Rebirth of the thief who roamed around the world (BOOK 3)

Chapter 449 - Shadow

In the previous timeline, what players loved to chat about the most was undoubtedly equipment, who had the better equipment, where it was found, whose equipment was Sub Legendary-grade, how much it was worth, its history, origin, and so on. Nie Yan took on a lot of hired work back then. He frequently ran dungeons with different teams. So, he got to hear a great many stories. He would also occasionally look at the equipment players posted on the forum. The vast majority of which were Sub Legendary and even Legendary-grade, and were already bound so the owners would never have to worry about them dropping. The stats of every piece were drool-worthy.

Nie Yan could only gaze enviously at the equipment of these people back then. However, things were different in this life. He finally had the ability to collect them for himself!

Nie Yan had no illusions about his people being the first to find every single piece of equipment on that list. But even if it were only a tenth of them, it would allow the top players from Asskickers United to skyrocket in power.

The Saintess Christina Set was one of the godly equipment sets of the previous timeline. The last two bosses at the end required thousands of high level players to defeat it. It was a notoriously difficult set to obtain. Back then, a famous female Holy Magister called Night Autumn Jade only managed to collect three pieces. The later stages of the questline were too hard for her to progress. Even then, she was still regarded as a peak existence. After all, three pieces of Legendary-grade equipment was nothing to laugh about. One could imagine how powerful she would be if she had the full set. She had shared the details of the later stages on the forums. Not being able to complete this godly set became her lifelong regret.

Nie Yan never thought Xie Yao would pick this quest. He could probably gather the players of Asskickers United to help her with the later stages of the quest. However, she was pretty much on her own with the initial stages since there wasn't much they could do to help.

"Good luck. I hope you'll obtain the full Saintess Christina Set," Nie Yan cheered Xie Yao on. He felt completing this set would be an incredibly difficult task for her.

"Mhm! Nie Yan, you have to work hard too! I know you have a lot of things on your shoulders, with everyone in Asskickers United relying on you. You don't have to worry about me inside the game. I can take care of myself. I just wish I could share the burden with you, even if there's not a lot I can do," Xie Yao said apologetically.

Xie Yao knew Nie Yan had to look for a large amount of equipment and items every day to increase his own strength as well as the guild's. All the while he still had to scramble everywhere to gather the funds to support the guild. None of these things were easy. Although Asskickers United had gathered a large number of elites, they had yet to fully mature. Guilds like Alliance of Mages, Divine Protectors, and Angel Corps had risen to power without facing any hardship. They were established powers that had existed for five years or longer, some even for over ten. As they went from one virtual reality game to the next, they accumulated many loyal and dedicated fans along the way. Once Conviction was released, they joined as a collective. It didn't take long for them to establish themselves, rapidly expanding their influence and recruiting players en masse. Asskickers United had only established themselves weeks after Conviction's release. Their foundation was shaky, and they faced battle after battle. If it weren't for Nie Yan keeping everything together, they would've long since collapsed. Only when Calore was unified did Asskickers United truly embark on a steady path, and only then did the elites of the guild obtain a stable growth environment.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Nie Yan had single-handedly kept Asskickers United afloat. Of course, Guo Huai and the other administrative members had also put in quite a great deal of work. But whether it was the battle at Kiln Fire Woods or the Cripps Stronghold siege, Asskickers United wouldn't exist today if it weren't for Nie Yan's efforts. One could imagine how much he contributed to the guild.

"It's not that bad. When I log in I just grind a few mobs, collect some equipment, occasionally get in a few fights, and every week or so I make a trip to the Underworld." Nie Yan chuckled. Although it was true he didn't have enough time to do all the things he wanted, it wasn't as hectic and stressful as Xie Yao made it out to be.

Xie Yao cast a doubtful gaze. Everyone in Asskickers United witnessed daily all that Nie Yan did for the guild. Even if he himself claimed he wasn't busy, no one would believe him no matter what.

Seeing Xie Yao's expression, Nie Yan knew there was nothing he could do to explain. He glanced at the clock and said, "It's about time to get back into the game."

"Mhm." Xie Yao nodded.

The two stepped inside their respective game capsules. When Nie Yan entered the game, he received a notification.

Yao Yao is playing Conviction

Nie Yan was automatically notified of Xie Yao entering the game.

Nie Yan faintly smiled. A warm feeling sprouted up in his heart from knowing Xie Yao was right beside him.

Nie Yan summoned his Faulkner Warhorse, then set off for the Hilton Stronghold, galloping across the wide open grasslands.

About 20 minutes later, Nie Yan received word from Guo Huai that King of the World had applied to join Asskickers United. From this day forward, Asskickers United would have another powerful expert among their ranks.

Nie Yan gave King of the World a call.

「When you have the time, go run dungeons with the others. I'll introduce you to a team,」Nie Yan said. King of the World had only recently joined, so he was unfamiliar with the players of Asskickers United. He would have to slowly get to know everyone.

「I don't have any interest in running dungeons with others,」King of the World replied.

Nie Yan recalled that King of the World was a loner in the previous timeline too. Although those brothers of his were skilled, they were far from being able to keep up with him.

「I see, so be it. How about we do quests together instead?」Nie Yan said. The best way to deal with people like this was to have them quickly develop a sense of belonging to the guild.

「My brothers have all moved into the villa in Jadewater... Thank you,」King of the Word said after a moment of silence.

King of the World sounded a bit stiff. He had never once thanked anybody. Nie Yan was his first.

「No need to thank me. Isn't that what we agreed on in the contract?」

「As per our agreement, whether as Bayonet or King of the World, I will be your shadow from this day forward. If you need me to do anything, don't hesitate to give out your command. This is my duty as a mercenary,」King of the World said. His words were frank. As long as Nie Yan had the money, he would carry out the work.

"Shadow... A shadow..." Nie Yan muttered. What he required the most was precisely a shadow! There were many things he couldn't do due to a lack of time. A shadow could do those things on his behalf, along with the dirty work he couldn't do himself!