A few hours ago, in the distant city of Snowdrift.

Icebound World sat in the guild hall, his expression unusually grave. For the past few hours, the player named NotStealWives had been on his mind constantly.

In the snowy forest, when he learned that the owner of that super magic bomb was this player, he felt a sense of foreboding. During the auction, this person sold items worth 6.8 million gold coins, indicating they were extremely wealthy.

But what troubled Icebound World the most was the blacklisted player he saw in Snowdrift City. After the player boarded the airship, Icebound World quickly confirmed that the blacklisted player was indeed NotStealWives!

News of a female player hiring over thirty players for 1,000 gold each to slaughter others spread through Snowdrift City almost simultaneously with the appearance of the blacklisted player. Naturally, the name of this mad slayer spread far and wide, and even though Icebound World didn't want to know, the information reached his ears.

Intentionally becoming blacklisted to enter Blackmist City, what this person intended sent chills down Icebound World's spine! Although Icebound Union was the top guild in Snowdrift City, it wasn't as strong as the historical guilds with years of experience. As the guild leader, Icebound World knew better than anyone else that choosing Snowdrift City was due to its remote and cold nature, making it less likely to attract attention from larger guilds, thereby providing a good environment for growth towards becoming a top-tier guild.

Over the past year, Icebound Union had made significant progress, but there was still a barrier preventing them from reaching the level of a top-tier guild. Even being the first to defeat a Level 50 Superboss didn't change this perception. Icebound World understood that this was due to management issues; neither he nor the guild elders nor the core members had the experience needed to manage a top-tier guild, thus lacking the cohesion necessary for such a status. Such experience could only be accumulated over time.

Icebound World knew that once his guild was targeted with a bounty in Blackmist City, it would become prey for the group of mad and deranged devils who entered blacklisted and exited whitelisted, only to re-enter blacklisted again.

This was the first thing Icebound World realized. The elite players who were bombed during the PvP with Wolf Legend probably sensed something was amiss too, but none were as concerned as Icebound World now. His mood was restless, and he couldn't find an effective solution to this problem.

Announcing the news to the guild members and advising them to be cautious wouldn't work. Previously, over two hundred members left the guild due to temporary inability to log out, indicating weaker cohesion than he imagined. Releasing bad news now would likely cause more members to leave immediately if anything happened. His choice to vent anger on the small guild Paradise of Beauties was partly due to personal grudges and partly to enhance guild cohesion.

But not saying anything wasn't a solution either. Once the Blackmist City players arrived, the result would be the same, if not worse. This was the source of his distress. Although he hoped the Blackmist City players wouldn't accept the bounty, he knew it was unrealistic.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Sighing, Icebound World summoned three elders to the guild hall.

...

That day, members of Icebound Union suddenly saw a message posted by their leader, Icebound World, warning that enemy guild members might attack them during this period. He advised members to travel in groups and avoid solo actions.

"Is it really that serious? Which guild is so blind as to ambush us?" someone asked, unconvinced.

"I'm not sure which guild specifically, but everyone should be careful. Being prepared is always right," Icebound World patiently replied. This was the final decision after discussing with the elders: fabricate an enemy guild to prepare members. Even if attacked, panic would be minimized. Specific countermeasures would depend on the enemy's actions.

Icebound World's warning wasn't in vain. Several hours later, someone shouted in the guild chat, "Damn! Our squad was assassinated!"

People asked who did it, but the assassinated players said their attackers were masked assassins, all blacklisted players emitting thick black aura. Even without masks, their faces were obscured by the aura.

Icebound World's heart sank, knowing the inevitable had arrived. Before he could catch his breath, more reports of deaths flooded the guild chat. His heart sank further.

"Boss, could we... have been targeted with a bounty in Blackmist City?" Someone hesitantly asked, realizing the severity of the situation.

Icebound World's heart sank deeper.

...

"Haha, haven't enjoyed killing like this in a long time! Getting paid for killing, damn, it feels great!" In the snowy forests of Snowdrift City, a group of players emitting thick black aura walked slowly. One of the assassins laughed heartily.

"The first assassination went smoothly, but it won't be easy from now on. The environment here is special; snow leaves footprints even when sneaking. We need to choose areas without snow for successful assassinations," a thin young man pondered aloud.

"Hehe, haven't gotten the set yet, huh? With the set, you're not restricted except on particularly soft ground," an older player chuckled.

"What do you mean?" the young assassin asked curiously.

"I just found out today. The set's ‘Enhanced Stealth’ works best on snow. Look!" The player entered stealth and walked across the snow, leaving almost no trace.

"Damn! I missed out big time. Should have completed the set before coming out!"

"That's not entirely true. Be careful, and most people won't notice your approach." The tall player smiled, clearly more experienced. The young player had joined recently and hadn't completed many tasks. Normally, he shouldn't have participated in this bounty mission, but he couldn't resist following.

"Flying Cloud, check the nearest target's coordinates with your badge. Take advantage of their lack of preparation; every kill counts. After today, it won't be as easy!"

"Alright." Another silent player responded, pulling out a black badge and issuing a command.

Coordinates appeared before him. After a moment, he pointed in a direction, "This way, about ten minutes away. We might catch them unprepared."

"Let's move! Use the badge sparingly!"

They mounted their mounts and raced off.

...

That day, many players in Snowdrift City sensed an undercurrent stirring. News spread that Icebound Union was targeted with a bounty in Blackmist City. Killers had arrived in Snowdrift City and began attacking Icebound Union members. Many were killed, causing chaos within the guild.

Curious onlookers wondered who had the resources to issue such a bounty. Everyone knew that targeting Icebound Union would require millions of gold coins.

It wasn't a secret; the scene of the blacklisted player being escorted was known to many. Confirmed by Icebound Union members, they were shocked to find that the culprit was an obscure figure from a small guild of just thirty to forty people!

However, they discovered that this small guild wasn't simple. It had the influential figure Wandering in charge, and the unknown player had helped Wandering escape from Icebound Union!

Paradise of Beauties quickly became famous in Snowdrift City. Many applied to join, hoping to uncover its secrets, but disappointingly, the guild was not accepting new members.