“The distribution of rewards will now commence.”
As Alice’s serene voice resonated in the players’ ears, a surge of blue teleportation light enveloped Yan’s body.
He stood in the center of the third arena, his gaze lifting to the screen suspended in the sky. A sense of calm settled over him as he observed that the champions on the other arenas were in the same situation.
The hour had already struck half past seven in the evening, and with it, the inaugural event drew to its promised close.
Five beams of cerulean light ascended in unison from the heart of each arena, and in a blink, the five champions vanished from their respective platforms. The very next instant, they materialized within the event map’s spectator zone, upon a stage that had seemingly risen from nowhere beneath the colossal screen.
Upon opening his eyes, Yan was immediately struck by the sheer multitude of players gathered below the stage. A single glance revealed a sea of bobbing heads, a dark, undulating mass.
It was an unexpected sight; no one had anticipated that the climax of the first event, a battle involving a mere ten individuals, would draw such an immense crowd of spectators.
Yan’s thoughts snapped back to the present. His gaze swept across his surroundings, coincidentally locking with Xiao’s. Her luminous eyes curved into a gentle arc as she offered him a small smile.
Yan, in turn, found his own lips curving upwards, returning her friendly smile.
Beside Xiao stood Lian, the champion of the fifth arena. She turned her head, acknowledging Yan’s glance with a subtle nod.
‘So, in the end, only the three of us from the morning matches emerged victorious…’
A pang of dejection stirred within Yan, yet as his eyes drifted to the crowd below, that bitter sensation vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.
Yan’s gaze immediately found Tian Jiu, who stood out in the boisterous crowd of spectators, appearing almost excessively quiet.
She clutched her priest’s staff with a nervous grip, clearly unaccustomed to such a densely packed environment.
Nevertheless, she made an earnest effort to lift her slightly rounded face, her bright eyes fixed intently on Yan upon the stage, a joyous smile gracing her delicate features.
An inexplicable warmth spread through Yan’s chest, and his lips curved into a faint smile.
Qing Bai stood right beside Tian Jiu, her fiery red curls appearing even more vivid, passionate, and brimming with life under the glow of the night’s neon lights.
Our young lady, with hands perched on her hips, lifted her face to meet Yan’s gaze, her lovely features tinged with a faint blush. Then, with a proud puff of her cheeks, she haughtily averted her eyes.
‘This one hasn’t changed a bit…’
Yan offered a helpless smile. These two were indeed just as he remembered them from their first encounter. With their lively companionship, what should have been a monotonous re-leveling journey had transformed into an engaging adventure.
Yan’s gaze then swept past the two women, settling on the strikingly distinct tall and short figures behind them.
An Dong’s robust frame was wedged amidst the throng, his resolute face displaying his signature earnest smile. It was curious, however, that despite his prominent presence, Yan’s eyes hadn’t immediately fallen upon him.
Beside An Dong, Ivan’s diminutive stature was all but swallowed by the human tide. Yet, like An Dong, he wore a guileless smile upon his youthful face, simply observing the champions on the stage.
He had initially considered offering them some words of comfort, but seeing that the two appeared perfectly content, a sense of relief settled over Yan.
“Now, I shall announce the ultimate victors, the IDs of the players who have secured the top five ranks in this inaugural event.”
Alice’s slender form materialized before the five champions. She raised a graceful hand, making her announcement, and instantly, five colossal posters materialized on the grand screen behind her.
“[Poison Maiden] Hayata Midori.”
“[Iron-Blooded Queen] An Ruina.”
“[Spearmaster] Yan.”
“[Sword Light Envoy] Xiao.”
“[Divine Eye Archer] Lian.”
‘Hey, Alice, you really shouldn’t read out the nicknames when you’re announcing the IDs!’
Standing on the stage, Yan was so utterly mortified by Alice’s deadpan recitation of his embarrassing nickname that he wished for a chasm to open beneath him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Alice was absolutely orchestrating this humiliation on purpose…
Yan’s gaze lingered on Alice’s back. Her beautiful, long blue hair cascaded to her waist, gently stirred by the cool evening breeze, making her appear like a stunning painting against the backdrop of the neon-lit nightscape.
“The rewards for the top five are~~”
Alice offered the assembled players a dazzling smile, bringing her fair hands together before her chest.
A delicate badge, emanating a soft golden glow, appeared in her cupped hands. She lifted it high, allowing everyone to discern the intricate patterns etched upon its surface and the pristine, blank space at its center.
‘What could this be?’
Yan’s eyes involuntarily widened with curiosity, fixed intently on the golden badge, a sense of bewilderment clouding his mind.
“They are the first five Guild Emblems (TL Note: A special item required to establish a guild.) to be issued on the new server, along with a unique reward: all guild members may choose one attribute to receive a 5% increase!”
