Compared to the distinctively unique Snowdrift City and Black Mist City, Wan Oak City was rather ordinary. After disembarking from the airship, Xiao Hua glanced around Wan Oak City and thought that if nothing memorable happened here, this city would soon fade into the depths of his memory.

Finding a mailbox in the city, Xiao Hua sent emails to Piaoling and Fang Ning sisters, explaining his recent situation and the reasons behind his actions, then he left the Beauty Paradise guild.

Several hours earlier, after Chi Jue told him about the main quest, Xiao Hua couldn't wait any longer. He consulted Tu Kuang about the issues related to red and black names and learned that PK values below 20 could be cleared outside of Black Mist City, although it would be slower. Without hesitation, he used his amnesty card and boarded the express airship to Wan Oak City.

"Alright, next, I'll check out the Oak Forest Guild's headquarters!" After sending the email, Xiao Hua asked a player in the city about the location of the Oak Forest Guild. Given that the Oak Forest Guild had gained significant fame in Wan Oak City recently, he easily obtained the specific location of their base.

The game had been online for over two months now, with no sign of being able to log off anytime soon. After this two-month period, many players' mindsets had changed. With no clear indication of when offline access would resume, various hidden thoughts began surfacing. One notable change was the sudden increase in malicious PK incidents. In Black Mist City, Xiao Hua had seen many new faces these days.

Another change was that many players began treating the game as a reality. Under this shift, the most affected were the guilds. In larger guilds, ambitious individuals who were tired of being controlled by others left with large groups of followers to form their own guilds, severely weakening many existing guilds. The guild landscape across Second World cities underwent a major reshuffle.

During this reshuffle, some guilds suffered heavy losses and became second-tier, while others seized opportunities to grow rapidly. Oak Forest Guild was one of these, rising from a mid-tier guild hovering around the thirtieth rank in Wan Oak City to become one of the few guilds with an outdoor base.

Oak Forest Guild's luck seemed good as well. Shortly after securing an outdoor base, someone in the guild received the main quest, which could be shared among guild members. Thus, Oak Forest Guild decided to recruit 500 new members, partly to strengthen their forces for the quest and partly to expand further. In-game, every guild was recruiting, and whoever could attract more skilled players would gain a competitive edge.

Recruiting under the guise of the main quest naturally attracted many who came for the rewards and might leave after completing it. The guild leader anticipated this but was confident in retaining most of the new recruits!

Oak Forest Guild's rise during the reshuffle wasn't just luck. Unlike typical guilds, Oak Forest gave members a sense of home, as suggested by its name. While other guilds lost many members due to the inability to log off, Oak Forest Guild only saw a small portion leave, with more joining from other guilds, quickly filling the vacancies left by inactive members. Now, they were openly recruiting 500 more skilled players.

In front of a wooden house in the Oak Forest Guild base, several players stood near a table where a priestess and a warrior were chatting privately.

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"Elder Maple Leaf, this assassin has Grandmaster Stealth. The vanguard exploration team still needs one member, right?" the warrior confirmed with the priestess.

"Indeed, once we recruit this one, the exploration team will be complete. No more assassins or thieves needed after that," Maple Leaf nodded in response. Since announcing the recruitment for the main quest, numerous players had applied, filling nearly all 500 spots in just over two days.

Maple Leaf, a priest and one of the four original elders of Oak Forest Guild, privately hoped that half of these 500 recruits would stay, significantly boosting the guild's strength!

"Has the message gone out that we're no longer accepting applications?" Maple Leaf asked the warrior. To avoid offending anyone, it was essential to inform applicants early that all spots were filled.

"The message went out this morning. It should be spreading throughout the city now," the warrior replied.

"Good. Only a few spots remain for other professions. Once filled, politely reject any further applicants to avoid conflict," Maple Leaf instructed.

"Don't worry, Elder, I understand," the warrior assured her, clearly a reasonable person chosen for this task.

"If anyone is particularly troublesome or highly skilled, call me to handle it," Maple Leaf added. Out of the 500 public spots, 21 additional slots were kept secret as contingencies.

Meanwhile, in Wan Oak City, after learning the location of Oak Forest Guild, Xiao Hua left the city and discovered that Wan Oak City was characterized by vast green oak forests surrounding it.

After nearly two hours navigating through the oaks, he gradually approached the Oak Forest Guild's base, encountering more players along the way. Most were returning, which made Xiao Hua uneasy, wondering if Oak Forest Guild had already recruited enough members.

Indeed, all professions, including assassins and thieves, were fully recruited. Upon hearing Xiao Hua's purpose, the responsible warrior apologized, "Sorry, brother, we've just finished recruiting. Sorry about that!"

"Really?" Xiao Hua exclaimed in disbelief, rushing all the way here only to miss the opportunity?

"No more spots left? I have Grandmaster Stealth plus Grandmaster Appraisal. Can you consider adding one more?" Xiao Hua persisted, knowing that Oak Forest Guild welcomed skilled players and those with unique abilities. His combination of skills could be invaluable for scouting missions.

"Hmm... Wait a moment, let me check," the warrior responded, recognizing that Grandmaster Stealth combined with Grandmaster Appraisal was rare.

Hearing this, Xiao Hua felt relieved. If spots remained, even if they didn't need scouts, he could join as a skilled player, showcasing his abilities for the main quest if necessary.

"Grandmaster Stealth plus Grandmaster Appraisal? Have him show the skill info. If true, bring him to the guild hall," Maple Leaf decided. While the warriors only screened candidates, final recruitment decisions were made at the guild hall.

"Okay, show me your skill info," the warrior requested.

Xiao Hua promptly displayed his Stealth and Appraisal skill information.

Upon verification, the warrior was about to direct Xiao Hua to the guild hall when an observing assassin suddenly objected, "No way! Why can he join but not me? I also have Grandmaster Stealth and Master Appraisal! What use is one Grandmaster Appraisal? You get spotted by monsters right away, and if your combat skills aren't high, you'll be killed instantly. What good is one appraisal?"

Appraisal skills could reveal names, classes, levels, HP, and MP within five to seven meters, placing users within hostile range of high-level monsters. The warrior agreed with the assassin's point and sought advice from Maple Leaf.

Maple Leaf, upon receiving the message, walked over to resolve the dispute. Handling such conflicts required convincing explanations. While offending one person wasn't a big deal, preventing further complications was preferable.

"He's just a level 41 thief. What use can he be?" Maple Leaf remarked, exuding leadership qualities. The assassin, who had previously appraised Xiao Hua, loudly protested upon her arrival.

Appraisal skills generally provided limited information about players, revealing only basic stats like class and level, but not detailed attributes like attack or defense.

Maple Leaf frowned, realizing she needed Xiao Hua's Grandmaster Appraisal but also acknowledging the assassin's valid point.