Star Moon Kingdom, Zero Wing's headquarters in White River City.
The bustling guild hall had fallen deathly silent. Inside, the core members of the guild's main raid team were seated in full — every single one of them a second-tier class holder at level 54 at minimum. As for their gear, needless to say, they were all decked out in Gold-grade equipment of at least level 50, with the leading figures sporting Epic-grade pieces on top of that.
Among them were Fire Dance, Ke Le, Sword Shadow, Hei Zi, Turtle, Ye Wumian, Ziyan Liuyun, North Wind Low Profile, and Feiying.
These people had been there from the very founding of Zero Wing, witnessing its growth firsthand. They had been through countless guild wars alone, to say nothing of the day-to-day dungeon runs and skirmishes.
Now Zero Wing had grown into the number-one guild of the Star Moon Kingdom, undisputed in both strength and wealth. Fire Dance and the others had become household names, their combat footage serving as learning material and inspiration for countless players throughout the kingdom — celebrities in their own right, whether they wanted to be or not.
"Fire Rose Fire Dance! Berserker Ke Le! They're insane!"
"Is this some kind of celebrity gathering? Is the guild planning another big operation?"
"So cool! When am I ever going to make it into the core roster and stand with them?"
"Zero Wing's been recruiting so many new players lately that the promotion requirements for core members have gotten way tougher. Other guilds only ask you to clear the mid-fifth floor of the Trial Tower with enough guild contribution, but I heard that from now on, if you want to become a core member of Zero Wing, you need to at least clear the fifth floor of the Trial Tower and reach the sixth."
"I heard that too. But even if you make core member, getting into the main raid team is a whole other level. The weakest person on the main team right now can handle the late sixth floor of the Trial Tower and has mastered at least two basic combat techniques. To become a squad leader, you need to clear the mid-seventh floor at minimum, with at least three basic combat techniques and one advanced combat technique under your belt."
……
The guild members in the hall gazed at Fire Dance and the others, buzzing with excitement — especially the newer recruits. Many of them had joined Zero Wing precisely because of legends like these.
Just as the crowd chattered away, a fresh wave of exclamations swept through the hall. A figure in his thirties appeared, clad in a black cloak, mana swirling around him like a living thing. Two longswords hung at his waist — one wreathed in crackling cyan arcs of electricity, the other exhaling wisps of deep gray mist. The aura radiating from him forced the crowd to part instinctively, clearing a path.
It was none other than Shi Feng, disguised as Black Flame.
"The Guild Master! The Guild Master is here!"
"That's really him! He's even more powerful in person — the videos don't do him justice!"
The guild members in the hall stared at the arriving Shi Feng, their eyes brimming with excitement and reverence. After all, Sword King Black Flame was the living legend of Zero Wing, a man who had created miracle after miracle and remained undefeated to this day.
In the Star Moon Kingdom, even top-tier experts shuddered at the mere mention of Black Flame's name.
At the crowd's outbursts, Shi Feng could only smile wryly and head straight for Fire Dance and the others.
"Guild Master, we have eighty-five second-tier class holders in total. We're ready to move out on your command," Shuishe Qiangwei said as she watched him approach.
Shi Feng looked over the Zero Wing main raid team members as they rose to their feet one by one. This was the culmination of the guild's full strength, a party assembled from every corner of Zero Wing — including the Black Dragon Empire branch managed by Bai Qingxue, Youlan who handled daily affairs at Zero Wing City, and the newly promoted second-tier silent blade Youziping.
Some of these people had been renowned figures in his previous life, and now, in this one, they had all gathered under Zero Wing's banner.