Chapter 99: The Clown

Everyone looked curiously in the direction from which the voice came, only to see a person standing at the very top of the stepped seating in the assembly plaza.

This person looked very short and had a hairstyle like a meteor hammer, but the first impression his appearance gave was like that of a monkey. Because the person happened to be standing in the direction of the sunlight, it was impossible to see his face clearly. After attracting enough attention, the man leaped from the top of the assembly plaza and jumped several times to reach the center of the plaza, although his movements still resembled those of a monkey.

"Has he arrived, the clown from the original story?" Lingyun muttered to himself.

"Lingyun, I hate this person!" Lingqi, who was beside Lingyun, suddenly said to Lingyun in a low voice.

"He is indeed a hateful person. Should we finish him off during this boss battle? He causes quite a lot of trouble later on!" Lingyun pondered, stroking his chin.

Just as Lingyun was thinking about this person's fate, the man who had rushed to the center of the plaza put his hands on his hips and looked at the people in the plaza with a smug expression.

"My name is Yazi. Before we fight the boss, I have some things to say!" the man who called himself Yazi said arrogantly, with the attitude that heaven is first, earth is second, and I am third. "Before that, someone must apologize to the four thousand players who died earlier!"

Yazi's words caused an uproar among those present. Apologize? Why apologize? What did the four thousand dead players have to do with the people who needed to apologize? Could it be that the person he was talking about was Kayaba Akihiko? Although most people were confused, some clever ones had already guessed the meaning behind Yazi's words.

Diabel, who was also standing in the center of the plaza, frowned slightly and said, "Mr. Yazi, the people you are referring to, could they be the former Beta Testers?"

"Need you ask? The guys who finished the beta test abandoned the newbies and disappeared on the day this damn game started. They monopolized the good hunting grounds and simple quests, only caring about getting stronger themselves, and didn't care about anyone else's business at all," Yazi said indignantly. The words he spoke were clearly targeted. "There must be some of them here, the guys who finished the beta test!"

Hearing this, Lingyun's brow slowly furrowed.

"They must be made to kneel and admit their mistakes, and spit out the money and items they've hoarded, otherwise, as teammates, we can't entrust our lives to them." A greedy light flashed in Yazi's eyes as he pointed at the crowd and roared loudly.

Kirito, who was sitting on the steps, frowned slightly and clenched her hands tightly, seemingly very concerned about this person's remarks. Even Diabel on the stage had a flash of unnaturalness in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up.

"At first it was just sour grapes, but now it's become completely shameless. He wants to use the momentum to suppress others, get something for nothing, and take the harvest others worked hard to obtain! Keeping such a person among the players will only make him a black sheep." Lingyun had already set the tone for this person.

"Hey, I'm talking about you. You were able to enter the best inn in the Starting Town; you don't know how much money and how many items belonging to us ordinary players you've plundered. Hand these things over obediently, otherwise, we absolutely cannot form a party with you!" Yazi scanned the people present, fixed his gaze on Lingyun, and a look of jealousy flashed in his eyes.

Suddenly being called out by name, Lingyun was also stunned. When did he become a Beta Tester? His gaze swept over Yazi, and this person's figure overlapped with a certain figure he had seen before.

"Hehehehe, I was wondering who it was. So it's you, the rat who was secretly following me back then!" Seeing that many people present had their eyes on him, Lingyun stood up with a smile.

"That's right, it's you, you damn Beta Tester, you black sheep. Why don't you hand over everything you have and then obediently kneel and admit your mistake?" Yazi pointed at Lingyun and shouted.

Kirito looked at Lingyun and frowned slightly. As a Beta Tester herself, she knew clearly that Lingyun was not a Beta Tester. Moreover, although she had only met Lingyun a few times, she had some understanding of his personality. Although he was usually a very approachable person, once such a person got angry, it was the most terrifying thing.

"You want me to kneel and admit my mistake? You are truly too naive!" Lingyun looked at Yazi standing in the plaza, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold sneer. A terrifying pressure radiated from him, weighing heavily on Yazi.

"You, you... everyone here is watching. You, what are you trying to do?" Yazi said, trembling slightly.

