Virtual World: Close Combat Mage

Chapter 656: Chapter 656 – Long Live Comprehension

Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Dusky Cloud felt he had a really rough-and-tumble fate. On top of entering the game in a city like Yueye, he had personally witnessed Silver Moon’s Past Deeds Guild’s meteoric rise to power. Afterward, even though Past Deeds was vanquished, given the prevailing attitude found in a place like Yueye City, a new Past Deeds quickly rose from the flames of war after the old Past Deeds collapsed. Dusky Cloud and his Ten Guild Alliance were seen as this new Past Deeds, and Dusky Cloud was now like Silver Moon in the past – a target the whole city of players schemed to take down. According to the statistics calculated by one of their fellow guildmates that had a passion for it, ever since the Ten Guild Alliance was regarded by the whole city as public enemy number one, Dusky Cloud had been the target of ambushes and sneak attacks on average about 1.17 times every day.

Now, it seemed that Proud Sovereign and Overgrown Foliage were like the Dusky Cloud of old, leading all their men, which were nowhere near the numbers that Dusky Cloud’s Ten Guild Alliance boasted, to clash against the Alliance on a daily basis. Meanwhile, Dusky Cloud did not really have the heart to openly declare war against the two, and this was all because Dusky Cloud saw the two men acting in a demeanor resembling what he had done back in the days. But after learning that those two were members of a workshop, he realized that he would have to get serious against them.

This was especially since they were from such a large workshop like the Remarkable Flair. With such a background, there was no way any pay-to-win players could match their potentials. Pay-to-win players were willing to spend real-world currency, but it was ultimately just entertainment to them, so there was no way that they would put their whole fortune into the game, right? A workshop was different; basically, it had the entire wealth of an organization backing them up. These players were willing to risk it all if they could justify their actions to be done in an effort to protect their interests or striving for greater profits.

Despite Remarkable Flair being a large workshop, the number of official members they had would hardly surpass the numbers found in a guild. However, the strictness found in either organization was completely different from each other. A guild was considered as an entertainment parlour, where players would up and leave if they were ever unhappy with their experience there. A workshop would be more akin to a job, especially with how Remarkable Flair was running legitimately right now. With insurance premiums and many other such costs abounding, could players just leave as and when they wanted? They even had contract liquidation damages to consider!

Furthermore, this was only counting the official members of the workshop. With how their organization was set up, where a good portion of their members were just online gamers, many of them were considered to be part timers and were not officially bound to the workshop, contractually speaking. Nonetheless, these part timers would still account for half the manpower. If these players were included into the mix, then the size of that workshop would be huge. The way Parallel World was set up, where all the different cities shared the same world, meant that there was no way of knowing just how many men were under Remarkable Flair workshop, so Dusky Cloud could not help but feel himself balk at the thought of how his adversary this time would be of such a background.

Upon thinking just what a big deal this was, Dusky Cloud was hardly able to concentrate on his grinding. He subconsciously made his way over to where Gu Fei was standing, taking the time to ask when an opportunity came up, “Miles, have you been busy recently?”

“What do you mean by that?” Gu Fei was currently watching two men practice their duo grinding routine! Dusky Cloud had just ended the conversation between them and left to fight monsters moments ago, yet he returned before two minutes had even passed; just how did Gu Fei end up aggroing his attention again?

“Well, the City War is about to commence! If you’ve got the time, why don’t you come over and help your bros here? We can fight side-by-side when that time comes!” Dusky Cloud suggested. He did not mention anything about payment. Having already had dealings with Gu Fei, he could tell that the man was not someone that cared about money, so it was pointless to try hiring him out like the average mercenary group, which was why he decided to play the emotion card.

“There’s plenty to do these few days! I’ll be heading to Linyin City pretty soon, and then there’s still that matter with Remarkable Flair. Even though Eternal Dominion will be the one dealing with them, I’ll have to follow and keep a lookout as well! Ah, I’m really busy!” Gu Fei replied.

