Chapter 1889 – Change in Trajectory

At Bright Dawn’s invitation, Unyielding Soul’s members gasped. They finally realized why a Vice Guild Leader like Bright Dawn would dare to betray Unyielding Soul.

Tight restrictions tied every upper echelon to their Guild. If an upper echelon wished to withdraw from the Guild and retain their game accounts, they only had two choices. The first required automatic expulsion from the Guild, while the second option required the upper echelon to pay a high compensation fee for breaching their contract. For a Vice Guild Leader that had spent more than a decade with Unyielding Soul, the required compensation wouldn’t be trivial. It wouldn’t have been odd if Bright Dawn had even gone bankrupt after paying the compensation fee.

Yet, not only had Starline Corporation foot the compensation fee, but it had even offered Bright Dawn a high salary. Including Starlink’s limitless potential due to the Starline Corporation’s backing, it was only natural that the Guild had lured over Bright Dawn.

“Of course, I’m sure that you have no interest in these factors. In that case, I’ll tell you about something that will definitely catch your attention. A Fantasy Star! Unyielding Soul will never get its hands on something like it. Why don’t you give the option some consideration?” Bright Dawn smiled at Unyielding Heart, who had aged past his vibrant youth.

Everyone’s eyes glowed as they listened to Bright Dawn’s offer.

Fantasy Stars were a special ore that humanity had discovered during the interstellar era, and they only had one purpose. When worn, these stars would recover and retain a human’s youth for a long time. Although Fantasy Stars couldn’t extend one’s lifespan, if one consumed the Green God Company’s products while wearing a Fantasy Star, they could extend their youthful glow for another decade or two even without physical training. In other words, a middle-aged individual, around forty-years-old, that didn’t maintain their physical fitness could look like an early-twenty-year-old with the Fantasy Star’s help.

The Fantasy Star was an absolute treasure to professional gamers who relied on their youth to make their living. Although one’s physical body in the real world wouldn’t affect the performance of their virtual body in God’s Domain, their mental performance would. People past their prime generally had slower reactions than younger individuals. Even if one trained diligently to maintain their physical form, their age would, more or less, affect their mind. Needless to say, improving one’s mental fortitude past one’s prime was a daunting challenge.

However, the Fantasy Star couldn’t just restore one’s youth; it could also maintain mental function, allowing humans to operate at their peak.

Hence, the Fantasy Stars were extremely valuable. Not even the wealthiest individuals could afford one. Moreover, Fantasy Stars were incredibly rare. To purchase one, one needed sufficient status as well as funds.

Meanwhile, the Starline Corporation just so happened to be one of the few Fantasy Star suppliers in the world, which meant that Bright Dawn had likely told the truth.

A Fantasy Star? No wonder why he betrayed his old Guild. After hearing about the Fantasy Star, Shi Feng understood why Bright Dawn had turned traitor. Bright Dawn currently looked to be in his forties, and Vice Guild Leaders from super-first- rate Guilds had no need for money. However, everyone craved youth. Once he acquired a Fantasy Star, Bright Dawn could recover to his peak. With his abundance of combat experience and combat techniques, he could improve himself further with his recovered youth.

When Mu Lingsha heard what Bright Dawn had been offered, she glanced at Unyielding Heart nervously. Not only was Unyielding Heart one of Unyielding Soul’s three main pillars, but he was also the Guild’s First Vice Guild Leader. If Starlink poached him, it would deal a devastating blow to Unyielding Soul.

“So, you betrayed your brothers in arms for a stupid Fantasy Star?! I was blind to think of you as a friend! From now on, I will have nothing to do with you!” Unyielding Heart growled. He then glared at Lu Xingluo, who had maintained his smile, and said, “Just you wait! Sooner or later, Unyielding Soul will chase you out of the Dark Night Empire and regain its former glory!”

Unyielding Heart’s words restored his dispirited Guild members with fighting spirit. They all cheered their First Vice Guild Leader while ridiculing Bright Dawn.

“Regain your former glory?” Bright Dawn could not help but laugh at Unyielding Heart and the other members of Unyielding Soul. “And how will Unyielding Soul do that, exactly? Will it rely on an old fellow like you, Heart? Or the ignorant Miss Mu?

Or are you going to rely on Zero Wing, your pitiful partner?

“Open your eyes and take a good look! Unyielding Soul is finished! The only thing holding it together is a group of useless, old bastards! We’ve already gathered over 50 experts who are capable of manipulating Intermediate Magic Arrays! Unyielding Soul should give up the hope of nurturing a single Traveling Bard!

“No, to be precise, you won’t even get into the Sea of Trees!”

After saying so, Bright Dawn raised his hand. In response, some of Starlink’s members in the Purple Night Plaza began to make their move, each holding a silver crystal ball.

As these Starlink members completed an incantation, silver magic arrays began to manifest before them, releasing a bright light. A massive barrier then enveloped both Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor’s members in the plaza.

“Have fun inside this barrier. It isolates everything within in a different dimension. Although this barrier requires 288 Level 50-plus players to sacrifice five of their levels permanently, the barrier will hold every one of you for eight hours. With that said, we’ll be taking our leave now,” Bright Dawn said, laughing at Unyielding Heart. He then took a key from his bag and opened a teleportation gate to the Sea of Trees.

Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor’s members could only watch as Starlink’s members entered the teleportation gate and disappeared from the plaza. No matter how much they attacked the magic barrier, they couldn’t damage it in the slightest. To make matters worse, the surrounding NPC soldiers were ignoring the magic barrier.

“Damn it! To think they had planned such a trap!” Unyielding Heart cursed as he attacked the illusory magic barrier with his greatsword. However, it felt as if he attacked nothing but air. The barrier didn’t react as his greatsword sliced through it.

Currently, the magic array in the center of Dark Night City’s Purple Night Plaza was the only path to the Sea of Trees. Unfortunately, since they were now trapped in this magic barrier, they could open a teleportation gate even if they had the keys to enter the Sea of Trees.

If they were truly stuck in this barrier for eight hours, Unyielding Soul would fall behind Starlink. Starlink’s players would likely complete at least one-third of their Class-change Quests by the time they were freed. How were they supposed to catch up in that case?

Meanwhile, Mu Lingsha glared at the barrier before her, clearly livid. Unyielding Soul had gone to great lengths to obtain the First Clear of a Level 50 large-scale Team Dungeon in the Dark Night Empire, allowing the Guild to catch a breather. However, if Starlink monopolized all 20 of the initial Traveling Bard slots, Unyielding Soul would suffer unimaginable consequences.

After attacking for more than two minutes, Unyielding Soul’s members gave up. They had no other choice but to wait until the barrier faded. Shi Feng, however, approached the barrier, step by step, his nonchalant expression seeming as if he were admiring the Purple Night Plaza’s view. At the same time, he pulled a Magic Scroll from his bag.

“Huh? What is he trying to do? Does he plan to test the barrier as well?”

“It’s pointless. Both our Guild’s experts and those from Crimson Emperor have tried everything we can think of. What could one person from Zero Wing possibly do?”

The plaza’s occupants watched Shi Feng approached the barrier in confusion, including Unyielding Soul and Mu Lingsha. They had already expended a precious Tier 4 Matic Scroll to attack the barrier, but they had accomplished nothing.

Even if Shi Feng did the same, nothing would change.

When Shi Feng arrived before the barrier, he activated the Summon Guard Scroll in his hands.

Immediately, a golden-haired beauty in sacred robes appeared beside Shi Feng.

“Destroy this magic array!”