[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-black-online":3,"chapter-black-online-black-online-chapter-104":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Black Online",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1462647,1913,"Chapter 104: Ground Rules","black-online-chapter-104",104,"\u003Cp>The door closed with Machary’s departure, and now it was only Fang Raon alone in the room with Della, Waylen, Rickard, and Rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With your new position as team leader, your new pay is 20,000 coins per week. Here you go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Della placed a pouch of 20,000 coins on the table, and Fang Raon accepted it gratefully and stored it inside his interface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[+20,000]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Coins: 40,521]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I should probably go check out the stores in that Snowberry Village and see if I can find some new gear.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now had coins worth 400 dollars, and if he wanted to, he could transfer that money to his real-world bank account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, for now, he had no need for money in the real world, but if one day he recovered, he would be in need of some.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re now responsible for the Fourth-Liners, and if you don’t perform as expected, you can still be replaced. Is that understood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Della asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, guild master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...And regarding that tarnished reputation of yours. You want me to tell the Fourth-Liners what Machary said was false?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Della asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, I don’t think that should be done. It will just ostracize him, which would’ve happened to me, and it is just bad for the party.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then they will keep thinking that you’re someone untrustworthy. It’ll be quite hard to lead a party like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Della said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They might not trust me, but that is fine. They trust you. And you’re the one who made me a team leader. It’ll take some time to get them to trust me, but I’ll get it done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t think whatever Machary said about me will hinder us in any way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...If you say so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Della nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky of the 15th floor was light blue. It looked like ice. The sun was scorching down, but it barely brought any heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold winds of the north mountains were blowing into the villages, giving the air a crisp chill, and fireplaces were crackling with fire in every household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frost formed on the windows. Inside houses, the windows were trickling with the melted frost that was forming water droplets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Good morning, Old Rufus!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Miss Agnes, how are the kids?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the snow-covered streets, the village people greeted each other with smiles and laughter while children ran outside to play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoo...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking down the street, Fang Raon breathed cold air and looked around the winter wonderland with a sense of peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came down to the Snowberry Village to check some new gear, but for the past twenty minutes, he’d just roamed about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This village was just so beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something that is nowadays impossible to find in the real world. It all had been ruined by the rapid industrialization and urbanization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’...I have one hour before I need to head back. There is still some training to do today, as I’ll officially start my push to level 3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Tonight I will also have my first meeting with Fourth-Liners, and I will officially introduce myself as their team leader.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignored all the shops selling skill scrolls, as he didn’t want any more for now, and just went to check out armors on sale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While his Bear Hide Armor was alright, it wasn’t going to last that long for him, and he wanted something stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Huh, what is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the store, Fang Raon came across a quite interesting piece of armory dangling from the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was transparent—like water—chainmail armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the heck?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young man, interested in this one?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the store owner walked over and saw him look at the transparent chainmail armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... But how come it is transparent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chainmail armor is usually wore over a layer of clothing, but this one is made with special materials that make it transparent, so no one will see that you’re wearing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It still looks visible when dangling by the wall, but once you wear it, it will become completely invisible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The store owner said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon sounded intrigued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then checked the price tag and quickly swallowed his saliva as he realized how much it cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Price: 22,500 Square Coins]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon took a deep breath, wondered whether it really was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I test it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure thing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The store owner took it off the wall, and Fang Raon put it on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was any heavier than he liked, he wouldn’t purchase it, but to his surprise, it was extremely light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like the store owner said, it turned invisible when he wore it, and others would just see him wearing his Dark Blue Winter Clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll take it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excellent!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without even taking it off, he paid the full amount to the store owner and then left the store with a happy smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That was basically a week’s pay that I just spent, but for now, I don’t really have to worry about getting better armor for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’This one will last me a while.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, before heading back to the Rose Records mansion, he went to quickly visit a blacksmith to restore the durability in his weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were starting to get quite low in the durability department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that done, he headed straight back to the mansion and met with Rock and his other students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since there were still a couple of skills that he had at level 1, he decided to spend the rest of the day training and mastering them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were Sword Stab and Throwing Sword skills. Luckily, they were both quite easy to learn, and he started to master them quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the orange evening arrived, he had already managed to get both of them to level 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still one skill that he had at level 2—Aurel’s Blade Dance—but he had nobody to teach him Selevian Waltz just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rock told him that he was trying to find someone—local or player—to teach him, so it would take a while until he found someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Selevian Waltz was a dance style of the real world, the Black Online’s developers also included that dance to be part of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, there were some locals that knew of the dance and would be able to teach him as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the day, he was now 54% through level 2, and while there was still a way to go, he was happy to see some signs of improvement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His stamina increased by 1. It was now at 36.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His attack increased by 2. It was now at 31.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his defense also increased by 2. It was at 22.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing open a door, Machary entered the mansion’s common room and saw that everyone from Fourth Line had already gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Machary!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How’s it going?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They greeted him in a friendly way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing about Machary failing to become team leader, they were empathetic towards him, as they knew how much he wanted to become one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a nod, Machary greeted them back and sat down on one of the couches in the common room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all summoned here by Fang Raon, and since he was the team leader, they had to listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It doesn’t sound like Fang Raon has revealed to them that I lied to them yet. I guess he will do it now in front of everyone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Machary thought with a serious look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was seriously contemplating just leaving Rose Records and trying his luck in another guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were two other guilds on the 15th floor—Grinding Grief and Monsieur Rascal—and he believed that at least one of them must want him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he could even become team leader in one of their parties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I wonder why the guild master and they eventually decided to make Fang Raon the team leader.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yeah, I don’t really know. I wanted Machary to become one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Same, I also wanted him to become the leader.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I guess Machary didn’t tell them those things about Fang Raon to them. He is too kind to do that sadly, which must’ve cost him the team leader position.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Machary heard them talk and just felt embarrassed because he wasn’t anything like the person they thought of him as.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Kind? I made that shit up.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought with a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, the common room’s doors opened, and from there, Fang Raon stepped through the open doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Team leader.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone greeted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mood was slightly awkward as the majority of them preferred Machary to be team leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, everyone. As you all know, I’ve been appointed as the new team leader of the Fourth Line, and there are some ground rules that I would like to discuss with all of you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said with a serious tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded and was curious about what \"ground rules\" he could be talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the upcoming weeks, we will be starting to do some raids, and I want to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding expectations and behavior during these missions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For the treasure, we will roll dice to decide the picking order. However. If one of you doesn’t perform well in the raid, you will not receive a share of the treasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It surprised the Fourth-Liners, and they weren’t really sure what to feel about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you perform well, or do exceptionally well, I can also request a promotion for one of you to become a member of the Third Line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In return, there will also be a Fifth Line soon, as there will be a new recruit batch coming soon, so if one of you is performing sub-par, you can also be demoted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that understood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Raon asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes, team leader!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1660,"2026-06-06T02:35:08.437Z",1,"novelbin.me","ddcf01682b56d20ae72a1af6c5faa17fcc65aa4f0154b2ca93447e47fd12902e","black-online-chapter-105","black-online-chapter-103",270,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fblack-online-cover.jpg"]