Yingning was surrounded again.
She stood at the very edge of the Safe Zone. One more step forward would strip her of its protection, leaving her at the mercy of the high-level players circling like vultures, ready to shred her with their blades.
Before her stood Yujianlin—the Guild Leader of the very guild hunting her. Clad in gleaming Mithril Locking Armor that shimmered with an eerie jade light, he wore a mocking smirk. "Stubborn, aren’t you? Hiding in the Safe Zone? Calling friends for backup? You’d rather die pointlessly all day long."
"Hmph. Bring it on." The frosty expression on the girl’s face left no room for idle chatter.
"Easy now, beauty," Yujianlin dropped the smirk, feigning seriousness. "This stalemate benefits no one. Every game’s first three days are golden hours. Get ahead early, reap massive rewards. As a Guild Leader yourself, you know this."
"So what? I’m just one player. You’ve wasted half your guild chasing me." Yingning saw right through him. His urgency betrayed his words. Every time she respawned at a new point, his guild had to split forces to guard every possible spawn location—nonstop, no rest. Though she remained stuck at Level 1, *he* was bleeding resources far worse.
Death after death, she’d memorized every face that killed her. She’d noticed familiar faces vanishing, replaced by new ones. Spotting specific players in a sea of ragged newbies was exhausting. Many of his guards must be near collapse by now. Only her striking looks made her easy to track; otherwise, fatigue would’ve kicked them offline hours ago. This wasn’t just a siege—it was mutual destruction.
"Half the guild? Don’t flatter yourself. These are just a fraction of our members. I’ll compensate them later. Crushing a Level 1 alt like you? We only send alts too. Our main force hit Level 10 hours ago. They’ve left Newbie Village. Do I look stupid enough to waste elites on you?" His tone was light, but sweat beaded on his brow.
The main force *wasn’t* here—but these were his trusted inner circle. He’d planned to groom them into guild officers. If they fell behind while guarding respawn points, missing prime resources and leveling opportunities, no title would earn them respect later. In-game, power ruled.
Yingning was right. He *couldn’t* afford this.
But then he remembered the whispers about high-tier pets’ godlike power. *Just get that Nine-Tailed Fox. Just make her trade it to me. Worth it. Even if the guild collapses, it’s worth it.* Early-game, before top-tier gear dropped, a pet that grew with its master could turn the tide of a hundred battles. The mere thought set his blood ablaze.
"Stop fighting. Think beyond yourself. Think of the guild you built from nothing. A Guild Leader’s choices never affect just one person. Weak leaders lose respect. Guilds crumble. And if you keep wasting time here? No time to master game mechanics. No time to join guild events. Your entire guild’s strength will rot." Each word struck Yingning’s heart. Seeing her hesitate, he pressed harder: "What about the massive official event next month? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for guild growth! Your members care. A leader doesn’t chase personal gains!"
He spoke without a flicker of shame, forgetting his own actions sacrificed his guild’s interests.
Yingning’s resolve wavered for only a heartbeat. Then she shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips. "I built that guild. It won’t fall because of me. You’re right—I didn’t call them. So… I’ll transfer Guild Leader rights to someone else."
Yujianlin gritted his teeth. *Ruthless. She’s ruthless—even to herself.* As a fellow leader, he knew how hard it was to bind selfish players to a guild’s fate. Only after aligning their interests could you earn loyalty—a painstaking, years-long labor. And she’d throw it all away… for a *pet*?
"To you, she’s just a pet. To me?" Yingning’s voice turned steel. "She’s my only harbor in this world. My only family left. My reason to stay. Kill me for a year. Kill me till this game shuts down. I won’t quit. I won’t give her up. *He’s* waiting for me here. *She’s* waiting for her master."
Her words rang sharp and final. Then she stepped forward—planting her foot firmly beyond the Safe Zone’s edge, into the blood-tinged circle of blades.
Yujianlin’s face darkened. "Then die again. Cool your head. Stand back—I’ll handle this myself!"
"Boss! Your Karma Points are maxed! If you die, you’ll lose all your gear!"
"Relax," he waved off the concern. "Whose Karma isn’t maxed? This is Newbie Village. No one dares touch us."
***Crack.***
Before the last word faded, a streak of white light—flecked with emerald sparks—slammed into Yujianlin’s right cheek.
**[Precise Strike -79]**
**[You were attacked by player Ningbeibei. As you initiated combat within the last 30 minutes, this is lawful retaliation. No Karma added to attacker.]**
*Attacked by Ningbeibei?*
*Ridiculous! She’s standing right here, eyes closed, waiting to die!*
*Stupid glitchy system—*
***Crack.***
Another white streak shot from nowhere—this time slamming into his left cheek.
**[Precise Strike -79]**
**[You were killed by player Ningbeibei via lawful retaliation. Due to excessive Karma, attacker gains 1% of your total EXP, +5 Reputation, +5 Chivalry. All non-bound equipment dropped.]**
The world drained to grayscale. As his spirit floated toward the Respawn Point, his last sight was his own corpse—and the two dark green pellets embedded deep in his cheeks.
*What the hell… was that?*
