Chapter 170 Rising to Fame
Watching the captain of the guard leave with a respectful nod, FlameDancer finally got why no one seemed worried about Eric.
Yet, she felt even more perplexed.
Who the heck was Eric?
AquaBison, standing nearby, finally shut his gaping mouth. Even the high-ranking captain of the guard treated Eric with such respect!
In the world of virtual gaming, there was a saying, "Your success depends on your leader." With someone like Eric leading, they could definitely hit the top.
A gaming genius like Eric was a hot commodity in Divine Realms: Legends. Just one word from him and major guilds, even the top-tier ones, would be tripping over themselves to recruit him with crazy offers. No one thought he'd start his own team. For those lucky enough to join him, it was a chance that made everyone else green with envy.
AquaBison had joined the team mainly because he trusted FlameDancer. She was already a rare expert, and AquaBison, with his own dreams of heroism, saw a chance to learn from her.
But for the first time since he started gaming, AquaBison felt pure luck for being part of Eric's team.
It wasn't just Eric's insane attack power that impressed him. It was the skill – the perfect dodges, the precise attack angles, the spot-on timing of his abilities, and his masterful control of any situation. Without these, he wouldn't have been able to scare the entire Martial Alliance and leave them shaking.
Plus, Eric was a beacon of loyalty and righteousness, with strength that put him among the elite of the virtual gaming world. Learning even a bit from him would make anyone an extraordinary player. Under Eric's guidance, they might even reach the top of the gaming world, standing with the legends.
"This place is packed. Let's find a quieter spot to talk," Eric suggested, glancing around at the crowd of over three hundred players staring at him with eager eyes. Discussing their plans here was a no-go.
Cola and the others nodded, feeling the weight of the attention too.
These players were all free agents hoping to join them. Many were already level seven or eight, and a surprising number were rich players willing to spend thousands of credits just to have Eric lead them or hire him for a mission.
Then there were the attractive female players, vying for his attention, much to the envy of the guys. But who could blame them? Eric was like a hero straight out of a storybook. In a world where even moderately skilled players had some allure, a god-tier expert like Eric was practically irresistible.
What was even more remarkable was that major guilds in Willowbrook Town were bombarding Eric with requests, all of which he politely declined.
"FlameDancer, you must seize your opportunity! This is a golden chance. As Eric's fame grows, we're bound to attract even more amazing women," AquaBison whispered with a sly grin.
"Who said anything about me wanting to be Eric's... girlfriend?" FlameDancer stammered, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
Meanwhile, on a hill overlooking Willowbrook Town, hundreds of Martial Alliance members stewed in frustration, unable to approach the town for fear of repercussions.
"Damn it! That Kai Blackthorn, he ruined everything!" ZephyrStrider snarled, his eyes fixed on Willowbrook Town, his heart burning with anger.
He had seriously underestimated Eric, thinking he was just another wandering expert.
Now he realized his mistake. Eric wasn't just any expert. This was someone who could single-handedly drive their entire guild out of Willowbrook Town. If he had known, he would never have made such a dumb move.
"Enjoy your moment of glory while it lasts, Kai Blackthorn," ZephyrStrider muttered. "Soon, the official website will be flooded with evidence of your treachery. I may not be able to kill you, but I can make your life a living hell. Let's see how you build your precious team then. Without a team, individual strength means nothing. And when we get to Silvervale City, I'll deal with you personally. I doubt you can drive the Martial Alliance out of an entire city."
With a nasty grin, ZephyrStrider uploaded the pre-recorded video to the official website and told his crew to hype it up. The video painted Eric as a desperate traitor, betraying and killing his own teammates to save himself. Soon, his reputation would be trashed, and no one would want to be around him.
Back in Willowbrook Town, Eric and his team finally found some peace in a private room at a quiet restaurant.
Eric spent a good ten minutes laying out their next steps, getting ready to make their move.
"Eric, ZephyrStrider is already playing dirty. There's a video going around on the official site accusing you of betrayal, saying you killed your teammates to save your own skin. It's total BS, but people are already buying it," Cola reported, his voice full of anger.
FlameDancer and the others watched the video, their faces getting harder with each second. The title screamed, "God-level expert Kai Blackthorn exposed as a despicable traitor – evidence inside!" FlameDancer couldn't believe the nerve of their former companions, shamelessly slandering Eric.
The video claimed they had confronted the Martial Alliance because of Eric, but later realized their mistake and tried to expose him, only to be silenced permanently. Such a treacherous fiend, they claimed, didn't deserve to be called an expert. However, because of Eric's overwhelming strength, they, as a group of weaklings, could only resort to exposing him online.
Their so-called "evidence" hinged on the fact that FlameDancer, their former leader, was now part of Eric's team. This seemingly irrefutable "proof" left Eric with no room for denial in the court of public opinion.
Eric's fame in Silvervale City was already widespread. He was known for not only conquering the Infernal-level team dungeon but also for his supposed close ties with the Ice Goddess, a fact that sparked envy in many. Now, with this scandal blowing up and the video so heavily biased against him, Eric became an easy target. The comment section overflowed with hate, with many claiming they had once admired him but now felt utterly betrayed.
The post quickly shot to the top of Silvervale City's forum, getting an insane number of views, even more than the legendary Black Flame and Hammer Trader showdown.
"Eric, we have to fight back. This is ridiculous!" Cola exclaimed, unable to take it any longer. ZephyrStrider was fighting dirty, using underhanded tactics because he couldn't win fairly. While it might not affect Eric in the long run, it could hurt their future guild. No smart player would join a guild led by someone with such a bad rep, making it hard for them to grow and compete with established guilds.
"Well, they almost had me convinced with that performance," Eric chuckled, closing the forum.
He had seen these tactics countless times in his past life. ZephyrStrider had used them on numerous occasions to discredit his opponents. And while they might have had some temporary effect, ultimately, they were meaningless.
In the face of absolute power, such petty tricks were nothing but a minor nuisance.
ZephyrStrider was still the same petty manipulator he'd always been, and in the end, he never even achieved his goal of becoming the president of Martial Alliance. In the later stages of the game, his strength was nothing compared to players like Leo Ironblade.
"Alright, everyone, disperse for now. Cola, FlameDancer, I need you to head to The Silent Marshlands and meet up with Tonny. Take these," Eric said, pulling out two Tier 1 group invisibility scrolls from his backpack and handing them to FlameDancer and Cola.
These scrolls allowed players to go into stealth mode, boosting their movement speed by 10%. They could only be used outside of combat and lasted for 30 minutes. Engaging in combat would break the stealth effect. With these, Cola and FlameDancer could easily avoid any unwanted attention and meet up with Tonny without any trouble.
The group filed out of the restaurant, leaving Eric to his own devices. He made his way towards Willowbrook Town's City Hall, a stately building under heavy guard.
"ZephyrStrider, you're about to learn a valuable lesson," Eric mused, a confident smirk on his lips. "No matter what pathetic tricks you try to pull, they amount to nothing against absolute power."
With that, he stepped into the heavily guarded City Hall, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him.
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