32. What, Our Guild Is Trending? (Please Follow for Updates)

When it came to conquering the temple, both Jiang Heyi and Watermelon Shaomai possessed an information advantage.

Now that Watermelon Shaomai had voluntarily relinquished that edge, Jiang Heyi only had to think for a moment to guess that she was stuck and suffering in the game. Only after failing repeatedly with no sign of victory would she decide to change tactics to extract more value.

Thinking of this, Jiang Heyi could not help but sigh.

When they first met at the Boundary of Reality and Illusion, he had sacrificed four team members before he managed to carve out a second form all by himself, relying on potions and a desperate final strike. If you’re bad at it, just practice more; it wasn't that hard to beat. Of course, it was also highly likely that she couldn't swallow her pride and had decided to disgust him in this manner.

"Are you planning to go head-to-head with them?"

Zhong Zemo not only posted this in the group chat but also wandered over to Jiang Heyi to ask. At home, he always had to get up early to prepare breakfast; now that he was free, he had indulged himself with an extra ten minutes of sleep.

Jiang Heyi replied with a straight face, "Protecting guild members is the guild leader's duty."

In the public sphere, emotion always dominates everything. Reason often only returns after the venting is over, and by then, the accumulation of public opinion is usually enough to drown anyone. Living in the real world—not an isekai—one cannot simply resort to physical criticism or the total destruction of the body and soul when feeling disgusted.

Therefore, Jiang Heyi provided his own solution.

"Create an account under the name 'Boundary of Reality and Illusion'."

"We’ll post some short strategy videos too."

"If we can make some money from the traffic, we can either split it to spend on the game, or if the opportunity arises, meet up offline for a good meal."

Jailer Bro sent a "cat sighing" emoji. "An offline gathering? That sounds nice. I haven't even seen what Potato and Fries look like yet."

Original Flavor Fries: "You're thinking too far ahead. Anyway, for now, we need to set up the account."

"Who’s going to do it?"

Jiang Heyi: "I’m in the middle of an interview."

Jailer Bro: "My dad wants me to go to the company; I’m busy."

Zhong Zemo: "I have class."

Orange Tea: "Ah... I have to go to school to register today, too."

Original Flavor Fries: "..."

Jiang Heyi suddenly thought of a cold joke. Fries should be seasoned with salt before being deep-fried, so "Original Flavor Fries" was indeed the "saltiest" member of the Boundary of Reality and Illusion.

Before long, Jiang Heyi's private chat window buzzed.

"The account is set up," Original Flavor Fries asked, "What do you plan to post?"

"Export game footage, use some clips of us currently clearing the fourth-floor monastery of the temple," Jiang Heyi stood up to prepare for his interview, his fingers flying as he typed. "Note, only scenes. Don't include monsters or combat footage, and keep it under a minute."

Original Flavor Fries had just taken a bottle of milk from the fridge and was chugging it down when she caught the message on her phone; she pursed her lips tightly. It felt like a teacher assigning homework.

This wasn't difficult for Original Flavor Fries. She skillfully completed the editing, sent the finished product to Jiang Heyi for a quick look, and then uploaded it.

At that moment, Jiang Heyi sat upright, smiling as he welcomed a rare interview opportunity. Jailer Bro set aside his online flippancy in front of his father’s close friend, hosting them politely. Zhong Zemo opened his textbook, reminding his students to take notes. Orange Tea, carrying bags of luggage, looked blankly at the crowd as she searched for the upperclassmen who were supposed to guide the freshmen.

Although Original Flavor Fries was idle, she wasn't a shut-in who squatted in front of a computer all day; she tidied up a bit, grabbed her backpack, and left the house.

While everyone from the Boundary of Reality and Illusion was busy in reality, the video uploaded by Original Flavor Fries entered the traffic pool because it carried the "Proof of the Stars" tag.

This video, which should have fermented quietly in an unnoticed corner, surged toward players desperately searching for relevant information, driven by the tidal wave of algorithms triggered by the "Clearer’s Temple" keyword established by Watermelon Shaomai.

At first, only one or two people were watching online. An hour later, hundreds of people were watching the brief 40-second video simultaneously.

As school was about to let out, Zhong Zemo, finally having some free time, took out his phone. He had intended to search for some game-related videos, but after refreshing just twice...

"Huh?"

He carefully confirmed the name under the video and clicked on it in disbelief. Looking at the nearly 10,000 online viewers, the dense barrage of comments on the screen, the comments increasing with every refresh, and...

"Huh? 10,000 followers?" Seeing the activity in the chat group, Original Flavor Fries was the first to reply. "But I only just created the account!"

Jailer Bro, who had just finished eating with his elders, also noticed the anomaly. "Oh my god, it's almost at 200,000 views!"

"Where's Potato? Get Potato to come out and see this too."

"I think his phone battery died; I can't reach him," Zhong Zemo replied.

Out of hundreds of comments, more than half were asking for the coordinates. Original Flavor Fries opened the Boundary of Reality and Illusion account; the private messages had already exploded.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the screen, Watermelon Shaomai was also recommended the video from the Boundary of Reality and Illusion.

"The fourth floor?!" She almost screamed.