“Then, there’s something you’ve got to take in consideration of, for the sake of your friends,” Dusky Cloud said.

“What is it?” Gu Fei asked.

“You just mentioned that Proud Sovereign and Overgrown Foliage are men from Remarkable Flair workshop; I’ve had my run-ins with those two men, but I’ve only heard about this news myself. The two guilds these two men are in charge of are in competition with the Ten Guild Alliance here in Yueye City, so I reckon that the same can be said for this upcoming City War. I didn’t know that they actually have such a background, but with how you’re going to be collaborating with them for this project, if the City War begin... they won’t ask you to lend a hand, will they?” Dusky Cloud asked, worry etched on his face.

Gu Fei was stunned. “I’ve never heard them mention anything about that! I keep hearing people talk about this City War thingy. Just what sort of war is it?”

“There hasn’t been any word on what and how the war will be, which is why I’m feeling so jittery over it!” Dusky Cloud said.

“Old Cloud, I feel that you’ve changed,” Gu Fei suddenly said.

“What?” Now it was Dusky Cloud’s turn to be surprised.

“Even though we’re not exactly very familiar with each other, barely coming into contact a few times, this isn’t something I thought you would do, based on the impression I’ve got of you. I remember when we passed by Yueye City while doing the guild quest for Traversing Four Seas, and Vast Lushness got hunted down by you and your men. I went to lend her a hand back then, yet you even claimed to be willing to meet me on the battlefield! Why does it seem as if you’ve become even more timid ever since I came back? Weren’t you just insinuating that even if I don’t help you guys, you don’t want me helping Proud Sovereign and Overgrown Foliage? See; that’s totally not how you would act before,” Gu Fei explained.

Dusky Cloud was severely startled when he heard what Gu Fei had said. To think even Thousand Miles Drunk was able to see this. Ever since he became the head honcho of the Ten Guild Alliance, and after the pride from his success had faded away, he slowly realized that he was basically a steward for a guild with over 4000 members. Previously, it was just him and his buddies. With them coming together to discuss whatever bugged them, all it took was laughter, banter, and curses before everything would be settled. Now? With over 4000 players to manage and each of them playing the game differently, beginners might perhaps be reverent toward a guild leader who had broken into the ranks of the Five Unyielding Experts, but the Ten Guild Alliance was a guild that was second to none in Yueye City; how could they have such noobs among them? The players in their guild were all skilled people with above-average standards, so why would any of these men care to show respect just because he was a guild leader?

With over 4000 players, this meant that over 4000 different ways of thinking. There was no way he could call upon them all to discuss matters together, and there would always be a myriad of dissenting opinions whenever they announced the solutions that the core members of the guild came up with, and it was absolutely annoying dealing with them. Would that not mean that Dusky Cloud had to carefully consider every single thing in every single manner to serve this horde of men? Even if he had gone to the effort to do something like that, someone would still be unhappy about it at the end of the day! That Wraithspeak, who had attempted to ambush him before, was one such person. The ensuing fallout was rather significant, which culminated into the man taking a bunch of comrades and quitting the guild – a truly devastating blow, indeed.

Now that even Thousand Miles Drunk had observed that his actions were no longer as dauntless as before, Dusky Cloud was bemoaning his fate deep down as well! He wanted to hang around and interact with Celestial Pig and his band of brothers just like before, throwing out a ‘m*th*rf*ck*r’ whenever they misbehaved, but this huge organization was no longer as harmonious and close-knit as before. With over 4000 players, Dusky Cloud could not even recognize everyone, and yelling out ‘m*th*rf*ck*r’ to strangers was not exactly the dauntlessness he had hoped to demonstrate!

This was akin to them being a bunch of uncouth bandits that had a specific manner of interaction with each other, but once they secured their territory after inciting a revolt and took over governance, they were required to hold court. Naturally, there were rules and regulations to the imperial court, so how could they still act as rampant as bandits? This was precisely what Dusky Cloud was currently distressed over. With Gu Fei heartlessly pointing out this contradiction, Dusky Cloud had difficulty coming up with a good explanation. Right now, he really just wished that he could yell out to the sky, “M*th*rf*ck*r!”

