Pa!

I dropped from the sky and fell almost soundlessly on top of a grassy patch on the ridge. It was about 200 meters away from the boss. The players were so focused on Xing Tian that none of them had noticed my existence… yet. Also, considering their skill and level, it was only a matter of time before they killed it.

I scanned the area with Dark Pupils again. Tear Stain and Red Ovenbird’s players aside, another dozen or so players were walking this direction from another canyon. The blood-red emblem on their arms marked them as a member of the Chaotic 27; Brazilians to be more accurate. Walking in front of them was a young man who looked to be about 27 years old. He wielded an ice blade, and the text above his head stated—

Who Will Fight Me LV-212 Master Swordsman

Main City: Flying Dragon City

Guild: Vanguard

Position: Leader

……

Oh, it’s Who Will Fight Me… I exhaled a bit. I had investigated this player on the forums before. He was an exceptionally skilled technical player and a strong rival of Red Ovenbird. He was also the number one player of the Brazil server and the leader of the strongest guild in Flying Dragon City, Vanguard. The guild was without a doubt one of his greatest assets.

Bang!

Red Ovenbird struck Xing Tian’s arm with his axe and dealt 90k+ damage before backing away. He glanced in Who Will Fight Me’s direction before saying in a low tone, "Watch out, Tear Stain. Vanguard is coming our way, and they’re accompanied by Who Will Fight Me. Hmph, That guy and I don’t exactly share the greatest relationship, so don’t let down your guard. He may attack us just because he doesn’t like me!"

Tear Stain smirked. "Don’t worry. I’ll speak with this rival of yours, so keep the boss busy in the meantime. This is a good chance to test the strength of the so-called number one expert of Flying Dragon City really."

Red Ovenbird smiled. "His technique is inferior to yours, but his guild, Vanguard, cannot be underestimated. If possible, try not to escalate this into a full-blown conflict!"

"Got it!"

After that, Tear Stain galloped toward Who Will Fight Me’s group and greeted them with a smile, "Hello. Throne of the Wild, Glory and Dark Clouds are fighting the boss right now. Please don’t disrupt us until we’re done."

Her words were polite, but Who Will Fight Me narrowed his eyes menacingly and placed his hand on his sword’s grip. "Some people may acknowledge you, but I am not one of them, Tear Stain. Seven Star City is currently in the Chaotic 27’s hands, and everyone knows that Burning City is an ally to the Americans. It is only a matter of time before a war breaks out between us. So tell me, why should I wait until the inevitable when I can take you out right now?"

Then, he looked at the boss and noticed Red Ovenbird commanding the boss fight. He cursed, "That bastard is here too!?"

Tear Stain smirked. "Red Ovenbird is my ally. So? What are you going to do now?"

Suddenly, Who Will Fight Me let out an uncontrollable laugh. "Back then, the bastard promised the China server that his sword would only be pointed to the north, not the China server. However, he later submitted to the might of the Northern Alliance and turned on Wind City instead. Hmph, I disdain vile, self-serving people like him!"

"Silence!"

Tear Stain grew annoyed. "Who Will Fight Me, don’t think I wouldn’t dare to kill you just because you’re the guild leader of the number one guild in Brazil!"

Who Will Fight Me chuckled. "Just try me if you dare, girl. My brothers and sisters may not all be here, but we’re still more than willing to teach you a lesson!"

"Then come!"

……

The tension felt as sharp as a razor blade. It was bold of Tear Stain to challenge Vanguard’s group of twenty to a fight, but she did possess Candlelight Shadow’s level of skill and equipment. Although Who Will Fight Me was the best cavalryman of his server, Brazil’s competitive standard was inferior to Korea’s. There was a higher-than-50% chance that he wouldn’t be able to defeat Tear Stain.

While this was going on, I was panicking in my corner and praying to the heavens that someone would step up and rein in Who Will Fight Me. If the impulsive bastard actually engaged Tear Stain and got himself and his group killed, I would lose the only chance I saw so far to disrupt the boss fight.

"We’re here for the Ancient Divine Skill, guild leader. There’s no point in dueling these people and losing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, is there?" His vice leader, an older man who looked to be around 35 years old, said quietly at this moment. It was clear that he was the think tank of his guild.

"Hmph!"

The light surrounding Who Will Fight Me’s sword slowly faded. In the end, he said, "Fine. This fight can wait until a better time. Do whatever you want, but remember, Vanguard does not promise that they won’t try to contest the boss."

Tear Stain chuckled in a carefree tone. "You’re certainly welcome to try, if you are still alive by then!"

"Hmph!"

……

I let out a sigh of relief. Of all 27 countries, Brazil was the only server that didn’t send a main force to attack Wind City. None of Vanguard’s players had set foot on Chinese soil during the War of the Center either. The reason for this was none other Who Will Fight Me. The man was courageous and honest, and he had done everything in his power to uphold the non-aggression pact between the Chaotic 27 and China even though Red Ovenbird himself had broken it. Based on this alone, it was worth trying to develop Who Will Fight Me into an ally.

I leaped out of my hiding spot and dashed between the trees. The players fighting the boss couldn’t see me because a normal player’s radar range was around 150 yards or so only, also known as their vision range. However, my Dark Pupils enabled me to see everything within 2000 yards of me. It was an advantage they didn’t have.

