anovelconsole Chapter 228 Undercurrents, Choices of Various Forces
Chapter 228 Undercurrents, Choices of Various Forces
All these unresolved questions, like the Sword of Damocles, hang over the minds of all competitors, bringing immense pressure and attracting countless curious, speculative, and attentive glances.
As for the initial and most crucial source of this storm that swept across the entire game world—that man who seemingly casually produced two guild-building tokens, as if he possessed some kind of key to unlimited resources—
Lin Tian's whereabouts and attitude are even more elusive and difficult to find, making him almost a mysterious symbol walking on the edge of legend and reality.
He no longer makes public appearances in any known major cities, completely absent from the fervent discussion about himself on the world channel, and has not expressed any opinion or inclination regarding the current chaos caused by him.
This detached silence did not diminish his influence among players; on the contrary, it was like fuel that kept being added, making the mysterious aura surrounding him even more intense and unfathomable.
The more he conceals himself, the more bizarre and exaggerated the speculations about his strength and identity become.
More and more people, after blindly searching and hitting walls, are beginning to realize, with a sense of clarity and helplessness, a fact:
At this stage, if one wants to obtain the order to establish a gang, which symbolizes power and opportunity, there may be only one shortcut that seems most direct but is actually the most uncertain—that is to find Lin Tian himself.
However, new problems arose, and they were equally disheartening:
How can we find this elusive man? His whereabouts are a mystery, and his communication channels are closed.
Even if you're incredibly lucky and happen to encounter him by chance, how would you bring up this request that could change the course of the game?
What price would be required to impress someone whose needs seem to have already surpassed those of ordinary players?
Is it to give away all your wealth, to promise future loyalty and service, or to offer some unique information or items that he might be interested in?
All these questions, like a heavy fog, shrouded the hearts of everyone who harbored illusions about the establishment of the gang.
......
In major cities, turmoil is brewing.
Sunset City, War Alliance Headquarters (formerly the temporary command post of Crimson Flame Valley).
Zhang Tianya had just seen off a group of envoys from a medium-sized guild in "Yunxi City." The offer they made was quite generous—50,000 gold coins in cash, plus a 5% share of the guild's future profits, all in exchange for the exact source of the guild establishment order or an introduction to Lin Tian.
"President, this is the fourth wave today." The deputy rubbed his throbbing temples, rolled up the parchment containing the information, and said, "The offers are getting higher and higher. If this continues, I'm afraid..."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Zhang Tianya picked up his rough wooden mug and took a swig of ale, his eyes sharp. "They're just jealous. Tell them the guild creation order is a core secret of the War Alliance, and we can't disclose it. As for Boss Lin Tian..." He snorted coldly.
"Whoever has the ability, go find it themselves. Anyone who dares to mention buying information about Boss Lin Tian again, get them thrown out!"
His tone was firm and unquestionable.
The deputy felt a chill run down his spine and quickly nodded in agreement.
Zhang Tianya knew very well that the War Alliance's success today was inseparable from Lin Tian's support.
Leaking Lin Tian's information is tantamount to self-destruction and is also an act of ingratitude.
He shouldered this pressure firmly, keeping all temptations and trials at bay.
However, while he could block open inquiries, he could not block covert probing.
On the outskirts of the alliance's base, some unfamiliar faces began to appear frequently.
They disguised themselves as curious onlookers or casual passersby, but their eyes always seemed to scan the defensive setup and personnel movements within the valley, and they even tried to strike up conversations with some seemingly ordinary members of the guild, trying to get information from them indirectly.
"Brother, your guild is really on fire this time! I heard the guild creation order was given by Boss Lin Tian? What does he look like? Where does he usually hang out?" A thief wearing ordinary leather armor grinned and handed a flask of wine to a guild warrior who was on patrol.
The warrior glanced at him, did not take the wine jug, and replied in a muffled voice, "Guild secret, no comment." After saying that, he put his hand on the hilt of his sword and continued his patrol, his eyes wary.
Similar scenes are constantly playing out around Crimson Flame Valley.
Major powers, especially guilds that know they cannot win in direct competition due to their financial or physical limitations, have begun to shift their resources toward the intelligence field.
They spared no expense in bribing informants and planting spies, attempting to find a breach within the alliance. Even obtaining only a few scraps of information would be enough to give them a glimmer of direction in the darkness.
......
Cloud Creek City, Shadow Nest Tavern, secluded private room.
Zhao Yesheng, the guild leader of the "Night Whispers" guild, is having a secret meeting with Zhang Hui, the vice guild leader of the "Rock" guild from "Stone Gorge City".
The two guilds had previously collaborated during the Scourge event, and now, facing immense pressure from the guild creation order, they have both chosen to temporarily join forces.
"Guild Leader Youren, the situation is quite clear now." Zhang Hui, a burly defensive warrior, spoke in a deep voice, "It's highly unlikely that any one of us can obtain a guild creation token directly from Lin Tian, or defeat a sufficiently high-level BOSS on our own in a short period of time. The War Alliance is already far ahead; we must speed things up."
Youren toyed with the poisoned dagger in his hand, shadows obscuring most of his face, only his cold voice emanating from him: "Cooperation is possible. Intelligence sharing, including the spawn points of all elite monsters and bosses above level 40, and strategies for overcoming their difficulties. If necessary, we can act together, and loot will be distributed according to contribution. Objective—at least secure the title of the Second Generation Guild."
"Agreed." Zhang Hui stretched out his large, fan-like hand. "In addition, I suggest that our people also exchange information in Luoxia City. Zhang Tianya is too tight-lipped, but with so many people in the War Alliance, there are bound to be oversights."
Two hands clasped tightly together symbolize the birth of a temporary alliance.
Such alliances are fragile and driven by self-interest, but in the face of enormous profits, they have become a helpless yet inevitable choice for many medium-sized guilds.
Similar alliances are springing up in the shadows like mushrooms after rain, cooperating yet wary of each other, weaving a complex and secretive network of relationships.
In a quiet, inconspicuous corner of the market in Luoxia City.
Unlike large guilds that constantly talk about gold coins, equipment, and shares, the vast number of individual players and small teams have not sat idly by.
A casual player alliance called "Dawn" is quietly taking shape.
The initiator was a white-haired mage who excelled in intelligence analysis and organization.