“It isn’t easy being in charge of so many people, huh?” Gu Fei suddenly sighed.

Dusky Cloud had not expected Gu Fei to actually understand, and in that instant, Dusky Cloud was moved to the point his tears almost rolled down his cheeks freely, even as he kept shaking his head, sighing endlessly.

“Don’t worry; even if I collaborate with them to help Eternal Dominion and Southern Lone Blade’s gang to earn their living expenses, I don’t really like those guys from the workshop, so I won’t be helping them,” Gu Fei assured.

“Then, I will preemptively thank you for that, bro,” Dusky Cloud said.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Now, I understand why big bro Sword Demon didn’t bother setting up a guild here in Parallel World...” Dusky Cloud sighed. “This game is really just too big, and getting a guild set up here just isn’t like the guilds we are familiar with from before. A level six guild at this time already has over a thousand members; just getting them to gather is a tiresome chore.” Dusky Cloud was filled with emotions as he said all that.

“Then, just disband the guild; be content with a fifty-man guild and call it quits!” Gu Fei casually offered this advice effortlessly.

Dusky Cloud could only keep sighing. He was vexed when the scale of the guild got up to such a size, yet he was unwilling to squander his opportunity and potential if he did not manage a guild to such levels. What should I do? I guess all I can do is continue this dance of pleasure and pain!

Gu Fei and Eternal Dominion both resumed instructing the players on the duo grinding routines, covering all the potential complications, as well as the key points and queries these people raised, carefully explaining everything to everyone. After exploring profundity to a certain measure with Gu Fei, Dusky Cloud could no longer find it in him to give a hoot about his guild presently. Instead, he began to show concern for Gu Fei and berated all those people learning the duo grinding routines. “All of you only know to ask questions. You guys are all adults, yet none of you have gotten a grasp of how to fight a monster after so many hours? Better use more of your brain cells. Miles bro here still has plenty of other things to do; stop wasting his time unnecessarily.”

These students practicing the duo grinding routines were very despondent as well, teary eyed as they beseeched Gu Fei, “Brother Miles, we’ve barely got a grasp of these routines, but to master it will still take some time. There’s no way we would be able to become the instructor and teach others at this rate!”

“Then, call on others over, the more pairs I end up teaching, the further you guys can study and compare notes with each other, allowing you all to master the routines faster. A single pair will be able to teach ten pairs, and that ten can teach a hundred. If I’m the only one teaching your entire guild, won’t I just be burning myself out?”

“I’ll go get men right away!” Dusky Cloud did not waste time and quickly started gathering more interested parties, and the number of players who did not have Agility and depended on the duo grinding routines abruptly increased. Gu Fei made sure to send a message over to Deep Waters, informing the man that he was still held up by matters in Yueye City, and would be taking more time on his end!

“There’s no rush; we’ve still got plenty of time.” Deep Waters was very composed.

Gu Fei took a look at the time and saw that it was indeed only 10 PM. To these gamers, the day had barely even started.

The newcomers here learning the duo grinding routines were also grumbling endlessly. The first batch of pupils for the routine was all furious this time, flinging a round of ridicule to these initiates, pointing and picking things out from the sidelines, and acting even more like instructors than Gu Fei. It took a good effort from Gu Fei before he trained out another batch. Before long, he was ready to call it quits and leave. Sword Demon and the rest were not interested in staying in Youye Valley any longer as well, so they departed along with Gu Fei. Dusky Cloud took to sending them off again. Once more pulling those experts to the side to talk about the City War, he incited them to join his alliance. This went on until Royal God Call and Young Master Han mentioned how they had their guilds, and that also reminded Gu Fei that he had a guild of his as well! Amethyst Rebirth might be small, but just from Svelte Dancer’s personality and her fear of missing out, how could she not participate in something as tantalizing as the City War?

