Chapter 83 – Strength in Numbers

[Party] Milk is Mom: GO what GO? We’re all familiar faces here, let’s set some ground rules.

[Party] Milk is Mom: First, this is a confidential mission. Absolutely no leaks to outsiders.

[Party] Milk is Mom: Second, no fooling around—give it your all!

[Party] Milk is Mom: OK?

[Party] Diamond Seller: Didn’t you say three rules?

[Party] Milk is Mom: That’s a figure of speech! Do you not understand figures of speech?!

[Party] Milk is Mom: Fifth Brother, same goes for you. The mission must stay confidential.

[Party] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: Uh, did we discuss a confidentiality fee?

[Party] Milk is Mom: Damn it, isn’t helping you break through level 65 enough of a favor?

[Party] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: Tell you what, let me tag along with you guys till max level, and I’ll seal my lips so tight not even pliers could pry them open!

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: What do you think?

[Whisper] Polly: How much did hiring these two cost?

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Could you answer the actual question first? =_=

[Whisper] Polly: We’ll have more and more missions requiring zerg rushes or large-scale dungeons in the future. Having extra free labor is a good thing. How much did hiring these two cost?

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: ……

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Two thousand! Any more questions, my curious little darling?!

[Whisper] Polly: Reporting to my Commander, no more questions ^_^

That infuriating little smiley face somehow tasted sweet to Fang Zheng. He was absolutely a masochist, no doubt about it TAT

While the Commander negotiated with the reinforcements, the other team members vented their feelings in the channel—

Jiang Yang: “Healer, the people you recruited are… unique.”

Crossplayer: “Commander, why’d you drag them in? Feels like a pyramid scheme.”

Blood Bull: “Are they reliable?”

438: “Reliable, totally reliable! I just bought materials from him at 15% off!”

Fang Zheng sighed: “I’m adding them to the voice chat now.” The implied message being: Enough with the nonsense.

The two newcomers joined the voice chat without needing introductions—both were seasoned players. Fang Zheng immediately began outlining the battle plan: Blood Bull, 2B, and Diamond Seller would kite the mobs, with the order of tanking left to their discretion. The rest would focus on the Bandit Leader. Fifth Brother, as a Blesscaller, could switch between DPS and support, significantly boosting the team’s efficiency.

An eleven-person squad wasn’t massive—it couldn’t even cover a quarter of the Desert Stronghold—but it wasn’t small either. The group gathered conspicuously at the Marketplace Respawn Point, looking like a protest march. Passing players couldn’t help but glance their way, with some even asking, “What treasure did your guild find that you brought two merchant alts to bid on it?”

Once everyone’s roles were assigned, Fang Zheng bellowed, “This time, we must succeed!”

The guild members echoed in unison: “We must succeed!”

Diamond Player’s heart nearly skipped a beat: “Is your guild… run like the military?”

The Ghost Server Legion collectively sighed—outsiders would never understand the pain of losing XP upon death.

Arriving once again at the Bandit Hideout.

Diamond Seller: “Healer, which one blows the horn to summon mobs?”

Commander: “Every single one of them…”

Before they could finish, Blood Bull had already charged in. As expected, minions flooded the area, and Blood Bull expertly led the mobs away. 2B followed closely, reminding the newbie: “Keep up, and whatever you do, don’t use any skills. Wait till we both die before you start kiting.”

No reminder was needed—Diamond Seller stuck to Blood Bull like glue. His running technique was slick, his steps nimble, and his occasional show-off jumps all showcased his mastery of the controls…

“Damn, your mission is so twisted, so disgusting, so fun~~~~~~~~~”

And also a testament to how dull his personal life was =_=

[Legion] 2B Fighter Jet: Did this guy just get released from prison…

[Legion] Refined Into a Demon 715: He looks so happy >_<

[Legion] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: Pretty much. If he’s willing to risk this account on your mission, he probably doesn’t plan to keep working for that capitalist boss anymore.

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: Wait, something weird just snuck into the legion.

[Legion] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: ……

[Legion] Milk is Mom: Drink Your Sister, from now on, Fifth Brother is one of us.

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: Didn’t he say he’s just tagging along till max level?

[Legion] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: I thought about it, and since Laozi doesn’t have a legion anyway, and your legion’s been pretty badass lately, joining won’t hurt.

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: You think our legion is a public toilet? Come and go as you please?

[Legion] Milk is Mom: Drink Your Sister, mind your manners. Public toilets cost 50 cents. Fifth Brother paid 1,000 Huaxia Coins as an entry fee.

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: Fifth Brother, hope you have a great time here! Eat well, drink well!

[Legion] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: Girl, wanna do business with me? I can tell you’ve got talent!

[Legion] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: Oh, and Commander, you still owe me that 1,000.

[Legion] Milk is Mom: Absolutely.

Out on the prairie, the unpaid laborer was still happily teasing the mobs: “Can’t catch me~~ Can’t catch me~~~ Hahaha~~~”

Thanks to their previous attempts, both the kiting and DPS teams had improved their efficiency. By the time 2B fell, the Bandit Leader was down to a third of its HP.

“Diamond, hang in there. Victory is within reach,” the Commander encouraged his teammate while spamming heals on his boyfriend.