"No one has the obligation to give anything to others for free, especially in this Death Game. The free beginner's guide that each of you has in your hands is already the greatest assistance the former Beta Testers have provided you. With this guide, there are still beginners dying. Why is this? This is what you should be thinking about! Wanting to push your luck is just too greedy," Lingyun said coldly, looking at Yazi. "Not to mention whether I am a Beta Tester or not, even if I were, what does that have to do with you? Just because I'm a Beta Tester, I have to hand over the things I got through hard work or even by risking my own life to you, to support you?"

Lingyun walked down the steps step by step, his aura pressing down on Yazi so that he couldn't move. The players in the plaza were also intimidated by Lingyun's aura and couldn't say a word. Kirito looked at Lingyun, a strange look flashing in her eyes, and even the cloaked person beside her, who had been silent, cast their gaze in Lingyun's direction.

"It's time to wake up. You haven't woken up from the real world yet, have you? This world is a cruel Death Game world, not a world where you can survive just by flapping your lips." Lingyun stood in front of Yazi, his powerful aura forcing Yazi to take several steps back.

"People who harbor the same thoughts as you are just a bunch of parasites, nothing but trash who vent their so-called unbalanced emotions all day long. People like you are the true black sheep among the players. Without you, the players in this world would have a better life!" A hint of mockery entered Lingyun's voice.

"You, you..." Yazi's finger trembled as he pointed at Lingyun, unable to say a word.

"Besides, haven't you thought about the consequences of spouting such nonsense here? Every player who has experienced the beta test is bound to be more familiar with this world and even the floor boss than ordinary people. They possess greater combat power. Aren't you afraid they will quit the strategy if you offend them like this? Without the Beta Testers as the main force, can you bear the extra casualties caused when attacking the boss? You are playing with the lives of other players!" Lingyun said sternly.

The people present began to whisper to each other, presumably agreeing with Lingyun's point of view. After all, Beta Testers possessed richer experience and greater strength; while these novice players had not yet grown up, they were undoubtedly the main force for attacking the boss. Without them, the difficulty of attacking the boss would undoubtedly rise by several levels.

"As for the party issue you mentioned, you don't need to worry. I naturally have people to form a party with. It's you who should worry about not being able to join a party, since you like stabbing people in the back so much. You're just a mere clown, still jumping around here! If you continue to sow discord and try to get something for nothing, I don't mind giving you a lesson you'll never forget!" Lingyun glanced at Yazi one last time and returned to his seat without looking back.

After Lingyun left, Yazi collapsed onto the ground with a thud. The trace of killing intent hidden in Lingyun's last sentence, which only he could perceive, directly destroyed his inner defenses and left an indelible shadow in his heart.

Seeing Lingyun return to his seat, Diabel let out a long sigh. When Lingyun was standing in the center of the plaza just now, he felt like a great mountain, pressing down on him so he couldn't breathe.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic." Diabel clapped his hands, turning everyone's attention back to himself, and at the same time, relieved Yazi, who was lying on the ground.

Speaking of this, Diabel took a small notebook out of his pocket, which was exactly the beginner's guide Lingyun had mentioned earlier.

"According to the latest information provided by the Beta Testers, the floor boss is named 'Kobold Lord Ilfang'. Besides the boss, there are several 'Fallen Kobolds' in the room as guards! The boss's weapons are an axe and a small round shield, and it has four HP Slots. When the last HP Slot drops to red, the boss will switch its weapon to an Indian Scimitar, and its attack pattern will also change!" Diabel said, looking at the guide in his hand.

"Finally, regarding the distribution of rewards! As for money, it will be divided equally among all players participating in the strategy, and the experience points will go to the party that defeats the boss. As for the items dropped by the boss later, whoever they drop for gets them." Diabel closed the notebook in his hand. "No objections to this distribution, right?"

After the people present discussed it for a while, they all expressed that they had no objections.

"Very well, then, we depart at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Dismissed!" Diabel waved his hand sharply.

Just as the people present were about to leave, a voice rang out leisurely: "Wait, I have something to say."

The people present looked in the direction from which the voice came, and it was Lingyun, who was sitting in his seat.