Chapter 79: Chapter 79: The Great Region Boils
[Regional Announcement: As the first district in the server created through an unnatural merger, District 101 will receive a special reward. All players in the district will be awarded wood x100, iron blocks x50, stones x20, and cloth x2. The number of messages allowed in the regional channel will be increased from 3 per 12 hours to 10 per 12 hours.] x3
The red regional announcement, which repeated three times, momentarily silenced the regional channel before an eruption of endless praise followed.
After all, only a few people could ever make it onto the leaderboards, while the vast majority were left out. But now, thanks to the district merger, this silent majority had also received rewards, which naturally drowned out all the dissenting voices.
[Congratulations on being the first player in the server to use a Forced Merger Card. You have been awarded a special reward: Random Attribute Point +1.]
"Huh, a random attribute point? Is it just like opening a loot box?"
Faye Yardley couldn’t help but rub her hands together. She then clasped her palms and prayed, "Please, System, give me a good attribute."
[Luck Value +1]
"AHHHH!! System, I love you! Muah~"
’So the random roll could actually land on Luck Value! My Luck Value is maxed out now!’
’She wouldn’t believe anyone who tried to tell her the system didn’t have a soft spot for her.’
’Who else could possibly have such incredible luck?’
’Even the male protagonist of the original story didn’t have this kind of fortune. Otherwise, how could she possibly be ranked consistently above him?’
Faye Yardley was so happy she was on the verge of dancing with joy.
Her excitement was interrupted by a call from her brother.
"Faye, what are you up to?"
"Brother, haha, just jumping around a bit. I’m too happy."
"Was it Zachary Pierce who used the Forced Merger Card?"
Faye Yardley gave a sly chuckle. "Could be."
"Honestly, it doesn’t matter who used it, as long as it brought us, brother and sister, together. At least now our calls aren’t restricted. And I can team up with you for multiplayer Dungeons," Ethan Yardley said, clearly excited. "This little group of yours is pretty good."
"Oh, right, Brother. Have you been to Dungeon 5? What’s it like inside? Some kind of horror story set in an amusement park?"
Ethan Yardley’s smile vanished, his expression turning grim. "You have an Invitation Card for Dungeon 5? It really is a horror-type Dungeon. All the attractions inside are incredibly lethal. You shouldn’t go if you don’t have to."
"Oh, okay. I’m not planning on going for now. The picture on the card looks pretty scary. It must have been really tough for you to make it out of that Dungeon, Brother."
Ethan Yardley waved a dismissive hand. "It was nothing special for me, but you can’t just sneak off and enter this Dungeon without a word."
"Don’t worry, don’t worry. If I decide to go, I’ll definitely give you a heads-up."
After exchanging a few more words, Faye Yardley couldn’t resist showing off her raft to her brother. She also explained, rather apologetically, that her raft was getting more and more crowded—with her, there were already four "people" on board. Therefore, it wasn’t a good idea to merge her raft with his anymore. To put it bluntly, she didn’t want the extra responsibility.
"Besides Willow Yardley, you’re just casually inviting other people onto your raft? Faye Yardley, did a shark eat your brain?! Keep a close watch on the other two, and don’t be a fool and give them full access."
Faye Yardley huffed. "Ethan Yardley, you’d better be a little more polite, or I won’t invite you to come visit my raft."
"Holy shit, you have one of those legendary Invitation Cards? Faye, your big brother was just a little loud just now. Invite me. Right now. I want to come visit."
Faye Yardley laughed. "Not right now. Maybe around dinnertime."
"Fine, but don’t forget. Of course, if you do, I’ll be sure to remind you."
After a bit more small talk, they hung up. Faye Yardley couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d forgotten to do something. ’What was it?’
’Oh well. If I can’t remember it, it must not be that important. Which means it’s as good as nothing.’
A message arrived from Bonnie Callahan: "Hey bae, were you able to get that Skill Book for me? Not trying to rush you, just asking."
’Oh, right. That’s what it was.’
Faye Yardley immediately sent the "Basic Bow and Arrow Shooting Skills" book over via a Red Envelope.
[Server-wide Announcement: Due to the premature arrival of the Great Merger Era, the system is now accepting applications for group registrations (Guilds, Mercenary Companies—minimum five members required for formation).] x3
Staring at the sudden server-wide announcement, Faye Yardley couldn’t help but think, ’This survival system must be bugged. This feature was supposed to be released much, much later.’
’But no one can successfully create a guild right now,’ she thought. ’Even though the system didn’t say so, I know you need a guild headquarters and a guild creation order. A Mercenary Company, on the other hand, only needs a mercenary order to register.’
’Once the application is approved, the members’ rafts are placed in adjacent areas. Whether they actually run into each other, and whether they decide to merge if they do, is another matter entirely.’
When Faye Yardley went downstairs, she saw Yvonne Lynch sitting on the sofa, watching the large TV screen, which was displaying the regional channel.
[Damn, the system is just messing with us. I knew creating a guild wouldn’t be that simple.]
[Hahahaha... They probably just put it there to taunt us.]
[Moron, the big shots have already formed them. Open your eyes before you spout nonsense. Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean no one can.]
[HOLY F*CKING SHIT, I just wanna ask the experts, where are you getting these mercenary orders? Treasure chests?]
"Do you have a mercenary order?"
"I don’t. Why are you watching the regional channel on TV? Can’t you see it on your own?"
Yvonne Lynch nodded. "Yeah, Miss Willow helped put it on the TV screen so I could stay informed about what’s going on."
"That’s a good idea. It’s not like we can see the channel when we’re off the raft anyway. You should connect it to the small screen in your room too, so you’re not completely cut off when you’re in there."
Yvonne Lynch’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she hummed in agreement.
"How many Mercenary Companies have been formed?"
Just then, Willow Yardley came in from the balcony, holding a watering can. "Four," she said. "And three of them were founded by people you know."
"Who?"
"Your brother, Zachary Pierce, and Logan Langdon."
Faye Yardley cried out, "That bastard Ethan Yardley! He didn’t even invite me to be on his team?!"
Willow Yardley and Yvonne Lynch immediately fell silent. It wasn’t their place to comment. They were blood siblings, after all, and both girls knew better than to get involved in a family squabble.
BEEP BEEP BEEP~
Faye Yardley answered Zachary Pierce’s call. "Yardley, if you don’t want to join your brother’s team, you can always join ours. I’ll send you an invite."
"Thanks, Mr. Pierce, but that won’t be necessary."
"All right. The offer’s always open."
"By the way, Mr. Pierce, do you have any Invitation Cards on you?"
"Hold on, I’ll ask around for you."
Faye Yardley hung up the phone and pouted. ’I completely forgot I was out of Invitation Cards when I was talking to my brother.’
’Unless my brother is planning on inviting me himself when he gets here, I’m definitely going to be mad enough to give him the silent treatment for two whole days!’
Eamon came running up, his footsteps pattering loudly, and knocked on the door. "Faye! A raft just appeared to our southwest! It’s only about five or six kilometers away—that’s really close!"
Faye Yardley walked right out the door. "Show me."
A dark speck had appeared in the distance, standing out starkly against the bare, shimmering expanse of Ice Crystals.
’Great,’ she thought. ’A member of Logan Langdon’s team has shown up right next to me.’
’How incredibly annoying!’
