“What’s the guild name… going to be?”
Yan turned his face towards them, a bitter expression clouding his features as he looked at the group.
“I was thinking ‘Good-for-Nothing’…”
Young Miss Qing Bai gritted her teeth, clenching her fists tightly.
She abruptly swung her right arm, delivering a light tap to Yan’s back.
“Can’t you just relax about something like this!?”
“Ow! Why’d you hit me?”
Utterly bewildered by her sudden action, Yan winced, reaching a hand behind him to rub the spot where she had struck his back.
In truth, it didn’t hurt much; after all, Qing Bai was an agile mage with a mere 1 point in STR (Strength).
“I genuinely find naming things to be a real headache…”
Yan said, his brow furrowed with a hint of helplessness.
Indeed, he was a terminal case of ‘naming-phobia’ (TL Note: A humorous term for someone who struggles immensely with naming things), otherwise he wouldn’t have chosen such a chuunibyou (TL Note: A Japanese term, ‘chūnibyō,’ referring to a ‘middle school second-year syndrome’ where one acts overly dramatic, believes they have hidden powers, or uses overly grand and dramatic names) ID in the old server, nor would his guild name have been so chuunibyou…
One might say it was a consistent style, at least.
This time, however, things were different; having arrived on the new server, he now had a normal ID and a regular nickname, yet he found himself utterly stumped when it came to naming the guild.
What kind of guild name would sound good and not outlandish in a fantasy adventure game world?
Yan racked his brains, but no ideas came to him.
“What’s there to fret about with something like this? Can’t you just pick whatever comes to mind?”
Qing Bai crossed her arms indifferently, her gaze fixed on Yan with a hint of exasperation.
It seemed she never experienced such troubles.
Well, that made sense, considering she was the kind of person who would choose an eccentric ID like ‘Qing Bai Wants Cola’…
Yan offered a helpless smile, then raised his left hand to pinch his chin, pondering deeply.
‘Whatever comes to mind, that’s what it is…’
‘Does she mean to respect my true self?’
Yan lifted his gaze, taking in the pristine white castle, the soft, fluffy clouds, and the clear blue sky; this castle, suspended amidst the heavens, was truly breathtakingly dreamlike.
“Ah! I’ve got it!”
Yan clapped his hands, as if a brilliant idea had just struck him.
“’White Cloud Snow,’ how about that?”
“Oh… your naming taste…”
Qing Bai clutched her head, a headache forming, and looked at Yan with a puzzled expression.
“Well… never mind. Can you at least explain why it’s such an antiquated-sounding name?”
“Isn’t this a Western-style fantasy adventure RPG?”
“Uh…”
Yan gave a wry smile, tilted his head slightly, and extended a finger, pointing to one side.
“Because this sky castle, the white clouds, and the snow are all white?”
He seemed to be questioning himself.
“Alright…”
Qing Bai shrugged, having no choice but to accept Yan’s explanation.
“Even though it doesn’t quite fit the game’s fantasy aesthetic, it’s still rather pleasant to hear.”
“Then ‘White Cloud Snow’ it is.”
With a smile, Yan typed the name into the system panel that had popped up before him.
“’White Cloud Snow’… what a beautiful name.”
Tian Jiu smiled, clearly quite fond of the guild name, unlike Qing Bai.
“Alright, I’m going to press it now.”
Yan aimed the golden [Guild Token] in his hand at the circular indentation on the castle’s pristine white main gate.
“Mm.”
The others responded in unison, nodding slightly.
Each of them felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of this extraordinary sky castle becoming their guild’s new headquarters.
Seeing their expectant expressions, Yan curved his lips into a faint smile, then gently pressed the [Guild Token] in his hand into the circular indentation.
“Wait a moment!”
A familiar, low voice echoed, startling Yan so much that he shivered, inadvertently pressing the [Guild Token] fully into the indentation.
Immediately, the system notification chimed.
“[Guild ‘White Cloud Snow’ successfully created. Headquarters: Sky Castle.]”
“Ah, ah… I was beaten to it after all…”
An Dong stood at the Sky Castle’s teleportation array, scratching his head as he watched, with a helpless expression, the [Guild Building] of the Sky Castle transform from an unclaimed structure into the designated headquarters of ‘White Cloud Snow.’
“Big Brother An Dong? What are you doing here?”
The voice Yan had heard just moments ago was An Dong’s shout; he turned his head, confused, to look at An Dong.
“Why did you tell us to ‘wait a moment’…”
“Is there a problem with establishing a guild here?”
Hearing Yan’s barrage of questions, An Dong scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.
“Ah… not really.”
He offered a candid smile.
“Actually, Lian spotted this Sky Castle as a potential guild headquarters from afar, and that’s what sparked the idea for us to establish a guild here.”
An Dong shifted his body slightly, revealing Lian, who had been obscured by his tall frame; Lian offered a faint smile and a gentle nod to Yan, acknowledging him.
Yan returned her greeting with a smile and a nod.
‘Oh, Lian?’
‘That’s right, she also possesses a golden [Guild Token], so it’s perfectly understandable that she’d want to find a beautiful place to establish her guild.’
