Chapter Four: Joining

"Is he really that powerful?" Ye Yu asked, finding it a bit hard to believe. He had read about top-tier offensive shamans on the official *Divine Fall* forums before, but those players were clearly backed by heavy funding. In the end, it just wasn't the same.

Ye Yu pondered for a moment. From his own perspective, a player at this level could indeed handle quite a few opponents. However, the Saints' Dominion was a guild with over a thousand members, and the group currently gathered at the inn numbered close to a hundred.

"It seems you haven't been paying much attention to recent events in the Mystic Heaven server," Naivety Shed continued. "The fame Wine-Trapped Hero has garnered from his exploits is no less than that of Cool Night, the guild leader of the Violet Void Mirage."

Naivety Shed went on, "Wine-Trapped Hero has a very unique custom talent tree. His attributes allow him to draw upon the residual power left in surrounding shadows to buff himself. Currently, the architectural style of Eternal Brotherhood's guild headquarters is quite peculiar, featuring a vast number of courtyards and rockeries. When he's on his own turf, even The First Power leaves him alone. That's because The First Power once suffered a crushing defeat at Eternal Brotherhood's headquarters. What's more, Wine-Trapped Hero's attributes receive a significant boost at night."

As he spoke, Naivety Shed wore a look of deep admiration and respect. It was clear he held this Shaman King, Wine-Trapped Hero, in high regard.

"That shouldn't be possible. Shouldn't there be a cap on the absorption limit to balance the skill design? Or does it have something to do with the cooldowns of various buffs and how they interact with this absorption boost?" Ye Yu was skeptical and deeply puzzled. Logically speaking, custom talent trees had to operate within the boundaries of a class's role. Breaking those limits should be impossible.

Ignoring his doubts, Naivety Shed continued, "But he is indeed a very low-profile player. He has absolutely no interest in expanding territory, nor does he care about occupying maps. He doesn't force the players on his turf to help him claim land either. Because of this, he has a loyal following, including many powerful players who left The First Power or other top-ten guilds just to follow him."

"Oh? So he does have people helping him after all," Ye Yu remarked with interest, watching Wine-Trapped Hero chat with the player at the very front of the Saints' Dominion group. "Still, hearing all this makes me rather curious about his abilities. This Shaman King must indeed be something else." Meanwhile, Ye Yu was inwardly calculating whether he would stand a chance if they were to face off.

While Ye Yu was talking and pondering, Wine-Trapped Hero was still conversing with the leading player of Saints' Dominion.

"Since you put it that way, I won't stand on ceremony," Wine-Trapped Hero said. "I plan to try every single dish they have here. After all, this is a game, so it's not like my stomach will burst. What do you think?"

"Ah!" The player's face fell instantly upon hearing Wine-Trapped Hero's words. He wanted to refuse, but when he met the icy glint in Wine-Trapped Hero's eyes, he quickly forced a smile and stammered, "No... no problem at all!"

The player quickly did the math. Although it would cost a fortune, it was infinitely better than fighting the demonic beast Wine-Trapped Hero had summoned. Without further hesitation, he agreed to the demand.

"Good. Since that's settled, pay the bill and get out of this inn. Don't ruin my appetite," Wine-Trapped Hero said coldly. Seeing the player agree, he waved his hand as if shooing away flies, dismissing the members of Saints' Dominion.

Hearing this, the members of Saints' Dominion knew exactly what he meant—there was no point in discussing the guild merger any further. They had no choice but to accept it. After dutifully settling the bill, they hurried out. Before they left, however, they cast a fierce glare at Ye Yu's group and Naivety Shed's group.

"Hey, what was that for? He's the one who kicked you out, why are you glaring at us?" Ye Yu raised his hands and shook his head defensively, casting a complaining look at Wine-Trapped Hero nearby. "Every debt has its debtor. If you want trouble, go look for him, leave us out of it!"

Meanwhile, the others who had been watching the drama unfold couldn't help but speak up. "Alright, now that our fatigue is cleared, we should head toward the Mount Tai Forbidden Land," Luo Feng said. "Who knows how much time we've already wasted."

Just as Luo Feng finished speaking, Wine-Trapped Hero, who had been clutching a pile of chicken drumsticks and eating, suddenly turned around and walked over. He sat down beside them again and asked with great interest, "Are you guys headed to the forbidden zone deep within Mount Tai? Nobody wants to go to that place. You're going there? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"What's it to you? Just mind your own business on your own turf. Why ask so many questions?" Luo Feng frowned and spoke with clear annoyance. He and his companions harbored no fear toward this self-proclaimed Shaman King. Their coordination and teamwork were second to none; if they worked together, taking down this Shaman King wouldn't be much of a challenge. Their synergy wasn't something a lone Shaman King could easily disrupt. No matter how powerful he was, he wasn't someone they needed to fear.

"But I'm bored," Wine-Trapped Hero said casually. "Besides, I'm pretty strong myself, and my accumulated experience is almost enough to hit Level 45."

At that moment, Ye Yu walked over to Wine-Trapped Hero, draped his left arm over the man's shoulder, and said, "Then it's settled."

He then whispered to Luo Feng, "Don't you want to see this Shaman King's custom talent tree for yourself?"

Luo Feng pondered Ye Yu's words and fell silent, tacitly agreeing to the suggestion. The others had no objections either.

A lot could be learned from analyzing a top player's custom talent tree. If Naivety Shed was right, this Shaman King indeed possessed unique strengths that were worth studying. Furthermore, since this Shaman King was someone others dared not provoke, how could they pass up the chance to see such a powerful figure in action?