The onlookers cast admiring glances at the Flying Mantis Shrimp.
This guy is a true hero, daring to face a life of self-destruction.
Then, they all stepped back, standing a little further away, afraid of getting splattered with blood.
Han Xiao was well aware of the source of Flying Mantis Shrimp's information. It was due to the influence of the "Meat Bun Hits Dog" video, which leaked some information, aroused players' curiosity about his mysterious identity, and increased his popularity—something he tacitly approved of.
The leaked information was almost irrelevant to Han Xiao. Players weren't NPCs; they didn't have a vast intelligence network or crucial information. Knowing his real name was useless to them. On the contrary, the wider the video spread, the more his influence subtly expanded.
Therefore, Han Xiao had already guessed that some players would be reckless and ask him directly. He calmly hummed in response and then said nothing more.
Flying Mantis Shrimp was completely dumbfounded. This was nothing like what it had imagined. Its identity had been revealed, so how could Black Phantom still be so nonchalant?
Doesn't Black Phantom care at all that strangers know his identity?
Or is it that... in places unknown to the players, Black Phantom's identity has long been an open secret? So this method is completely useless.
Flying Leather Armor is very discouraged.
Black Phantom is too stable; it seems to have no weaknesses, and it's impossible to mess with it.
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances, their curiosity only growing stronger.
What kind of person is he?
Undeterred, Flying Mantis Shrimp asked again, "I want to join the Germinal Organization. Do you know how?" It was common knowledge that Black Phantom was an enemy of Germinal; he was asking this on purpose.
Hey kid, are you trying to provoke me?
Without saying a word, Han Xiao directly lowered his favorability by three points as a slight punishment.
The Flying Mantis Shrimp's face turned green instantly. This reaction was way too direct! There wasn't a single warning sign!
Han Xiao suddenly had a new, quirky idea. Since he had gained some influence among the players, perhaps he could guide them in choosing their faction.
He paused, then said, "War is about to break out. The Six Nations are joining forces for an expedition. Germinal is doomed to lose. If you want to commit suicide, go ahead. If you want to go to the Dark Net, I can write you a letter of introduction. If you want to go to Germinal, get as far away from me as possible."
Everyone's spirits lifted; Black Phantom was finally reacting differently, revealing information they didn't know, and they whispered among themselves.
"An expedition? The Six Nations and Germinal are going to war?"
"He definitely knows more than we do, so his judgment is absolutely reliable."
"Joining Germinal would be a huge loss."
The players were in an uproar. Only people from the Andia Continent had joined the Germinal. Han Xiao's words would soon be posted on the forum, and those who wanted to join the Germinal would give up their original idea.
He doesn't miss any opportunity to strike at the Germinal. Recently, he hasn't caused any trouble, and the Germinal seems to have been living a peaceful life for a while, which is completely unbearable.
The player noticed another key point in the conversation. "He mentioned the Dark Net, which is a hidden force, right? Can he get us to join the Dark Net faction?"
Han Xiao smiled slightly, opened the long-unused store page, and added a new item.
[Faction Introduction Letter]: This item allows you to join the Blood Pact Union faction. Note: The Blood Pact Union is an assassin organization under the Dark Net.
[Price: 250,000 Aquamarine Dollar]
"Two hundred and fifty thousand?!" Everyone was dumbfounded. It was an astronomical price for them, and no one could afford it.
Joining the Blood Pact Union originally required passing a series of trials and tribulations, but Han Xiao intercepted that. With his connections to the Dark Net, introducing players to the alliance was just a matter of a word for him.
A few months ago, Han Xiao bought Blood Pact Federation certificates from Antonov for 200,000. He raised the price by 25% based on that, considering inflation, he felt it was a reasonable price increase.
With such a high price, ordinary players are naturally deterred. Han Xiao's original intention was not to sell on a large scale; his target customers were professional players from clubs, who could afford the price only with the support of large guilds.
Professional players are the type of players most willing to improve by any means necessary. This scheme can attract top professional players, which helps him expand his pool of backup players... Of course, the main reason is still to make money.
"Having affordable and high-quality skills and ordinary goods is not enough; I also need exorbitantly priced luxury goods to enrich my product portfolio," Han Xiao thought to himself.
Two hundred and fifty thousand Aquamarine Dollar is something that almost no guild can afford right now, but they are rich and powerful and can buy Aquamarine Dollar from other players with real money.
"It all depends on how many guilds realize the benefits of joining a hidden new faction."
He's like Old Man Han fishing—waiting for those who are willing to take the bait.
"Incredible, the most expensive item ever!", "Black Phantom: The Germinal to Fail"...
Posts with this title appeared in the Planet Aquamarine forum and immediately attracted the attention of players. They were all stunned to see the exorbitant price of 250,000 for the faction introduction letter.
"Wow, is this faction as gold-plated as ((.))?"
"The Blood Pact Union, I wonder what they do."
"The price is outrageously high. What's so special about this faction called the Blood Pact Union?"
"Has anyone with a dick heard of this faction?" The person asked casually, but unexpectedly someone actually replied, "I triggered the Blood Pact Union joining quest. It's extremely tedious and very difficult. The description says it's an assassin organization, and I don't know what the benefits are yet, but in my opinion, spending 250,000 just to skip the prerequisite quests isn't worth it."
The exorbitant price of 250,000 has sparked widespread discussion. Currently, the average player's assets are between 3,000 and 5,000, so it wouldn't be too difficult for a guild to raise 250,000, given the ever-growing player base.
However, most guilds felt it wasn't worth it; spending 250,000 on a faction introduction letter was too extravagant, and with the situation still unclear, they decided to wait and see.
Han Xiao has influence among ordinary players, but the guild has always been very rational and only considers its own interests. Other players are playing games, but they are building a career.
More than the exorbitantly priced letter of introduction, players were more interested in Han Xiao revealing that the Six Nations and Germinal were about to go to war, causing a great uproar.
After playing for these past few days, players on Planet Aquamarine know that the conflict Six Nations and Germinal is the main storyline. However, the war started without warning, and it was an expedition, proving that the battlefield will be on the Andia Continent. Currently, many players haven't even chosen a faction, and their strength is simply insufficient to participate in the main storyline.
In the original storyline, the war was scheduled to begin several months later, with localized battles on each continent, allowing players from all over to participate. However, due to Han Xiao's intervention, the war was not only brought forward, but it also began as an expedition from the outset, which he believed minimized the impact that players could have.
Most importantly, most players have not yet triggered the main questline of Six Nations and Germinal.
Black Phantom's statement that Germinal is doomed to fail has deterred many from joining the Germinal. While many players enjoy excitement and lean towards the evil faction, there are also quite a few potential players who want to join Germinal.
However, this time Han Xiao's influence took effect, and these players began to waver. If they chose the Germinal Faction, they would have to bear the risk of being crushed. In that case, they might as well choose the Order Faction of the Six Nations, where the embrace of the strong is the warmest.
In a single sentence, the Germinal lost many potential supporters.
Han Xiao's influence on players gradually grew as he cultivated his image, solidifying his position in their minds.
His words will be taken as key information by players.