City of Snowflakes!
It has been over half a month since Xiao Hua left the City of Snowflakes. During this period, the city has seen tumultuous events and hidden undercurrents!
Now, everyone in the City of Snowflakes knows that the Frozen Guild is being assassinated by blacklisted players from Black Mist City. But except for the members of the Frozen Guild, almost everyone else remains on the sidelines, secretly gloating as they watch Frozen Guild players get killed and resurrected.
As a guild leader, Icebound World is quite restrained. He suppresses many desires to create a positive image for the guild and works hard to regulate the behavior of guild members, trying to avoid bullying smaller players whenever possible.
However, managing a guild of thousands of people is different from leading a small group. It's not easy to enforce rules strictly, especially in a game where players often act on their own during free time or leveling up. Players want to enjoy the game, and although the guild provides benefits and salaries to its members, too many restrictions can lead to dissatisfaction and defections, hindering rapid growth.
This is Icebound World's dilemma. His newly established guild is in a period of rapid development and cannot afford too many constraints, unlike older guilds with established rules and numerous members.
Thus, despite being the top guild, many members of the Frozen Guild have developed a sense of arrogance and superiority. They tend to monopolize the best training spots and stretch their hands longer than ordinary players. Conflicts leading to PKs are common, and as the top guild, they respond with force.
Icebound World is aware of these issues and finds them problematic, but attempting to curb such behaviors would alienate many players. Moreover, in PK disputes, both sides often believe they are in the right, making it difficult to judge fairly.
Most people dare not openly oppose the Frozen Guild due to its size, level, and equipment. So when someone finally stood up to retaliate, many players took pleasure in watching the chaos unfold. The blacklisted players acted professionally, targeting only Frozen Guild members. Those with grievances or ulterior motives against the Frozen Guild willingly sold medicines to the blacklisted players at shop prices, reflecting the poor reputation of the Frozen Guild.
Of course, many understand that confronting these blacklisted players is not easy. Fighting them could result in uncertain outcomes, and losing to them might mean dropping valuable equipment, making it an unprofitable venture.
Another reason for the general schadenfreude is the game's feature of guild territories. Most players belong to guilds competing for territory. If the Frozen Guild declines, another slot for territory would become available, increasing their chances.
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The remaining third of players without guilds have likely suffered at the hands of the Frozen Guild. For these reasons, the Frozen Guild stands alone in its struggle.
Icebound World sat frowning in the guild hall, accompanied by three elders: Icebound Ten Thousand Miles, Icebound Thousand Years, and Icebound Little Demon. Unfortunately, his two vice-presidents were among those killed during the recent incursion. He could only discuss matters with these three.
In just over half a month, Icebound World looked more haggard and aged, losing his previous charisma and vigor. Instead, he exuded profound despair!
In this short period, the Frozen Guild lost nearly a thousand members, with dozens leaving daily. Recently, the number of defections grew to hundreds each day!
On the first day of the attacks, despite many members falling victim, emotions remained relatively stable. PK deaths are common, and most understood this. Although the blacklisted players from Black Mist City were infamous, many victims were caught off-guard, leading to their deaths. Some, harboring grudges, sought revenge, and under Icebound World's reassurances, the situation remained stable for the first day.
However, on the second and third days, the assassinations continued unabated. Some members died repeatedly within days. Leveling is notoriously difficult in Second World, and dying multiple times not only slows progress but also erodes levels. This was unbearable for anyone!
Under mounting pressure, Icebound World could only smile bitterly, lacking effective solutions. The attackers accurately located their targets, primarily assassins, and seemingly equipped with special items that prevented mages and archers from detecting them. Victims were ambushed and killed.
Icebound World advised members to travel in larger groups. But how large could they be? Unlike boss fights or PKs, which can involve large groups, efficient training requires smaller teams, typically limited to two squads per spot. Even two squads couldn't stay together continuously.
Under Icebound World's guidance, the Frozen Guild allocated three squads to each training spot. Yet, despite this precaution, blacklisted assassins still wreaked havoc, easily eliminating mages, archers, and priests, then fleeing if confronted by more than one squad. Smaller groups were even more vulnerable.
From the third day onwards, after repeated deaths, some disgruntled players began to leave the guild. Once a few defected, others followed suit. After all, leveling is arduous, and many felt they received little benefit from the guild while suffering losses. With plenty of other guild options available, they chose to leave.
Initially, defections were sporadic, as many were reluctant to abandon a guild they'd been with for nearly a year. They waited for Icebound World's leadership, hoping for effective countermeasures.
But Icebound World felt helpless. He had no solution to the attackers' tactics. The blacklisted killers could track every member's whereabouts, and despite efforts, the guild couldn't locate them. Unless members stayed in cities or guild halls, venturing outdoors left them vulnerable.
While staying indoors temporarily might be feasible, who would live like a turtle forever? Such inactivity would prompt more defections. Besides, blacklisted players could continue their activities undisturbed.
Icebound World attempted counterattacks but failed to lure the blacklisted players out. He even offered bounties for information, but despite leads, no one was captured. Larger groups alerted the attackers, and smaller ones risked being ambushed.
Days passed in agony. More guild members fell victim to assassinations. With no viable solution, many chose to leave rather than face continuous threats. Departures were no longer individual but often involved entire groups of friends.