Chapter 73: The Call to Arms

However, we had barely emerged from the cave, and before we could even make it out of the basin, the phone rang once more.

– Fairy Sister, we’ve encountered some unpleasantness… There are two individuals who seem to be acquaintances of yours. They recognized Qingyu and me, and then, like rabid dogs, they immediately began provoking us… Unfortunately, their equipment is superior to ours, and they brought a significantly larger group. They didn’t hesitate to resort to violence at the slightest provocation. Luckily, we were quite close to the dungeon entrance and managed to take refuge inside, narrowly escaping death. We’re now cowering within the dungeon, too afraid to venture out. We’ve heard they’re still blocking the exit. Perhaps we should just accept defeat, die and respawn, then find something else to do elsewhere, and attempt this dungeon another day? –

“Acquaintances? Two individuals?” Su Yingning queried, a flicker of confusion crossing her features.

‘Two individuals immediately sprang to my mind. If it truly were them, the impending chaos promised to be immensely entertaining.’

– One is a human female priest named ‘Lihuanhuan,’ and the other, a human male warrior, goes by ‘Huaji.’ Both belong to a branch of the Sword Sweeping the World guild… Should we perhaps lie low for a while? –

‘Sword Sweeping the World? Given Gunfire Rose’s current capabilities, a direct confrontation with Sword Sweeping the World was utterly out of the question, even against a branch guild! That formidable behemoth could obliterate Gunfire Rose with the same effortless ease one might crush an ant!’

‘However, if it truly came down to those two particular individuals… wouldn’t simply retreating be far too humiliating?’

“Let’s utterly crush them!” Su Shunhua exclaimed, a surge of exhilaration in his voice.

Su Yingning, sighing faintly, clapped a hand over my mouth, her brow furrowing deeply as she sank into contemplation.

‘Evidently, Su Yingning had also deduced the identities of those two. Gunfire Rose boasted few true adversaries, and if there were individuals who not only understood the guild’s every nuance but also harbored a deep-seated animosity towards it, then the Xiang siblings were the only plausible answer!’

‘Some rivalries, it seemed, were simply inescapable; it was astounding how these two continued to plague us even within the virtual world!’

‘Yet, as the current guild leader, she was obligated to consider the welfare of the entire guild. While a declaration of war might be easily issued, withstanding a full-scale siege from Sword Sweeping the World would prove an arduous, if not impossible, task!’

‘Even as she yearned to charge headlong into the enemy’s midst, fighting to the bitter end, she was compelled to weigh the very survival of the guild that depended on her. To act otherwise would not be courage, but utter folly!’

‘Weak. Utterly weak! Gunfire Rose remained far too vulnerable! A crushing sense of helplessness simultaneously washed over both Su Yingning and me.’

Nevertheless, Su Yingning made a swift, decisive call: “We’re heading there immediately!”

‘If they allowed others to oppress them without offering any resistance, and news of their inaction spread, it wouldn’t be long before the guild’s morale utterly disintegrated, rendering it impossible to ever rally again. After all, no one desired to remain in a place devoid of both security and fighting spirit!’

‘At this juncture, only one course of action remained open to them: to fight with everything they had! Should their adversaries declare war on Gunfire Rose, they would then engage in relentless guerrilla tactics!’

– Please, don’t come! If you do, you’ll undoubtedly be encircled and slain before you even reach the dungeon entrance… Although your ID has been altered, it remains too similar to your previous one; they’ll still recognize you! Dying once is hardly the end of the world… –

“Fairy Sister,” I asserted, “listen to me. You and the others are to wait inside the dungeon. We’re on our way there immediately!”

– We? –

“Precisely. I’m not alone; I’ve brought along… a powerful expert, an older sister! The kind who can single-handedly take on a hundred opponents!”

‘Oh, they’re calling me ‘older sister’ now! While it’s slightly disheartening not to be called ‘older brother,’ it’s still a vast improvement over being likened to someone as timid as Xiaoya!’

– Take… take on a hundred? Don’t be ridiculous! Who in this game could possibly face a hundred opponents alone right now? What is your expert sister’s profession? Is it some legendary hidden class? –

“…A priest,” Su Yingning mumbled, clearing her throat. A blush of embarrassment touched her cheeks, for it was common knowledge that priests were considered a frail, submissive class, often stereotyped as having generous bosoms and delicate constitutions, easily overwhelmed.

– Fine, I’m going to commit suicide. Whatever you do, please don’t come here and needlessly throw your lives away. –

“No dying, I forbid it! This is the guild leader’s direct order! It’s the Spider’s Nest, correct? We’ll be there without delay! Hanging up now, bye-bye!”

The phone began to ring once more, but Su Yingning ignored it.

We immediately broke into a frantic sprint.