Chapter 44 - Guild Offer

"Is it me, or is this fight as interesting as the matches in the battle between experts?" Long Hei asked with a wide grin. 

"It's not just you," Matchstick said to him. "In fact, has Brother EverHill always been so handsome?" 

Long Hei shrugged. "Don't know. I've never seen him fight anyone one on one. You know he is known for standing in the back and letting the rest of his teammates do all the work. Sister Yue?" 

The Rainbow-haired girl smiled. "Brother EverHill is far more talented one on one than he is at group battles. But this is the first time I'm seeing him fight so earnestly. I'm afraid everyone in our group would have a difficult time fighting against him one on one."

"Why was he chosen to fight now then?" San Zhe asked. "If he is so great, then he should be further back in the line-up, right?" 

Yue smiled. "Because we have far more skills than brother EverHill. He is a proud weapons user. It was only at level 40 or something he started using spells and enchantments in his fights. At level 10, he has no other skill than weapons mastery."

"But the newbie will win then," Long Hei said with a sigh. 

"No she won't," Frost said. "EverHill is not going to use any other skill than the ones he displayed now but he has many battle tactics that he has developed over his five years in the Other World as he fought with experts who were far better than him. SelaXiu is powerful, and has a strong learning curve but she is not as familiar with the realistic fight sequence as EverHill is."

"It really is a Mind VS Mind fight, huh?" Long Hei said. 

San Zhe looked at Cheng Xiu in concern. He couldn't believe that she came so far and couldn't help but hope that she would defeat all these experts. 

After all, their powers would be at the same level and though Five years is a large amount of experience, Cheng Xiu's fighting ability should be able to compensate enough for it, right? Right? 

Metallic bodied javelins replaced the spears in EverHill's hands. 

Long Hei sucked in a breath. "He can use RynHeart at Level 10?!" 

He turned to Yue. 

She smiled at him, raising her hands in a surrendering gesture. "I didn't know that either, I promise!" 

EverHill dashed towards Cheng Xiu, using one of his javelins to jab at her while the other was used as a support. 

Cheng Xiu twisted away from it, parrying the sharp edge away from her to the right.

Cheng Xiu was put on the defensive in an instant, left to deflect his attacks left and right with her sword blade.

The cloned swords floating above her head were positioned to attack the man but remained unmoving. 

"When you fought Second Lu you used so many skills!" EverHill complained. 

"I haven't seen you do anything other than summoning and banishing weapons either!" Cheng Xiu said. 

EverHill grinned. "Nonsense. I can't. I don't have any spells or enchantments at Level 10. Was an ignorant boy when I started. The summoning enchantment and the banishing spell were things I learned at level 5 because I couldn't beat a level 15 expert back then. This is the limit of my skills arsenal."

Cheng Xiu smiled." I might not have played this game for long, senior, but I do know when people are trying to trick me. You want me to use up my Qi so that you can attack me in succession."

EverHill pursed his lips." Why would you think that?"

Cheng Xiu shrugged. "I just randomly threw the first thought that came to my mind. The reaction you gave me tells me that I was right."

"Fuck!" EverHill said through gritted teeth. He made a rookie mistake.

EverHill charged forward, jabbing at her as fast as he could, which did not seem to be fast enough as Cheng Xiu dodged them with great precision.

Was he becoming slower?

No, it was not that his speed was decreasing. Cheng Xiu's speed was increasing and with it, her ability to predict his movements were becoming even more accurate.

EverHill threw the javelin in his other hand at her.

Cheng Xiu dodged to the side.

EverHill traced her movement and aimed for her chest again.

Cheng Xiu barely stabilised her footing when she saw the glint of his javelin head from the corner of her eyes.

Jumping back would be the most logical action that she could do but her instincts screamed at her that there was a trap in that route.

But jumping to the sides would not help her much as she would not escape unscathed.

Cheng Xiu gritted her teeth and jumped forward. She ducked to the ground and landed in a split.

EverHill looked at her actions in surprise. Wasn't that a bit over the top to avoid a bit of pain? 

If she had moved to the sides, sure, she would get hurt a bit but wasn't the action she took a bit much?

He looked at the beauty in front of him and realized something.

He copied her movement and fell to the ground in a roll.

Two Carp Swords whizzed past where his head was a moment prior and embedded on the ground in front of the girl.

His eyes went to Selafia, who was slowly getting up. 

"You knew what I had planned," he said with a sigh.

Cheng Xiu smiled. "I had seen you fight with that Emperor Forest Monster, remember. I grabbed your thrown javelin to attack that beast. I haven't forgotten the fact that your RynHearts return to you whenever it is released."

The javelin he had thrown at her before flew past her ear towards his hand.

EverHill caught it and sighed. He looked at the girl in front of him. "Are you sure you don't want to join my Guild?"

Cheng Xiu raised an eyebrow. 

EverHill spun the javelins in his hands. "We don't discriminate against what faction you are from. Righteous or Qi-deviated, we accept them all. There are currently only 6 core members and with your skills, you can become a core member in a few months."

"I told you I-"

"Think about it? Why waste a good chance to rise in the ranks?"

Cheng Xiu pursed her lips. "My friend-"

"I know what you said. Your friend can join too and if she is a good friend she wouldn't hesitate to follow. Her crush can't be as important as her best friend."

Cheng Xiu shook her head. "How can I ask that of her when I know she started to play this game just for that?"

EverHill shrugged. "People's motivation to continue playing a game will change as they get involved in the game world and know more about what the game has to offer. I'm just saying, think about it."

Cheng Xiu fidgeted. 

"It doesn't even have to be my guild," EverHill said.

Cheng Xiu's eyes widened in shock.

EverHill looked at her earnestly. "You are a good player and someone with so much potential and...I know for you the Other World might be just another VR game but...I'm too used to seeing people without even an ounce of talent vying for the top guilds and you might just be squandering your talent away."

Cheng Xiu chuckled. Wasting her potential?

Nonsense.

"I appreciate your honesty," Cheng Xiu said with a self-deprecating laugh. "But I'm going where my friend is."

"Loyalty is commendable," EverHill said with a nod. "But...we also have top experts in our guild other than me if that makes a difference."

Cheng Xiu laughed. "It doesn't but I'll bite. Who?"

"You know the Power Ranks, right?" EverHill asked.

Cheng Xiu sweatdrpped. "I can guess its function."

"The No# 1 is in our guild," EverHill said. The tone of his voice didn't sound happy to say that though.

Cheng Xiu gave him an impressed expression. "And who was that again?"

"Yaksha!"