The headquarters of Smile Flower.
The grand conference room was packed with Smile Flower's top brass.
Everyone wore expressions of deep gloom.
Feng Xuanyang, seated at the head of the table, looked as dark as a thundercloud.
A single battle by Zero Wing hadn't just routed the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion — it had dealt a crushing blow to the morale of everyone in Smile Flower.
Originally, when Zero Wing and the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion had gone to war, no one had predicted that Zero Wing could possibly survive.
Now Zero Wing was riding high, and in White River City their word was law. That had planted seeds of doubt in the minds of many Smile Flower members.
Ever since Smile Flower had entered an all-out war with Zero Wing, any encounter in the wild turned into a massive fight. In the past they could still hold their own, but now they were completely suppressed — their fighting spirit eroding with every clash, their levels plummeting drop by drop.
The experience and gold earned from grinding mobs and running quests wasn't even enough to sustain them anymore.
Meanwhile, Zero Wing only grew stronger and bolder with each battle.
Now Smile Flower's players no longer dared to wear their guild emblem when they went out, terrified of being recognized and killed on sight by Zero Wing's people. The exodus had begun — players were quitting in droves.
"Why was my luck so terrible? I just had to choose Smile Flower back then. If I'd known, I would've stayed with Zero Wing. At least I could've snagged a squad leader position by now."
"Tell me about it. Forget squad leader — even being a regular member would've been fine!"
Members resting in the guild hall chatted amongst themselves, and those who had been poached from Zero Wind were filled with bitter regret.
Watching players who used to be worse than them in skill now easily defeating them — the frustration was beyond words.
In just a single day, over three thousand Smile Flower players in White River City had quit because Zero Wing was recruiting. The blow to Smile Flower was staggering. But what was truly terrifying was that more and more players were thinking about leaving. Even some mid-ranking officers were toying with the idea of abandoning ship.
"What do you suggest we do next?" Feng Xuanyang swept his gaze across the room and asked.
His question met with dead silence. Not a single person responded. It wasn't that they didn't want to answer — they simply had no idea what to say.
Although Smile Flower had aggressively recruited and even poached numerous elite players from Zero Wing, their numbers far exceeded Zero Wing's roster. But when it actually came to fighting, they learned the hard truth: numbers meant nothing.
Compared to Zero Wing, Smile Flower was behind in levels, behind in equipment, and their fighting spirit was worlds inferior.
What could they possibly do?
Moreover, the money Smile Flower was hemorrhaging every single day to sustain the war against Zero Wing was a bottomless pit.
If this continued, the inevitable end was guild dissolution.
"Useless, the lot of you! What good are you?!" Feng Xuanyang slammed his palm on the table and roared.
Everyone lowered their heads in silence. No one dared speak a word.
"No — we absolutely cannot let it end like this. Since the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion has been crushed and lost all face, they won't let this rest. Find a way to contact them immediately!" Feng Xuanyang's eyes glowed with a bloody light, fury radiating from every word. "If the Abyss and the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion join forces, I refuse to believe we can't wipe out Zero Wing!"
Meanwhile, in the reception hall on the first floor of the Candlelight Trading Company.
Executives from every major guild had been waiting for a long time, but no one stepped forward to speak.
Just then, the main entrance of the reception hall burst open with a thunderous groan. Everyone turned to look and saw Shi Feng walk in at a leisurely pace, a faint smile on his face.
Immediately the guild leaders rushed to greet him, one after another offering friendly words — a far cry from how things had gone last time.
"I already know why you're all here. You want the Intermediate Magic Armor Cores. I can sell you more of them, but I have one condition. If you're not interested, you're free to leave." Shi Feng cut straight to the point, completely unmoved by the flattery.