A few minutes later, Who Will Fight Me and his players arrived at a forest clearing. They were going to kill the Chiyou Demon Soldiers here until a good opportunity to tournament the boss presented itself. Who Will Fight Me truly was a straightforward, manly fellow. He said he was going to tournament the boss, and so he would. He didn’t even bother to walk out of sight.

Swhoosh!

I slipped out from the underground and appeared right in front of Who Will Fight Me. Caught off-guard, several Vanguard players exclaimed in shock, "Who the—ambush!"

"Wait!"

Who Will Fight Me was the only one who didn’t panic. He took one glance at the WEL MVP emblem on my shoulder and smiled at me. "It’s a friend, not a foe!"

I revealed my ID and returned the smile. "Not bad. You really are as courageous as the rumors say."

A small smile crept onto the Vanguard vice leader’s lips. "If Broken Halberd Sinks Into Sand is here, then… heh, it looks like Tear Stain and Red Ovenbird will have to say goodbye to the boss. That’s good…"

I smiled again. "Well, I’ll be frank. Want to make a deal and contest this boss together?"

"How?"

"It’s simple. We’ll snatch Xing Tian’s scroll together and decide who it’ll go to later."

Who Will Fight Me chuckled. "That’s not very fair to us, is it? What if you claim the prize and escape right after the boss dies? You know full well there’s no one here who can stop you."

I planted my sword on the ground and said seriously, "What if I swear on my ID?"

"Haha!"

Who Will Fight Me guffawed. "It’s so much easier to speak with someone who understands. Very well, that is good enough for me. Now, how shall we do this?"

I shrugged. "What do you mean? We kill Tear Stain, kill the boss, and take the scroll. It’s that simple."

"..."

Who Will Fight Me looked surprised, but he quickly recovered and said, "I have a request."

"Speak!"

"I don’t care if Tear Stain lives or dies, but I want you to kill Red Ovenbird on top of taking the Ancient Divine Skill Scroll. Can you do that?"

I frowned a bit before replying, "I need to tell you something. If Xing Tian dies, it’ll drop an Ancient Divine Skill Scroll that can only be used by a player of the China server. Therefore, you won’t be able to use it even if you get it. Don’t worry though. If you can get me the scroll, I’ll exchange it for an Ancient Divine Skill Scroll you can use in return!"

"Oh?"

Who Will Fight Me’s eyes lit up. "You have an Ancient Divine Skill Scroll already?"

I showed off Alexander the Great’s Battle Axe for a second before putting it back into my bag. I added solemnly, "It’s an SS Rank Ancient Divine Skill. I promise you it’ll be as good as Xing Tian’s scroll."

Who Will Fight Me shuddered visibly before inhaling deeply. "Broken Halberd Sinks Into Sand, I’m sure you know the value of the scroll you’re holding. We haven’t even made a move yet, and you’re already promising us a scroll. I can’t help but wonder if you have an ulterior motive. After all, there are no free lunches in this world…"

I smiled a bit before leaning against the red maple tree behind me and replying, "It’s simple. Red Ovenbird has proven himself to be an untrustworthy oathbreaker, so he is no longer worthy of being the Center’s ally. I’m gifting this Ancient Divine Skill Scroll to you so that your fame and strength will outstrip his in every way. I want you to become the new master of the Chaotic 27. Only then can I trust the Chaotic 27 not to backstab us ever again!"

Who Will Fight Me grinned and clenched his fists tightly. "I’ve always disdained self-serving people like Red Ovenbird. Very well. If you will give me your promise, then I will do my utmost to stabilize our situation and take charge of the Chaotic 27 as well. Don’t worry. Even at the worst, no one is going to give up on Seven Star City!"

I nodded. "The China server will launch a counterattack against Wind City in four days. I hope that Vanguard will be able to take charge of the Chaotic 27 by then and intercept the reinforcements from Hero City, Titan City, Chariot City and more. With luck, we’ll be able to return Wind City to the Center in 24 hours tops. After that, we will stick together as if we’re the lips and the teeth. I will do everything in my power to ensure that Seven Star City will always be under the Chaotic 27’s control as well. What do you think?"

Who Will Fight Me simply walked up to me and extended his hand. "There is one Chinese quote that I am rather fond of: A promise is to be kept a lifetime!"

Clink!

It was the birth of a new alliance between the China server and the Chaotic 27. While the last one hadn’t gone as well as we hoped, I had a feeling that this one would be firmer than the agreement we had had with Red Ovenbird.

……

After that, I summoned the Phantom Wolf King and apparition again before slipping underground. I then waited patiently for the boss to grow weaker. Xing Tian wasn’t going to go down without a fight though. He swung his axe and shield and beat the crap out of the players who were disturbing his peace. Tear Stain’s group was 54-man strong at the beginning, but now there were only 21 players left even though Xing Tian had fallen to 7% HP. The severe casualty rate cast a shadow in everyone’s heart. As the guild leader, Tear Stain was acutely aware that the elites she lost would never be able to enter the Heavenly River Realm.

"It’s almost time. Get ready!" I said from the underground.

Chiang!

Who Will Fight Me pulled out his weapon and chuckled. "Got it. Weapons out, boys and girls!"