Chapter 183 - 162: Rowan Rhodes Is Also Going to Form His Own Faction

Chapter 183: Chapter 162: Rowan Rhodes Is Also Going to Form His Own Faction

"The Night Owls - Tracy: Join The Night Owls and we guarantee a Positioning Card for everyone. When you’re in danger, we will dispatch players to help."

"..."

"I suddenly realized that the number of factions recruiting players has shot up. Just look at the chat—they’re all top-ranked players."

"Even if they aren’t, they have the backing of major bigshots."

"Is it really a good idea to join these factions?"

"For average players, finding shelter under a mighty oak is a solid choice. But for players of similar strength, why should they join?"

"But there’s a problem here. With so many players forming factions, won’t it be easy to get targeted if you *don’t* join one?"

"They’re forcing our hands!"

"It’d be great if we could freely join and leave. After all, no one knows how these teams will turn out. If things go south, do we have to go down with the sinking ship?"

"I feel like the current teams aren’t mature enough yet!"

"..."

Rowan Rhodes watched the myriad of discussions scrolling past and began drafting a message.

"Rowan Rhodes: Sincerely recruiting Level 7 players and above. DM Zelda Parrish."

"Zelda Parrish: DM me to sign up."

These two simple sentences were briefly pushed down by another player’s message, but in the blink of an eye, they completely blew up the main group chat. They wondered if they were seeing things. Who was this?! Was Rowan Rhodes really going to build her own faction?!

The message sent shockwaves through the community. The discussion in the main chat reached a fever pitch.

"To think even Rowan couldn’t resist jumping into the fray."

"Of course! There’s safety in numbers. As long as Rowan gathers a faction, anyone capable of taking her on will practically cease to exist."

"Rowan is already a one-woman army!"

"Aww, can I join?"

"She requires a Level 7 Raft or higher. That’s a really steep standard."

"Anyone with a Level 7 Raft is already considered a bigshot. They could form their own factions—would they really go and work for Rowan?"

"Why not? Rowan isn’t your average bigshot. I’m going for it."

"Rowan isn’t just ridiculously strong; she also holds a ton of rare resources. By joining her, you get first-hand access to those resources. Riding her coattails to grow is a great choice."

"Exactly. Joining Rowan only ties down the player themselves, not their entire faction."

"Besides, who said you can’t quit after joining? Just give it a try."

"Right now, the question shouldn’t be whether or not to sign up, but whether you can actually get in!"

"This Zelda Parrish is also in the top ten of the leaderboards. She’s already clinging to Rowan’s coattails."

"I thought Rowan wasn’t recruiting? How does she have a trusted aide so quickly?"

"I’m so jealous!"

"Maybe her ranking is only that high *because* she latched onto a powerhouse early on!"

"..."

Countless permanent players debated the topic, every single one of them itching to make a move. Rowan’s strength was obvious to all, and her growth rate was astronomical. Who wouldn’t want to rely on such a powerhouse? Now that this opportunity had presented itself, their choices were dictated by their Natures, leaving them with just one option: sign up!

The number of players choosing to apply with Zelda Parrish skyrocketed. Of course, quite a few players DMed Rowan directly. However, since they weren’t on her friends list, Rowan simply ignored them. Over on Zelda’s side, having become Rowan’s official spokesperson, she was instantly swamped with countless friend requests.

At the same time, the news of Rowan recruiting spread across the various districts populated by permanent players. This was especially true for District 122. After all, District 122 could easily be considered the home base for Rowan, Zelda, and the rest of their crew. The players here had the chance to interact with them face-to-face. Combined with their preexisting foundation, they were the easiest to develop into die-hard loyalists.

Zelda brought the matter up directly within the District 122 chat.

"Ahhh, the great Rowan Rhodes is finally willing to form a faction!"

"I’m joining! I definitely have to join."

"@Zelda Parrish, boss, do we sign up with you? I’m signing up right now!"

"When did Zelda hook up with Rowan?"

"Haven’t they been working together this whole time? All those bigshots have been following Rowan’s lead!"

"Past events have already proven that following the big boss guarantees a piece of the pie. Count me in!"

"I don’t have a Level 7 Raft yet, but I’m confident I’ll get there soon."

"The boss’s standards sure are strict!"

"But according to Zelda, only the core members need to be Level 7 players and above. The rest of us can seek shelter under other bigshots and join as part of their group."

"Doesn’t that mean we can form our own factions?!"

"You can’t form one without some real backing!"

"Harold Thompson: I am preparing to establish the Invincible League. So far, Simon Quinn, Leo Lowell, and Ian Keane have joined. All of us are Level 7 players. You are welcome to join us."

"@Harold Thompson, our district has so many top players. There’s no way anyone would choose you."

"Go play by yourselves!"

"Celia Lynch: @Zelda Parrish, I want to join."

"Zelda Parrish: No problem."

"Whoa, look at the prestige of Celia Lynch!"

"Celia is the brains of the operation."

"I’m signing up too."

"..."

Within District 122, players enthusiastically signed up. Zelda conducted "interviews" directly in the world channel, and the team began to steadily expand.