Chapter Seven: The Stormcloud Guild

The two of them were chatting idly when suddenly, Wind Chime Breeze displayed a piece of equipment in the party channel—the very same bronze ring that Zhang Shan had seen earlier in the novice village.

Zhang Shan was taken aback. “Wind Chime, how did you get that item? Did that Gale Secretary buy it for you? Are you with Gale Guild too? Then why weren’t you leveling up with them?”

A thousand questions flooded Zhang Shan’s mind. He couldn’t be blamed for his surprise. When he first saw Wind Chime, she was struggling to kill chicks by herself, looking more like an orphan than someone from a major guild. And yet, someone was helping her buy equipment? Zhang Shan was full of doubts.

“Yes, I’m with Gale Guild. My brother and I happened to start in the same novice village. Plus, Secretary is with us, so the three of us are here together,” Wind Chime Breeze replied calmly, as if she were just stating an ordinary fact, without any pride or other emotion.

“Then why aren't you teaming up with them to level?”

“My brother wants to rush his level. I'm a Taoist, not much use in the early stages, can’t help much. If I team up with them, I’d just slow their progress.”

“Heh, which one is your brother in Gale Guild?” Lone Rider suddenly asked, perhaps recognizing some people from Gale World.

“My brother is Gale World. Do you know him?”

“I do! Honestly, I’m afraid to admit it—once, I stole his boss back when I played another game. Haha!” Lone Rider sounded a bit smug; after all, not everyone could snatch a boss from a big guild.

“Impressive. But you’re in trouble now, man. Don’t be surprised if Gale World hunts you down in New World!” Zhang Shan teased.

“No worries. It’s normal to fight over things in games. Besides, New World is a fresh start. I’ve heard this game has huge potential; some even say its in-game currency might become the second currency of the Blue Star Alliance.” Wind Chime Breeze seemed completely unconcerned about Lone Rider’s admission of robbing her guild's boss.

“That can’t be. It’s just a game—how could its currency compare to the Blue Credit?” Zhang Shan asked, incredulous.

“Brother, if Miss Wind Chime says it’s possible, then it just might be. You have no idea about their Gale Guild. It’s one of the top ten gaming guilds in the Alliance, with extraordinary connections. Gale World is a mysterious figure—I’ve only ever seen him in-game, and have no idea where he comes from, but he must have an impressive background. If you don’t believe me, ask Miss Wind Chime, though I doubt she’ll tell us.” Lone Rider said, clearly a gossip at heart, trying to dig into others’ real-life identities.

“It’s nothing special, really. My family is just a little unusual—can’t talk about it. Do you guys have a guild? Want to join ours in the future?” Wind Chime Breeze actually invited them to join Gale World Guild.

Zhang Shan found it odd. While some gaming guilds boasted tens of thousands of members, most of those were recruited in-game and had little real connection with the guild. The core members usually numbered only a few hundred at most; some supposedly big-name guilds had only a few dozen true members.

Since Wind Chime Breeze had invited them, it must be for the core, not just the outer circle—those didn’t require invitations and could join once the guild base was set up in-game.

Zhang Shan was still processing when Lone Rider excitedly asked, “Miss Wind Chime, if we join Gale, will we be core members? We’re just regular players, you know, not big spenders.”

Seeing his enthusiasm, Zhang Shan was puzzled—what was so great about joining a guild? There was work and little benefit. He just wanted to quietly grind monsters and earn a living; playing New World was his job. If he joined a guild and had to take part in guild events all the time, wouldn’t that interfere with his work?

“I’d rather not join any guild for now. I’m playing New World because I lost my job and want to grind for some living expenses, not for fun.”

Zhang Shan declined Wind Chime Breeze’s invitation and explained himself. Though he wished he could be like others—roaming the game freely and making a name for himself—reality didn’t allow it; he still had to make a living.

Before Wind Chime Breeze could reply, Lone Rider said exasperatedly, “Brother, you’re out of touch. If you want to make money in-game, you need to join a guild. Grinding regular mobs solo will barely net you meal money, if that. In a guild, you can join the bigshots to kill bosses and participate in events—any good drop could set you up for a year.”

“Really?” Zhang Shan was stunned. He always thought joining a guild would eat into his grinding time, and even if something good dropped, it wouldn’t go to him.