“What!!??”
Yan’s jaw dropped ever so slightly, unable to contain the surge of shock that seized his heart.
It wasn’t just him; the multitude of players below the stage simultaneously erupted in a chorus of astonished gasps.
Guilds, of course, were an indispensable element in any RPG.
At the heart of any RPG lay the pillars of friendly interaction and cooperative teamwork among players. The existence of a guild streamlined this, making it far simpler to assemble parties for dungeon crawls, boss raids, and other communal activities.
Furthermore, certain games featured exclusive guild shops, offering items unobtainable elsewhere, which could be exchanged using guild contribution points—a system that significantly boosted player engagement.
In this full-dive virtual reality game, however, the role of guilds was elevated to even greater significance.
For the full-dive world was crafted with such unparalleled realism that it was virtually indistinguishable from the actual world.
Consequently, players immersing themselves in this game naturally sought the companionship of friends, much as they would in their real lives.
Picture a group of like-minded companions, bantering and jesting, gathered around a crackling campfire beneath the night sky, embarking on shared adventures. Such an odyssey promised both excitement and profound satisfaction.
Indeed, instances of online acquaintances blossoming into real-life friendships were far from uncommon.
Guilds, without a doubt, represented the most vibrant social collectives within the game. For Yan, however, a guild held an even more distinct and personal significance.
“Now, I shall present the [Guild Emblems] to each of our five champions.”
Alice smiled, turning to gracefully circle the five champions. As she drifted past Yan, he felt a new weight settle into his hand.
‘This… this is a Guild Emblem?’
Yan gazed, somewhat bewildered, at the golden-glowing emblem in his hand, experiencing a peculiar blend of familiarity and strangeness.
Such [Guild Emblems] had, of course, existed in the old server as well.
However, their previous form diverged greatly from the emblem now resting in Yan’s palm, which explained his initial failure to recognize it. In the old server, the [Guild Emblem] had been a mere dull grey disc, obtainable by farming specific materials and exchanging them with a designated NPC.
Only players in possession of a [Guild Emblem] were granted the privilege of establishing a guild.
Having served as a guild master in the old server, Yan was intimately familiar with this entire process…
The new server, it seemed, had yet to introduce monsters that dropped [Guild Emblem] materials. Yan had often wondered when the guild system would finally be activated in this new iteration, and now he understood: it had been waiting for this very moment.
Alice returned to stand before Yan, then turned to face the players in the audience, adding with a sweet smile.
“The reward of a 5% increase to a single attribute for all guild members has already been inscribed within the [Guild Emblem] itself. Once the guild master activates the emblem, any player who joins the guild will automatically receive this boon.”
Everyone present grasped the profound significance of this particular reward.
Alice had previously announced that these five [Guild Emblems] were the first to be distributed. Given that establishing a guild necessitated a [Guild Emblem], the champions now holding these five tokens would gain a substantial lead, able to form their guilds ahead of the vast majority of aspiring guild masters.
What’s more, every player who joined one of these guilds would receive a 5% boost to a single chosen attribute.
This fact alone would incite other players to clamor and compete fiercely for entry into these privileged five guilds.
Yan mused, a helpless twitch playing at the corner of his lips.
His original intention had simply been to establish a small, recreational guild—a place for camaraderie and enjoyment… merely to invite a few player friends he knew to join and play games together, nothing more…
Yet now, having received this item, he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were veering significantly from his initial vision.
He offered a helpless smile at the golden emblem in his hand, then, with a sigh of resignation, tucked it into his inventory.
“The rankings for all other participating players will be announced tomorrow at eight o’clock in the morning. Concurrently, both participation rewards and compensation for non-PK classes will be distributed. We encourage you all to look forward to it.”
“Therefore, I declare the first event, the Arena Battle, to be officially and successfully concluded!”
As Alice’s melodious voice resonated, a spectacular burst of fireworks erupted in the event map’s night sky. Multicolored sparks illuminated the heavens, and amidst the players’ joyous cheers, the new server’s inaugural event drew to its close.
‘Guilds, then…’
Once the spectating players had gradually dispersed, Yan descended from the arena. He slowly opened his right hand, revealing the golden [Guild Emblem] now resting in his palm.
‘What sort of individuals should I seek to join this guild?’
This fleeting melancholy lasted but a second before several familiar and comforting figures materialized in Yan’s mind.
‘Ah, it seems I already had my candidates picked out in my heart, didn’t I?’
He closed his hand, tucking the [Guild Emblem] safely into his inventory.
“Yan!”
Qing Bai’s vibrant and clear voice rang out.
Yan lifted his head, his gaze falling upon that familiar, endearing group of people, and the corners of his lips curved into an involuntary smile.
“Yes, I’m back.”