Almost every guild pointed their fingers at Ren’s group.
“That guild is cheating. There is no way that they can have so many members after Gorm. I mean, look at us . . .” Fredrick swiped everyone with his eyes, “look at the majority of us that only have three to five members left while they have more than half. There’s got to be foul play somewhere there.”
“Please wait a moment while we process your concern,” the Rabbit said, and there was a processing bar that appeared on top of its head soon after.
When it loaded, the Rabbit shook its fur and arranged its tiny glasses on the bridge of its nose.
“According to the system, Fighting Lambs and Roaring Tigers . . .”
Everyone’s eyes shone in expectation.
“. . . Didn’t violate any rules. They had defeated Gorm fair and square.”
“. . . WHAT?!”
“That can’t be!”
“Are they backed by some larger power or something? Because I don’t know how they got here with their numbers.”
“Since the majority is discontent, I have retrieved the video of their fight,” the Rabbit said.
Before anyone could say anything, a large screen appeared, and everyone’s attention was directed at Roaring Tigers and Fighting Lamb’s battle with Gorm.
While the battle raged on the screen, the murmurs hushed while some only shook their head and sighed in defeat before accepting the outcome of the first war. It was apparent on the screen that Roaring Tigers and Fighting Lambs took Gorm with a plan, using their skills and their special items to their advantage.
“That can’t be . . .” Fredrick backed a little.
Ren chuckled. “I find it funny that you called our effort a cheat when we merely used our brain to defeat the game.”
“Effort? Brain? Don’t you think we have that?” Fredrick spat.
Ren smirked. “Let me guess . . . You used monocle, and when you saw Gorm’s stat, you panicked and lost your formation. And then some of your members thought that to defeat Gorm meant killing it, and they went for its throat, dying in the process.
“And then you realized that you can’t kill it, and you panicked even more, so all of you ran away from it until the timer ended.”
“Y-you . . . how did you . . .” Fredrick back even more while his face twisted in anger and dread.
The others also lowered their head. They couldn’t look Ren in the eyes. It was like he was speaking through their souls.
“Where do they get those smoke screens, then?” Fredrick asked with a loud voice. “Why don’t we have any of it, huh? It’s a cheat item, right?”
Ren merely huffed a laugh. “You can ask the rabbit if it’s a cheat.”
The Rabbit shook its head again. “The [Smoke Duds] isn’t a cheat item. It’s accessible to all.”
“Accessible?”
“We don’t have it.”
“There’s nothing like that in all the towns we’ve been to.”
The Rabbit’s expression didn’t change faced with so many complaints. It merely looked at the players with its unfeeling eyes. “They are accessible. You only didn’t find it.”
“Huh. What’s that supposed to mean?”
There was the buzzing of dissatisfaction in the air, but the Rabbit merely blinked and said, “Please refrain from giving false accusations. Remaining calm under pressure is also part of the game, while acquiring rare items is part of your luck.”
“The Guild Wars will forever remain fair,” it said before disappearing.
Watching with their own eyes what transpired in the video, everyone could only look away and mutter to themselves.
“Agh. The truth always prevails. Justice won in the end.” Leonel laughed and stretched his limbs. “Now I can rest a little.”
“Let’s talk for a moment.” Ren guided the others to a part where no one could hear them.
“What is it?” Leonel asked with a knowing smile on his lips. “You look like you’re plotting again.”
“How’s everyone’s MP?” asked Ren, ignoring Leonel. Though he really didn’t have to. He could perfectly see everyone’s HP and MP bar. Their HP was full, but their MP suffered from using their skills against Gorm.
“It’s still fine,” said Sumeri. “It’s not enough to take an MP potion yet.”
Ren shook his head. “Everyone take your MP potions to replenish your MP. In the next war, no matter how little your HP and MP are depleted, take the potion immediately. Don’t be stingy with them.”
The others looked at each other.
“But . . . isn’t it a waste?” Rox asked, and the others seconded.
“We should conserve those things in the battle in the end,” Roxy added.
“Just trust me.” And Ren explained further with a low voice. As he did so, the other’s face brightened in understanding, and some eyes were wide and mouths gaping.
“Are you sure it’s going to work?” Roxy asked, unsure.
“Of course, it is,” chimed Leonel. “When did Ren ever let us down?”
Sumeri puffed a chuckle and said with an amused tone, “I did think of it, and I was planning of testing that now . . . but I think waiting for the next game is a good idea.”
While the others were busy talking amongst themselves, a group of players came forward to their guild.
“Excuse me.”
At the sight of those players who accused them of cheating, Roxy and the others glowered and snapped, “What? Still going to accuse us of cheating?”
The players looked at each other, and some frowned while the others lowered their heads in embarrassment.
Ren stepped in. “Relax, everyone. We’re both players here. There’s no reason not to be civilized.”
He then faced the other groups. “What do you want?”
“Where did you get the [Smoke Duds]?”
Ren expected that the others would ask about it. After all, it was an item that only their group had, so the curiosity.
“I think it’s fine to share that information. It’s not like we could get out from here and buy those while the war is ongoing,” a player said when Ren and the others were silent.
“Like the Rabbit said, it’s accessible to all. It’s just we didn’t find it. Is it a shop somewhere?” another added.
Ren crossed his hands and cocked his head to the side. “Before I answer your question, let me ask you first . . . If you have the same items as us, will you share the information about it with your enemies?”
“. . .”
“. . .”
Everyone was tight lips because they knew the answer deep inside.
NO.
It was the truth, and so the tension rose between groups.
“I thought so too,” Ren said, and he was about to ignore the other groups when a voice rose over their ears.
“I would.”
Looking over to the one who spoke, it was a girl with short hair and a cute dimple smile. Judging from her outfit, she was a sniper. She had this west cowboy vibe radiating from her and her name was Yumi.
Ren’s brow rose a little while the corner of his lips twitched. “Is that so?”
Leonel shook his head because he knew his friend inside and out, and that look on Ren’s face could only mean no good. “Ren . . .”
Ren raised a hand before his lips twitched upward at the other groups, a smile that Leonel and the others knew so much and gave them nightmares in the past days during their practice. Unknowingly, all of them took a step back.
“Alright,” Ren said, “I’ll tell you where we got those, but in exchange . . . those of you who wanted the information, either hand your potions or your special item as barter for the information.”