37. The Premier PVE Guild (Please Follow for Updates)

The community’s summary of [Dream Dominator] was remarkably accurate.

“A coward who brings the repression of reality into the game to vent on the weak.”

“Their methods are no different from street thugs; once a person is shameless, they are invincible.”

“They have figured out that strong player groups don’t want to be disturbed during their early-stage development, so they smear themselves in filth and act like maggots in a cesspool, wriggling up to people and making them steer clear.”

Strong players were busy growing and developing. Players of equal strength often couldn’t afford the time or resources to engage with them. Solo players who hadn’t formed groups were too afraid to offend them, often having to hand over materials as "protection money" just to enter contested zones. Relying on this purely disgusting behavior, Dream Dominator had expanded their guild membership to fifty.

“You haven’t entered the real world yet, have you, kid?” Dark Lord sneered. “Has no one taught you that leaving room for negotiation is good for both sides? You talk so absolutely—have you never been beaten down by society?”

“So, you, the one who has been beaten down by society, have come into the game to throw your weight around and collect cyber-protection money?” Jiang Heyi laughed. “It seems life really isn't going your way.”

“Dream Dominator is great; no more words are needed.”

The spectating players burst into laughter.

Dark Lord’s face turned from blue to white, his mouth twitching unnaturally. It was clear that the remark had struck a nerve. The look in his eyes when he glared at Jiang Heyi was filled with nothing but resentment.

“It seems you aren’t aware that there are items in this game that can invade World Bubbles.” His expression grew incredibly grim. “With a mouth that sharp, you won’t be able to play the game peacefully in the future. Don’t regret it.”

In front of everyone, Jiang Heyi took out the [Stealer’s Key].

“The last person who tried to invade and steal progress is already stone-cold dead. You are more than welcome to try.”

“Also…” Jiang Heyi took a deep breath and proudly announced, “Boundary of Reality has just cleared the fourth floor of the Clarity Temple.”

After a brief silence, the scene erupted in an uproar.

“President Potato, it’s not that we don’t believe you… but could you show us proof of the clear, like the drops?”

Someone immediately chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, we really don’t mean to doubt you—you’ll probably post a video tomorrow anyway—we just want to satisfy our curiosity early.”

“I’m begging you, Brother Potato, put me out of my misery!”

Jiang Heyi requested a screenshot from Original Flavor Fries in the guild and posted it to the regional channel. The appearance of the Elemental Heart set completely ignited the players present. This was a red-quality set recipe; only gold and rainbow tiers were better.

A player immediately and tactfully offered a Magic Stone.

“President Potato, you cleared it wearing this starter set?”

After receiving confirmation, the uproar grew even louder. At this stage, which player wasn’t essentially a scavenger, dressed in rags that made them look like frog-headed amalgamations, causing even monsters to turn away in disgust?

The gap between people was unexpectedly this vast.

They were all picking through trash, so why was it that Boundary of Reality, also in rags, could pierce through high-difficulty dungeons, while the rest of them had to lie on the ground with their eyes closed just to deal with a roadside monster, waiting for teammates to save them? Didn’t the Star’s Testimony give everyone a new starting line? Why was someone able to get a head start!

“Vice President of Dream Dominator, you said earlier you wanted to invade us,” Jiang Heyi toyed with the Stealer’s Key in his hand. “First, you have to reach the fourth floor of the Clarity Temple. Otherwise, you won’t even be able to see the World Bubble where Boundary of Reality is located.”

“Oh, right. [Dream Dominator] is a big guild, right? Have you even cleared the first floor yet?”

Not everyone can remain calm while being watched by a crowd, especially when their dignity and reputation are being trampled into the dirt. Dark Lord fully embraced the "Ah Q" spirit, leaving behind a line about how "what we excel at is PvP, not PvE," and another about "we'll see the truth in the guild war in half a month," before turning to leave.

His forced composure was shattered by a chorus of boos. He even tripped over his own feet, stumbling and nearly face-planting in his haste. This pathetic display immediately drew a wave of hearty laughter, interspersed with insults too crude to be repeated.

Players who had long been disgusted by their shameless behavior—both online and offline—felt a sense of relief. Finally, a heavyweight player was putting these toxic, environment-polluting lunatics in their place.

Bringing the obsession and hostility of reality into a game while trying to sleep was the mark of an all-day stress-monger. For such a person to win a spot in the game was an insult to those who were waiting desperately, only able to watch clips to satisfy their cravings. Thinking of their own friends who were still waiting for the second round of lotteries, the players couldn't help but cheer.

“Those orphans in Dream Dominator deserve a beating.”

“Support Boundary of Reality in giving them a hard reality check.”

“President Potato is a legend! He’s really giving those Dream Dominator scums what they deserve!”

“I’ll chip in a Magic Stone!”

“I’ll chip in a fish.”

“I’ll chip in a piece of black iron ore—it’s not worth much, but it’s the thought that counts. President Potato, please keep putting them in their place!”

Things had suddenly taken a strange turn. Jiang Heyi’s original intention was to use the information gap to sell his materials at a higher premium, but after speaking his mind because he couldn't stand Dream Dominator, he had suddenly become a recipient of donations.

Players across various World Bubbles began sending gifts. Though most were tight on resources and the donations were mostly low-level white-tier items, the sheer volume was staggering. Within a minute, Jiang Heyi’s inventory was packed to the brim. There were even a dozen purple-tier materials mixed in.

