Star Abyss Walker

Chapter 52 The Players' Deep Waters
"When did you come out?" I asked.

"I was in the restroom just now..."

Lin Qingying pursed her red lips: "Ding Han, what's the name of this song?"

"A mountain road."

"It sounds nice..."

She glanced at the rainy day outside and said, "It's raining, and it's hard to find a place to stay. How about... I'll give you another ten days. You should be able to find a new place to stay within ten days."

"Yeah, thanks!"

"But……"

She hesitated for a moment: "You've lost your keys and can't open the door, what should we do?"

"It doesn't matter, I have a solution."

"Ah."

She didn't say anything more, and simply went into her room.

I then took out my monomolecular sword and instantly pried open the lock...

As long as there's a lock in the living room, it's fine. Whether there's a lock in my room or not doesn't matter. After all, a beauty like Lin Qingying wouldn't break down the door and do anything bad to me.

So, after washing up a bit, I lay down on my familiar bed—it felt so good!

……

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly heard someone calling my name.

"One strike to the soul, calling for Zhu Ying, is Brother Zhu Ying there?"

It is a call from the star chart.

I frowned, consumed 1% of my experience points to enter the Star Map, and said, "I'm here. What can I do for you, Alliance Leader One-Sword?"

I'd like to talk to you.

One-Sword-to-Soul said, "Let's arrange a time and place. I'll treat you to coffee, how about it?"

My heart skipped a beat. I had heard Zhang Ruolin say before that Yi Dao Ru Hun had been involved in organized crime in his early years and was a man who valued loyalty and brotherhood. Could it be that he wanted to avenge that gunner "Ah Dui Dui Dui"?
“Star charts can also be discussed.”

"Different."

One-Sword-Enters-Soul said, "It's better to meet in real life and talk things over slowly. Brother Chasing Shadow, you can decide on a time and place. I've come with sincerity. What do you think?"

"alright."

I hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about we meet at the Island Coffee Shop on Health Road at 7 p.m. tomorrow night?"

"it is good!"

One-Sword-Enters-Soul laughed, "Then we'll meet there!"

His voice was friendly, and he didn't seem to be there for revenge.

I didn't think much of it and went back to sleep.

……

The next day, early morning.

When I arrived at Feiyang Internet Cafe, I saw Lu Xiaobei staring blankly at me with panda eyes.

"Good grief, you're covering Zhao Yihang's night shift again?"

"What do you think?"

Lu Xiaobei pouted: "Alright, I'll leave this to you. I'm going upstairs to take a nap, I'm so sleepy."

"Okay, let's go."

I watched her go upstairs, then took my seat as network administrator, grabbed a router, and started endlessly disassembling and assembling it, frantically gaining skill experience points.

As evening fell, Sakura finally appeared.

He smiled apologetically at me: "Ding Han, I'm so sorry about what happened the day before yesterday. I promise it won't happen again."

This has happened countless times already, and I've already said it's a one-time exception...

With my mind on the matter of killing someone with a single blow, I didn't dwell on it. I went back to my place to rest for a while, then went downstairs to have a meal. After I was full, I headed to the coffee shop.

On the way, he sent Zhang Ruolin a WeChat message: "Yi Dao Ru Hun asked me to meet. I don't know if he brought people to ambush me. Anyway, if I suddenly disappear, it's because of Yi Dao Ru Hun. Remember to avenge me if you have the chance. If you don't, then forget it."

"..."

Zhang Ruolin sent a speechless emoji and asked, "Are we meeting in the city?"

"Yes."

"Then everything should be fine. No player would be foolish enough to make a move inside the city. The Windbreaker Legion and those military police of Creek City are not to be trifled with."

I felt a little relieved.

Shortly after, we arrived at the Ueshima Coffee Shop.

"This way."

Not far away, a middle-aged man gently raised his hand, delivering a fatal blow.

This player, who ranked among the top three in the Xicheng region, was dressed in a suit, looking quite businesslike, and even a bit refined.

I stepped over and glanced around, only to find that One-Sword-to-Soul wasn't alone.

At this moment, sitting at a four-person coffee table were Yidao Ruhun and a young couple.

The young man and woman had met before. The man was a second-tier psychic from Ragnarok Online, the top-scoring liberal arts student from Zaun, while the woman was the younger sister of One-Sword-to-Soul, the highly ranked damage dealer known as "Rabbit Strike."

Rabbit, dressed in a girlish outfit, patted the chair next to her and said with a smile, "Come on, sit next to me." "Thank you."

I sat down steadily, not at all afraid. Even if these three people suddenly attacked, I still had ways to retaliate.

"What would you like to drink?" Yi Dao Ru Hun asked the waiter.

"A latte, extra sugar, please."

"Okay, sir."

The waitress had no sense of the tense atmosphere and assumed it was just a gathering of friends.

After the latte was served, the waiter left.

After a moment of contemplation, Yi Dao Ru Hun said, "I have already heard about what happened on the Morning Glow Plains."

"Is the leader of the One-Knife Alliance referring to... that firepower guy?" I asked.

