DonutWizard: "Wedge, heal someone already! Why don't you heal one of us?"
Reaver: "Heh heh, I'm ready for it. Come on, hurry up, I'm about to get killed!"
The core members of the SSR Club were speeding through the dungeon.
Usually, Wedge was the type to smile and go along with the playful banter of these younger players. But now, her demeanor was completely different.
Her face cold as ice, Wedge looked up at Reaver. "You guys are national champions, professional players with years of experience. But now, tell me, what achievements have you made in Infinite Dimensions?"
"Why is Wedge bringing this up now?" DonutWizard asked, bewildered, failing to notice the drastic change in her expression.
"Does anyone realize that our guild is on the brink of life or death? Can any of you see that?!"
"What good are you to me? You call yourselves professional players, and all you do is sit here, blowing your own trumpet?!"
Wedge screamed, her gaze filled with frustration and fury, like a storm that had nowhere to go.
The SSR members were all startled, wide-eyed as they looked at her. None of them had ever seen Wedge lose control like this before.
Snow Dream, looking thoughtful, approached Wedge and said calmly, "We've had a long day of raiding. Don't push yourself. Let's log off."
"Who pissed her off? Someone better step up and apologize!" Reaver frowned, looking at the others, trying to find the culprit.
DonutWizard and the others awkwardly shook their heads.
Reaver's expression darkened. He could sense the urgency in Wedge's words. If they couldn't deliver real achievements soon, these so-called professional players might be discarded by the SSR guild and their UJ consortium.
"What should we do, Reaver?" DonutWizard asked cautiously.
"Kill the enemy. At any cost. We'll carry out the boss's plan to the end. We have no other option," Reaver said coldly.
The SSR members had mostly not participated in today's joint assault against the Godslayer guild. This wasn't just because they weren't familiar with the UJ players but because of their identity as US professional players.
If they worked alongside the UJ players, they'd attract the attention of nationalists, which would hurt their reputations and impact their commercial value. So many of SSR's core players had been hoping to just sit back, let Shimoji and Godslayer fight it out, and then swoop in to eliminate Godslayer after both sides had weakened each other. That way, they'd get fame and profit.
But now, Reaver had completely abandoned that plan. If the SSR guild was gone, who cared about reputation?
Wedge didn't say anything. She quickly left the party, and Snow Dream, wearing a faint smile, followed her offline.
"Your plan is exposed, president," Snow Dream said with a smile.
"I know. Don't tell me you're happy about it?"
Wedge quickly regained her composure, casting a quick glance at Snow Dream before saying nothing further.
"Happy? Hardly. We're all in the same boat now. I understand the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.'"
Snow Dream lit a cigarette and smiled faintly. "I think some people have become indecisive after being nourished by love. That's not quite like you."
"You're prying into my private affairs? Riley, you've really grown," Wedge said with a slight frown.
"I'm just learning from you. Can't say you haven't taught me well. Now, tell me—Archbishop Karquil is dead. How many votes do you need to become the Saintess?" Snow Dream asked with a smile.
"So, you're saying… you can help me get some votes?" Wedge's eyes flashed in surprise as she remained calm.
"I need at least three votes. Four would be safer," Wedge replied.
"I can help you," Snow Dream said, her smile widening as she exhaled a puff of smoke, her refined face taking on a slightly more mature air.
"Interesting. So what do you want from me in return? Don't tell me you're just mad that guy didn't accept you?" Wedge's gaze sharpened for a moment.
Snow Dream chuckled softly, then looked at Wedge with a serious expression. "How about 20% of SSR's shares?"
"20% of the shares?" Wedge's expression darkened as she quickly ran the numbers in her head, calculating the cost and benefit of this deal.
"If you don't like it, forget I said anything. You see, others might not understand how important the title of Saintess is to you, but don't think you can fool me, my teacher." Snow Dream smiled calmly, not in a hurry.