Exiting Youye Valley, Gu Fei took out the Teleportation Scroll and was about to leave for Linyin City when Young Master’s Elite and Southern Lone Blade’s squad of seven came forward to surround him. Sword Demon and the other experts sought to get Gu Fei’s help in developing some personalized monster grinding routines that could let them take on monsters ten levels above theirs, while Southern Lone Blade’s team was hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the limits to the grinding styles to better assist them with the task of doing the market research with Remarkable Flair.

“Linyin City. Since we’re all going to Linyin City, let’s chat as we make our way over.” Gu Fei’s mind was boggled. Why was it that he was becoming busier and busier playing this game?

With these people being all wealthy by now, they finally posed a similar breadth of spirit like Svelte Dancer. These men each took out another Teleportation Scroll of their own and readily flew right over, but an accident happened with this one teleport. These men had copied the set of coordinates written on Gu Fei’s Teleportation Scroll that Deep Waters had previously handed to him, yet when they used their scrolls, those with Gu Fei were sent over to Linyin City, and the others who used their own scrolls all ended up somewhere in Yueye City, and they even appeared in the same place together.

“Were the coordinates written wrongly?” They were all confused. However, even if they had made a mistake, there was no way that all of them would make the same mistake copying the numbers, causing everyone to end up in the same location besides Gu Fei’s.

Obviously, none of these people were aware of what Ye Xiaowu had previously explained to Broken Water Arrow regarding how the map coordinates in Parallel World worked, so all they suspected was that the Teleportation Scroll could not be used in such a way, so they stuck to the proper method of purchasing a Teleportation Scroll, sending it to Gu Fei via mail, getting the man to record the coordinates on the scroll, sending it back to them, and finally teleporting over.

This time, nothing went awry, and all of them arrived in Linyin City. Deep Waters had already made his way over to receive everyone when he heard the news. He did not bother wasting any words and just led the whole lot of men right into the jungle.

Deep Waters had already searched for a grinding map for this, and he was not greedy in the least. Gu Fei sighed in relief since he had not picked out a level 50 grinding map like what Dusky Cloud had done, so at least there was no need to impart to them any duo grinding routines.

“Let me mention this once more: You guys have plenty of Archers, and it is the job class that will be the least effective executing my efficient grinding routines besides a Light Priest. Those with just better equipment and skill might not even be worthwhile learning this from me,” Gu Fei said.

“He he!” Deep Waters gave a cunning chuckle. “Actually, the reason I’ve invited you over isn’t to learn the efficient monster grinding routines.”

“Then, what do you want?” Gu Fei found this odd.

“You’re the peak expert when it comes to PK, so isn’t it more suitable for you to teach us PK-ing techniques?” Deep Waters asked back.

“PK-ing techniques? That’s just kung fu!” Gu Fei cried.

“Then, kung fu, it is; teach us that!” Deep Waters said.

Gu Fei shook his head heavily. “That’s impossible. Even if I ignore my lack of qualifications to take in apprentices, there are actually strict requirements when it comes to imparting our kung fu. Even if I am able to do so, the apprentice will have to undergo strict screening, so how can I just impart it to a bunch of players who simply wants to learn it like this?”

“Look at you! It’s not like we wish to learn everything systematically. If we learn it for real, what can we learn in the time we have, anyway? I believe that you’ve spent many years training yourself up to your current state, right? What I mean is for you to speak more about your hundreds of battles’ experience to my comrades; it’s so that they can all improve their PK standards. See; don’t you think that’s possible?” Deep Waters asked.

“Impossible.” Gu Fei did not mince his words. “If people could improve in such a short time, then wouldn’t my 20 years have been wasted? Even though the game will shave off the need for people to train their bodies, that doesn’t mean lecturing about its theory for two or three days will be of any use. How can there be such a shortcut?”

