Chapter 143: This Sword Weighs Two Hundred Jin
"Are you players, too?"
The college student clad in black stopped five steps away from Haruto and his companions. With a heavy thud, he drove his massive greatsword into the soil, the blade biting deep into the earth. He rested one hand on the hilt, his tone casual, almost dismissive.
"Seeing you all run so slowly, I was starting to think every player on this road had been wiped out. The fact that you made it out of that place alive means your strength is… barely passable."
His gaze swept over their faces, lingering on each one before finally settling on Haruto. Instinct told him that this youth, who appeared to be around his age, was the core of the group.
Just then, the player Haruto had recognized from before jogged over, his voice brimming with excitement.
"It really is you guys! I haven't seen you since the Mermaid Instance!"
The black-clad student and the rest of his team showed a flicker of surprise. The leader turned to his subordinate. "Little Xia, you know them?"
"Boss, they're the ones I told you about!" Xia Ye nodded vigorously. "The ones who carried me through my second instance. If it weren't for them, I probably would've died a long time ago."
"Well, since you know each other, that makes things easier." The leader, whose name was apparently Ye Tian, flicked his cloak with a flourish and raised his chin in a practiced, theatrical gesture. "For this instance, you five can just follow me. I, Ye Tian, will carry you. I guarantee not a single one of you will be lost."
However…
He waited for a long moment, but the expected chorus of grateful agreement never came. Silence hung in the air.
Ye Tian turned his head, a hint of confusion on his face, only to find that everyone in the other group was looking at Haruto.
"No need to look at me," Haruto said with an indifferent shrug. "Decide for yourselves."
Hearing this, Yotsuya Miko and Lin Xuelao turned their gazes to Kaguya, who appeared just as calm and unconcerned as Haruto.
"I am of the same mind," she stated serenely.
Seeing that the two unspoken leaders of their team were acting completely nonchalant, Miko glanced at Lin Xuelao. The blind girl simply offered her a silent expression that clearly said, 'You decide.'
The final decision fell squarely on Yotsuya Miko's shoulders.
"Don't be so polite, just come with us!" Xia Ye urged enthusiastically. "If you all hadn't taken care of me back then, I probably would've died in that inn."
Another of Ye Tian's teammates leaned in and whispered to Miko, "Yeah, don't mind the boss… he's a bit of a chuuni, but he's genuinely strong. And he's great to his own people. You must have heard of the Destined Players, right? Our boss is one of them."
The other members of his team nodded in agreement.
'Destined Players?'
The term made Miko and the others pause. They had seen the title mentioned on forums and in player chat groups, but they had never actually met one in person. Now, one was standing right in front of them. Judging by the power Ye Tian had just displayed, he indeed seemed worthy of the title.
"Thank you… then we'll be in your care," Miko finally said, nodding after a moment of hesitation.
On one hand, Ye Tian's invitation, while arrogant, seemed sincere. Besides, he had been holding that dramatic pose for quite some time; refusing now would just be rude. On the other hand, it was clear that both Haruto and Kaguya found the situation amusing and were interested in seeing how it would play out.
Seeing Miko agree, Ye Tian visibly relaxed. He straightened his back, his posture swelling with pride, and let out a hearty laugh. "Good judgment! Don't you worry. As long as you follow me, if I, Ye Tian, have food to eat, you won't go hungry!"
"Um… thank you, but we're just teaming up for this instance," Miko added awkwardly in a low voice. "We're not planning on joining your team permanently."
Ye Tian's grand gesture stiffened for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered, forcing himself to maintain his "masterly" demeanor. He waved a magnanimous hand. "It matters not. Even if you don't join my team, you helped my subordinate. That is a favor. I, Ye Tian, always repay my debts and my favors. Follow me for this instance, and as long as I draw breath, I guarantee your safety!"
"Thank you," Miko said again, offering a small bow.
Haruto watched the exchange with a subtle, amused expression. This guy was definitely a chuunibyou, but his character seemed surprisingly solid.
Kaguya, however, was examining Ye Tian with genuine interest. "That Sky-Splitting Slash you used just now," she asked, her voice carrying a musical lilt. "Were you imitating Dante?"
Ye Tian's face instantly froze. He clearly hadn't expected anyone to recognize the source of his move, but he forced a calm facade. "A move is just a move. As long as it works, it doesn't matter where it came from."
Youmu, however, frowned slightly. She offered a piece of kind, if blunt, advice. "That sword strike just now was too flashy. If you reduced the unnecessary spinning, the power would be greater and the speed faster."
Her words clearly struck a nerve. Ye Tian's mouth twitched. He glanced at the katana at Youmu's waist, realizing she was also a sword user and that her advice was probably correct. Still, he stubbornly held his ground. "Everyone has their own fighting style. Mine is one of overwhelming ferocity, relying on superior physical attributes to crush opponents with absolute power."
He proudly patted the greatsword still embedded in the ground. "This sword is named God-Slayer. It weighs two hundred jin. Even among the Destined Players, there are few who can even lift it, let alone wield it as freely as I do."
After his boast, he stepped aside, a challenging glint in his eyes. "If any of you are interested, give it a try. If someone here can actually lift it, I'll invite them to join my faction, Ascending God, as the vice-captain."
Hearing their boss offer up the vice-captain position so casually, his teammates were shocked. But on second thought, they relaxed. Anyone capable of lifting that monstrous sword would have to be, at the very least, a strength-based Destined Player. If a second one joined them, the power of their Ascending God faction would surely rise to a whole new level.
Though Xia Ye didn't hold out much hope for Haruto's group, he explained just in case, "Don't think we only have ten people in this instance. Boss's faction, Ascending God, actually has three hundred players in total, all of them well-trained. Our overall strength ranks among the top of all player factions."
"Quite impressive," Haruto praised mildly, a thoughtful look on his face as he briefly considered whether he should establish a faction of his own.
Yotsuya Miko and Lin Xuelao exchanged a glance before walking up to the greatsword one after the other.
Miko gripped the hilt with both hands and pulled, her muscles straining. The sword didn't budge an inch. Lin Xuelao took a deep breath and exerted all her strength, her knuckles turning white. The greatsword only trembled slightly in the earth.
Seeing this, a smug smile spread across Ye Tian's face. "It seems the vice-captain position will have to remain vacant for now."
But before he could finish his sentence, Kaguya had already stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Allow me to try."
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