“Thank you, really, thank you all for your support. As I said, Boundary of Reality has very few members, so we are very, very poor. Therefore… I will accept your generosity with a thick face.”

“Of course, I won’t take them for nothing,” Jiang Heyi announced. “Tomorrow, I will release some guides on Dust-Cleaning tier monsters that will be useful to you all. I hope everyone can benefit.”

With the "Dream Dominator" types—those who couldn't find satisfaction in reality and sought it in virtual spaces—as a contrast, Jiang Heyi’s words suddenly made him seem like a beacon of light.

Jiang Heyi teleported back to the guild. The players in the Pilgrim’s Plaza had not yet dispersed, lamenting the fact that the gap between some people is greater than the gap between humans and dogs, while discussing information about the Clarity Temple.

In a corner, several players who had only arrived after Dark Lord had been driven off watched the direction Jiang Heyi left in, their expressions thoughtful. Members of the guild [You and Me Under the Funny Tree] were deep in discussion.

[Dream of Yellow Millet]: “That president is a very impressive person.”

[My Sword Has Never Been Unsharp]: “If we're talking only about PvE, certainly.”

[Dream of Yellow Millet]: “We’ve challenged the Underground Temple twice. Our best result was just one shield parry against that monster, barely making it materialize for a second. And even I have to admit, there was a bit of luck involved.”

“But look at Boundary of Reality. Their gear is worse than ours, they have fewer people, and they’ve already pushed through four floors.”

“Personal skill, the ability to adapt quickly after gathering information, pre-battle preparation—they must have done all of that perfectly… just thinking about it is scary.”

[My Sword Has Never Been Unsharp]: “Maybe they were just lucky. I always feel like they must have had huge luck to clear four floors in a row. How much effective information can normal people get in one fight? It’s not like the five of them are cheating, right?”

[Jiangdong Iron Wall]: “The relationship between your words and your intelligence is not exactly the same, but it’s a perfect tribute.”

[My Sword Has Never Been Unsharp]: “What do you mean?”

[Jiangdong Iron Wall]: “I mean the same as Sister Dream. Boundary of Reality is just a group of talented monsters gathered together. You should honestly admit their strength.”

[My Sword Has Never Been Unsharp]: “Fine, fine, my bad. But it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to worry about. Being good at PvE doesn’t mean they’re good at PvP. Maybe they’ll just fade into the crowd once the guild war starts?”

[Jiangdong Iron Wall]: “Wow, you’re already predicting their downfall? Did Yuan Benchu himself log onto your account?”

[My Sword Has Never Been Unsharp]: “Don’t you dare mention that nickname again!”

“Also, they only have five people. They’re still two short of a seven-person guild, right?”

“Didn’t you hear them? They said they wanted to find people who fit the vibe of their small circle. The 'clique' energy is overflowing. It won’t be that easy to find someone. Don’t worry about it.”

“In the end, they’ll just pick two random people to fill the numbers. Even if they are all talented monsters like you say, can they really flip the world upside down while dragging two dead weights?”

Not everyone was obsessed with the temple. After the news of the guild war broke, PvP-focused guilds began intense practice. As they sparred with each other, circles formed, and everyone began to get a sense of who was strong and who was weak.

Excluding the inactive guilds, the eyes of the PvP community had collectively fallen upon Boundary of Reality, the five-member guild. There was no other reason: just like [Funny Tree], a guild with an eighty-percent win rate in both solo and team fights, they couldn't read Boundary of Reality’s level.

The saying that "good at PvE doesn't mean good at PvP" is often just a cover for the weak. Truly great players are capable of drawing inferences and learning quickly.

“If we enter the tournament, let’s hope we don’t run into them in the first round… let some unlucky soul test the waters first.”

Before the guild war had even begun, the atmosphere had grown subtle.

Jiang Heyi was unaware of the mysterious image Boundary of Reality held among the PvP community. He returned with a backpack full of materials, having just been suspected by Zhong Zemo of robbing the Wind Pod City grocery store.

After explaining what he had done, Original Flavor Fries gently rubbed her lips with her fingers—a subconscious habit of hers when thinking.

“It seems our account’s popularity is about to reach a new level.” She let out a breath.

It was clearly a good thing, yet one couldn’t detect any joy in her tone. What a unique response.

The Jailer clicked his fingers. “By then, maybe the income will be enough for me to take you all to eat through Guangzhou.”

“Too bland.”

A single phrase from Original Flavor Fries flipped the Jailer’s chatterbox switch.

“Wow, you have to know how to eat! Fresh ingredients must highlight their original flavor to be delicious. The chicken must taste like chicken, the duck must taste like duck. That kind of country chicken that was running around in the back hills ten minutes ago, killed and eaten fresh—tsk tsk, that texture… good ingredients are expensive. Oh, let me tell you about that duck…”

Even someone as cold as Original Flavor Fries had moments of exasperation, and the social terrorist Jailer was one of them.

She quickly signaled Jiang Heyi for help: “Turn off the chatterbox switch.”

Jiang Heyi cleared all the goods from his backpack to the Jailer.

“What for?”

“Go trade. Aren't you good with words? Exchange them for the materials to craft weapons,” Jiang Heyi added. “If possible, get two sets.”

The Jailer made finger-guns, triumphant. “Small matter, it’s—” He processed the request. “Two sets? Where would we get a second Elemental Heart?”

“We have one,” Jiang Heyi grinned. “Did you forget the two universal [Universal Forging Fragments] that Orange Tea found for us?”

Sorry, the guild has a lucky charm, and that means they can do whatever they want.