The Light of the Saintess quest series, if Wedge could stand out among the candidates, would directly grant her the full support of the Holy Light Church. This wasn't just about getting massive attribute points or talent points—it also gave her some control over the church's troops. In the late game, she might even be able to control the entire church's power.
This was the key reason why Wedge had cracked when Karquil, the NPC, had died. Without that crucial vote, she was at a serious disadvantage. After all, there were still other candidates vying for the position of Saintess, and getting a single vote would require tremendous effort, including ongoing tasks to improve the relationship with the Red-robed Archbishop.
"So you've become a candidate for Saintess too?" Wedge stared at her. She hadn't realized how deeply Snow Dream had hidden her plans—she hadn't heard a single whisper about it.
"That's none of your business. You get your votes, I get my shares. It's a deal that benefits us both. If you don't agree, that's fine," Snow Dream said with a sweet smile, before extinguishing her cigarette and preparing to leave.
Wedge's face turned cold. "Wait. We can talk."
Outside Saint Maiden City, the battle resumed as Godslayer's three raiding teams were cornered at the dungeon's entrance.
The UJ players were at least level 30 and each of them had at least three pieces of epic gear. They had a clear division of roles: mages and ranged players continuously bombarded the dungeon exit, while the melee and thief players took advantage to finish off weakened enemies.
The Godslayer knights, led by Ride Donkey, were hiding behind a giant rock, using large shields to try to cover the others' retreat. But as soon as they peeked out, they were forced back by the overwhelming firepower.
"With this gear, they dare to call themselves the number one guild in the US?"
"Heh, Kawakita's right. Aside from the undefeated Sorcerer, no one else in Godslayer is worth mentioning."
"Blue gear players think they can fight us? Their shoes are already falling off, haha!"
The UJ players laughed scornfully, while several Godslayer warriors fell in battle, quickly followed by a joint attack from the mages and archers.
The loot was dismal: only two pieces of blue gear and a bunch of useless trash. This only made the UJ players laugh harder.
"These idiots thought they could catch us with their main force. Wait for it, we've got this!"
Ride Donkey cursed, then patted two of the knights and grinned, "You two, go in again. Give them a taste of what it's like."
"Vice-Captain, remember to reimburse us for the losses."
"Heh, and don't forget the gold supplement."
The two knights exchanged a glance, grinning like fools.
"Ah! This time it's our turn to go, right? You knights already went twice. We're going this time!" A few warriors immediately began arguing, eager to rush in and die for the cause.
Ride Donkey sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright. Go together, but at least make it look like you're struggling before you die!"
After that, several Godslayer members screamed and blindly charged forward.
"Come fight me in a 1v1, real man showdown!"
"Prepare to die!"
The melee players shouted as they charged, full of bravado.
"Godslayer, you've really made me laugh," the UJ battalion commander, an A-rank archer, said with a wicked smile as he watched the futile struggles of the Godslayer members.
"Press forward, everyone. Get ready with the enslavement talismans!"
Four Godslayer players were killed, and the UJ battalion commander laughed heartily, as his teammates closed in. They planned to flank and eliminate the remaining members, looting their corpses afterward.
Seeing this, Ride Donkey was overjoyed. He shouted in the guild channel, "The target is hooked! Madman!"
"Hit them hard! Don't let them escape! Kill them at the dungeon entrance!"
With a roar from Madman, the shadowy figures of his twenty-strong assassin team appeared, rushing down from the bushes.
Madman flashed a wicked grin, silently circled behind the A-rank archer, and appeared out of nowhere.
He said, "So you think you can call for help, huh?"
Crit -3200!
Poison -1200
**Poison -1200
**
Crit -3200!
"Who... who are you?!" the UJ battalion commander gasped, too shocked to react.
Madman's stealth class might have been about sneaking around, but lately, he'd been the one delivering the final blow to most bosses. His Soul Seal poison damage had reached an intermediate level.
In no time, he wiped out the UJ battalion commander with a series of deadly strikes.
"Who are we? We're your worst nightmare! We're your worst nightmare!" Madman sneered.