Regression Again Of The SSG

Ch13: the guild Situation

After I left the upper zone without informing anyone, my communicator chimed. It was Xia Qingying.

"Hello, Shi Feng. Did you break through?" she asked directly.

I hadn't planned on disclosing my progress, fearing it would lead to an immediate summons to the Greater God's Domain. But since it was likely they could find out anyway, I answered honestly. "Yeah."

"Great! Then can you return? We want to speak with you about the things you were curious about before."

"Oh, really?" I said with feigned enthusiasm, while inwardly cursing the timing.

"Yes, we'll be waiting for you," she said, about to end the call.

"But I can't right now," I interjected.

"Mmmm!? What did you say? You can't?" she asked, sounding as if she'd misheard.

"Yeah, my sister is about to be born. I need to stay with my family, help take care of things, and manage the corporation while my parents are preoccupied with the new baby for at least the next year. I'll try to meet you before God's Domain launches when I have some time," I explained, silently thanking fate for my little sister's perfect timing.

"Eh? Ah... well, what about God's Domain? Are you not going to play?" she asked, her voice puzzled. It was a logical assumption—if I was that busy, how could I possibly play?

"Well, of course, I'll play. I'll delegate the management to others, but my presence here is still required," I said without hesitation.

While there were significant benefits to entering the Greater God's Domain early, I knew that our small numbers wouldn't make a meaningful impact yet. We needed a larger, well-prepared force to truly make a difference. Entering later was the smarter strategic move.

"Mmmm, well, okay. But you should know that if we tell you later, you won't receive the same benefits. At most, you'd gain entry to the core area, and that's all."

I stayed silent, pretending to hesitate before replying righteously, "My family is more important." I almost believed my own words. While it was true, there were solutions—the corporations were running smoothly, and Future Mining Corporation now had a solid foundation that could rival Starlink even without my direct oversight.

"Okay, when you have time, remember to come. We need to talk," she said, finally accepting my explanation.

"Okay," I replied, feeling a wave of relief that I had avoided the situation I dreaded.

Green God Corporation was generally tolerant and didn't actively antagonize anyone, but that was only because they viewed us as children in the shadow of a giant. They saw no threat to their interests. In their eyes, guilds in God's Domain were merely employees. Antagonizing your employer was a foolish move, as they could easily make your life miserable.

I knew I could eventually reach Mental Strength Grandmaster and enter the Greater Domain alone, but I wasn't ungrateful. They had provided the platform of God's Domain, and I believed I could bring them greater benefits by establishing a powerful force within the game first. It was a win-win.

I arrived home and spent the final week before my sister's birth with my parents. I decided to access the virtual combat training center from home using the specialized access card.

Currently, nearly 200 of the 300 cards I'd commissioned were in use by recruits. I still planned to distribute the remaining cards to select guilds and adventure teams.

Logging in, I saw members sparring, others challenging the trial tower, and a group spectating. I walked over to Blackie.

"How are we doing?"

Blackie turned, a complex expression on his face. "Hey, Shi Feng! We're doing great, actually." But I sensed something was off.

"What's going on? Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's great. It's just... I finally reached the Domain Realm. After four years of working like a dog, with you spending a fortune on me and even getting me into the upper zone... and now, some of these two hundred recruits have reached the Void Realm in just one year—no, just eight months! A few have even surpassed it and caught up to me. I was just wondering if someone like me is really worth all that investment."

"What? You reached the Domain Realm?!" I yelled, genuinely shocked. In his previous life, it had taken Blackie five years to reach the Void Realm and another two in the Greater God's Domain to finally break through to the Domain Realm.

My exclamation drew the attention of others, but I was too stunned to care. What was happening? How had Blackie progressed so quickly? Then it hit me: starting their training younger, coupled with my refined teaching methods and accumulated experience, had created a perfect storm for accelerated growth.

Blackie's face fell. "What, are you surprised? Did you not expect me to ever reach Domain Expert?"

"No! It's more a surprise at my own talent for teaching! I think I'm really good... no, I'm the best there is!" I said, staring at him as the realization dawned.

The guild members around us started laughing. Blackie, hearing them, immediately challenged me. "Let's fight! I'll kick your ass!"

"Okay," I agreed. In less than ten exchanges, he was defeated.

"God damn it, you monster!" Blackie grumbled after respawning.

"Okay, everyone!" I announced, my voice cutting through the chatter. "I understand you're all preparing for God's Domain. There will be a competition in one month. The winners will earn a spot in the upper zone."

My words silenced the entire room, followed by an uproar of disbelief and excitement. The final stage of preparation had begun.