Spicy Shrimp Dragon: “@Broken Sword Knight, caught you! As expected of a walkthrough god, you’re so sharp with just a few clues. doge.jpg”
Glory’s Light: “@Broken Sword Knight, you're a legend~ (off-key yelling)”
The screenshot of Li De that Hun Yuan posted exploded with attention. As more players commented, he followed up with stat pages where all of Li De’s attributes were listed as question marks.
That only stirred more speculation. Everyone became obsessed with uncovering the true identity and power of this mysterious, powerful vampire.
Some even privately messaged Hun Yuan asking for the location, hoping to test their luck.
After all, if you got a quest from such a boss, wouldn’t it start at legendary or epic tier?
“That NPC has to be at least Level 20. Look at that posture, and the NPCs around him, definitely a boss of bosses.”
“Tell me where to find him! I bet he’s loaded with quests. Just a couple of those and I’ll be set for a year!”
“Say no more. This is my new wallpaper. That vampire is 10,000 times hotter than my boyfriend, TEN THOUSAND!!”
And once the crowd had gathered, Hun Yuan smiled faintly and continued with the steps Stanley had outlined.
First, show the players how powerful the Dark Pact is. Then, start recruiting.
One sun-hour later, he posted a second thread.
“Sorry, but it only took me ten days to get 30 Level 5 NPCs under my command!”
With a clickbait title like that, and being from the same poster who just shared the mysterious Li De, the thread instantly drew attention. And its contents made players seethe with envy.
“After joining the Dark Pact, we were noticed by the Vice President, Stanley. Image.jpg. This NPC is incredibly intelligent.
No, not just smart, wise. I honestly suspect he’s a real person in disguise.
This VP, who’s at least a Grand Professional, built a department around us players: the Immortal Souls.
It includes 100 intermediate professionals over Level 5 who we can command.
That’s right. 100 NPCs over Level 5. I, Thunderhands, and Cheng Kun each lead a squad, with 10 NPCs under each of us.
Let me say it again, 10 Level 5+ NPCs we can freely control.
What does that mean?
It means we can assign them to do our quests, send them to fight monsters, or even have them go out and shake down protection money.
Jealous yet?
Now, our Vice President Stanley has ordered us to recruit elite players. Anyone willing to come to Green City and join the Dark Pact, and who can stay online consistently, can DM me.
This is no joke. If you're a professional player, we’ll even cover your travel with 10 Silver Pucks.”
At the end, he attached several group photos of the three players posing with their NPC underlings, some holding them up, some carrying them, even screenshots of the trio sitting on their NPCs’ shoulders. Any normal NPC would've bashed their heads in for that.
And finally, their character panels clearly showed.
Faction: Dark Pact
Rank: Immortal Souls Squad Leader
(10 Subordinates)
That screenshot confirmed everything.
Countless players were green with envy. It was simply unfair.
Most were still living miserable lives, after half a month, many hadn’t even changed class. They were exhausted just trying to fill their stomachs.
And Glory was filled with danger. Death could strike at any time.
The game’s hellish difficulty had the forums full of wailing. Now, seeing Hun Yuan’s post sent them over the edge.
Spicy Shrimp Dragon: “No words. Here, have a bowl of old Tan pickled cabbage noodles. slurp”
Burning Boxers, Of Course: “Impossible. I don’t believe this. This has to be fake! Just like Glory’s Light, you’re scamming us!”
Old Driver from Back Then: “Damn it! I’ve been reduced to carrying sacks at the docks and hauling manure at night! And you’re telling me you have 10 underlings you can order around?! I call bullshit!!”
Don’t Worry, No One’s Here: “I’m reporting this. You’re definitely cheating. No way this is real.”
Best Virtual Game Ever, Click My Avatar: “Hey guys, check out the latest MMO War of the Gods! If you’re bored of Glory, give ours a try!”
Spicy Shrimp Dragon: “Ad posters, GTFO. What dogshit MMO? You couldn’t hold a candle to even one-tenth of Glory!”
Don’t Shoot, I’m the Captain: “Big bro Hun Yuan, please let me hug your thigh. How do I join you?!”
“Count me in!”
“Ahhh! I want underlings too! I want to be favored by NPCs too!!!”
“…”
Hun Yuan: “Quick reply to everyone: Right now, the Vice President of the Dark Pact is building the Immortal Souls to recruit players.
That’s right, this NPC saw value in our resurrection ability and wants to train us up.
And I want to use this chance to build a true player-based faction.
Recruitment requirements: must play 8-12 hours daily, must be able to log in promptly when needed, must have decent game skills and understanding, must be able to join the dark faction.
Note: The Dark Pact is part of the dark faction in Green City. It’s an underworld group. Robbery, fights, turf wars, these are common. If you dislike dark-side gameplay, don’t apply.”
After posting, Hun Yuan felt a strange emptiness, like entering a state of post-nut clarity.
Because it was all part of that damned NPC’s plan.
Goddamn it, every time he thought about that miserable fact, Hun Yuan just wanted to die.
Why was this damn NPC so smart?
We’re players, damn it! It’s bad enough getting bossed around by an NPC in-game.
But then you even made us go back to reality to recruit other players to come into the game and be your lackeys?
That’s just inhuman.