“Don’t worry, I’m here. I could last through an eight-year war for you~~~”

If the healer had glanced northeast, he’d have witnessed the spectacular sight of Diamond leading an army of mobs. To the uninitiated, it looked less like kiting and more like a mother hen playing with her chicks. Diamond Seller employed some ingenious method to keep the mobs perpetually at the edge of their attack range—close enough to try hitting him but never landing a blow. If his path grew too erratic and the mobs fell behind, he’d pause for half a second to let them catch up.

2B and Blood Bull lay dead, their souls floating in the air, sharing the same thought—skilled at being sleazy, shameless, commanding a legion, and kiting mobs… the business world truly was full of hidden talents =_=

Time ticked by. Though the weather had cooled, Fang Zheng was drenched in sweat. His keyboard strokes had become mechanical, steadily spamming heals for his teammates. Your Sister also gave it her all, covering for Fang Zheng multiple times during his cooldowns, each intervention perfectly timed.

The DPSers chugged every attack-boosting potion they had, going all out.

Finally, the Bandit Leader let out a despairing howl and collapsed!

Instantly, the mission status in their logs changed from “Rescue Lan Xiaotian’s Clan Members” to “Escort the Clan Members Home.”

The hardest part—done!

Fang Zheng was ecstatic: “Diamond, come back! Mission complete!”

“Huh?” Diamond Seller sounded puzzled. “But the mobs haven’t disappeared.”

Fang Zheng froze. Had his earlier assumption—that the mobs would vanish once the Bandit Leader died—been wrong?

“Are you sure there’s no sign of them disappearing?”

“None at all. If anything, they seem even more hyped.”

The Commander thought for two seconds. “Then I’m afraid you’ll have to die.”

Diamond Seller was resolute: “I don’t wanna die~~~~~~”

The Commander coaxed gently: “For the sake of a harmonious and stable society!”

Diamond Seller relented: “Fine, I’ll listen to you and come back now.”

Amid the excitement of being surrounded by a tidal wave of mobs, the teammates exchanged glances and reached a silent consensus—Town Portal!

The vast Horqin Prairie was suddenly empty. By the time Diamond realized he was the only one left, much time had passed. A momentary lapse in concentration cost him half his HP as the mobs caught up, but even then, his slick maneuvering bought him enough time to chant his Town Portal and escape safely.

Both 2B and Blood Bull were skilled players, but kiting those mobs had still ended in their deaths. By comparison, Diamond Seller’s prowess was undeniable.

True masters hid among the masses.

“So, Diamond, since Fifth Brother’s joined the Ghost Server, why don’t you come too?” Recruiting talent was a Commander’s sacred duty.

“This is the company’s account. Even if I join now, it’ll have to leave when someone else takes over.”

“Take over? You quitting?”

“Yep, planning to go independent.”

“What about our deal…”

“Depends. Might start my own power-leveling business.”

“That’s poaching! Not cool!”

“Commander,” 438 interjected timidly, “you’re getting off-topic…”

Fang Zheng coughed awkwardly, trying to regain his composure while racking his brain for the original topic. Before he could recall it, a World Announcement flashed—

[System] Five Peaks Pavilion has captured the Desert Stronghold.

It was the weekend—the usual time for Desert Stronghold battles. Recently, Huaxia Dominion had held the stronghold, but now that it had changed hands, the victors couldn’t resist gloating. Soon, Five Peaks Pavilion players flooded the chat with boasts about their strength and Huaxia Dominion’s weakness. Provocation naturally drew retaliation, with Huaxia’s members firing back with threats of future vengeance. Spectators took sides or egged them on—this was a weekly spectacle, and everyone was used to it. But no one expected today’s drama to drop a bombshell—

[Megaphone] My Blood for Xuanyuan: I hereby announce my retirement from Huaxia Online. All matters concerning Huaxia Dominion will no longer involve me. Thank you, brothers, for your support over the years, and I hope you’ll continue supporting Huaxia Dominion.

Not leaving Huaxia Dominion. Not leaving Huaxia Summit Server. But quitting Huaxia Online entirely.

The announcement was so shocking that the world chat fell silent for a moment.

Fang Zheng’s jaw dropped. In his eyes, unless Huaxia Dominion had conquered the game, there was no reason for Xuanyuan to retire—let alone so abruptly and completely.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: What happened to him? Do you know?

Saying “no” would be a lie. But saying “yes” would raise questions—how do you know? Why do you know? Have you two been in contact privately…

[Whisper] Polly: He got tired and didn’t want to play anymore. It happens.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: How do you know?

[Whisper] Polly: He told me.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Why would he tell you?

[Whisper] Polly: ……

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: You two still talk privately?

Sometimes, even Birdy was amazed by his own psychic abilities =_=

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Answer me, my Deputy. If you stay silent, I’ll take it as guilt…

[Whisper] Polly: My Commander, are you jealous?

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Don’t change the subject! Fine, I am TAT

Meng Chudong chuckled, suddenly wanting to pull a certain chubby into his arms and squeeze him tight.

[Whisper] Polly: Ran into him while grinding monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain. We chatted a bit. Before, I’d always avoided him.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Why not that time? And you even talked [side-eye]

[Whisper] Polly: No more lingering feelings, so no need to avoid him.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: You recovered pretty fast =_=

[Whisper] Polly: Not recovered. Just switched to pining after someone else—and even harder.

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: ……

[Whisper] Polly: Want me to say his glorious name?

[Whisper] Milk is Mom: Ahem, keep it low-key.

Damn it, he couldn’t take it anymore—he needed an ice cream to cool his fluttering chubby heart!! >_<