The two stitched-together monsters on the first floor had already wiped out their team several times. The materials they had painstakingly gathered over two rounds of gaming were barely enough to cover the cost of a single "Starry Gem" teleportation, only for them to be killed instantly upon landing—there was zero gaming experience to speak of.

One of Watermelon Shaomai’s die-hard fans firmly assured her, "That difficulty is not something a player at current progress can clear normally."

"The Boundary of Reality and Illusion must have used some crooked method to clear it. If you don't master this dirty trick, you'll just wipe out indefinitely."

"The Boundary of Reality and Illusion won't get far."

That was how she had been comforting herself, too.

But now...

"How could they get to the fourth floor? How!"

After the initial shock, Watermelon Shaomai immediately realized that she had completely played herself. She had been used as a stepping stone by Cyber Potato!

The reason the other party could gain followers so quickly and have their video recommended was because her decision to announce the coordinates had led to an increase in search volume...

And the other party already had the advantage in progress. Once they gained recommended traffic, who would care about her coordinates? Even if they didn't share the techniques for clearing the temple and just focused on pushing forward to compete for the honor of the world-first clear, people would find it hard to blame them. If the Boundary of Reality and Illusion were willing to share some details of the clear, even if it were just a hint, they would earn the gratitude of countless players.

Now, what did she have to compete with them?

Follower count? Once they gained momentum, would they even care about followers?

Skill...

"Proof of the Stars" was a game with competitive elements, and once you get involved in competition, there is one thing you can never avoid: "In esports, being bad is the original sin."

Excellent players naturally attract more followers. If she truly had the skill and ability to clear the first floor of the temple, she wouldn't have had to announce the coordinates.

Although they were long-time internet surfers, the five members of the Boundary of Reality and Illusion were stepping into the spotlight for the first time, becoming the center of public opinion for a game. Jiang Heyi’s move was unexpectedly effective—so effective that they didn't know what to do next for a moment.

"Send out a reminder, telling those players who are eager to teleport to the 'Clearer’s Underground Temple' world bubble that the Starry Gem infusion cost is high. As the number of people teleporting increases, not only will the cost rise, but there will also be a risk of failure."

"Also, remind them that in this world bubble where the underground temple is located, the combat power of monsters is extremely high, both on the surface and underground."

"Tell them not to listen to others' instigation and teleport blindly; that will only result in the loss of valuable materials accumulated in the early stages."

Jailer Bro questioned, "That won't work. They'll just think you're afraid of competition and are fear-mongering to avoid losing the honor of the world-first clear."

"I know I can't stop those people from courting death. Most of them will likely have to die a few times and hit the wall before they turn back," Jiang Heyi emphasized, "but we still have to make the risks clear. After all, Watermelon Shaomai didn't mention the difficulty at all; we have to have more conscience than her."

Zhong Zemo suddenly realized, "Should we also announce the coordinates?"

"Since we can't stop it, we should go with the flow. We have the advantage, so why not make good use of it?" Jiang Heyi smiled. "Watermelon Shaomai has set the stage for us; wouldn't it be a waste of her good intentions if we didn't go up?"

After a busy day, Orange Tea finally had the time to take out her phone and check the group chat after entering her four-person dorm and meeting her roommates.

Jailer Bro: "Since things have reached this point, let's order food. We finally have money for a big feast!"

"Um... why is everyone discussing what to eat for the party?"

...

The explosive popularity of the Boundary of Reality and Illusion was completely beyond the expectations of the guild members, and the impact was naturally felt most in the game.

Just as they logged on, the guild puppet, Garlic Sprout, reported something.

"The guild member application limit has been reached. Please confirm, Master."

Jiang Heyi was stunned. He followed the prompts to open the projection panel. The list of names stretched up to the ceiling, startling him into jumping aside.

"We've really become a famous guild now," Jailer Bro looked up at the list, saying excitedly.

"Have you ever seen a famous guild with only 5 people?" Original Flavor Fries curled her lip, complaining.

"And the guild is a dump..." Orange Tea looked around the guild's main hall, which was still furnished with a broken circular table and chairs.

Zhong Zemo laughed helplessly, "Who told us to spend all our resources on conquering the temple? We didn't have any spare funds to bother with decorations or upgrading the guild."

The infusion costs for gems after death, equipment repair costs, item preparation before entering dungeons, and the expenses for feeding that shameful witch who loved to take kickbacks—the Boundary of Reality and Illusion was truly short on money.

Garlic Sprout covered her mouth and giggled, "Master, what should be done with these applications?"

"Reject them all. By the way, set the guild joining conditions to 'Invite Only'."

Jiang Heyi reminded everyone to block friend requests as well, as he, the guild leader, had already received quite a few private messages in the game.

"Woohoo, I'm back, children!"

"Did you miss me?"

The shameful witch, who loved to take kickbacks, teleported back happily.

"I’ve brought the treasures you wanted. Besides that, this time, I’ve also gifted you some useful little gadgets, as a token of my friendship."

Jiang Heyi raised a corner of his mouth, "Taken so many kickbacks that you finally found your conscience?"

The single sentence made Mint gnash her teeth.

"Do you want them or not!"

"Want, of course we do. Great Lady Witch, please, by all means, let us admire your masterpiece."

"That's more like it." The pouting Mint immediately calmed down.

Teasing the shameful witch was truly interesting. It felt like something one could easily get addicted to.