"I am Storm_Dominator. Brothers of the Heroes Guild, rally on me!"
As soon as Viserys blew the "dismissal" whistle like a high school gym teacher, the three thousand players began to move, creating a chaotic din.
In the crowd, Lin Yan (ID: Storm_Dominator), the Third Young Master of the Lin Family who had chosen the "Lord" class and was still wearing his starter gear, raised his arm. To the unsuspecting players, he seemed like a natural leader as dozens of people instantly gathered around him.
"Brothers of the Thunder Hall, assemble here!"
Player Nebula_Breaker (Ming Yu), crossing his arms, deliberately walked up next to his real-life rival, Lin Yan, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Similarly, after the Ming Family scion spoke, a large group of players quickly flocked to his side.
"Boss, do you have beef with that Lin guy IRL?" Bun_Immortal, relying on his status as a "veteran," had been appointed Vice Guild Leader and Logistics Manager by Ming Yu.
According to the Second Young Master Ming, he was here to fight and kill, so Bun_Immortal just needed to handle the logistics.
Relying on this connection, Bun_Immortal leaned in and asked quietly, despite not knowing his patron's temper well yet.
"You don't understand. Since we were kids, our families have compared us. From kindergarten to university, and now in business, this guy always tries to one-up me. I can't beat him in reality, so you think I'm gonna let him act tough in a game?"
Lin Yan (Storm_Dominator) glanced coldly at Ming Yu (Nebula_Breaker), who was standing opposite him showing off his manpower like a child showing off toys.
That look—like an adult dismissing a toddler's tantrum—made Ming Yu grind his teeth.
"Fing poser!"
The two groups, each numbering dozens of men, were soon swallowed by the tidal wave of 3,000 players. They weren't the only ones recruiting among the newbies.
The most popular destination was undoubtedly the only unit with official government backing: Minister_of_Excuses's Grenadier Corps.
In just a short time since logging on, this guy had recruited over forty Pyromancer players, expanding his corps to nearly eighty men. A strong and well-equipped force.
Meanwhile, Pineapple_Pizza_Lover's Knights Templar also expanded to seventy members. Unlike other guilds, the Knights Templar didn't recruit a single random player; every member was introduced by an existing acquaintance.
Because of this, knowledgeable players jokingly referred to them as the "Frat Boy Knights."
"Second Uncle, I told you this game was awesome."
Zhao Xiaotian withdrew his gaze from the thirty newly recruited Zhao Family bodyguards—err, new players—and looked sycophantically at the tall character model in front of him: his Second Uncle, Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji (ID: Immovable_Wisdom_King) recovered from his shock and patted Zhao Xiaotian on the shoulder.
"Xiaotian, you've done a great service for the family this time. This game... it's too damn real. Honestly, even people who don't like video games will get sucked into this. After all, who doesn't want an extra dozen hours of life every day?"
"And who wouldn't want..." Zhao Wuji's gaze fell on his third brother's legs. He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood.
"Who wouldn't want to run and jump like a normal person, right, Second Brother?" Zhao Zhengxiong (Dawn) finished the sentence nonchalantly.
Watching his brother take a deep breath and savor the air of this world, Zhao Wuji once again felt the immense potential and power of this game.
"So it was all thanks to you, Boss!"
In a corner, dozens of figures cloaked in black looked at the scrawny figure of Mouse_Is_Duck with burning admiration.
"Of course! Without me, there would be no Grenadier Corps for Minister. Do you think those veteran players got their gear so easily without my help?"
Other guilds recruited by throwing money or promising benefits. Mouse_Is_Duck's Brotherhood Without Banners, on the other hand, recruited purely by bullshtting.
With the help of a few hype-men in the guild, Mouse had gathered twenty to thirty new Assassin players around him.
"Don't look at those pyromaniacs just because they have official status. They can't compare to us. Our Guild Leader is deeply trusted by His Grace! What's the phrase? Simpatico with the Emperor!"
Player Flying_Bat, acting as the main hype-man, gave a thumbs up, looking proud.
"Our Brotherhood Without Banners will be the Imperial Guard of the future! You know the Flying Fish Robes and Embroidered Spring Blades, right?" Another hype-man, Caramel_Cotton_Candy, chimed in, stirring up the emotions of the new recruits.
Throughout history, Mouse might be the only one to build an army purely on boasting. He felt like Buggy the Clown from One Piece, somehow stumbling into leading a huge crew.
Of course, although the team was formed on hot air, Mouse didn't intend to cheat his brothers. He announced that after logging off, everyone would receive a 1,000 RMB Red Packet.
This immediately caused the new recruits to cheer.
---
That same day, the Magisters of Pentos discovered that dozens of mercenary companies, large and small, had suddenly flooded the city.
Most of these companies expressed their willingness, through Magister Illyrio, to fight for Pentos in secret.
After a private discussion, the Magisters decided to hire them.
Although Pentos had been forced by Braavos to limit its city guard to about 2,000 men, the Magisters—emboldened by minor gains in the last skirmish—had never stopped secretly hiring sellswords.
"We need soldiers. In the shadows. Our war with Braavos has never ceased.
"In Ghoyan Drohe, in the flatlands, in the fields, in the mountains... our war with the Braavosi-backed brotherhoods, bandits, Andals, and Rhoynar continues."
In this meeting, held without the Prince of Pentos, a fat Magister weighing at least 300 pounds stood up and spoke.
"Why isn't Illyrio here? Didn't these sellswords come through him?" A short Magister looked around.
"He's just an upstart putting on airs. We won't let him have his way. Let us discuss our own business," a bald Magister said dismissively, showing no respect for Illyrio.
"It doesn't matter. We need soldiers. The savage Horse Lords only know how to take; they never serve us. Now that so many sellsword companies have delivered themselves to our doorstep, what reason do we have not to let them tear at the throats of those Braavosi dogs?"
An elderly Magister spoke. He seemed half-asleep, and his voice was faint, yet every Magister in the room heard him clearly.
"Then inform the Prince. Hire these mercenaries to fight for Pentos."
In the end, even without Illyrio present, the Magisters finalized the hiring of the mercenaries.
Just as the Magisters said: The war between Pentos and Braavos has never ended.