Immediately, the top liberal arts student from Zu'an had a complicated expression, seemingly suppressing his anger and being extremely restrained.

"Ah."

One-Sword-to-Soul said, "Ah, yes, yes, this person has only recently joined our Ragnarok, so we, the higher-ups, don't know much about him. We already know the ins and outs of the Dawn Plains. The mistake of killing Ah, yes, yes is his, not yours."

"Thank you for your understanding, Alliance Leader Yidao."

I nodded: "The situation was extremely dangerous at the time. Yes, yes, they used firepower to trap my two friends in an open area. If I hadn't intervened, my two friends would have definitely died."

As I spoke, I looked at the three of them and said, "Before I took action, I communicated with Ah Dui Dui Dui twice in the Star Map, trying to get him to stop, but he was determined to do it, so I had no choice. Players in the Dawn Plains area should have heard these two shouts in the Star Map and could all testify to them."

Looking at the coffee in my hand, I frowned: "If it weren't for the circumstances, I would never kill players. Who would dare to set such a precedent!"

"Brother Zhuying, don't blame yourself too much."

Rabbit Blast blinked and said, "Oh right, this person has a personality flaw. He's always awkward around people in the guild. And this really isn't your fault. You killed him to save someone, so you did nothing wrong."

"Yes."

One-Sword-to-Soul said, "The reason I asked you to meet me today is to clarify this matter, so as not to leave any thorns in everyone's hearts, which would be detrimental to the cohesion among players in the Xicheng area."

"Yes, it's good that things have been discussed."

I raised my coffee cup and smiled, "Alliance Leader Yidao is wise. I'll toast you with coffee instead of wine."

Even with a single, decisive strike, he raised his cup, the two coffee cups lightly touching, and then each took a small sip.

"Chasing Shadows".

At this moment, the top liberal arts student from Zu'an, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up: "Actually, besides turning hostility into friendship, there is another matter we wanted to discuss with you this time."

"what's up?"

"Is such that……"

One-Hit Kill took over and said, "Our Ragnarok Guild is currently recruiting and seeking talent. We all understand the principle that many hands make light work. Players cannot survive well in this world by their own strength. Establishing large player guilds and forming large player legions is an inevitable trend."

He changed the subject, saying, "So I want to ask you, are you willing to join our Ragnarok? Don't rush to refuse. First of all, Ragnarok's thirst for talent is very sincere. Secondly, as long as you are willing to join Ragnarok, we will give you special treatment as a key talent. We can pay you 5 star coins every month, plus a piece of blue equipment that you need. Of course, this treatment will be improved and updated as the game progresses, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Brother Zhu Ying".

Beside her, Rabbit Strike's eyes were full of expectation: "Join us! We're very sincere. From now on, we'll fight together and make a name for ourselves in Star Abyss, okay?"

"..."

I thought to myself, no wonder he let Rabbit Critical Strike sit next to me. One-hit kill, he's using his own sister as bait, trying to catch me, this fathead fish!

Unfortunately, I've long seen through the meaning of guilds in "Star Abyss". To put it bluntly, joining a guild means working for someone else, or even risking your life. If there's any guild-organized activity, should you, a core player who receives monthly fees, participate? What if the mission involves taking on a nuclear bomb? Should you go or not?

The more money you offer, the greater the danger!

Therefore, at least for now, I have absolutely no interest in joining a guild.

"I apologize, Alliance Leader Yidao."

I frowned: "I can indeed feel your alliance's sincerity, but I am a rather aloof person and not really suited to joining a guild. Moreover, I am used to being free and undisciplined and really do not want to join a guild. Please forgive me, Alliance Leader Yidao."

"Oh, I see. It's alright..."

One-Sword-to-Soul nodded: "It's alright. If you ever change your mind in the future, just come find me. The gates of Ragnarok will always be open for you to follow!"

"Okay, thanks!"

After that, we exchanged a few more dry words, and everyone tacitly ended this meaningless conversation in a hurry.

……

At night, I lay in bed.

"drop!"

A WeChat message from Zhang Ruolin: "How did the chat go?"

"not so good."

I replied, "One-Slash-to-Soul means they will no longer pursue the matter of me killing Ah, yes, yes, and they extended an olive branch, offering me a monthly salary of 5 star coins to join Ragnarok, which I declined."

"Refusing is the right thing to do."

Zhang Ruolin said, "Do you know why One-Sword-to-Soul didn't pursue the matter of you killing him, right, right?"

"why?"

"We've been warned by Gun Out Like a Dragon. Within the Xicheng area, the Crimson Cloud Alliance is stronger, and Gun Out Like a Dragon himself is a staunch supporter of player unity. If One Slash into Soul rejects Gun Out Like a Dragon's proposal, it would be tantamount to giving the Crimson Cloud Alliance a reason to destroy Ragnarok. One Slash into Soul is well aware that perhaps the Crimson Cloud Alliance has long wanted to destroy Ragnarok, but simply lacks an excuse."

"..."

I was dumbfounded; I never imagined that the player faction in Xicheng was so complex!

(End of this chapter)