“What would you like to eat today? It’s my treat.”
Yan declared, sweeping a hand grandly, as he settled into a wooden table at the coffee shop.
“Oh? What makes you so generous today? Could it be that ‘Game Addict’ won the match and got carried away?”
Qing Bai, seated opposite him, eyed Yan with a suspicious expression.
“Well then… I won’t hold back~”
Our little Tian Jiu, however, had no such reservations, the little foodie eagerly chiming in.
“A crepe and a cup of bubble tea.”
“Alright, alright.”
Yan chuckled softly, then raised a hand to bring up the self-service menu on the tabletop, ordering several items before his questioning gaze drifted towards Qing Bai.
Noticing his gaze, Qing Bai helplessly spread her hands.
“Just a cola for me, I’ve just finished breakfast and don’t have much of an appetite.”
“Oh.”
Yan nodded, then ordered the cola.
The final battle of the arena tournament last night didn’t conclude until 7:30, after which Yan and the others chatted briefly before logging off, marking the first time they had played so late.
It was no surprise then that the very next morning, Yan had called the two of them to the coffee shop, offering to treat them to a meal.
What ulterior motive he harbored, no one knew, but Qing Bai, adopting an attitude of ‘why refuse a free meal,’ straightforwardly picked up the cola served on the table and gulped it down.
In stark contrast, the scene on the other side was utterly delightful, as Tian Jiu nibbled dainty bites of the sweet, creamy crepe, her puffed cheeks resembling those of an adorable squirrel mid-meal.
Yan couldn’t help but smile, picking up another crepe and offering it to Alice.
“Here, this one’s for you, Alice.”
“Thank you~”
Alice smiled sweetly, gently accepting the crepe before savoring it.
Yan, too, lifted the Blue Mountain coffee before him, taking a delicate sip that filled his mouth with its uniquely rich aroma, bringing a profound sense of comfort to his entire being.
He gently placed the coffee cup back on the wooden table, then raised his head and slowly spoke.
“Both of you, would you like to join my guild?”
“Cough, cough!”
Qing Bai choked on her cola, a drop of the sweet drink trickling from the corner of her mouth.
She hastily pulled a tissue from the table to wipe it clean, then shot a glance at Yan, haughtily turning her face away.
“Hmph? This young lady would never join a guild founded by a ‘Game Addict.’”
“Is that so? What a pity…”
“Hey, you! At least try to persuade me!”
Qing Bai stamped her foot in frustration, causing Yan to let out a soft chuckle.
‘What’s with that? She clearly wants to join.’
“Then it’s settled, Qing Bai is joining.”
Yan declared with absolute finality, giving Qing Bai no chance to object.
“Yan!”
Yan ignored the indignant cries of the young lady Qing Bai, turning his gaze instead to the other little foodie who was diligently savoring her meal.
“What about you, Tian Jiu?”
“Mmm… ‘F cour’e!” (TL Note: A cute, muffled way of saying ‘Of course!’)
Tian Jiu’s mouth was full of the sweet cream from her crepe, making her words adorably indistinct.
Meeting Yan’s smiling gaze, Tian Jiu quickly swallowed her food, then offered him a shy smile.
“Playing games with Yan… makes me very happy…”
She earnestly lifted her face, meeting Yan’s eyes as she spoke with complete sincerity.
“So, please, I absolutely must join Yan’s guild!”
Seeing her earnestness, Yan couldn’t help but smile, raising a hand to gently stroke the top of her head.
“I’m also very happy that Tian Jiu will be joining my guild.”
Tian Jiu blushed and nodded slightly.
“Well then, once we’re done eating, let’s go choose a location for the guild,” Yan suggested with a smile, and both girls nodded in agreement.
“Mhm.”
****
Yan and the others strolled along the streets of Fengxing City, with Tian Jiu curiously surveying her surroundings, seemingly possessing an endless fascination for this incredibly realistic yet fantastical world, finding it endlessly captivating.
Yan watched her, a helpless smile gracing his lips; as long as she didn’t get lost, he was content to let her explore.
He opened the system’s map interface, scanning the vicinity of Fengxing City for suitable locations to establish a guild.
While the goal was to select a guild establishment location, it wasn’t as simple as building a guild just anywhere.
In ‘Companion God Realm,’ guild headquarters were restricted to specific locations and structures; numerous guild buildings were scattered around dozens of towns and villages of varying sizes within the Fengxing Hills region.
