Even while retreating, Nolan Hart still put on a show of arrogance. "The mountains and rivers remain unchanged. We’ll meet again."

Ice Condensation said irritably, "Oh ho. A bohemian type, eh? Why don’t you grow a beard to match?"

Behind her, the Sword Song players burst into laughter. The Gon Alliance players scurried away like mice avoiding a cat.

Ice Condensation waved her hand. "All brothers, wait outside the woods."

The Sword Song players were remarkably efficient. The moment she finished speaking, they pivoted 180 degrees and ran swiftly out of the grove. Their formation was clean and disciplined, much like a professional military unit on a forced march.

Once they were gone, Ice Condensation called out, "The three behind the big rock, don’t hide anymore. You can come out."

Because of their past friendship with Ice Condensation, and because of his connection to Diana, Don stepped out along with the other two.

But when Ice Condensation and Cloud Wind saw Lily, their eyes widened in surprise. "How are you here?"

Lily shoved Don forward. "Of course it’s my... brother. Who else would it be?"

Ice Condensation’s mind raced, and she immediately changed the subject. "Is everyone alright? Dust, how long have you been on red name?"

"Less than an hour," Dust said wearily.

"Then it’s fine. Is your sister helping you clear the dungeon? She hasn’t defeated that boss yet. Once you take it down shortly, your name will likely clear. Uh, by the way, Don, you really shouldn’t have come. Why did you?"

Don said irritably, "You little brat, you really like to meddle. Dust is my brother, and I have a mess of a history with the Gon Alliance. How could I not come?"

Ice Condensation sighed softly. "Sorry, Don. That came out wrong. But I hope you won’t get entangled with them again before you join our guild."

Cloud Wind added, "That’s what Ice Condensation meant. Brother, you’re fighting alone right now. It’s hard."

Ice Condensation and Cloud Wind were hinting at something, and Don understood, they genuinely wanted him to join the Sword Song team. The only problem was that he’d seen Star on the day of his interview at Extraordinary Studio. That encounter had planted a dream in him, and he couldn’t easily discard it. He wanted to see who that VIP player really was. Maybe it was one of the brothers or sisters he’d loved most from the beyond the heavens era.

So he played dumb. "I understand. I’ll try to be more restrained in the future."

Before Ice Condensation could press the point, Cloud Wind quietly stopped her.

As they emerged from the grove, Don noticed a dozen or so players with different IDs approaching from behind. Their equipment and levels were clearly below the Sword Song team’s, but well above the Gon Alliance’s. Most of them were covered in blood, and some had names highlighted in red.

Fearing a misunderstanding, Dust quickly said, "Let me introduce you. These are the players from our Reincarnation team."

Among them, the leader was a short, lean werewolf orc warrior. He wore black armor and gripped a cold, menacing battle axe, its blade dripping with blood as crimson as the ID floating above his head.

Crimson Reaper, Level 21, Apprentice Battle Berserker.

Berserkers were one of the tankiest main tank classes in Realms Online. Their Constitution and Strength growth were both extraordinarily high, the best of any class in the game. They would unlock a blood-boosting skill in the later stages, and together with Knights and Mercenaries they formed the three main tank classes of Realms Online.

This Crimson Reaper was high-level, he almost certainly ranked well in the American region.

Dust frowned slightly. "Brother Crim, did you ambush the Gon Alliance players?"

Crimson Reaper laughed heartily. "Of course. We have a blood feud with them. We won’t rest until every last one is dead."

"How long are you on red name now?"

"Not much. Just ten hours."

Don thought to himself, ’this guy is something else.’

Ten hours of red name. If he died, the system penalty would drop him twenty levels, he’d be shipped all the way back to the newbie village to wrestle Bruggs.

"Go farm some white names, Brother Crim."

Crimson Reaper walked over and punched Dust’s shoulder hard. "Hey brat, how dare you talk to me like that? And who’s this guy? Aren’t you going to introduce us?"

The subtle shift in Yates’ expression didn’t escape notice.

"This is a friend of mine," Yates said, keeping his tone casual. "He works at the studio, a gamer."

Crimson Reaper let out a long, defeated sigh. "We’re doomed. I was hoping to recruit him for our guild."

"It doesn’t matter," the young man cut in smoothly, picking up where Yates left off. "I’m quite familiar with Arno, Bernita, and Yates. Just let me know if you need anything."

"Of course, no need to be polite with my own people!" Crimson Reaper’s gaze drifted past him toward the girl standing a few steps behind. "Hey, little sister over there. You in a guild? Want to join mine?"

Crimson Reaper was, to put it generously, not easy on the eyes. His wolf-beastman face was gaunt and somewhat withered, the kind of appearance that suggested his real-world counterpart was probably a lean, unremarkable-looking man with a sleazy air about him. Standing next to Lily, he didn’t even seem to match her in height.

The pretty girl stuck out her tongue in alarm and grabbed the young man’s hand, clearly afraid the lecherous old wolf would try to drag her off somewhere.

To his credit, Crimson Reaper was actually a decent sort. The moment he caught the ambiguous gesture, he burst out laughing and waved a dismissive hand.

"Relax, little sister. I’m just helping Samsara poach talent, nothing more than that. I’m ugly, sure, but that’s where it ends. Now, those scoundrels from the Gon Alliance, they’re ugly inside and out..."

"Brother." Yates cut him off with a wave. "Stop nagging. Sister Sword Song is still tanking the boss for us in the dungeon. We need to get moving, or we’ll make things difficult for her."

Crimson Reaper straightened up and nodded. "Fine, fine. But if an axe drops or something, keep it for me! My current weapon doesn’t suit me anymore!"

"Understood," Yates said, already turning away.