lower limit of most extraordinary people.

The Fire-Breaking Pill could barely be considered a semi-supernatural weapon, and she relied entirely on it for survival. However, it was now severely damaged and could no longer be used in such frequent battles; it needed careful repair and modification.

Moreover, honing one's skills through weapon crafting not only yields weapons but also fosters personal growth, making it a superior form of cultivation.

She has always focused on fighting, which makes her seem to have put the cart before the horse.

Refining weapons might be the best way for her to improve her strength.

She couldn't explain things about her abilities in detail to others, so she had to figure them out on her own. Now that she's realized it, it's not too late.

"Me! Me! Me! I want to upgrade my car. How many points do you want?" Hayato was the first to place an order.

Oshima looked at his fists and thought he might want to get a boxing glove as a weapon. Thinking this, he glanced enviously at Nobi.

The president is very capable; he even comes with his own equipment and weapons.

Uesugi watched with envy. If she also had the ability to manufacture these weapons or consumables, wouldn't her points pile up like crazy?
Unfortunately, she was just a cat that no one cared for.

The poor cat can't even taste the refreshing flavor of cola.

Weapons are useless to her; her main attack methods rely on her breath and shikigami. Although the reward she just received is good for both offense and defense, she thinks it is more for survival.

[Calamity Cat - Stores the pain one suffers (such as injury or negative status effects) (with a limit), and releases it all at once when needed, converting it into an equal amount of curse energy to inflict on an enemy or enhance one's next attack. There is a cooldown period after release.]

We can't just imitate an animal in an anime, carrying a sword to slash people, can we? Her teeth aren't that strong!
Although Ikeda logged on, he remained silent as always, making no request to forge any weapons, and finally logged off quietly without a sound.

Compared to the bustling Mutual Aid Association and the relatively talkative Revenge Day Guild, Iwasaki and Yui were as quiet as if they were dead in Peach Blossom Village, sitting on chairs in the courtyard without making a sound.

The calico fox that was passing by was almost startled. It whimpered twice in dissatisfaction and headed towards someone's field where the crops were about to ripen.

"Is it about to begin?" Iwasaki asked after experiencing his reward.

"Hmm." Yui nodded casually. "That's about it."

"Is your original body still in London?"

"Correct."

This can barely be considered an alibi.

How it was done is also easy to understand.

Yui's ability is related to her mind. During the game, she can create a clone and send it back to Japan through the Mercy Crystal. Then, she can use it to mentally corrupt key pieces, which can achieve good results.

Her abilities may not be strong in combat, but they are definitely bizarre enough to be used against humans.

Most people are defenseless against an attack that originates from the mind.

Iwasaki was unaware that Yui had used the reward she had just received to devise a backup plan.

Her determination to carry out the plan was unwavering.

The beginning of the month is a good day, and from that day onwards, chaos will rage in Japan.

In order to achieve the "great unity" she hoped for.

　Thank you to "Book Not a Book" for the donation.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)