Activating a [Guild Token] would designate the area covered by that structure as the guild’s territory.
Yan’s original intention was simply to find a small, cozy spot to build a guild, but then again, he held a [Guild Token] of golden rarity as a reward.
Given that it was bound to develop into a large guild eventually, choosing too small a guild territory might lead to overcrowding.
This made Yan deliberate repeatedly over his choice of location, yet he remained indecisive, ultimately resorting to visiting each potential site for on-the-ground inspection.
Well, it was fortunate, after all, that Yan had received one of the five [Guild Tokens] issued as initial rewards, granting him ample time to choose a guild territory without worrying about others snatching it up.
Speaking of which…
[Poison Maiden] Hayata Midori, that fellow, had, immediately after obtaining a [Guild Token] when the event concluded, publicly announced on the world channel her intention to trade a golden [Guild Token] for Divine Coins (TL Note: The in-game currency), effectively forfeiting her chance to become a guild leader, which had sparked a frenzy of bidding last night.
Apparently, it was ultimately snatched up by some wealthy young master for the staggering price of ten billion Divine Coins, and what’s more, it was paid in full immediately…
It seemed the person who bought that [Guild Token] would have to frantically top up their account with real money to convert into Divine Coins to pay for it…
Truly terrifying.
The thought of holding ten billion Divine Coins in his hands sent a wave of panic through Yan, causing him to cautiously glance around, fearing someone might try to snatch them.
Although Yan himself had tens of billions of Divine Coins in his inventory, those were brought over from the old server after inflation, and in his mind, they weren’t worth much.
But this was ten billion Divine Coins from the new server *before* inflation; how much real money would that require to top up…
To prevent ill-intentioned individuals from seizing it for real-money transactions, Yan felt burdened with the heavy responsibility of protecting this [Guild Token].
Well, even though they were still within Fengxing City’s safe zone, Yan might have been a bit overly cautious…
“Yo! Isn’t that [Spearmaster] Yan? The champion of Arena #3! Truly impressive!”
A passing, unfamiliar player recognized Yan and called out with admiration.
“Ahaha… not at all, just pure luck.”
Yan scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
“‘Mr. Game Addict’ has become quite the celebrity, hasn’t he?”
Qing Bai said with a mischievous grin, nudging Yan with her elbow in a playful manner.
“Oh my, oh my…”
“Please, stop teasing me…”
Yan pleaded, finding himself unable to bear the young lady’s compliments.
“Hehe.”
Alice also couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle, finding Yan’s predicament amusing.
“Ah! What’s that over there?”
Tian Jiu suddenly exclaimed, raising her hand high and extending a fair, slender index finger to point at a distant small black speck beyond Fengxing City’s walls.
“That looks like…”
Yan squinted, gazing into the distance in the direction she pointed, straining his vision to discern the small black speck.
“Does that look like a building?”
“Why don’t we build the guild there?”
Tian Jiu said with an inexplicable burst of excitement.
“That’s a bit too far, isn’t it…”
Yan couldn’t even estimate the distance between that spot and Fengxing City by sight alone, nor could he identify on the map whether it was truly a guild building.
Moreover, the place seemed quite high, perhaps a structure built atop a mountain?
Yet, seeing the longing and curiosity on Tian Jiu’s face, Yan offered a helpless smile.
“Alright, then we’ll go take a look.”
“But it might not be a guild building, so don’t get your hopes up too much about building a guild there, okay?”
“Mhm.”
Tian Jiu nodded, responding obediently.
Yan could only chuckle, preparing to lead the group in that direction.
Just then…
“[Spearmaster] Yan! Wait a moment!”
A voice called from behind Yan, and he instinctively turned his head to see a female player sprinting towards him.
‘Who… is this person?’
Yan frowned in confusion; he had no recollection of ever meeting such a striking and capable young woman.
“Ha… Haa…”
The young woman ran up to Yan, panting breathlessly for a moment.
Her dark green hair was tied into a high ponytail that reached her waist, swaying from side to side with each labored breath.
“You are?”
Yan asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Gradually, her rapid breathing subsided, and then, with a serious expression, she suddenly bowed deeply to Yan.
“[Spearmaster] Boss! Please accept me as your disciple!”
Yan stared, dumbfounded, at the maiden-like player before him.
“Huh?”