Wind Chime Breeze chimed in, “Six-Barrel Bodhisattva, if making money is your goal, you need to join a powerful guild. Even if you could earn a little grinding solo, it’s nothing compared to a regular job. In our guild, we kill bosses and clear dungeons together—the items are way better than what drops from small mobs. And don’t worry about the guild stealing your gear; we always roll for loot based on need. If you’re struggling, just let me know—I can help you out.”

Zhang Shan wondered why Wind Chime Breeze was so eager to recruit them. Surely not just because he helped her kill chicks earlier?

Before Zhang Shan could make up his mind, Lone Rider eagerly said to Wind Chime Breeze, “Miss Wind Chime, you have to recruit this guy—he has nine points of luck and, more importantly, a totally broken talent. He’ll be absolutely incredible later on.”

Zhang Shan was speechless—this guy sold him out so quickly.

“Oh? What talent?” Wind Chime Breeze looked surprised. As far as she knew, nine points of luck were extremely rare—even her guild didn’t have anyone with so much; she herself had the most at eight points. But as a support, she rarely got the last hit on bosses, so luck didn’t make much difference for her. Luck was one thing, but she was even more curious about the so-called “broken” talent.

Zhang Shan didn’t intend to keep his talent a secret forever—people would figure it out eventually. He displayed his talent in the party channel:

Talent: King of Passives (Whenever you kill a monster, there is a chance to randomly acquire one of its passive skills. Probability: one in a million.)

Seeing Zhang Shan’s talent, Wind Chime Breeze was astonished. “A talent like that actually exists? It’s definitely powerful. But I think the passive skills you obtain through this talent will probably be much weaker than the monsters’ own, just like how our skills need to be leveled up. The monster’s skill might be level ten, but when you get it, it should be level one and probably can’t be upgraded—otherwise, it would break the game’s balance, which isn’t allowed.

“Still, in every way, it’s a very strong talent—especially as the game progresses. The potential is limitless. Plus, New World will last far longer than anyone expects. Some say it’s a game you could play for a lifetime. In any case, New World will be around for a long time. If you want, you won’t have to worry about anything in the end. Six-Barrel Bodhisattva, treasure your character—maybe it will free you from worrying about your livelihood forever.”

Wind Chime Breeze’s words surprised Zhang Shan. She hinted at two things: first, that the passive skills he got would be weaker than the monsters’—which he had considered; and second, about whether those skills could be leveled up, which he hadn’t thought about but didn’t really care—he’d find out when he got his first passive. The more interesting part was her claim that New World would last a lifetime. Was this just her guess, or did she know something? After all, most games only lasted a few years—a long-lived one might make it seven or eight, a short one dies in one or two.

Lone Rider had said they had an unusual background, so it was possible she had insider information, but that wasn’t something he could ask directly.

It seemed Wind Chime Breeze knew a lot about New World. Zhang Shan thought of another question about his King of Passives talent and asked her, “Wind Chime, do you think I’ll have to spend skill points to acquire the skills from my talent?”

Wind Chime Breeze nodded. “You’ve thought of that too. I don’t think you’ll need to spend skill points, because the description says you ‘acquire’ the skill. And if you can’t upgrade the skill, you probably won’t need to use skill points when you get it either. That’s how the skill point system works. But to be safe, before you get your first skill, save a point—then you’ll know for sure.”

Lone Rider said enviously, “No way, you don’t even have to spend skill points? That’s basically getting free skills!”

“It’s not that amazing,” Wind Chime Breeze explained. “Because of this talent, Six-Barrel Bodhisattva misses out on other things. Other people have talents that boost regeneration, mana, or attack—he doesn’t. Until he gets his first skill, he’s actually weaker than others.”

“Exactly. If I hadn’t teamed up with Lone Rider, I’d still be killing little chicks,” Zhang Shan couldn’t help but joke.

“So, do you two want to join our Gale Guild?” Wind Chime Breeze invited again.

“Do we have to sign a contract?” Zhang Shan was still a bit cautious. Even though joining Gale Guild seemed fine, he wanted to be sure.

“Our guild doesn’t require contracts, nor do we pay salaries. We’re just a group of like-minded people playing together. If it works out, great; if not, you’re free to leave—no obligations, but also no special benefits. It all depends on your own ability and luck in the game.”

“In that case, I’ll join.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to my brother. Also, send me your contact info—I’ll add you to the guild group in a bit.”