‘Moreover, given Lian’s eyesight, she likely discerned the Sky Castle’s appearance long before I even arrived, deduced its distance on the map, and, using the [Guild Building] marker on the map, inferred that this was indeed a [Guild Building].’
‘Unlike our group, who, even after spotting the Sky Castle, couldn’t predict its distance or pinpoint its location on the map, let alone determine from afar if it was a [Guild Building]; we were simply walking in this direction, hoping for a stroke of luck…’
“Well, since you guys picked it first, there’s nothing for it, is there? First come, first served. Lian and I will just have to find another spot.”
An Dong was quite understanding; he smiled, waved his hand, and prepared to leave with Lian.
“Mm.”
Lian nodded, her gaze lingering regretfully on the pristine white castle for a moment, a hint of yearning in her eyes.
Yet, that wistful look lasted only an instant before she reverted to her usual cool and valiant self as the archer Lian, offering Yan a faint smile before turning to depart with An Dong.
After all, they had become friends during their first activity together, and mutual understanding among friends was nothing but natural.
‘Friends… indeed.’
“Uh… Big Brother An Dong, Lian.”
Yan curved his lips into a smile, raised his eyes, and called out to stop the two.
“Hm?”
Both turned their faces to look at Yan.
“Would you like to join my guild, ‘White Cloud Snow’?”
“This Sky Castle is quite large, anyway, and currently, these are the only members in my guild.”
Yan smiled, gesturing towards the few people behind him.
“You two are my friends, too, so why don’t we just establish this guild together?”
His clear eyes met theirs as he extended a sincere invitation.
“This…”
Lian seemed to hesitate; she glanced at the golden [Guild Token] in her hand, then at the pristine white castle behind Yan, appearing torn between becoming a guild master herself and joining the Sky Castle.
Yet, she was fundamentally a straightforward and capable individual, and her hesitation lasted only an instant. She then lifted her face, smiling at Yan, as if her decision was made.
“Alright, it’s settled then.”
“That works for me!”
An Dong said with a casual shrug, smiling as he clasped his hands behind his head.
“Huh? That quickly?”
It was Yan, the one who had extended the invitation, who found himself stunned, watching the two decisively agree to join his guild.
“You don’t need to think about it more?”
“Would it be better if I thought about it for a while and then told you ‘I’ll join’?”
Witnessing the playful glint in Lian’s curved eyes, Yan realized for the first time that Lian, too, possessed a sense of humor.
“No, no, I’m absolutely thrilled that you’re joining.”
Yan waved his hand with a wry smile.
After all, they were the renowned [Immovable Fortress] (TL Note: A title/nickname) and [Divine Eye Archer] (TL Note: A title/nickname), both formidable players who had showcased their prowess during the very first activity.
Personally, Yan genuinely hoped that An Dong and Lian would join his guild as friends.
“Then there’s no problem at all. Lian was already hesitating about whether to establish a guild and become a guild master.”
“Lian has already had enough of that ‘leading others’ hassle in real life, so why would she want to find more work for herself in a game?”
An Dong smiled, looking at Yan.
“Since you’ve extended the invitation, what reason do we have to refuse?”
“Exactly.”
Lian nodded, affirming An Dong’s words.
“Is that so…”
Yan curved his lips into a gentle smile, looked at the two, and offered a slight bow.
“Thank you both for being willing to join my guild.”
“What are you talking about, Guild Master?”
An Dong chuckled, patting Yan on the shoulder.
“Hurry up and finalize the guild, get everyone here invited! Isn’t that why you all came?”
“Oh, oh, you’re absolutely right.”
Yan nodded, then, a little belatedly, sent guild invitations to everyone present.
“[Tian Jiu has joined the guild ‘White Cloud Snow’.]
[Qing Bai has joined the guild ‘White Cloud Snow’.]
[An Dong has joined the guild ‘White Cloud Snow’.]
[Lian has joined the guild ‘White Cloud Snow’.]”
…
Xiao Qing stood rooted to the spot, a little bewildered, as she watched the invitation notification pop up before her.
“What’s wrong?”
Yan looked at her with a faint smile.
“Master… can I join Master’s guild too?
With all these amazing players…”
Faced with Yan’s guild invitation, Xiao Qing seemed a little overwhelmed, her gaze drifting uncertainly to the others around her.
Aside from Tian Jiu, who was a healer, everyone else present was a powerful player who had made an impression during the first activity.
Although Qing Bai hadn’t earned the title of Challenger or a nickname, her unique combat style as an agile mage had certainly been an eye-opener for Xiao Qing, who secretly believed these individuals belonged to a different league of players than herself.
That was why, at this moment, she wavered and felt at a loss when faced with Yan’s guild invitation.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Yan frowned, speaking with a hint of bewilderment.
“Huh?”
Xiao Qing lifted her eyes, meeting Yan’s clear gaze.
“Aren’t you my apprentice?”
“Is there anything strange about an apprentice joining their master’s guild?”
“Master…”
Yan’s matter-of-fact tone touched Xiao Qing. She met his sincere gaze, a faint smile curving her lips.
“Yes, Master.”
“[Xiao Qing has joined the guild ‘White Cloud Snow’.]