“Then, in order for it to be of any use, how long will that take?” Deep Waters asked.

“That still depends on their talent. I think someone outstanding will at least require a month. What do you think, Dominion?” Gu Fei asked.

Eternal Dominion, however, shook his head. “What you’re talking about isn’t just someone outstanding but an actual genius like yourself, instead. I’ve had experience with this sort of thing, and the average person needs at least three months to achieve competency. And this is already excluding the physical requirement on the pupil as that requires plenty of training over time.”

Eternal Dominion was teaching over in a bodyguard school right now, so he really had quite a bit of experience on this front, speaking confidently about the matter in detail.

Gu Fei immediately thought of the pupils that Eternal Dominion had led about in Parallel World quite some time back. Even though they were nothing much in his eyes, they were still more than capable of dealing with the average player. He then asked, “How long did those students of yours study kung fu for?”

“Those guys? They’ve just graduated, so that’s exactly three years,” Eternal Dominion answered.

“You hear that?” Gu Fei said to Deep Waters. “His Eternal War mercenary group, capable of dealing with most players out there, had only just learning the tip of what kung fu can offer. But that alone took them three years to get to that level!”

“You can’t really call that just the tip... You can’t judge them based off your high standards! Their focus is on effectiveness, and you should know why they’ve not gotten too much of a grasp of the theory...” Eternal Dominion was looking a little bit embarrassed even as he said all that. Sure enough, Gu Fei understood what he was saying. Such large-scale apprenticeship, even though he was forced to do this as a means of survival, it was ultimately violating the norms of martial arts practitioners, which was why Eternal Dominion had not bothered to teach them too in depth.

Gu Fei shook his head and sighed heavily.

“Three years... F*ck. Can it be three weeks?” Deep Waters originally thought that he had come up with a superb plan, only to realize that this kung fu in question was nothing so simple after having this conversation with Gu Fei and Eternal Dominion.

“Actually, three weeks may not be impossible,” Eternal Dominion blurted out. Everyone turned to regard him, and even Gu Fei was confused. Eternal Dominion looked at the crowd. “It’s because there’s no such thing as exhaustion in the game.”

Indeed, Eternal Dominion was really someone who had plenty of experience teaching kung fu. Teaching it in real life, aside from the techniques itself, there was still the need for the interested party to undergo strenuous physical training, and that all required substantial physical exertion on their part. The daily schedule was not randomly put together, but it was actually scientifically and systematically created to reasonably complement a human’s physical fitness. At the very least, it would ensure that after a tiring day of practice, they would immediately be back to their energetic self after a good night’s rest. Training for one day, only to be down for three days after, would surely not be the way to do things.

However, there were no such issues in this game. First, players had no need to train their bodies, and if they were to focus on just a few kung fu techniques and really set their minds to it, these players could essentially train for over ten hours a day without rest in Parallel World, and that was something nobody could replicate in the real world.

Eternal Dominion’s analysis caused everyone to get excited. It was not just Deep Waters; even Sword Demon, Royal God Call, and the other experts were keen to learn a few moves. They had all personally witnessed the prowess of Eternal War mercenary group when they were pitted against the average player, and they were truly a cut above the rest.

“Would... Would that be proper?” Gu Fei was still hesitant. He remembered the whole horde of players that had chased him in Luori City, keen on learning kung fu from him before he managed to make his escape.

“It’s fine, right? It’s just some basic kung fu moves; are you still worried that teaching others that bit will turn them into unrivaled players that can dominate the world? Then, the years I’ve spent training my kung fu are for nothing since I have yet to be on top with no equal!” Eternal Dominion had already taken the first step on this, and it was Gu Fei who seemed to be more of a stick in the mud, instead. The moment Deep Waters saw Gu Fei vacillating yet Eternal Dominion having no objection, he immediately treated Eternal Dominion as a person to be fawned over without missing a beat. As for Gu Fei, he could just stand there and stare blankly since he was not interested to teach!