Chapter 22: Spoils of War and a Peculiar Aftermath

The pet space before me lay utterly empty, the downward pull vanishing the instant I was teleported away.

Who had ever suggested I would sacrifice myself to save my sister? If I couldn’t even dispatch over 200 mere ruffians, what claim would I have to be an assassin!

Even without the Level Two Group Throw skill or the Holy Light Blessing, I could still have dealt with them effortlessly. It would merely have consumed more time and energy, and I would have been forced to reveal my true capabilities before Yingning.

This single engagement saw the complete annihilation of 257 enemy players.

A total of 1285 Reputation and 1285 Chivalry points were accrued, propelling Yingning, in one swift stroke, to the 15th position on both the Reputation and Chivalry leaderboards.

The total experience gained amounted to…

Presently, my level stands at 11, while Yingning’s is 10. This places us at 18475th on the global level rankings and 3327th within the Asian region, firmly positioning us in the T2 tier.

(TL Note: T2 signifies second-tier players.)

Through the elimination of red-named players, we acquired a total of 130 pieces of common-quality green gear, 20 pieces of green gear boasting additional attributes, and a complete set of 10 exquisite green items.

“This is truly… like a dream,” Yingning murmured, having gathered every piece of equipment. She slumped at the base of the mountain, her gaze fixed on the myriad stars twinkling in the game world, feeling utterly depleted, unwilling to stir a single limb.

In the absence of any onlookers, the soft vulnerability of a young maiden at last bloomed upon her features.

While no one truly desired to shoulder excessive responsibility, as the guild leader, she found herself with no alternative but to safeguard the existence of this expansive family.

Observing the exhausted Yingning through the video call, a quiet tenderness unexpectedly blossomed within my heart.

“Finally, we can enjoy some peace and quiet for a while, Xiaoya,” Yingning exclaimed, her voice brimming with elation. “Later, I’ll take you to meet my friends… they’ll be absolutely floored when they see you! Ha! Let them continue to claim I’m a pathetic guild leader! I’d truly like to see who dares to call me weak now!”

Yingning’s chest rose and fell dramatically, her face radiant with delight. Like a child, she couldn’t stop giggling foolishly at the immense trove of resources now filling her inventory.

The profound victory achieved in this battle would undoubtedly act as a potent shot of adrenaline for her guild members, particularly after they had been repeatedly ‘wiped’ by [Sword Wields the World].

Though true vengeance remained an insurmountable distance away, she had never, in her wildest dreams, conceived of ever exacting retribution against such a colossal entity within her lifetime.

Initially, she had fretted over lagging behind her guild members’ progress, wondering how she would account for herself upon their reunion. Yet now… she had returned, crowned with success and renown, her inventory overflowing with spoils!

“Hmm? Who’s lacking green gear? Take it, take it!” she exclaimed, her generosity boundless. “No money needed! These things are practically littering the ground; why would I want payment? Just take as much as you desire!”

I refrained from disrupting her buoyant mood. Yujian Lin and his cohorts would be unable to reach this location anytime soon; even if they could, they would likely be devoid of both the courage and morale required. Indeed, at this very moment, that guild must be embroiled in a tumultuous revolution.

They would undoubtedly be impeaching Yujian Lin, the utterly disgraced guild leader who, disregarding the entire guild’s welfare, had personally steered them into a fiery abyss!

Tonight, not a single soul would again heed the directives of such a culpable figure!

Meanwhile, Yujian Lin would be compelled to compensate the guild members for their losses out of his own pocket. I eagerly anticipated the moment he would log off, his face utterly crestfallen, then log into his online banking, and the expression that would cross his features upon seeing his bank account balance. That, without a doubt, would be a spectacle for the ages!

Oh, I hadn’t done much, truly. I had merely, on his behalf, ‘donated’ ninety-nine percent of his savings to the Red Cross. Therefore, representing the children in disaster-stricken regions, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the magnificent Guild Leader Yujian Lin.

Naturally, if his audacity knew no bounds, he could attempt to reclaim that substantial deposit. I have no doubt it would prove an utterly unforgettable experience for him…

“I’m terribly sorry, I made an error with the donation. I’m not truly that benevolent,” he might plead, “I’m a heinous scoundrel. Could you possibly return the funds to me…”

My stomach churned and spasmed at the mere thought of such a scenario.

What proved rather vexing was that despite having rocketed to Level 11 in a single push, I had merely acquired a host of healing and support skills that were inherently guaranteed upon leveling. The sole special skill I had managed to grasp, astonishingly, turned out to be a life skill!

Life Skill Mastery: This passive skill grants a +1 to both the pet’s and owner’s life profession skill ranks, and is upgradable.

Though separated by thousands of miles, both of us meticulously scrutinized the spoils reaped from this arduous battle.

Consequently, neither of us registered the unsettling fact that the corpses of over two hundred players at the mountain’s base remained eerily untouched, persisting without respawning for an unnaturally long duration.

From the neck of each fallen corpse, a single, dark crimson thread of light eerily emerged, slowly creeping towards the small mountain. It ascended, coiling and etching a dense, intricate network of dark red patterns across the mountain’s very form.